“Yes, I think Jimmy threw some gravel against the window to attract us. Then when Dad asked who it was, Jimmy told him.”
“Was your father mad when he went to the door?”
Dawn flushed a little.
“I think he was, Mr. Hartley. He was expecting the sheriff to come out here.”
“Was he goin’ to shoot the sheriff?”
“Oh, no; they were just going to talk things over. You heard about the dead steers, didn’t you?”
“Saw ’em; I was with Moran when the Big 4 found that the brands had been skinned out.”
“The Big 4 did that themselves.”
“Skinned out the brands?”
“No, cut the fence and killed their own steers. They hate Dad for fencing in Hot Creek, and they want to ruin him.”