ff what seemed a weight of responsibility for Blinky and Louise.
Once he got them out of town they were safe.

Suddenly Blinky reached behind the girl and gave Pan a punch. Turning,
Pan saw his comrade point back. A dull red flare lighted up the sky.
Fire! Pan's heart gave a leap. The Yellow Mine was burning. The
crowd of drinkers and gamblers had fled before Blinky's guns. Pan was
hoping that only he and Blinky would ever know who had killed Dick
Hardman.

From time to time Pan glanced back over his shoulder. The flare of red
light grew brighter and higher. One corner of Marco would surely be
wiped out.

The road curved. Soon a dark patch of trees, and a flickering light,
told Pan they had reached his father's place. It gave him a shock. He
had forgotten his parents. They entered the lane and cut off through
the dew-wet grass of the orchard to the barn. Pan caught the round
pale gleam of canvas-covered wagons.

"Good! Dad sure rustled," said Pan with satisfaction. "If he got the
horses, too, we can leave tomorrow."

"Shore, we will anyhow," replied Blinky, who was now sober and serious.

They found three large wagons and one smaller, with a square canvas top.

"Blink, hold her, till I get some hay," said Pan.

He hurried into the open side of the barn. It was fairly dark but he
knew where to go. He heard horses munching grain. That meant his
father had bought the teams. Pan got an armful of hay, and carrying it
out to the wagon, he threw it in, and spread it out for a bed.

"Reckon we'd better put Louise here," said Pan, stepping down off the
wheel. "I'll get some blankets from Dad."

Blinky was standing there in the starlight holding the girl in his
arms. His head was bowed over her wan face.

They lifted Louise into the wagon and laid her down upon the hay.

"Whish you--gennelmanz my hushband?" she asked thickly.

Pan had to laugh at that, but Blinky stood gazing intently down upon
the pale gleam of face. Pan left him there and strode toward the
house. Though the distance was short, he ran the whole gamut of
emotions before he stopped at a lighted window. He heard his father's
voice.

"Dad," he called, tapping on the window. Then he saw his mother and
Alice. They had started up from packing. One glance at the suffering
expressed in his mother's face was enough to steady Pan. The door
opened with a jerk.

"That you--Pan?" called his father, with agitation.

"Nobody else,