Sick with horror of the thing he had been forced to witness, Hugh Edwards called to the Indian:
“Come, Natachee, for God’s sake let’s get away from here.”
“The snake that crawled into Natachee’s hut is dead,” returned the Indian. “The stealer of women will not again steal the woman Hugh Edwards loves.”
Hugh was already starting back to the place where they had left Marta. When he noticed that the Indian was not following, he paused to call again:
“Go on,” returned Natachee, “I will join you in a moment.”
And Hugh Edwards, from where he now stood, could not see that Natachee was examining the body of the outlaw to learn why the point of his knife had three times been kept from Sonora Jack’s breast.
When Hugh reached Marta, the Indian was just behind him. To the girl, Natachee said simply:
“You can ride home in peace now. There is no one to follow our trail. Sonora Jack will never come for you again.”
On the homeward journey, Natachee did not follow the course they had come, but took a more direct route. Near Indian Oasis they stopped, while Natachee went to the store to purchase food. When they camped for the night, Marta would let them rest only an hour or two, insisting that she must push on.
In the excitement and dangers of that first night, there had been no opportunity for Hugh Edwards to speak to Marta of his love. And now, as the hours of their long, trying journey passed, he still did not speak. There really was no need for him to speak--they both knew so well. The girl was so distressed by her anxiety for Thad and by her grief over Bob’s death and so worn by her terrible experience, that Hugh could not bring himself to talk of the plans that meant so much to him.
When they were safely back in the Cañon of Gold and Marta was rested--when she had found comfort and strength in Mother Burton’s arms, then he would tell her his love and ask her to go with him to a place of freedom and happiness.
Every day he spent the greater part of his time under the mesquite trees with Bob, and in the night, they would hear him going out “to see,” as he said, “if his pardner was all right.”
In the Cañada del Oro, Doctor Burton and his mother watched beside the old prospector and the wounded Mexican.