This was a surprise.
“You? You actually knew them?”
“Knew Zylo, as we used to call him, and knew his father, Dr. Snodgrass. I didn’t know your own Snodgrass, but have had glimpses of him from time to time, and I heard about him all the time. He was the common talk, you see, on account of his—”
“On account of his not being a house-burner or an assassin, I suppose. That would have made him commonplace. Where did you know these people?”
“In Cherokee Strip.”
“Oh, how preposterous! There are not enough people in Cherokee Strip to give anybody a reputation, good or bad. There isn’t a quorum. Why the whole population consists of a couple of wagon loads of horse thieves.”
Hawkins answered placidly—
“Our friend was one of those wagon loads.”
Sally’s eyes burned and her breath came quick and fast, but she kept a fairly good grip on her anger and did not let it get the advantage of her tongue. The statesman sat still and waited for developments. He was content with his work. It was as handsome a piece of diplomatic art as he had ever turned out, he thought; and now, let the girl make her own choice. He judged she would let her spectre go; he hadn’t a doubt of it in fact; but anyway, let the choice be made, and he was ready to ratify it and offer no further hindrance.
Meantime Sally had thought her case out and made up her mind. To the major’s disappointment the verdict was against him. Sally said: