s' absence was heavy over certain of them also, even though
Sergeant Schaefer tried to make a joke of it the very last thing he
said. They watched the warrior away toward the station, where the engine
of his train was even then sending up its smoke. In a little while
Horace and Milo followed him to take the stage.

There came a moment after the men had departed when Agnes and William
Bentley found themselves alone, the width of the trestle-supported table
between them. She looked across at him with no attempt to veil the
anxiety which had taken seat in her eyes. William Bentley nodded and
smiled in his gentle, understanding way.

"Something has happened to him," she whispered, easing in the words the
pent alarm of her breast.

"But we'll find him," he comforted her. "Comanche can't hide a man as
big as Dr. Slavens very long."

"He'll have to be in Meander day after tomorrow to file on his claim,"
she said. "If we can't find him in time, he'll lose it."

CHAPTER VIII

THE GOVERNOR'S SON

After a conference with Walker in the middle of the morning, Bentley
decided that it would be well to wait until afternoon before beginning
anew their search for the doctor. In case he had been called in his
professional capacity--for people were being born in Comanche, as
elsewhere--it would be exceedingly embarrassing to him to have the
authorities lay hands on him as an estray.

"But his instrument-case is under his cot in the tent," persisted Agnes,
who was for immediate action.

"He may have had an emergency call out of the crowd," explained
Bentley.

In spite of his faith in the doctor, he was beginning to lean toward
Walker's view of it. Slavens was big enough to take care of himself, and
experienced enough to keep his fingers out of other people's porridge.
Besides that, there had to be a motive behind crime, and he knew of none
in the doctor's case. He was not the kind of man that the sluggers and
holdups of the place practiced upon, sober and straight as he always had
been. Then it must be, argued Bentley, that the doctor had his own
reason for remaining away. His unexpected luck might have unbalanced him
and set him off on a celebration such as was common in such cases.

"Very well," agreed Agnes. "I'll wait until noon, and then I'm going to
the police."

Being a regularly incorporated city, Comanche had its police force.
There were four patrolmen parading about in dusty _deshabille_ with
prominent fire