Quick as thought, he reached down from his saddle, caught the girl round the waist as she leaned forward, and swung her from the buggy. He swung himself after her, and sprang up the steps to the office door just time to get between Harry and the sheepman, who reached for the doorknob at the same moment. But instead of all three piling into the room together, they merely fell against the door. For the door was locked.
Trembling with exhaustion and excitement, Harry felt her hand slip as Joyce tried to push her out of the way.
"No, you don't, Joyce!" Garnett said roughly, thrusting his arm in front of the sheepman. "You didn't get here first."
"This is a put-up job!" began Joyce angrily.
"I bet!" was Garnett's grim answer, which brought a laugh from the crowd that had gathered about the steps to see what would happen.
"Let me into this office!" Joyce ordered.
"The clerk didn't leave the key with me."
"This isn't your affair. Get away from that door!"
"Get away yourself."
"Perhaps I had better go," Harry said in a low tone to Garnett. "I can come back in the morning."