“Been a long time, Marsh. I been kinda lonesome to hear a cow bawlin’.”
“Come over any time, Eph,” said Marsh shakily.
“Yore cows are all safe,” said Sleepy. “Noonan says that they are all bunched about fifteen miles from here, out along the railroad. They were goin’ to start movin’ ’em into Sunland in the mornin’, ’cause Larrimer swore that he couldn’t hold Eph King any longer.”
Jack had gone to Molly and put one arm around her shoulder, turning her to face the crowd.
“Boys,” he said, “we thought that the comin’ of the sheep was the worst calamity that could happen to Lo Lo Valley, but I reckon it’s the best thing that ever happened to Molly and me—outside of the comin’ of Hashknife Hartley and his pardner.”
“Shucks!” said Hashknife softly. “It was fate, Jack, just fate.”
“Fate might have brought yuh here, but it was plain —— nerve that kept yuh here,” declared Sudden. “I apologize, Hartley. If yuh want me to, I’ll git down on my knees and ask yore pardon.”
“——!” snorted Sunshine. “Yuh ought to do that anyway. I knowed all the time that——”
“This is no time to lie, Sunshine,” said the sheriff. “They fooled you as much as they did me. At least be honest at a time like this.”
Hashknife grinned widely and looked at Molly.