He had reached the stable when a horse walked out from behind the hay corral and stopped,eyeing him curiously.It was Johnny's horse.Even as improvident a cowpuncher as Johnny Croft had been likes to own a "private"horse,--one that is his own and can be ridden when and where the owner chooses.Lite turned and went over to it,caught it by the dragging bridle-reins,and led it into an empty stall.He did not know whether he ought to unsaddle it or leave it as it was;but on second thought,he loosened the cinch in kindness to the animal,and took off its bridle,so that it could eat without being hampered by the bit.Lite was too thorough a horseman not to be thoughtful of an animal's comfort.
He led his own horse out,and then he stopped abruptly.For Pard stood in front of the kitchen door,and Jean was untying a package or two from the saddle.
He opened his mouth to call to her;he started forward;but he was too late to prevent what happened.Before his throat had made a sound,Jean turned with the packages in the hollow of her arm and stepped upon the platform with that springy haste of movement which belongs to health and youth and happiness;and before he had taken more than the first step away from his horse,she had opened the kitchen door.
Lite ran,then.He did not call to her.What was the use?She had seen.She had dropped her packages,and turned and ran to meet him,and caught him by the arm in a panic of horror.Lite patted her hand awkwardly,not knowing what he ought to say.
"What made you go in there?"came of its own accord from his lips."That's no place for a girl.""It's Johnny Croft!"she gasped just above her breath."How--did it happen,Lite?""I don't know,"said Lite slowly,looking down and still patting her hand."Your father and I have both been gone all day.I just got back a few minutes ago and found out about it."His tone,his manner and his words impressed upon Jean the point he wanted her to get,--that her father had not yet returned,and so knew nothing of the crime.
He led her back to where Pard stood,and told her to get on.Without asking him why,Jean obeyed him,with a shudder when her wide eyes strayed fascinated to the open door and to what lay just within.Lite went up and pulled the door shut,and then,walking beside her with an arm over Pard's neck,he led the way down to the stable,and mounted Ranger.
"You can't stay here,"he explained,when she looked at him inquiringly."Do you want to go over and stay at Carl's,or would you rather go back to town?"He rode down toward the gate,and Jean kept beside him.
"I'm going to stay with dad,"she told him shakily.
"If he stays,I'll--I'll stay."
"You'll not stay,"he contradicted her bluntly.
"You can't.It wouldn't be right."And he added self-reproachfully:"I never thought of your cutting across the bench and riding down the trail back of the house.I meant to head you off--""It's shorter,"said Jean briefly."I--if I can't stay,I'd rather go to town,Lite.I don't like to stay over at Uncle Carl's."Therefore,when they reached the mouth of the coulee,Lite turned into the trail that led to town.
All down the coulee the trail had been dug deep with the hoofprints of a galloping horse;and now,on the town trail,they were as plain as a primer to one schooled in the open.But Jean was too upset to notice them,and for that Lite was thankful.They did not talk much,beyond the commonplace speculations which tragedy always brings to the lips of the bystanders.Comments that were perfectly obvious they made,it is true.Jean said it was perfectly awful,and Lite agreed with her.Jean wondered how it could have happened,and Lite said he didn't know.
Neither of them said anything about the effect it would have upon their future;I don't suppose that Jean,at least,could remotely guess at the effect.It is certain that Lite preferred not to do so.
They were no more than half way to town when they met a group of galloping horsemen,their coming heralded for a mile by the dust they kicked out of the trail.
In the midst rode Jean's father.Alongside him rode the coroner,and behind him rode the sheriff.
The rest of the company was made up of men who had heard the news and were coming to look upon the tragedy.Lite drew a long breath of relief.Aleck Douglas,then,had not been running away.