“’Tis better to be wild and weep—”
“Now, Hobby Lull, you hush up! The answer is, No. Catechism. A man expects from his womankind a scrupulous decorum which he is far too broad-minded to require from himself or his mates—charitable soul! Laughter and applause. Cries of ‘That’s true!’—Anything more grossly unfair—”
Rub-a-dub! Rub-a-dub! Rub-a-dub!
Three men thundered over the ’cequia bridge. At the first drum of furious hoofs See wheeled his horse sharply.
“What’s that? Trouble!” The three horsemen swooped from the bridge, pounding on the beaten road. “Trouble, sure!”
“You two girls light out of this! Ride!” said Lull. He spurred to the open door of the store. “Pete!” he called, and turned back.
“Adam?” said Charlie. “Something wrong up Redgate way. Adam’s there, and no one else that we know of.”
“I’m afraid so. Horse fell on him maybe—dynamite or something. Here they come. Big Ed and Jody Weir. I don’t know the third man.”
The horsemen were upon them. “Murder!” cried Caney. “Adam Forbes has been murdered! Up in Redgate. The murderer came this way. We trailed him to the bridge. His horse had lost a shoe.”
“Adam Forbes!”