The ranchman flushed angrily, but he put a curb on his temper. He could not afford to indulge it since he was so much in this youth’s debt. Abruptly he turned away.
“Bring the other two to the barn,” he ordered Forbes. “We’ll have a settlement there.”
York shuffled forward, in a torment of fear. “See here, mister. I ain’t got a thing to do with this. Honest to Gawd, I ain’t. Ask Tug. Ask the young lady. I got respeck for women, I have. You wouldn’t do dirt to an old ’bo wot never done you no harm, would you, boss?”
His voice was a whine. The big gross man was on the verge of blubbering. He seemed ready to fall on his knees.
“It’s true, Dad. He didn’t touch me,” Betty said in a low voice to her father.
“Stood by, didn’t he? Never lifted a hand for you.”
“Yes, but—”
“You go into the house. Leave him to me,” ordered Reed. “Keep this young man here till I come back.”
Betty knew when words were useless with her father. She turned away and walked to the porch.
The cowpunchers with their prisoners moved toward the barn. York, ululating woe, had to be dragged.