“Sure; what do you know about it?”

“Why, I was outside when they started,” she explained, “and the man in uniform was n’t the Major.  I know him by sight, for he ’s been down here a dozen times when I was at the desk.  This fellow was about his size, but dark and stoop-shouldered.”

“And the others?” asked Hamlin eagerly.

“I did n’t know either of them, only I noticed one had a black beard.”

“A very large, burly fellow?”

“No, I don’t think so.  I did n’t pay special attention to any of them, only to wonder who the officer was, ‘cause I never remembered seein’ him here before at Dodge, but, as I recollect, the fellow with a beard was rather undersized; had a shaggy buffalo-skin cap on.”

Plainly enough the man was not Dupont, and McDonald had not departed on the stage, while some other, pretending to be he, possibly wearing his clothes to further the deceit, had taken the seat reserved in the coach.  Baffled, bewildered by this unexpected discovery, the Sergeant swung back into his saddle, not knowing which way to turn.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE DEAD BODY

That both McDonald and his daughter were involved in this strange puzzle was already clear.  The disappearance of the one was as mysterious as that of the other.  Whether the original conspiracy had centred about the Major, and Miss Molly had merely been drawn into the net through accident, or whether both were destined as victims from the first, could not be determined by theory.  Indeed the Sergeant could evolve no theory, could discover no purpose in the outrage.  Convinced that Dupont and his wife were the moving spirits, he yet possessed no satisfactory reason for charging them with the crime, for which there was no apparent object.

Nothing remained to be done but search the town, a blind search in the hope of uncovering some trail.  That crime had been committed—­either murder or abduction—­was evident; the two had not dropped thus suddenly out of sight without cause.  Nor did it seem possible they could have been whisked away without leaving some trace behind.  The town was accustomed to murder and sudden death; the echo of a revolver shot would create no panic, awaken no alarm, and yet the place was small, and there was little likelihood that any deed of violence would pass long unnoticed.  With a few words of instruction, and hasty descriptions of both Dupont and Connors, Hamlin sent his men down the straggling street to drag out the occupants of shack and tent, riding himself to the blazing front of the “Poodle Dog.”