The little
old woman served, and opened her lips not at all. Supper was eaten
with no further reference to the doings in town that day, and no
word was said about their meeting when Hale first went to Lonesome
Cove until they were smoking on the porch.
"I heerd you found some mighty fine coal over in Lonesome Cove."
"Yes."
"Young Dave Tolliver thinks you found somethin' else thar, too,"
chuckled the Red Fox.
"I did," said Hale coolly, and the old man chuckled again.
"She's a purty leetle gal--shore."
"Who is?" asked Hale, looking calmly at his questioner, and the
Red Fox lapsed into baffled silence.
The moon was brilliant and the night was still. Suddenly the Red
Fox cocked his ear like a hound, and without a word slipped
swiftly within the cabin. A moment later Hale heard the galloping
of a horse and from out the dark woods loped a horseman with a
Winchester across his saddle bow. He pulled in at the gate, but
before he could shout "Hello" the Red Fox had stepped from the
porch into the moonlight and was going to meet him. Hale had never
seen a more easy, graceful, daring figure on horseback, and in the
bright light he could make out the reckless face of the man who
had been the first to flash his pistol in town that day--Bad Rufe
Tolliver.
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