“I’m right sorry about Chuck Hansom, Red,” Steve said slowly.
“Don’t worry. I don’t believe Chuck would have squealed, anyhow. Now, I have to be at the Shumway place to-morrow to handle that coroner’s jury; so do you with your evidence. If we’re going to clean up this county, we have to do one thing at a time. This affair to-night has mussed up everything pretty badly. If that gang from town is allowed to come after us, it means a lot of shooting and killing—which I want to avoid if possible. Chuck and Mike deserved what they got, but we can’t shoot up a lot of hysterical fools who think they’re chasing a murderer. With Buck and his gang it’s different. Where Buck made his mistake was in murdering Cervantes; that murder is going to cost a lot of blood.”
“What about Jake Harper?” exclaimed Steve suddenly.
“I’m thinkin’ about Jake right now—but if he’s dead I can’t help him. If he ain’t, he’s all right. That coroner will be out to-morrow morning with his jury; so will the preacher. Until noon to-morrow, I’m tied up. And we’ve got to stop that mob. Here, Steve, let’s tie the hosses and have a smoke.”
Fisher dismounted abruptly and began to lead his horse off the road. Arnold reined in and stared at the darkness.
“My gosh, have you gone crazy or what, feller? We got no time to smoke——”
“All the time in the world, cowboy!” came the whimsical, laughing response. “Get down and roll me one, will you? Done lost my makin’s in the confusion back yonder.”
With a sigh of resignation to what he considered utter folly, Steve dismounted and joined his friend. Fisher said nothing until a cigarette was rolled and lighted; then:
“Steve, I’ve been thinking about those boys who are behind us. Who’s leading them? Nobody. They’ll cool off mighty quick after leaving town. They ain’t sure just what has happened or who I am. When they strike trouble in the darkness they’ll be all confused and imagining things. Now, all we got to do is like this——”
He spoke for a moment, low-voiced.