"Bob'll watch you," he said; "so's nothin' will happen to you.
Besides--" he leaned forward in a listening attitude; "Toban an' the
boys are comin'. I reckon what I'm goin' to do won't take me long--if
Taggart's in the timber."
He stepped down and vanished around the corner of the ranchhouse.
He had scarcely gone before there was a clatter of hoofs in the
ranchhouse yard, a horse dashed up to the edge of the porch, came to a
sliding halt and the lank figure of Toban appeared before the door in
which Betty was standing.
He looked at her, noted her white face, and peered over her shoulder at
Bob, with the rifle, at Taggart on the floor.
"Holy smoke!" he said; "what's happened?"
She told him quickly, in short, brief sentences; her eyes glowing with
fear. He tried to squeeze past her to get into the kitchen, but she
prevented him, blocking the doorway, pushing hysterically against him
with her hands.
"Calumet has gone to the timber grove--to the clearing--to look for Tom
Taggart. Taggart will ambush him, will kill him! I don't want him
killed! Go to him, Toban--get him to come back!"
"Shucks," said Toban, grinning; "I reckon you don't need to worry none.
If Taggart's over in the timber an' he sees Calumet he'll just
naturally forget he's got a gun. But if it'll ease your mind any, I'll
go after him.
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