Part 38 (1/2)
”Surest thing, you know.”
”Very well. I believe you. One of my reasons for coming over here, however, was to tell you to keep your eyes and ears open to-morrow.”
”I'll do that for you----”
”If we fail to find them to-morrow, I'll ride over at night after the crowd has left here and hear what you have learned. When any of the cowmen come in, I want you to bring up the subject and try to draw them out. You'll get something that will be of use to us, I know, for I'm dead certain that they've got both of those boys.”
”Do you think they would dare do a thing like that?” asked Ned.
”Dare?” Luke laughed harshly. ”They'd dare anything, especially about this time. Oh, did you hear whether any of them got hit last night!”
”Two or three is laid up for repairs,” grinned the storekeeper.
”I'm glad of it. I wish the whole bunch had been trimmed.”
”Lose many sheep?”
”Yes; too many. But that isn't what's troubling us now.”
”No, I understand. It's the kids.”
”Exactly. Don't forget what you have got to do, now.”
Ned had been leaning against the counter listening to the conversation, when his hand came in contact with a soft object that lay on the counter. He carelessly picked it up and looked at it.
What he had found was a sombrero. This of itself was unimportant, for the store carried them for sale. A broad, yellow band about it was what attracted Ned Rector's attention, causing him to utter a sharp exclamation.
”What is it?” demanded Luke quickly.
”Look. Did you ever see this before?” he asked excitedly.
”It's Philip Simms's hat,” answered the foreman, fixing a stern eye on the old storekeeper.
CHAPTER XXII
CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS
”Yes. I recognized it the instant I saw it,” answered Ned.
”Cavanagh, what does this mean?” demanded the foreman. ”I think it's up to you to explain and mighty quick at that.”
”I--I don't know anything about it,” stammered the storekeeper.
”Where did you get that hat?”
”I bought it.”
”Off whom?”