"None o' yer business, Sam," replied the deputy, putting the blood-stained paper back into his pocket.
"I seen what it was," shouted Hawker to the rest of the crowd. "It was one o' them there dokyments that the book agent had, up to the store. I always said as how 'twas him."
"We'll ketch him!" "We'll string him up!" yelled the crowd, starting back along the road at a run.
"Don't be sech fools!" shouted Blackstock. "Hold on! Come back I tell ye!"
But he might as well have shouted to a flock of wild geese on their clamorous voyage through the sky. Fired by Sam Hawker's exhortations, they were ready to lynch the black-whiskered stranger on sight.
Blackstock cursed them in a cold fury.
"I'll hev to go after them, Andy," said he, "or there'll be trouble when they find that there book agent."
"Better give 'em their head, Tug," protested the warden. "Guess he done it all right. He'll git no more'n's good for him."
"Maybe he did it, an' then agin, maybe he didn't," retorted the Deputy, "an' anyways, they're jest plumb looney now. You stay here, an' I'll follow them up. Send Bob back to the Ridge to fetch the coroner."
He turned and started on the run in pursuit of the shouting crowd, whistling at the same time for the dog to follow him. But to his surprise Jim did not obey instantly. He was very busy digging under a big whitish stone at the other side of the pool. Blackstock halted.