cowboys to ride ahead and lie in wait for him in the buttes. There
are several tough specimens in Kiowa. Any one of them would rob a man
for twenty dollars--let alone ten thousand. There's 'Abe' Fisher and
Foster King, and the Chase boys, and I believe old 'Pop' Henderson
himself isn't above holding up one of his own stages."

"He's above shooting himself in the lungs," said Carr. "Nonsense. No,
I am convinced that someone followed you from this post, and perhaps
Cahill can tell us who that was. I sent for him this morning, and
he's waiting at my quarters now. Suppose I ask him to step over here,
so that we can discuss it together."

Before he answered, Ranson hesitated, with his eyes on the ground. He
had no way of knowing whether Mary Cahill had told her father
anything of what he had said to her that morning. But if she had done
so, he did not want to meet Cahill in the presence of a third party
for the first time since he had learned the news.

"I'll tell you what I wish you would do," he said. "I wish you'd let
me see Cahill first, by myself. What I want to see him about has
nothing to do with the hold-up," he added. "It concerns only us two,
but I'd like to have it out of the way before we consult him as a
witness."

Carr rose doubtfully. "Why, certainly," he said; "I'll send him over,
and when you're ready for me step out on the porch and call. I'll be
sitting on my veranda. I hope you've had no quarrel with Cahill--I
mean I hope this personal matter is nothing that will prejudice him
against you."