Slone was nonplussed and he was losing self-control.
Again he lowered himself and waited. He caught the word "Durango" and "hosses"
and "fer enough in," the meaning of which was, vague. Then the girl laughed.
And Slone found himself trembling with joy. Beyond any doubt that laugh could
not have been Lucy's.
Slone stole back as he had come, reached the shadow of the wall, and drew away
until he felt it safe to walk quickly. When he reached the place where he
expected to find Wildfire he did not see him. Slone looked and looked. Perhaps
he had misjudged distance and place in the gloom. Still, he never made
mistakes of that nature. He searched around till he found the cedar stump to
which he had tied the lasso. In the gloom he could not see it, and when he
reached out he did not feel it. Wildfire was gone! Slone sank down, overcome.
He cursed what must have been carelessness, though he knew he never was
careless with a horse. What had happened? He did not know. But Wildfire was
gone--and that meant Lucy's doom and his! Slone shook with cold.
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