"Will you tell me what's going on here."
"Who are you, anyhow?" came the query in a rough tone.
Meantime one of the men had brought out a ship's lantern, and it was held up in front of the detective's face, and the men glared at him.
"Do any of you know this fellow?" came the question.
One man after another declared his utter ignorance of the identity of the stranger.
"Who are you, my man?" again came the question;
"My name is Ballard, but I reckon no one around here knows me."
"I reckon you're right, you villain! and now what brings you here?"
"I came here to see a woman named Betsy Pearce."
"You came here to see a woman named Betsy Pearce?"