"Yes, that's right," said Hall, "just give me a list of the animals, so there won't be any mistake."
"Any mistake!" repeated Grimes. "Well, by grab, it seems to me you look more like a horse-thief than we do. How's the Scarborough boys gitting along these days? But I believe you was staying with the Bassetts?"
"Yes, I was staying with the Bassetts," replied Hall. "Anything more you'd like to know?"
"I asked you," sneered Grimes, who seemed determined to pick a quarrel, "how your friends, the Scarboroughs, are gitting along."
"Why, not so well," returned McIvor. "Red was killed only this morning. It was a case of resisting arrest."
"Killed!" cried Grimes, and then he spurred forward and held out a hairy hand. "By hooky," he exclaimed, "I sure apologize, Mr. Hall, for any little thing I may have said. I'm sure glad to meet you, and my friends and neighbors here will be proud to shake your hand."
He introduced the Mormon ranchmen, most of whom had laid off their disguise, and then returned to the matter at hand.
"Are you in charge of this posse?" he asked. "Because we'd like to find out about them horses." "No, I'm not," replied Hall, "Meshackatee is in command, and the other two deputies are the Bassetts. You remember them—Winchester and Bill."
"You don't say!" exclaimed Grimes, leaning over in his saddle. "Is that the way the ground lays? Because if that's the case I can git you a bunch of deputies that will serve without money and without price. All we ask is a whack at the Scarboroughs."
"We can talk that over later." responded Hall, "but I'm sure we'd be glad to have you. Now about those horses—we just held up a big band that a couple of young Texans were driving——"