“Mr. Sorenson hasn’t yet appeared, and I assure you he will be prevented from harming any one if he comes. You are Miss Janet Hosmer, I judge, of whom I’ve heard so much that is praiseworthy. Will you allow 241 me to introduce myself? I’m Mr. Pollock, a company director, and to a degree in Mr. Weir’s confidence.”
Janet expressed her pleasure at his acquaintance and in turn introduced her father and the Johnsons.
“Mr. Weir spoke of you to us, but we weren’t aware he had informed you of the paper.” Then she added, “But he would wish to, naturally.”
Weir’s voice, without, in conversation with some one caused them all to look towards the door. In the panel of light falling on the darkness before the house they perceived the engineer’s tall figure by a horse, from which the rider was dismounting. Letting the reins drag and leaving the horse to stand, the latter walked with Weir into the room.
“Why, this is a delightful surprise!” the engineer exclaimed on beholding the four who had come while he was out. “And unexpected.” His eyes rapidly interrogated the different faces. “I suppose it’s business, not pleasure, that brings you.”
“That’s so,” said Johnson, the rancher, nodding.
“Well, Madden is here on business, too, it seems.” He glanced at Mr. Pollock. “Mr. Madden is our sheriff and he has a warrant for my arrest.” He turned back to the officer. “You come at a bad time for my affairs. You saw that big show at the old house half way down the road? That crowd is made up of my workmen, who are being entertained with free whiskey, and there’s no telling but what they may come here to tear things up. The whiskey is furnished by Vorse, I suspect, and is being served at Vorse’s place. Your warrant is inspired by Vorse and others, isn’t it? The two circumstances coming at the same moment, the free drunk and my arrest, look fishy to me. What do you think? I’m in charge of a property here representing a good deal of 242 money and I should hate to be absent if the men took the idea into their heads to turn the camp upside down, especially if the idea was inspired by Vorse and his friends.”
“I haven’t served the warrant yet,” Madden replied.
“And you know that I’m not going to skip the country at the prospect of your serving it?”
“No. There’s no hurry; I’ll just sit around for a while. And understand, Weir, this arrest is none of my doings, except officially. I take no stock in the yarn about your having attacked the greaser you killed. Martinez’ and Miss Janet’s testimony at the inquest satisfied me in that respect.”