Dale's first decision was to leave Peggy in the cabin. But she mightrecover, and she had recognized him. Ben Nyland would exact sternvengeance for the outrage.
Dale stood for some seconds in the doorway, his brain working rapidly.Then he leaped inside the cabin, took the girl up in his arms, carriedher to his horse, mounted, and with the limp, sagging body in his armsrode into the night.
Reaction, also, was working on Banker Maison. Though more than an hourhad passed since he had got into bed, following the departure of hisnocturnal visitor, he had not slept a wink. His brain revolving theincidents of the night--it had been a positive panorama of vividhorrors.
The first gray streak of dawn was splitting the horizon when he gave itup, clambered out of bed and poured a generous drink from the bottle onthe sideboard.
"God, a man needs something like this to brace him up after such anight!" he declared.
He took a second drink from the bottle, and a third. In the act ofpouring a fourth he heard a sound at the back door, and with a gulp ofterror he remembered that he had again forgotten to lock it.
Sanderson undoubtedly was returning!
Again Maison's body became clammy with a cold sweat. He stood in theroom near the sideboard, tremblingly listening. For again there was astep on the stairs.
When he saw the door begin to open his knees knocked together, butthere entered, not the dread apparition he expected, but Alva Dale,with the limp form of a woman in his arms!
The sudden breaking of the tension, and astonishment over what he saw,made Maison's voice hoarse.
"What's up now?" he demanded.
"Hell!" muttered Dale. He told Maison the whole story--with somereservations.
"I was sparkin' her--like I've been doin' for a long time. We had atiff over--over somethin'--an' I pushed her. She fell over, hittin'her head."
"You damned fool!" snapped Maison. Dale was not Sanderson, and Maisonfelt the authority of his position. "This is Peggy Nyland, isn't it?She's the girl Silverthorn was telling me about--that you're sweet on.You damned fool. Can't you let the women alone when we're in a deallike this! You'll ruin the whole thing! Get her out of here!"
Dale eyed the other sullenly, his face bloating with rage.
"Look here, Maison; you quit your infernal yappin'. She stays here. Ithought at first I'd killed her an' I was goin' to plant her. Butshe's been groanin' a little while I've been comin' here, an' there's achance for her. Go get the doctor."
"What about her brother?" demanded Maison. "He's a shark with a gun,they tell me, an' a tiger when he's aroused. If he finds out aboutthis he'll kill both of us."
Dale grinned saturninely. "I'll take care of the brother," he said."You get the doc--an' be damned quick about it!"
Maison went out, and in five minutes returned with the doctor. Thelatter worked for more than an hour with Peggy, and at last succeededin reviving her.
But though Peggy opened her eyes, there was no light of reason inthem--only the vacuous, unseeing stare of a dulled and apathetic brain.
"She's got an awful whack," said the doctor. "It's cracked her skull.It'll be weeks before she gets over it--if she ever does. I'll comeand see her tomorrow."
The doctor came the next day--in the morning. He found the patient nobetter. A woman, hired by Dale, was caring for the girl.
Also, in the morning, Dale paid a visit. His visit was to Dal Colton,the man Dale had employed to kill Sanderson, and who had so signallyfailed.
The scene of the meeting between Dale and Colton was in the rear roomof the City Hotel.
"Look here," said Dale. "This deal can't be no whizzer like you run inon Sanderson. He's got to be dropped, or things are goin' to happen toall of us. His name's Nyland--Ben Nyland. You know him?"
Colton nodded. "Plenty. He's a fast man with a gun. I'll have to gethim when he ain't lookin'. You'll get me clear?"
"No one will know about it," declared Dale. "You go out to his ranchan' lay for him. He'll be in on the afternoon train. When he comesinto the door of his house, nail him. That's easy."