“I’m in no hurry, Scotty.”
“Well, I am. So long, folks.”
Jimmy ventured out after the sheriff had gone, and wanted to know everything the sheriff had said. He was so glad to know that the law was not on his trail that he even spoke pleasantly to Lee Barnhardt.
Marion went in the house, and Sleepy sat down in the shade with Jimmy, leaving Hashknife with the lawyer.
“Naturally, we are both working in the interests of the Taylor family,” said the lawyer confidentially. “Now, I’d like to know what progress you have made in your observations.”
Hashknife looked at him keenly.
“I don’t reckon I understand yuh, Barnhardt.”
“No?” Barnhardt smiled knowingly. “For your own information I will say that Chet Le Moyne admitted your connections with the Santa Rita mining company.”
“He did, eh?” Hashknife was wearing his poker face now.
“Yes. It is rather difficult to keep a thing like that from becoming common knowledge. Folks naturally wondered what your business might be.”