Floyd nodded, and then nodded more grimly. “Soon as we get her into the house, I’m going to town.”

“Town!” Roman said.

“To get Sheriff Byrne and Roscoe Elk and go to the farm and arrest Alonzo—”

“Arrest Alonzo! Everybody will know—”

“You keep out of it,” Floyd warned. “Leon’s not here. I’m doing the best thing.”

“Think of her! If there’s ever a trial—”

“You be still!” Floyd said angrily, and Roman subsided, without understanding, as well as he knew Floyd, that his friend’s rage was not toward him but toward what had happened.

As they went on to Beulah Land, they gathered more more followers, so that when they arrived at the house, there was a mob of men serving as escort. Rachel screamed when she saw her mother, and Edna Davis, who was waiting on the porch, grabbed her and handed her to Juanita, telling the woman to take her to Felix’s room. Then Edna and Lovey led the way into the house and up the stairs to Sarah’s room, Edna guiding, Lovey calling orders and threats right and left. Floyd and Bruce stopped in the office, and Driscoll Proctor stayed with the men outside and talked to them to quiet them. The lady had been found. She appeared to have suffered no very serious injury, but the doctor would be sent for. They were all to go home and go to bed. The trouble was over.

In the office Bruce and Floyd made a quick plan. The women would see to Sarah. Together, they would ride into town and send out to Beulah Land Dr. Theodore Platt, who had come to Highboro as Dr. Porterfield’s replacement when that placid, greedy man died. Then they would get Sheriff Byrne and after acquainting him with the details of Sarah’s calamity, the three would ask Roscoe Elk to ride with them to the Anderson Place to arrest Alonzo and take him to jail, for his own safety as well as to serve the cause of law and justice. They would be as quiet about it as they could be, but the main line of events was bound to become known, and it would be better to discourage speculation by telling as much of the truth as seemed necessary.

They went upstairs together and found Nell policing Sarah’s door, keeping all out who were not needed. She had already, to her considerable satisfaction, managed to insult both Penelope and Selma by telling them the best thing they could do was to go to their rooms and stay there. She had stepped briefly into her husband’s room to acquaint him and Rachel with the gist of the episode before taking her stand outside Sarah’s room. However languid she appeared to be in the ordinary way, Nell’s mind was quick and efficient when circumstances required it to be.