Certainly he had
done more than his share in his effort to get back the Coles horses and
she had no wish to needlessly hurt his feelings by letting him know that
the business was to be taken out of his hands and given into those of a
more efficient worker. But Hervey surprised her by the complaisance with
which he heard the tidings.
"Never in my life hung out a shingle as a hoss-catcher," he assured her.
"He's welcome to the job. Me and the boys won't envy him none. It'll be
a long trail and a tolerable lonely one, most like."
After that she settled down to wait with as great a feeling of security
as though the mares were already safely back in the corral. If he came,
the death-warrant of Alcatraz was as good as signed. But when the third
day of waiting ended without bringing Shorty and Perris, as it should
have done, the "if" began to assume greater proportions, and by late
afternoon of the fourth day she had made up her mind that Perris was
gone from Glosterville and that Shorty was on a wild goose chase after
him. So great was her gloom that even her father, usually blind to all
emotions around him, delayed a moment after he had been helped into his
buckboard and stared thoughtfully down at her.
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