“Ye knew we appointed Len in your place, Joe?” asked McLaren.
“I hear yuh did, Mac. And Len appointed Ralston, eh?”
“That’s it. What do ye aim to do now?”
“I think I’ll leave here, Mac. There’s nothin’ in Tumblin’ River for me any more.”
“Ye might get on with the Circle M. Merrick will be short one man, now that Ralston is an officer.”
“No, Mac; I don’t think I’ll stay.”
“Mm-m-m-m,” McLaren considered Joe gravely.
“Joe, I’d have banked on ye. There’s a lot more folks in this country that would have bet a million to one that ye wouldn’t do a thing like ye done. Why did ye do it?”
Joe shook his head slowly.
“Mac, there’s things that I don’t even know; so I can’t tell yuh anythin’.”