Slone drew his own horse back and tied him to a sage-bush amidst
some scant grass. Then he returned to watch. It appeared Creech was climbing
the ridge below Slone, and some distance away. It was a desperate chance Joel
ran then, for Slone had set out to kill him. It was certain that if Joel had
happened to ride near instead of far, Slone could not have helped but kill
him. As it was, he desisted because he realized that Joel would acquaint
Bostil with the abducting of Lucy, and it might be that this would be well.
Slone was shaking when young Creech passed up and out of sight over the
ridge--shaking with the deadly grip of passion such as he had never known. He
waited, slowly gaining control, and at length went back for Wildfire.
Then he rode boldly forth on the trail. He calculated that old Creech would
take Lucy to some wild retreat in the canyons and there wait for Joel and the
horses. Creech had almost certainly gone on and would be unaware of a pursuer
so closely on his trail. Slone took the direction of the trail, and he saw a
low, dark notch in the rocky wall in the distance.
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