William had made signs that morning
across the wall to people in that house.

"Now it seems to me like this, Colonel," says I: "I never went to sleep
that night, and neither did Bonnie Bell. When she seen them lights on
the windows, maybe she went to her own window. He was maybe standing
there and seen her. Maybe she seen him. Maybe all at once it come over
her that she'd have to--she'd have to---- Well, you know what I mean."

He nodded then.

"You see, it must of come over the pore girl all at once," says I; for,
to save my life, I couldn't help trying to excuse her every way I could.
"She hadn't sent no word over to him and he hadn't got no word to her
for weeks so far as I knew. It must of all come to them both just in
that one minute. It was like cap and powder--you can't help the
explosion then. I reckon maybe she's somewhere--with him."

"Yes; with him!" breaks out Old Man Wright. "It was neck against
neck--me and Wisner. I had him beat; I'd of had him on his knees. And
now he's put the greatest disgrace on us any man could of figured out,
no matter how hard he tried--his hired man has run away with my
daughter! I could of laughed at Wisner once. Can I laugh at him now?"

"That ain't the worst," says I.

"No," says he; "it ain't the worst. The worst is, she's married a
low-down cur that's been after her money all this time. All this time,
Curly--and I didn't know it. And you let him go thataway--right here;
you heard the wheels that took 'em away!"

"Yes, Colonel," says I; "that's true. Now it's a little late, but I'm
going to get on this job the best I know how from this time down. That
means I've got to go away from town for a little while, Colonel. I want
you to set here and leave this thing to me. Please don't say 'No' to
that. I may need you after a while--in case I locate them. Since the
newspapers has got fooled by this thing we pulled off this morning,
maybe the best thing I can do is to go away while things is quiet.

"Stay here, then, Colonel," says I. "Don't drink no more and no less
than you been doing. If anybody comes tell them Bonnie Bell is sick.
Wait till you hear from me."

XXVI

HOW I WENT BACK

I argued that when you look for a man who has done a crime you got to
figure on what he said and done last, so as to get a line on what he's
going to do next; and when I come to study over that hired man had
mostly said to me I remembered it was about Wyoming and ropes and
cows--th