More than three weeks ago Strange had forecast
something very like murder of Ed Austin. Dave felt as if he were
the victim of an hysterical imagination. Nevertheless, he forced
himself to ask, quietly:
"Is Jose Sanchez anywhere about?"
The range boss shrugged. "I sent him to the east pasture this
morning."
"Did he go?"
"Eh? So! You suspect Jose of this. God in heaven! Jose is a wild
boy--But wait! I'll ask Juan if he saw him; yes, and Victoria,
too. That is Victoria you hear squalling in the kitchen. Wait
here."
Benito hurried away, leaving Dave a prey to perplexity; but he was
back again in a few moments. His face was grave.
"Jose did not go to the east pasture," he said.
"Where is he now?"
"No one seems to know."
Law walked to his horse, mounted, and galloped away. Benito, who
watched him, saw that he turned toward the river road which led to
the Las Palmas pumping-plant.
The more Dave thought about Ed Austin's death, the more certain he
became that it was in some way connected with Alaire's
disappearance; and the loose end by which the tangle might be
unraveled, it seemed to him, lay in the hands of Rosa Morales,
Jose's sweetheart.
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