As I ended the tale and concluded with my theory as to what had occurred following the deed of blood, her quick mind asserted itself.
"But this must have happened very lately; the men were not long dead ?" "I cannot judge how long; their bodies were cold." "Yet the fire still smouldered, you said.

When do you think that steamer could have landed here ?" "Why, perhaps early last evening." "And it has not occurred to you that the boat might have waited here while the man Kirby went ashore ?" "No; that could scarcely be true, if the steamer was transporting troops; what was it you were thinking about ?" She buried her face in her hands; then lifted it once more to mine, with a new conviction in her eyes.
"It is all dark, of course," she said slowly, "we can only guess at what happened.

But to me it seems impossible that the man Kirby could have accomplished all this alone--without assistance.

The boat we saw at the landing was not his; it must have been Pete's, and there is no evidence of any other trail leading here from the river.

If, as you imagine, he knew the captain of that steamer, and some of the other men aboard were Missourians and defenders of slavery, he would have no trouble in enlisting their help to recover his runaway slaves.