“Yes, you did! I noticed that as soon as I said I’d been riding with Curly. But say, we’d better get up.�
“Wait a minute. I want to ask you a few questions about Froud, Roy. You say he got sore when you mentioned Checkered Shirt?�
“I’ll tell a maverick he did! There’s something up between those two. I wish we could come across that hombre in the cross-word puzzle laundry-piece!�
“He probably’s got another by now. Even rustlers have got to change their shirts once in a while. But, seriously, what made you think that Harver’s Gully is headquarters for Froud’s gang?�
“Because, didn’t he head right for there? And then when we got there he seemed sort of sorry he’d come. He thought I knew too much for the good of his health. Golly, Ted, when you rode by that grove of trees I sure held my breath! Froud had his gun stuck hard into my ribs, and if you had taken it into your head to ride in I’d be strummin’ a harp right now.�
“Oh, well, if I had come in, Froud might have beat it off. Can’t tell. Roy, you should have seen that flivver! The top was ripped completely off. Two tires were flat. The motor was a wreck. It looked as though it had been struck by lightning.�
“Wonder what they did all that for? I suppose you didn’t find the dresses Mrs. Ball sent over?�
“Not a trace. Looked like a spite job to me. Bug Eye said the same. If he ever catches the gang who held him up, he’ll spite ’em!�
“Did he go back to the 8 X 8?�
“No; he’s asleep in the bunk-house. He wants to have another look for the thieves, I guess. If his boss thinks it’s the same gang that stole his cattle, he’ll let Bug Eye search all he wants to—and maybe help him. I’ve got a hunch that something is bound to break soon. The people around these parts are pretty sick and tired of having those roughnecks play fast and loose with their property.â€