"Of course they will," Rafe Tuckleton declared heartily. "Of course they will. But it just occurs to me that this man may have had a friend with him we didn't see. And that hog-tied calf and fire and running-iron—that last may have been a cinch ring, Bill—are evidence that'll hang this man. Jonesy, suppose now you ride back to the fork of that split draw south of Saddle Hill, where we saw this man's fire, and see that nobody destroys the evidence before we get there. Ben, I think you'd better go with Jonesy."
"No," said Billy decidedly. "Jonesy and Ben will stay right here."
"Remember," called Riley, "that this Greener is double-barreled."
"But see here—" Rafe began desperately.
"No see about it," interrupted Billy. "You'll all stay right here with us till Tom Walton gets here."
"But suppose somebody destroys the evidence," worried Rafe.
"I don't guess they'll destroy all of it," said Billy cheerfully. "You see, Rafe, we want to go with you to the fork of that split draw south of Saddle Hill."
Rafe's blazing eyes were fairly murderous. His men muttered behind him. But they made no hostile move. They realized that Rafe would never forgive them if they did. He would not be able to.
In the meantime Hazel had been alternately bathing the senseless one's forehead and dribbling drops of whisky between his teeth.
"He's coming round," she said suddenly.