“You see! A hoss thief can’t tell the truth,” he reiterated.
“Neither can some other people,” flung back Chunky heatedly. “I’m telling you the truth, and I don’t care whether you believe me or not, but if you are half so smart as you think you are you will know that I am telling no lies. I don’t have to be a horse thief. I’ve got money, I’d have you know.”
“Most hoss thieves have,” agreed one of the cowpunchers. “What were you doing in the mountains alone?”
Stacy, though weary and out of patience with all this, explained that while out with Bindloss’s men on the round-up, he was roped and carried into the mountains where he was held prisoner while a gang of rustlers tried to get his companions to pay a ransom for him. He told about the carrier pigeons, and the money that the ruffians had collected by means of the birds. As he talked the grins on the faces of the cowpunchers grew broader. They had never heard a fairy tale quite so ingenious. Bill Crawley’s face wore an expression of weariness.
“Young fellow, I’ve heard some liars in my time, but you win!” he declared. “Take him over to the hay barn and lock him in. If he tries to get out, shoot him!”
“If you were alone with me you wouldn’t dare say that, you bluffer!” retorted Chunky, his cheeks flushing with anger.
“What’s that you say?” demanded the rancher, taking a step toward the boy, his chin thrust out belligerently.
“Oh, nothing much,” muttered Stacy. “I reckon I was talking in my sleep.”
“Lock him up. And, Skip! Get a bite to eat, then hit the trail for Carrago. You ought to get back some time tomorrow forenoon, but bring the sheriff with you. We’ve got one of the rustlers that have been stealing stock from us this summer, and, young fellow, we’re going to send you to jail. You’re lucky that you aren’t shot!” was Crawley’s parting word.
Stacy was yanked nearly off his feet by a cowpuncher and hauled protesting to the barn, a structure that was built with the idea of keeping thieves from stealing from it. He was thrown violently to the floor as his jailer hurled him into the place, and the door was slammed behind him and locked.