long time she lay thinking, guessing, trying to recall little
scraps of evidence that would bear upon the case. Again, a slight
sound brought her to a sitting posture. This time it was the opening
of a door across the hall from her room. The sound was followed by the
soft padding of slippered feet in the hall, the low tapping, evidently
at another door, a few low-voiced words, and a return of the padding
steps. A few moments later other steps hurried along the hall past her
door and rapidly descended the stairs. Patty heard the opening of an
outside door, and once more stealing to the window she saw the
Chinaman hurry across the moonlit yard to the bunk house and throw
open the door. He entered to emerge a moment later and rush to the
horse-corral, where he peered between the poles for a moment and then
made his way swiftly back to the house.

Without lighting the lamp Patty dressed hurriedly. Was the Samuelson
ranch a place of mystery? What was the meaning of the light
sounds--the soft tramp of horses, and the padding of feet upon the
stairs? The footsteps paused at the door across the hall. There
followed a whispered colloquy and the steps retreated rapidly to the
lower regions. Patty opened her door to see Mrs. Samuelson, her face
expressing the deepest agitation, and one thin hand catching together
the folds of a lavender kimono.

"What is the matter?" asked the girl. "What has happened?"

The old lady closed the door from beyond which came sounds of heavy
breathing. "I am afraid he is worse," she whispered. "Wong Yie went to
the bunk house to send the boys for the doctor and for Mrs. Pierce,
and he says they are gone! Their horses are not in the corral. I don't
understand it," she cried. "I told them not to go away. They know,
that with my husband sick, we are in momentary danger from the
horse-thieves, and they know that their place is right here."

"You told Bill to stay until he heard from Vil Holland," reminded
Patty. "Maybe they heard from him, and left without disturbing you."

"That's it, of course!" cried the woman. "I ought to have known I
could trust them. But, for a moment it seemed that--" She stopped
abruptly and glanced anxiously into the girl's face, "But what in the
world will we do? Wong Yie can't ride a step, and if he could, I need
him here----"

"I'll ride to Pierce's!" exclaimed Patty. "And get Mr. Pierce to go
for the doctor, and bring Mrs. Pierce back with me. My horse is in the
corral