Sergeant Silk the Prairie Scout Part 24

Percy looked at him sharply. There was an expression of curious satisfaction in the Sergeant's clear blue eyes.

"Do you mean----?" he began, but checked himself.

He had not known, had not noticed, that the man Eben Sharrow had crept into the warmth of the fire; but he saw him now, kneeling near and holding his trembling hands to the flames.

"Say, my man, there's a mouthful of soup in that bowl," said Silk. "You may as well take it."

Sharrow shook his head.

"I've had some," he responded, his teeth chattering. "Thank you all the same."

He said no word of what Sergeant Silk had done for him, but lapsed into sullen silence, the while he crouched s.h.i.+vering beside the fire. But presently he roused himself and moved half round, facing his rescuer.

"Sergeant?" he said.

"Well?" returned Silk.

Sharrow hesitated awkwardly, then spoke.

"You was plumb right when you guessed as that skunk wasn't took by the wolves," he said; "plumb right, you was. Wolves never was near him. He vamoosed. He escaped. He's alive even now. Did you know?"

Silk slowly gathered the things from his knees.

"Yes, I knew," he answered quietly. "I know now--to-day--that he is here in this camp."

"An' you just saved his life," added Sharrow. "Saved it at the risk of your own?"

"It was risky," Silk nodded; "decidedly risky."

"It was brave," declared Sharrow. "Real gold brave. And now," he added, "I just reckon you're figgerin' ter do your duty right away, an' hale that thar' low-down, good-fer-nothin' skunk off ter prison--an' wuss?"

Sergeant Silk looked at the man very steadily.

"Why, cert'nly," he answered. "Duty is duty."