“None of your business where.”

“I could find her.”

“Oh, you could!  How?”

“I’d find that young feller Sam Woodhull that come in from below, renegadin’ away from his train with that party o’ Mormons—­him that had his camp jumped by the Pawnees.  I got a eye fer a womern, ma’am, but so’s he—­more’n fer Injuns, I’d say.  I seed him with yore darter right constant, but I seemed to miss him in the ride.  Whar was he at?”

“I don’t know as it’s none of your business, anyways.”

“No?  Well, I was just wonderin’, ma’am, because I heerd Cap’n Banion ast that same question o’ yore husband, Cap’n Wingate, an’ Cap’n Wingate done said jest what ye said yerself—­that hit wasn’t none o’ his business.  Which makes things look shore hopeful an’ pleasant in this yere train o’ pilgrims, this bright and pleasant summer day, huh?”

Grinning amicably, the incorrigible old mountaineer rose and went his way, and left the irate goodwife to gather her apron full of plains fuel for herself.

CHAPTER XIX

BANION OF DONIPHAN’S

Molly Wingate was grumbing over her fire when at length her husband and son returned to their wagon.  Jed was vastly proud over a bullet crease he had got in a shoulder.  After his mother’s alarm had taken the form of first aid he was all for showing his battle scars to a certain damsel in Caleb Price’s wagon.  Wingate remained dour and silent as was now his wont, and cursing his luck that he had had no horse to carry him up in the late pursuit of the Sioux.  He also was bitter over the delay in making a burial trench.

“Some ways, Jess,” commented his spouse, “I’d a’most guess you ain’t got much use for Will Banion.”

“Why should I have?  Hasn’t he done all he could to shoulder me out of my place as captain of this train?  And wasn’t I elected at Westport before we started?”

“Mostly, a man has to stay elected, Jess.”

“Well, I’m going to!  I had it out with that young man right now.  I told him I knew why he wanted in our train—­it was Molly.”

“What did he say?”

“What could he say?  He admitted it.  And he had the gall to say I’d see it his way some day.  Huh!  That’s a long day off, before I do.  Well, at least he said he was going back to his own men, and they’d fall behind again.  That suits me.”

“Did he say anything about finding Sam Woodhull?”

“Yes.  He said that would take its time, too.”

“Didn’t say he wouldn’t?”

“No, I don’t know as he did.”

“Didn’t act scared of it?”

“He didn’t say much about it.”

“Sam does.”