Doc Ritter and Jackson Kent came in as Gallup admonished Johnny. The coroner nodded to Kent.
“Maybe you can put some sense into him,” he said, pointing to Johnny Dice.
“What’s the matter, Johnny?” asked Kent. “We just heard a man had killed himself up here.”
“Nothin’ the matter with me. Gallup’s runnin’ things here. And he ain’t makin’ no hit with it, either. Hobe had to call him a minute ago.”
“Mr. Gallup’s a good man, boys. Don’t rear and tear too much. Jest what is wrong, Aaron?”
When Gallup had finished explaining; the Diamond-Bar owner did his best to restore harmony.
“Now you go on, Tony, and tell the coroner what you know,” he said, pleadingly. “We don’t want no run-in with the law.”
“That’s sense,” Gallup seconded. “If you saw this man, and talked with him, tell us what he said.”
“Well, he say—er—he say——” Johnny Dice was coughing so violently that Tony could not go on. The Basque turned on his pal questioningly. Johnny was bent nearly double; but Tony caught the wink and the slight shake of the head which were meant for him. He started to speak again:
“Well, he say how ees the cattle? How ees the water? How ees the sheep? How ees——”