t contingent to leave had stumbled on an inert and
prostrate body in the dark as he crossed a ridge not far away.
Cautiously he had investigated and had recognized Jase, who was
unconscious and had lost much blood. His confederate paused for a time
in a quandary as to what disposition to make of him. When to-morrow's
news leaked out, wounded men would be suspected men, and those who
accompanied them might share in that suspicion.

Yet to desert a comrade in that fashion was abhorrent even to the slack
conscience of this desperado. So he grudgingly hefted the burden of
the senseless figure and plodded under its weight to the nearest cabin.

There he told a story of how he had stumbled on his grewsome find in
the open high-road--which was a lie--and his mystification of manner
was so great as to constitute for himself a practical alibi.

Early the next morning, Brent, Halloway and O'Keefe went to consult
with Alexander as to the next step. None of them meant to give up
after going this far and the men fretted for immediate action, but
Alexander to their mystification shook her head. "Not yit," she ruled.
"I'm waitin' hyar now fer tidin's thet may holp us."

While they stood in the yard of the log house, a figure appeared
plodding slowly along the roadway, and the girl's eyes were bent on it
with a fixed anxiety. It came with such a weary lagging, with such a
painful shuffling of feet and such an exhausted hanging of head that
Brent at first failed to recognize Bud Sellers. The left arm hung with
that limpness which denotes a broken bone.

"Good God," exclaimed the timber buyer under his breath, "I should
hardly think he'd have the nerve to show himself here!"

But Bud looked only at the girl. He was on foot now but over his
shoulders hung his saddle-bags. He halted and threw them at
Alexander's feet.

"My mule got shot out from under me," he informed her quite simply,
"an' I busted an arm--hit war a right slavish trip. Open them bags."

Alexander obeyed--and drew out a parcel bound in brown paper, bearing
the bright red spots of the bank's sealing wax.

"I reckon, men," she said quietly, "we won't hev ter sot out afresh."

Brent, Halloway and O'Keefe gazed stupidly each on each. Incredulous
amazement and perplexity tied their tongues. Finally Halloway found
his voice to stammer, "What's done happened? How did Sellers git hit."

Then only Alexander threw back her head and let her laughter peal out.