“Who are you?” demanded the trooper, turning sharply on the two men.
Hippy introduced himself and Tom, and told the guard that the outfit was the Overland Riders starting in to ride the Yellowstone Park.
“What do you know about the shots we heard?”
“Two shots were fired here, sir, a short time ago. I don’t know whether or not they were the ones you heard.”
“It was a mistake,” spoke up Tom Gray. “The one who fired the shots was laboring under great excitement at the time and did not realize that he was doing wrong.”
“Who fired them?”
No one answered, and the question was repeated.
“I do not know that we are obliged to answer that question,” replied Lieutenant Wingate after a slight hesitation. “I will take the responsibility, whatever it may be.”
“No, he won’t,” announced Stacy Brown, stepping forward. “He didn’t do the shooting. I did it.”
The guard looked perplexed.