“Sometimes,” laughed Hashknife.
“I’ll betcha. Never bite yuh, do they?”
“Haven’t yet.”
“Never will. Huh!” Honey jerked up on the lines. “I know what the word is. I read somethin’ about it in a magazine. It’s called personality. Know what it means, Hartley?”
“Yeah, I think I do.”
“Well, that’s what you’ve got. Giddap, broncs! Joe Rich had it. His must ’a’ back-fired on him.”
Hashknife laughed. Honey Bee was so sincere in his statements.
“Was Rich a good sheriff?” asked Hashknife.
“Y’betcha. Joe was a man that wouldn’t stop at anythin’ to enforce the law. Some men kinda play fav’rites, yuh know. But Joe wasn’t that kind. At least I don’t reckon he was, and I knew him awful well.”
“How did it happen that you wasn’t his deputy?”