Mr John gave me a troubled look, for in his simple earnest way he was
hurt at seeing the strained situation, and, as he told me afterwards,
there was great excuse for his brother-in-law, as matters did look black
against me, sufficient to make Mr Raydon feel that I had acted a very
unworthy part.
I stood there alone, and otherwise quite unnoticed for a few minutes,
while Mr Raydon gave his people some quick, sharp orders, and then
walked into his quarters with Mr John.
"What shall I do?" I thought. "If I go and ask him to let me run and
warn Mr Gunson, he will think I want to join him, and that this is only
an excuse. I can't go down on my knees and vow and protest again that I
kept my word. Some one told Gunson, of course. Could it have been
Esau, and is he playing unfairly?"
I did not like to think it of him, and I was just trying to drive the
thoughts away, when he came out of the strangers' quarters, where I had
seen him go with Mrs Dean.
"Well, it's all over," he said. "I thought we was going to have some
rare fun."
"Esau!" I cried, aghast. "What, with men being shot!"
"Yes; why not, if they tried to shoot us? But, I say, they'll come back
again; see if they don't, to help themselves to all there is here."