Dale entered. What he saw in the room caused him to come out again,
his face ashen.

"What's happened?" he demanded hoarsely, stepping to the side of the
bed and looking down at Peggy.

Peggy told him. The man's face grew gray with the great fear that
clutched him, and he stepped back; then came forward again, looking
keenly at the girl as though he doubted her.

"Nyland killed him--choked him to death?" he said.

Peggy nodded silently. The cringing fear showing in the man's eyes
appalled her. She hated him, and he had done this thing to her, but
she did not want the stigma of another killing on her brother's name.

"Look here, Dale!" she said. "You'd better get out of here--and out of
the country! Okar is all stirred up over what you have done. Sheriff
Warde was in Okar and had a talk with Judge Graney. Warde knows who
killed those men at Devil's Hole, and he is going to hang them. You
are one of them; but you won't hang if Ben catches you. And he is
looking for you! You'd better go--and go fast!"

For an instant Dale stood, looking at Peggy, searching her face and
probing her eyes for signs that she was lying to him. He saw no such
signs. Turning swiftly, he ran down the stairs, out into the street,
and mounting, with his horse already running, he fled toward the basin
and the Bar D.