“Nope.”
“They must ’a’ got close to thirty thousand,” said Buck.
Porter turned quickly.
“What do you know about it, Buck?”
Buck stared back at him, his eyes hardening at the implication in the deputy’s question.
“I don’t reckon the amount of the Santa Rita pay-roll is any secret, Porter.”
“Thasso?” Porter shrugged his shoulders.
“Yes, that’s so,” Buck dropped his reins and walked over to Porter, who squinted narrowly at him.
“I don’t like the way yuh said that, Porter.”
“The way I said what?” queried Porter.