Benton, with a flash of white teeth, and a broad and rather foolish grin on his--now happy--face, suddenly stepped forward and gripped the indignant lady gently by the shoulders.
"_Mrs._ Trainor!" he said, with a daring earnestness that almost took the breath away from that scandalized dame as she struggled to free herself. "If you open your mouth to say one word more, I'll--as sure as you're the wife of your husband--I'll kiss you bang in front of him!" And, releasing her, he continued: "What you've just told me's made me the happiest man alive.... I know where I get off at, now ... and I'll proceed to tell _you_ something!"
And rapidly he acquainted the astonished pair with the news of his unexpected good fortune, apologizing for his seemingly callous conduct with a deep, sincere contrition that impressed them in no little degree and dispelled all their lingering doubts.
Trainor reached out a massive hand. "Sergeant," he said, with great feeling. "Shake! I'm in wrong! I take it all back how I've misjudged you! I might have known you weren't _that_ kind!"
Ellis, swallowing a little, grasped the offered hand warmly.
"Dave!" he blurted out, "it's _me_ that's to blame, all right. It's mighty good of you and Mrs. Trainor to condone that sure questionable simplicity of mine in the way you have. I should have put myself right with both of you at the start."
But Mrs. Trainor outdid her husband in impulsive warmth.
"You threatened to kiss me," she began archly. "Now, I'm going to do more than threaten. There, sir!"
And, suiting the action to the word, she kissed him heartily. Then, womanlike, as the reaction to her happiness--she began to cry. At which Trainor guffawed and caught hold of her teasingly. But, dragging herself away from him, she pushed Ellis towards the path.
"Now you go!" she sobbed, "after her--straightway. And don't you dare bring her back here until you've kissed her tears away and she's her own happy self again. That is, if you can find her," she added, with wet, smiling eyes. "I don't know exactly which way she went."
"Oh, I'll find her, all right," said Ellis cheerfully. "I think I know where she'll be."
And, turning, he strode off to the waiting Johnny, mounted, and set off at a brisk lope towards "Lone Butte," that reared its head in the hazy distance. For it was _there_ that he guessed instinctively she had betaken herself.