Anyway, Sleepy went along. They found Franklyn Moran, Slim Regan, Kent Cutter and Henry Miller on the porch. The doctor was still there. He had been there all night.These four men had been waiting for him to report Conley’s condition, which he did shortly after the others arrived. Conley was still alive, but unconscious. And that was about all there was to report; so the men from the Big 4 and the 7AL went to town.Dawn heard Roaring talking with the doctor and she came out to the porch. It was the first time Hashknife and Sleepy had seen her. She had spent a sleepless night, but in spite of that she was a very pretty girl. Roaring introduced them, and left her with Hashknife and Sleepy while he went in to see the patient.“You weren’t out here last night, were you?” she asked.Hashknife shook his head.“We’re strangers, Miss Conley.”“I know. I heard your name mentioned. Mr. Moran and Mr. Cutter were talking about you a while ago.”“That so?” smiled Hashknife. “What about?”“I just heard a little of it. Cutter said he heard you were a cattle detective. Moran said he didn’t know anything about you. Regan laughed and said you accused English Ed Holmes of being a former bootlegger to the Indians.”“That last part is true enough,” nodded Hashknife. “Do you know Holmes very well?”“Not very well.”“His outfit is responsible for your brother bein’ in jail, I understand.”“They cheated Peter,” she said quickly.“Yeah, I know. Miss Conley, what is your honest opinion of what happened last night? Did Jimmy Moran shoot your father?”Dawn turned and walked to the railing of the porch; she leaned a shoulder against a post.“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” said Hashknife kindly.“Oh, I know,” she said softly. “I don’t want to answer that question.”“All right, this one is different. Did you hear two shots?”“Yes.”“How far apart?”“Possibly—oh, I don’t know.”“Right together?”“Oh, no. There was one shot just after Dad opened the door. I—I think I ran almost across the room before the other one was fired.”“Did your father shoot the first one?”“I don’t know. Just after the last shot was fired I got to the door, and there stood Jimmy with a gun in his hand. And then Roaring Rigby was on the porch, taking Jimmy’s gun away from him.”“Uh-huh. What did Jimmy say?”“He said he didn’t know what happened.”“Didn’t know, eh?”“And then they brought Dad into the house. Roaring looked at Jimmy’s gun and asked me what happened. I told about the two shots being fired, and Jimmy said he shot one of them. He said he shot at somebody.”“Admitted shooting, eh? Miss Conley, is there any reason for Jimmy to have shot your father?”Dawn turned from the post and came back to Hashknife.“Dad told him to keep away,” she said wearily. “He hates Jimmy’s father.”“I know. You heard Jimmy call to your father and tell him who was out there?”“Yes, I think Jimmy threw some gravel against the window to attract us. Then when Dad asked who it was, Jimmy told him.”“Was your father mad when he went to the door?”Dawn flushed a little.“I think he was, Mr. Hartley. He was expecting the sheriff to come out here.”“Was he goin’ to shoot the sheriff?”“Oh, no; they were just going to talk things over. You heard about the dead steers, didn’t you?”“Saw ’em; I was with Moran when the Big 4 found that the brands had been skinned out.”“The Big 4 did that themselves.”“Skinned out the brands?”“No, cut the fence and killed their own steers. They hate Dad for fencing in Hot Creek, and they want to ruin him.”“Moran wants to buy this place, don’t he?”“Yes, he has made Dad a good offer. The 7AL wants it, too.”“Yeah? That’s Cutter’s outfit, ain’t it?”“Yes, but Dad won’t sell to the Big 4.”“I see. Miss Conley, I’m goin’ to get personal.”“What do you mean?”“I’m goin’ to ask questions that you might not care to answer; but I want you to understand that it ain’t because I want to embarrass you in any way. Did Ed Holmes ever come to see you?”Dawn flushed, but smiled at Hashknife.“Once, I think. I wasn’t home.”“Any of the Big 4 boys?”“I should say not!” said Dawn emphatically.“Cutter?”Dawn smiled.“Oh, he has been out here. Perhaps he came to see me.”“The sheriff?”Dawn sobered quickly and glanced toward the closed door.“You don’t need to answer that,” said Hashknife softly. “He’s all right.”“Yes; he’s all right,” said Dawn. “But what’s the use of these questions, Mr. Hartley?”“Were there any others?” queried Hashknife. “Honest, I want to know.”Dawn bit her lip reflectively.“Well, there was Jeff Ryker.”“The prosecuting attorney?”“Yes.”“Since your brother has been in jail?”“Yes.”Hashknife took a deep breath and his wide lips twisted in a faint smile. Ryker was the man with the big collar and the celluloid cuffs.“Did you talk with him?” he asked.Dawn shook her head quickly.