"You won't have far to go to find out," struck in Racey Dawson. "I know how he got his black eye."
"How?" demanded the sheriff, his grizzled eyebrows drawing together.
"Dale gave it to him," was the answer pat and pithy.
"He did not!" The saloon-keeper began to roar instantly, and had to be quieted by Kansas Casey.
When order was restored Racey explained his deductions. The sheriff listened in silence. Then he went to the body of the dead man, and examined the bruised and broken right hand.
"I'm tellin' you," declared Racey with finality, "he hit somebody when he broke that hand."
"He might 'a' broke it when he fell after being shot," put in Luke
Tweezy.
The sheriff shook his head. "He couldn't fall hard enough to break them bones as bad as that. It's like Racey says. Question is, who did he hit? McFluke's eye and McFluke's lies are a good enough answer for me."
"You'll have to prove it!" snapped Luke Tweezy.
"I expect we'll do that, Luke," the sheriff said, calmly. "Have you agreed on a verdict, Judge?"