Dawn and Jimmy mounted, and they rode to the ranch-house. Pete met them in the living-room. He had covered his split lips with court-plaster. He seemed to realize that something was wrong, and stepped back toward the entrance to the kitchen, as if preparing for a quick retreat.“Better stay here, Pete,” said the sheriff warningly, as he closed the door behind him.“What do you want?” asked Pete warily.“Mallette was shot and killed tonight. What do you know about it, Pete?”Pete stiffened slightly and his eyes shifted from face to face.“Mallette shot, eh?” He smiled crookedly. “I don’t care; he was a thief. Jimmy Moran knows; he saw him steal.”“What do you know about the killin’ of Mallette?” asked Roaring coldly.“Not a damned thing!”“Not a thing, eh?”“How would I know?” demanded Pete.“They told me you went out to get him.”Pete’s left hand went to his sore lips and he scowled heavily.“You come to get me for shootin’ Mallette?”Roaring nodded slowly.“I’m sorry, Pete. They think you done it, you know.”Pete leaned back against the wall, his right hand swinging close to the butt of his gun. Roaring knew that Pete was fast with a gun. There was something of the trapped animal about this swarthy, bright-eyed young man.“Peter!” said Dawn sharply. “Don’t be foolish.”“You think I want go to jail?” he asked harshly.“If English Ed and his gang get you, you’ll wish you was in jail,” warned Roaring.Pete flashed a snarling grin.“They come too, eh?”Jimmy Moran stepped back and opened the door. The hills were bathed in moonlight, making it possible to distinguish objects at quite a distance. He leaned forward for a moment, jerked back and closed the door.riders galloping“They’re comin’!” he snapped. “I saw two riders cuttin’ east down there. They’ve broken the fence, I’ll bet.”“Surroundin’ us, eh?” said Roaring quickly. “Pete, you’ve got one chance. If they get you they’ll lynch you quick. Git out through the kitchen! C’mon, Jimmy!”They ran outside. Their horses were on the dark side of the house. They saw a rider on a light-colored horse, moving along a ridge north of the stables.It was evident that English Ed’s gang was intending to surround the place. Roaring doubted if they knew that he was there.“Is your bronc still saddled, Pete?” asked Roaring.“Yeah,” said Pete quickly. “I think I might go back to town tonight.”“You probably will,” said Roaring dryly. “There’s one chance in a dozen that you will—and we’ll take that one chance.”
Dawn and Jimmy mounted, and they rode to the ranch-house. Pete met them in the living-room. He had covered his split lips with court-plaster. He seemed to realize that something was wrong, and stepped back toward the entrance to the kitchen, as if preparing for a quick retreat.
“Better stay here, Pete,” said the sheriff warningly, as he closed the door behind him.
“What do you want?” asked Pete warily.
“Mallette was shot and killed tonight. What do you know about it, Pete?”
Pete stiffened slightly and his eyes shifted from face to face.
“Mallette shot, eh?” He smiled crookedly. “I don’t care; he was a thief. Jimmy Moran knows; he saw him steal.”
“What do you know about the killin’ of Mallette?” asked Roaring coldly.
“Not a damned thing!”
“Not a thing, eh?”
“How would I know?” demanded Pete.
“They told me you went out to get him.”
Pete’s left hand went to his sore lips and he scowled heavily.
“You come to get me for shootin’ Mallette?”
Roaring nodded slowly.
“I’m sorry, Pete. They think you done it, you know.”
Pete leaned back against the wall, his right hand swinging close to the butt of his gun. Roaring knew that Pete was fast with a gun. There was something of the trapped animal about this swarthy, bright-eyed young man.
“Peter!” said Dawn sharply. “Don’t be foolish.”
“You think I want go to jail?” he asked harshly.
“If English Ed and his gang get you, you’ll wish you was in jail,” warned Roaring.
Pete flashed a snarling grin.
“They come too, eh?”
Jimmy Moran stepped back and opened the door. The hills were bathed in moonlight, making it possible to distinguish objects at quite a distance. He leaned forward for a moment, jerked back and closed the door.
riders galloping
“They’re comin’!” he snapped. “I saw two riders cuttin’ east down there. They’ve broken the fence, I’ll bet.”
“Surroundin’ us, eh?” said Roaring quickly. “Pete, you’ve got one chance. If they get you they’ll lynch you quick. Git out through the kitchen! C’mon, Jimmy!”
They ran outside. Their horses were on the dark side of the house. They saw a rider on a light-colored horse, moving along a ridge north of the stables.
It was evident that English Ed’s gang was intending to surround the place. Roaring doubted if they knew that he was there.
“Is your bronc still saddled, Pete?” asked Roaring.
“Yeah,” said Pete quickly. “I think I might go back to town tonight.”
“You probably will,” said Roaring dryly. “There’s one chance in a dozen that you will—and we’ll take that one chance.”