“I stayed in the house,” she smiled. “He talked to my mother.”“And you heard what he said?”“Some of it.”“Uh-huh,” Hashknife took a deep breath. “Did he say anything about—uh—goin’ easy on your brother?”Dawn flashed Hashknife a quick glance of interrogation.“How did you know that?” she asked wonderingly.“Guessed it. He could go easy at the trial, you know, and he might make promises to your mother. Does your father like him?”“No, I don’t think he does. Dad doesn’t like many folks.”“Is the judge a friend of your father?”“Judge Beal—I think Dad likes him.”“Miss Conley, how long has the Big 4 been tryin’ to buy your dad out?”“For about two years.”“Ever since he fenced Hot Creek?”“Yes.”“How long has the 7AL wanted it?”Dawn frowned thoughtfully.“Oh, I think it was about three or four months ago that Mr. Cutter made his first offer. After that Jeff Ryker came out and talked with Dad about selling out.”“What did Ryker want with it?”“He was trying to buy it for Cutter.”“Oh, I see; he was Cutter’s agent.”Roaring and the doctor came from the living-room.“You better lie down awhile and get some sleep, Miss Conley,” said the old doctor kindly. “There isn’t anything you can do. The sheriff is going to send some of my things out for me; so I’ll stay on the job.”“Didja get the bullet?” asked Hashknife.“It went all the way through,” said Roaring. He took the bullet from his pocket and gave it to Hashknife. “We found it on the floor in there.”The piece of lead was slightly battered, but not too much so to prove the caliber.“Forty-five,” said Hashknife.Roaring nodded and put the bullet back in his pocket.“We’re goin’ back, Dawn,” he said. “Is there anythin’ you need out here? No, don’t bother about it now. I’ll send Wind River Jim out with the doctor’s stuff, and he can find out what you need.”“That’s mighty nice of you,” said Dawn.“Pshaw!” Roaring cuffed his hat over one ear. “I wish I knowed what to do. Tomorrow is Sunday and the next day court starts. I dunno what cases are ahead of Pete’s. Your dad never hired no lawyer for Pete, did he? Thought he didn’t. I’ll have a talk with the judge. He’ll know what to do. Well, so long.”Hashknife held out his hand to Dawn; she shook hands with him.
Anyway, Sleepy went along. They found Franklyn Moran, Slim Regan, Kent Cutter and Henry Miller on the porch. The doctor was still there. He had been there all night.
These four men had been waiting for him to report Conley’s condition, which he did shortly after the others arrived. Conley was still alive, but unconscious. And that was about all there was to report; so the men from the Big 4 and the 7AL went to town.
Dawn heard Roaring talking with the doctor and she came out to the porch. It was the first time Hashknife and Sleepy had seen her. She had spent a sleepless night, but in spite of that she was a very pretty girl. Roaring introduced them, and left her with Hashknife and Sleepy while he went in to see the patient.
“You weren’t out here last night, were you?” she asked.
Hashknife shook his head.
“We’re strangers, Miss Conley.”
“I know. I heard your name mentioned. Mr. Moran and Mr. Cutter were talking about you a while ago.”
“That so?” smiled Hashknife. “What about?”
“I just heard a little of it. Cutter said he heard you were a cattle detective. Moran said he didn’t know anything about you. Regan laughed and said you accused English Ed Holmes of being a former bootlegger to the Indians.”
“That last part is true enough,” nodded Hashknife. “Do you know Holmes very well?”
“Not very well.”
“His outfit is responsible for your brother bein’ in jail, I understand.”
“They cheated Peter,” she said quickly.
“Yeah, I know. Miss Conley, what is your honest opinion of what happened last night? Did Jimmy Moran shoot your father?”
Dawn turned and walked to the railing of the porch; she leaned a shoulder against a post.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” said Hashknife kindly.
“Oh, I know,” she said softly. “I don’t want to answer that question.”
“All right, this one is different. Did you hear two shots?”
“Yes.”
“How far apart?”
“Possibly—oh, I don’t know.”
“Right together?”
“Oh, no. There was one shot just after Dad opened the door. I—I think I ran almost across the room before the other one was fired.”
“Did your father shoot the first one?”
“I don’t know. Just after the last shot was fired I got to the door, and there stood Jimmy with a gun in his hand. And then Roaring Rigby was on the porch, taking Jimmy’s gun away from him.”
“Uh-huh. What did Jimmy say?”
“He said he didn’t know what happened.”
“Didn’t know, eh?”
“And then they brought Dad into the house. Roaring looked at Jimmy’s gun and asked me what happened. I told about the two shots being fired, and Jimmy said he shot one of them. He said he shot at somebody.”
