I was onto his game in a minute. I cut across
country fer Beautiful Spring, but I got there too late. I found the
warm bodies of Joe and thet Injun girl, Winds. The snake hed
murdered them."
"I allow Joe won over Winds, got away from the Delaware town with
her, tried to rescue Kate, and killed Silver in the fight. Girty
probably was surprised, an' run after he had knifed the girl."
"'Pears so to me. Joe had two knife cuts, an' one was an old wound."
"You say it was a bad fight?"
"Must hev been. The hut was all knocked in, an' stuff scattered
about. Wal, Joe could go some if he onct got started."
"I'll bet he could. He was the likeliest lad I've seen for many a
day."
"If he'd lasted, he'd been somethin' of a hunter an' fighter."
"Too bad. But Lord! you couldn't keep him down, no more than you can
lots of these wild young chaps that drift out here."
"I'll allow he had the fever bad."
"Did you hev time to bury them?"
"I hedn't time fer much. I sunk them in the spring."
"It's a pretty deep hole," said Zane, reflectively. "Then, you and
the dog took Girty's trail, but couldn't catch up with him. He's now
with the renegade cutthroats and hundreds of riled Indians over
there in the Village of Peace."
"I reckon you're right."
A long silence ensued. Jonathan finished his simple repast, drank
from the little spring that trickled under the stone, and, sitting
down by the dog, smoothed out his long silken hair.
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