Part 14 (2/2)
Two nights later Whispering Smith rode into Medicine Bend. ”I've been up around Williams Cache,” he said, answering McCloud's greeting as he entered the upstairs office. ”How goes it?” He was in his riding rig, just as he had come from a late supper.
When he asked for news McCloud told him the story of the trouble with Lance Dunning over the survey, and added that he had referred the matter to Glover. He told then of his unpleasant surprise when riding home afterward.
”Yes,” a.s.sented Smith, looking with feverish interest at McCloud's head; ”I heard about it.”
”That's odd, for I haven't said a word about the matter to anybody but Marion Sinclair, and you haven't seen her.”
”I heard up the country. It is great luck that he missed you.”
”Who missed me?”
”The man that was after you.”
”The bullet went through my hat.”
”Let me see the hat.”
McCloud produced it. It was a heavy, broad-brimmed Stetson, with a bullet-hole cut cleanly through the front and the back of the crown.
Smith made McCloud put the hat on and describe his position when the shot was fired. McCloud stood up, and Whispering Smith eyed him and put questions.
”What do you think of it?” asked McCloud when he had done.
Smith leaned forward on the table and pushed McCloud's hat toward him as if the incident were closed. ”There is no question in my mind, and there never has been, but that Stetson puts up the best hat worn on the range.”
McCloud raised his eyebrows. ”Why, thank you! Your conclusion clears things so. After you speak a man has nothing to do but guess.”
”But, by Heaven, George,” exclaimed Smith, speaking with unaccustomed fervor, ”Miss d.i.c.ksie Dunning is a hummer, _isn't_ she? That child will have the whole range going in another year. To think of her standing up and las.h.i.+ng her cousin in that way when he was browbeating a railroad man!”
”Where did you hear about that?”
”The whole Crawling Stone country is talking about it. You never told me you had a misunderstanding with d.i.c.ksie Dunning at Marion's.
Loosen up!”
”I will loosen up in the way you do. What scared me most, Gordon, was waiting for the second shot. Why didn't he fire again?”
”Doubtless he thought he had you the first time. Any man big enough to start after you is not used to shooting twice at two hundred and fifty yards. He probably thought you were falling out of the saddle; and it was dark. I can account for everything but your reaching the pa.s.s so late. How did you spend all your time between the ranch and the foothills?”
McCloud saw there was no escape from telling of his meeting with d.i.c.ksie Dunning, of her warning, and of his ride to the gate with her.
Every point brought a suppressed exclamation from Whispering Smith.
”So she gave you your life,” he mused. ”Good for her! If you had got into the pa.s.s on time you could not have got away--the cards were stacked for you. He overestimated you a little, George; just a little.
Good men make mistakes. The sport of circ.u.mstances that we are! The sport of circ.u.mstances!”
”Now tell me how _you_ heard so much about it, Gordon, and where?”
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