"Well, I dee-clare to gracious!" she began, "if here ain't the man I met
on the boat! How'd you git away out here ahead of us? Have you saw airy
buffeler? I'm gettin' plumb wolfish fer something to shoot at. Where all
you goin', anyhow? An' whut you doin' out here?"
What I was doing at that precise moment, as I must confess, was taking a
half unconscious look once more toward the tail of the ambulance, where
Orme and the young woman stood chatting. But it was at this time that
Orme first saw or seemed to see me. He left the ambulance and came
rapidly forward.
"By Jove!" he said, "here you are again! Am I your shadow, Mr. Cowles,
or are you mine? It is really singular how we meet. I'm awfully glad to
meet you, although I don't in the least see how you've managed to get
here ahead of us."
Belknap by this time had turned away about his duties, and Orme and I
spoke for a few minutes. I explained to him the changes of my plans
which had been brought about by the accident to the _River Belle_.
"Lieutenant Belknap tells me that you are going through to Laramie with
him," I added. "As it chances, we have the same errand--it is my purpose
also to call on Colonel Meriwether there, in case we do not meet him
coming down.
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