"They won't be a row," said Lorry.
When he returned he was accompanied by the deputy. Lorry took his stand without parley.
"I want to ask you folks a question, and then I'm through," he asserted. "Will you listen to what he says and what I say, and then say who is right?"
"That might not settle it," said Torrance. "But go ahead."
"Then all I got to say is, was I right or wrong when I turned that hobo loose and saved him from gettin' beat up by High Chin and the boys, and mebby strung up, afore they got through?"
"Morally you were right," said Torrance. "But you should have appealed to Sheriff Hardy to guard his prisoner."
"That's all right, Mr. Torrance. But suppose they wasn't time. And suppose,—now Buck's deputy is here to listen to it,—suppose I was to say that Buck is scared to death of High-Chin Bob. Everybody knows it."
The deputy flushed. He knew that Lorry spoke the truth.
Torrance turned to Shoop. "What do you think, Bud?"
Bud coughed and shrugged his heavy shoulders. "Bein' as I'm drug into this, I say the boy did a good job and he's right about Hardy, which you can tell him," he added, turning to the deputy.