And at last his efforts were rewarded: the man opened his eyes, and
they were swimming with the calm light of reason. He smiled faintly at
Nyland.
"Got me," he said. "Well, I don't care a whole lot. There's just one
thing that's been botherin' me since you come. Did you think somethin'
was wrong in the house when you was tyin' your cayuse over there at the
corral fence?"
At Nyland's nod he continued:
"I knowed it. It was the water, wasn't it--in the trough? I'm sure a
damned fool for not thinkin' of that! So that was it? Well, you've
got an eye in your head--I'll tell you that. I'm goin' to cash in, eh?"
Nyland nodded and the man sighed. He closed his eyes for an instant,
but opened them slightly at Nyland's question:
"What did you do to Peggy? Where is she?"
The man was sinking fast, and it seemed that he hardly comprehended
Nyland's question. The latter repeated it, and the man replied weakly:
"She's over in Okar--at Maison's--in his rooms. She----"
He closed his eyes and his lips, opening the latter again almost
instantly to cough a crimson stream.
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