behind.

"Was the soldier asking if Major McDonald went East on the coach, Sam?"

"Sure; what do you know about it?"

"Why, I was outside when they started," she explained, "and the man in
uniform was n't the Major. I know him by sight, for he 's been down
here a dozen times when I was at the desk. This fellow was about his
size, but dark and stoop-shouldered."

"And the others?" asked Hamlin eagerly.

"I did n't know either of them, only I noticed one had a black beard."

"A very large, burly fellow?"

"No, I don't think so. I did n't pay special attention to any of them,
only to wonder who the officer was, 'cause I never remembered seein'
him here before at Dodge, but, as I recollect, the fellow with a beard
was rather undersized; had a shaggy buffalo-skin cap on."

Plainly enough the man was not Dupont, and McDonald had not departed on
the stage, while some other, pretending to be he, possibly wearing his
clothes to further the deceit, had taken the seat reserved in the
coach. Baffled, bewildered by this unexpected discovery, the Sergeant
swung back into his saddle, not knowing which way to turn.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE DEAD BODY

That both McDonald and his daughter were involved in this strange
puzzle was already clear. The disappearance of the one was as
mysterious as that of the other. Whether the original conspiracy had
centred about the Major, and Miss Molly had merely been drawn into the
net through accident, or whether both were destined as victims from the
first, could not be determined by theory. Indeed the Sergeant could
evolve no theory, could discover no purpose in the outrage. Convinced
that Dupont and his wife were the moving spirits, he yet possessed no
satisfactory reason for charging them with the crime, for which there
was no apparent object.

Nothing remained to be done but search the town, a blind search in the
hope of uncovering some trail. That crime had been committed--either
murder or abduction--was evident; the two had not dropped thus suddenly
out of sight without cause. Nor did it seem possible they could have
been whisked away without leaving some trace behind. The town was
accustomed to murder and sudden death; the echo of a revolver shot
would create no panic, awaken no alarm, and yet the place was small,
and there was little likelihood that any deed of violence would pass
long unnoticed. With a few words of instruction, and hasty
descriptions of both Dupont