noon
He left only in time to see Ray and Blake a few moments in town before taking the eastern train . It had been Mrs. Stannard 's intention to drive thither to call on Mrs. Rallston , but she was too late . Mr. Green 's telegraphic message from Denver had warned him that Rallston was delirious with fever , and after the rapturous interview between brother and sister that followed upon his return from Wolf 's bedside , Ray had gently broken the news to her of her husband 's illness , and before the coming of train time on the following day Rand had obtained telegraphic authority for him to escort her to , and remain with her in , Denver . His release by the civil authorities would have had about it something of the nature of an ovation , when at noon on that day the full details of Wolf 's confession were `` spread upon the records , '' but by ingeniously circulating the story that he would return to the fort at sunset , Blake managed to throw the public off the track . His arrest was suspended by the telegram from division headquarters . Rand was ordered to come thither at once with his documentary proofs of the falsity of the charges against Ray , and the latter went quietly off to Denver with a ten days ' leave , conducting his sister to her husband 's bedside . He saw no one at Russell before going , but we have reason to believe that the plethoric missive he sent to Mrs. Stannard derived much of its bulk from an enclosure that was not meant for her eyes at all , and Blake went back to Russell to the lionizing he deserved .