As she sobbed out the list of her former possessions, Judge Corey took it down on the back of a dirty envelope. So many ounces of dust, so many in nuggets, so much in bills and coin, gold and silver. Each item was a stab.
"Yes, all that—all that!" she jumped up wildly, "and it's gone! But we got to find it. What you hangin' round here for? Why, if you boys had any natchral spunk you'd have the thief strung up by now."
"We got to find him fust."
"You won't find him standin' here."
They conferred afresh.
"It must have been somebody who knowed where you kept the stuff."
"N-no." Her red eyes wandered miserably, restlessly, to the window. Over the red half-curtain French Charlie and Butts looked in. They had not been to the meeting.
Maudie's face darkened as she caught sight of the Canadian.
"Oh, yes, you can crow over me now," she shouted shrilly above the buzz of comment and suggestion. The Canadian led the way round to the door, and the two men crowded in.
"You just get out," Maudie cried in a fury. "Didn't I turn you out o' this and tell you never——"