“Baldy Willis died.”
“Yeah, we heard about it,” says Hashknife. “What’s M. J. Haley got to do with Baldy Willis’ demise?”
“Baldy was shot on the Circle Dot Range,” says the sheriff, meaning-like. “He didn’t have no business on this range, I reckon, but—I want to see the owner of this outfit. Sabe? He’s responsible, or I’ll hold him responsible until I can put the deadwood on the guilty man.”
“Snag Thorn send yuh?” asks Hashknife.
“He did not! He told me to keep out of this, but I’m the sheriff, and——”
“Bein’ sheriff means quite a lot to you, don’t it?” asks Hashknife. “You’d just be plumb miserable if yuh wasn’t sheriff, wouldn’t yuh, Allen?”
“I didn’t come here to listen to you yappin’,” says he. “I want the man who owns this here ranch. Sabe?”
“Were you looking for some one?”
We all turns and looks at the door where Mary Jane is standing. The sheriff looks at her and then at us.
“There’s the owner of the Circle Dot,” says Hashknife. “Try to arrest her.”