“Admitted shooting, eh? Miss Conley, is there any reason for Jimmy to have shot your father?”
Dawn turned from the post and came back to Hashknife.
“Dad told him to keep away,” she said wearily. “He hates Jimmy’s father.”
“I know. You heard Jimmy call to your father and tell him who was out there?”
“Yes, I think Jimmy threw some gravel against the window to attract us. Then when Dad asked who it was, Jimmy told him.”
“Was your father mad when he went to the door?”
Dawn flushed a little.
“I think he was, Mr. Hartley. He was expecting the sheriff to come out here.”
“Was he goin’ to shoot the sheriff?”
“Oh, no; they were just going to talk things over. You heard about the dead steers, didn’t you?”
“Saw ’em; I was with Moran when the Big 4 found that the brands had been skinned out.”
“The Big 4 did that themselves.”
“Skinned out the brands?”
“No, cut the fence and killed their own steers. They hate Dad for fencing in Hot Creek, and they want to ruin him.”
“Moran wants to buy this place, don’t he?”
“Yes, he has made Dad a good offer. The 7AL wants it, too.”
“Yeah? That’s Cutter’s outfit, ain’t it?”
“Yes, but Dad won’t sell to the Big 4.”
“I see. Miss Conley, I’m goin’ to get personal.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m goin’ to ask questions that you might not care to answer; but I want you to understand that it ain’t because I want to embarrass you in any way. Did Ed Holmes ever come to see you?”
Dawn flushed, but smiled at Hashknife.
“Once, I think. I wasn’t home.”
“Any of the Big 4 boys?”
“I should say not!” said Dawn emphatically.
“Cutter?”
Dawn smiled.
“Oh, he has been out here. Perhaps he came to see me.”
“The sheriff?”
Dawn sobered quickly and glanced toward the closed door.
“You don’t need to answer that,” said Hashknife softly. “He’s all right.”
“Yes; he’s all right,” said Dawn. “But what’s the use of these questions, Mr. Hartley?”
“Were there any others?” queried Hashknife. “Honest, I want to know.”
Dawn bit her lip reflectively.
“Well, there was Jeff Ryker.”
“The prosecuting attorney?”
“Yes.”
“Since your brother has been in jail?”
“Yes.”
Hashknife took a deep breath and his wide lips twisted in a faint smile. Ryker was the man with the big collar and the celluloid cuffs.
“Did you talk with him?” he asked.
Dawn shook her head quickly.
“I stayed in the house,” she smiled. “He talked to my mother.”
“And you heard what he said?”
“Some of it.”
“Uh-huh,” Hashknife took a deep breath. “Did he say anything about—uh—goin’ easy on your brother?”
Dawn flashed Hashknife a quick glance of interrogation.
“How did you know that?” she asked wonderingly.
“Guessed it. He could go easy at the trial, you know, and he might make promises to your mother. Does your father like him?”
“No, I don’t think he does. Dad doesn’t like many folks.”
“Is the judge a friend of your father?”
“Judge Beal—I think Dad likes him.”
“Miss Conley, how long has the Big 4 been tryin’ to buy your dad out?”
“For about two years.”
“Ever since he fenced Hot Creek?”
“Yes.”
“How long has the 7AL wanted it?”
Dawn frowned thoughtfully.
“Oh, I think it was about three or four months ago that Mr. Cutter made his first offer. After that Jeff Ryker came out and talked with Dad about selling out.”
“What did Ryker want with it?”
“He was trying to buy it for Cutter.”
“Oh, I see; he was Cutter’s agent.”
Roaring and the doctor came from the living-room.
“You better lie down awhile and get some sleep, Miss Conley,” said the old doctor kindly. “There isn’t anything you can do. The sheriff is going to send some of my things out for me; so I’ll stay on the job.”
“Didja get the bullet?” asked Hashknife.
“It went all the way through,” said Roaring. He took the bullet from his pocket and gave it to Hashknife. “We found it on the floor in there.”
The piece of lead was slightly battered, but not too much so to prove the caliber.
“Forty-five,” said Hashknife.
Roaring nodded and put the bullet back in his pocket.
“We’re goin’ back, Dawn,” he said. “Is there anythin’ you need out here? No, don’t bother about it now. I’ll send Wind River Jim out with the doctor’s stuff, and he can find out what you need.”
“That’s mighty nice of you,” said Dawn.
“Pshaw!” Roaring cuffed his hat over one ear. “I wish I knowed what to do. Tomorrow is Sunday and the next day court starts. I dunno what cases are ahead of Pete’s. Your dad never hired no lawyer for Pete, did he? Thought he didn’t. I’ll have a talk with the judge. He’ll know what to do. Well, so long.”
Hashknife held out his hand to Dawn; she shook hands with him.