“Thasso? What did he do, Jimmy?”

“Jack Hartwell? Huh! Pa says he’s the son-of-a-gun that told the sheepmen all about when and how to git in here. He ort to be shot, y’betcha. He married a sheep-girl.”

“Did he?”

“Yeah. That was quite a while ago. Nobody liked him since. And his pa is the biggest rancher in this valley, too. I know him and I know Mrs. Hartwell, too.”

“Jack Hartwell?”

“I don’t mean him; I mean his pa and ma.”

“You don’t like Jack Hartwell, Jimmy?”

“Well,” the youngster hesitated, “I did—once.”

“Who is yore pa, Jimmy?”

“Gee, don’tcha know my pa? He’s the sheriff. I thought that everybody knew my pa.”