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"What is to prevent the pursuit of them at once?" he asked
suddenly. "We are a few miles from the station, where horses can
be procured."
"Who's to do it?" replied the other lazily. "The stage company
will lodge the complaint with the authorities, but it will take two
days to get the county officers out, and it's nobody else's
funeral."
"I will go for one," said Hale quietly. "I have a horse waiting
for me at the station, and can start at once."
There was an instant of silence. The stage-coach had left the
obscurity of the forest, and by the stronger light Hale could
perceive that his companion was examining him with two colorless,
lazy eyes. Presently he said, meeting Hale's clear glance, but
rather as if yielding to a careless reflection,--
"It MIGHT be done with four men. We oughter raise one man at the
station." He paused. "I don't know ez I'd mind taking a hand
myself," he added, stretching out his legs with a slight yawn.
"Ye can count ME in, if you're goin', Kernel. I reckon I'm talkin'
to Kernel Clinch," said the passenger beside Hale with sudden
alacrity. "I'm Rawlins, of Frisco. Heerd of ye afore, Kernel, and
kinder spotted you jist now from your talk."
To Hale's surprise the two men, after awkwardly and perfunctorily
grasping each other's hand, entered at once into a languid
conversation on the recent election at Fresno, without the
slightest further reference to the pursuit of the robbers. It was
not until the remaining and undenominated passenger turned to Hale,
and, regretting that he had immediate business at the Summit,
offered to accompany the party if they would wait a couple of
hours, that Colonel Clinch briefly returned to the subject.
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