“Yeah, I sure did. He tried to stop me.”
“They all know that you went over to the sheep last night.”
“And then what?”
“Jack, don’t you realize what that means? Good ——, they’ll hold you responsible for old Ed Barber’s death and for the sheep comin’ into Lo Lo Valley. Have you lost yore mind entirely?”
“Mebbe I’ve lost my mind, but not my nerve.”
“Nerve won’t help yuh. Don’t be reckless, boy. There is yet time to get away. I’ll stake yuh. Peel out of here while the sheep are keepin’ everybody busy. Take yore wife and head east until things are blown over. Won’t yuh do that, Jack?”
“And admit that I was a traitor? ——!” Jack laughed bitterly and shook his head. “Not by a —— sight. Any old time I start runnin’, it will be after somebody.”
Marsh Hartwell turned to his horse and started to mount, but changed his mind and came close to Jack.
“Jack, I’m goin’ to ask yuh a question that’ll make yuh mad, but I’ve got to do it. Did yore wife have anythin’ ——”
“Leave her out of this, Dad,” interrupted Jack, but his eyes did not hold steady.