come, look, so--" He indicated, by a great
craning of neck in all directions, the wariness of one who goes by
stealth. "Him walk still all time, go all time ova there." He swept his
arm toward the meadows. "Me go still, for watchum. Yo' come, mebbyso
make heap much noise--kay bueno. Dat mans, him hear, him heap scare.
Me tellum, yo' mebbyso go still." He folded his arms with a gesture of
finality, and stood statue-like in the deep gloom beside the rock.

Good Indian fingered his horse's mane while he considered the queer
story. There must be something in it, he thought, to bring Peppajee
from his blankets at midnight and to impel him, unfriendly as he usually
seemed, to confide his worry to him at once and without urging. And yet,
to steal the Peaceful Hart ranch--the idea was ludicrous. Still, there
was no harm in looking around a bit. He sought a sagebrush that suited
his purpose, tied his horse to it, stooped, and took the clanking
Mexican spurs from his heels, and touched Peppajee on the shoulder.

"All right," he murmured close to his ear, "we go see."

Without a word, Peppajee turned, and stole away toward the meadows,
keeping always in the shadow of rock or bush, silent-footed as a
prowling bobcat. Close behind him, not quite so silent because of his
riding-boots, which would strike now and then upon a rock, however
careful he was of his footing, went Good Indian.

So they circled the meadow, came into sand and sage beyond, sought there
unavailingly, went on to the orchard, and skirted it, keen of eye and
ear, struck quietly through it, and came at last to the place where,
the night before, Grant had overtaken Evadna--and it surprised him not a
little to feel his heart pounding unreasonably against his ribs when he
stopped beside the rock where they had sat and quarreled.

Peppajee looked back to see why Grant paused there, and then, wrapping
his blanket tightly around him, crawled through the fence, and went on,
keeping to the broad belt of shade cast upon the ground by the row
of poplars. Where the shade stopped abruptly, and beyond lay white
moonlight with the ranch buildings blotching it here and there, he
stopped and waited until Good Indian stood close beside him. Even then
he did not speak, but, freeing an arm slowly from the blanket folds,
pointed toward the stable.

Grant looked, saw nothing, stared harder, and so; feeling sure there
must be something hidden there, presently believed that a bit of t