His case came up quickly.
By various papers in his possession he proved his identity.
“What were you doing out on the range last night?” asked Joe.
Bud hesitated for a minute and then, deciding that his safest and quickest course would be to make a clean breast of things, replied:
“I was driving two thousand head of sheep north on the Bar T.”
“Then you’re not a cattleman?”
“No.” Larkin produced his bills of sale for the sheep and these were handed gravely about from one to another, although it was certain that some of the men could not read them.
“How long are you going to stay in this country?”
“Just as long as it takes to get my sheep north. I come from Montana.” 71
Joe beckoned a number of the men aside out of Larkin’s hearing.