t. Having completed his
examination, he went around to the other--Pardaloe and Philippi
silently watching--and looked him over with equal care. When he had
done, he examined, superficially, the wounds of each man. Rising, he
turned toward Philippi. "Were these men dead when you brought them up
here?"

"I didn't bring 'em up," growled Philippi.

"You know them, Pardaloe?" asked Lefever. Pardaloe answered that he
did. Lefever turned sharply on Philippi. "Where were you when this
fight was going on?"

"Down at the stage barn."

"Getting your alibi ready. But, of course, you know that won't let you
out, Philippi. Your best chance is to tell the truth. There were two
others with this pair--where are Gale Morgan and Sassoon?"

"Satt Morgan was here with hay to-day. He took them over this evening
to Music Mountain."

"Where were they hit?"

"Morgan was hit in the shoulder, as far as I heard. Sassoon was hit in
the side, and in the neck."

"Where is de Spain?"

"Dead, I reckon, by this time."

"Where's his body?"

"I don't know."

"Why do you think he is dead?"

"Sassoon said he was hit in the head."

"Yet he got away on horseback!"

"I'm telling you what Sassoon said; I didn't see him."

Lefever and Pardaloe rode back to the stage barn. "Certainly looks
blue for Henry," muttered Lefever, after he had gone over with
Pardaloe and McAlpin all of the scant information that could be
gathered. "Bob Scott," he added gloomily, "may find him somewhere on
the Sinks."

At Sleepy Cat, Jeffries, wild with impatience, was on the telephone.
Lefever, with McAlpin and Pardaloe standing at his side, reported to
the superintendent all he could learn. "He rode away--without help, of
course," explained Lefever to Jeffries in conclusion. "What shape he
is in, it's pretty hard to say, Jeffries. Three more of the bunch,
Vance Morgan, Bull Page, and a lame man that works for Bill Morgan,
were waiting in the saddle at the head of the draw between the barn
and the hotel for him if he should get away from the inn. Somehow, he
went the other way and nobody saw hide nor hair of him, so far as I
can learn. If he was able to make it, Jeff, he would naturally try for
Sleepy Cat. But that's a pretty fair ride for a sound man, let alone a
man that's hit--and everybody claims he was hit. If he wasn't hit he
should have been in Sleepy Cat long before this. You say you've had
men out across the river?"

"Since dark," responded Jeffries.