下载辰思小说免费APP
couldhearthesoundsofhorsesbeingdrivenintothecorralandsaddled。ThenIperceivedthatthecoffeewasready，andalmostimmediatelythecookcalledthem。Onecamein，shuttingthedoorbehindhimashereentered，whichtherestastheyfollowedimitated；forateachopeningofthedoorIsawthelightofdayleapintothestableandheardtheloudersoundsoftherain。
Thenthesoundandthelightwouldagainbeshutout，untilsomeoneatlengthspokeoutbluntly，biddingthedoorbeleftopenonaccountofthesmoke。Whatweretheyhidingfrom？heasked。Therunawaysthathadescaped？Alaughfollowedthissally，andthedoorwasleftopen。ThusIlearnedthattherehadbeenmorethievesthanthetwothatwerecaptured。Itgavealittlemoregroundfortheirsuspicionaboutmeandmyanxietytopassthenightelsewhere。Itcostnothingtodetainme，andtheyweretakingnochances，howeverremote。
Thefreshairandthelightnowfilledthestable，andIlaylisteningwhiletheirbreakfastbroughtmoretalkfromthem。TheyweremoreateasenowthanwasI，whohadnothingtodobutcarryoutmyroleofslumberinthestall；theyspokeinafriendly，ordinaryway，asifthiswerelikeeveryothermorningoftheweektothem。Theyaddressedtheprisonerswithasortoffraternalkindness，notbringingthempointedlyintotheconversation，noryetpointedlyleavingthemout。Imadeoutthattheymustallbesittingroundthebreakfasttogether，thosewhohadtodieandthosewhohadtokillthem。TheVirginianIneverheardspeak。ButIheardthevoiceofSteve；hediscussedwithhiscaptorsthesundrypointsofhiscapture。
“Doyourememberahaystack？“heasked。“AwayupthesouthforkofGrosVentre？“
“ThatwasThursdayafternoon，“saidoneofthecaptors。“Therewasashower。“
“Yes。Itrained。Wehadyoufooledthattime。Iwaslayingontheledgeabovetoreportyourmovements。“
Severalofthemlaughed。“WethoughtyouwereoveronSpreadCreekthen。“
“Ifiguredyouthoughtsobythetrailyouafterthestack。
SaturdaywewatchedyouturnyourbackonusupSpreadCreek。WeweresnugamongthetreestheothersideofSnakeRiver。Thatwasanothertimewehadyoufooled。“
Theylaughedagainattheirownexpense。Ihaveheardmenpicktopiecesahandofwhistwithmoreantagonism。
Stevecontinued:“WouldweheadforIdaho？WouldweswingbackovertheDivide？Youdidn’tknowwhich！Andwhenwegeneralledyouontothatbandofhorsesyouthoughtwasthebandyouwerehunting——ah，wewereastrongcombination！“HebrokeoffwiththefirsttouchofbitternessIhadfeltinhiswords。
“Nothingisanystrongerthanitsweakestpoint。“ItwastheVirginianwhosaidthis，anditwasthefirstwordhehadspoken。
“Naturally，“saidSteve。HistoneinaddressingtheVirginianwassodifferent，socurt，thatIsupposedhetooktheweakestpointtomeanhimself。ButtheothersnowshowedmethatIwaswronginthisexplanation。
“That’sso，“onesaid。“Itsweakestpointiswherearopeoragangofmenisgoingtobreakwhenthestraincomes。Andyouwaslinkedwithapoorpartner，Steve。“
“You’rerightIwas，“saidtheprisoner，backinhiseasy，casualvoice。
“Yououghttohavegotyourselfseparatedfromhim，Steve。“
Therewasapause。“Yes，“saidtheprisoner，moodily。“I’msittingherebecauseoneofusblundered。“Hecursedtheblunderer。“Lightinghisfoolfirequeeredthewholedeal，“headded。Asheagainheavilycursedtheblunderer，theothersmurmuredtoeachothervariousItoldyouso’s“
“You’dneverhavebuiltthatfire，Steve，“saidone。
“Isaidthatwhenwespiedthesmoke，“saidanother。“Isaid，’That’snoneofSteve’swork，lightingfiresandrevealingtoustheirwhereabouts。’“
ItstruckmethattheywereplyingStevewithcompliments。
“Prettyhardtohavethefoolgetawayandyougetcaught，“athirdsuggested。Atthistheyseemedtowait。Ifeltsomethingcuriousinallthislasttalk。
“Oh，didhegetaway？“saidtheprisoner，then。
Againtheywaited；andanewvoicespokehuskily:-“Ibuiltthatfir
