“Well, I don’t sabe it,” asserted the undersheriff.  “Lorry Adams always had a good name.”

“We’ll have a talk with him, Bill.”

“Are you sure Adams did it, Buck?”

“No, not sure, but I’m going to find out.  I’ll throw a scare into him that’ll make him talk.”

“Mebby he won’t scare.”

“Then I’ll run him in.  He’s some enterprising, if I do say it.  He put High-Chin Bob out of business over by the water-hole yesterday.”

“High Chin!  The hell you say!”

“That’s what I thought when I heard it.  High was beating up the hobo, and Lorry claimed him as his prisoner.  Jim Waring says the kid walloped High on the head and knocked him stiff.”

“Whew!  Bob will get his hide for that.”

“I don’t know.  Jim Waring is riding the country just now.”

“What’s that got to do with it?”

“More than I’m going to tell you, Bill.  But take it from me, he’s interested in young Adams a whole lot.”

* * * * *

When Hardy and his deputy rode over to the hotel there was a pause in the chatter.  Alice Weston was describing their journey to her mother and calling upon Waring to substantiate her vivid assertions of the wonderful adventure.  The saddle-horse still stood at the hitching-rail, and Hardy, who had an eye for a good horse, openly admired the big buckskin.  Waring was talking with Lorry.  Mrs. Adams had gone in.  Hardy indicated that he wanted to speak to Lorry, and he included Waring in his gesture.  Lorry rose and glanced quickly at Alice Weston.  She was leaning forward in her chair, suddenly aware of a subtle undercurrent of seriousness.  The undersheriff was patting the nose of the big buckskin.

The men stepped down from the veranda, and stood near the horses.

“That hobo got away,” said the sheriff.  “Do you know anything about it?”

“I turned him loose,” said Lorry, without hesitation.

“What for?”

“I changed my mind.  I didn’t want any blood-money for arrestin’ a tramp.”

“That’s all right.  But you can’t change the law so easy.  That man was my prisoner.  Why didn’t you come to me?”

“Well, if you want to know, in company,” said Lorry, “High Chin and the boys had it framed up to give that hobo a goin’-over for stealin’ a Starr horse.  They figured to bust in the jail, same as I did.  I got that straight; I didn’t aim to let High Chin get his hands on my prisoner.”

“Well, Lorry, I don’t like to do it, but I got to hold you till we get him.”

“How do you figure that?”

“You’ve aided a prisoner to escape.  You broke the law.”

“What right had you to hold him?”

“Your own story.  You brought him in yourself.”

“I sure did.  But supposin’ I say I ain’t got nothin’ against him, and the folks over there won’t appear against him, how could you prove anything?”