human
Never mind about that, now. I'm talking about those Seabeck cattle you folks stole. I was telling Charlie how horribly careless he is, Marthy. Did you know he let them drift down the river? And a blind man could tell a mile off the brands have been worked! Billy Louise's tone was positively venomous in its contempt.
gpt
Why didn't you make Charlie practise on a cowhide for awhile first?
human
Charlie never worked any brands, Billy Louise,
gpt
Oh, I beg his pardon, I'm sure! Did you?
human
No, I never done such a thing, neither. I don't know what you're talkin' about.
gpt
Well, who did, then?
human
I d'no.
gpt
Well, of all the--
human
That's it, Miss Louise. That's the point we'd like to settle, ourselves. I know it sounds outrageous, but it's a fact. Peter and I found those cattle up in the hills, with our brand worked over the V. On my word of honor, not one of us knows who did it.
gpt
But you've got them down here--
human
Well-- Charlie threw out a hand helplessly. His eyes met hers with appealing frankness.
gpt
We couldn't rub out the brands; what else could we do? I figured that somebody else would see them if we left them out in the hills, and it might be rather hard to convince a man; you see, we can't even convince you! But, so help me, not one of us branded those cattle, Miss Louise. I believe that whoever has been rustling stock around here deliberately tried to fix evidence against us. I'm a stranger in the country, and I don't know the game very well; I'm an easy mark!
human
Yes, you're that, all right enough! Billy Louise spoke with blunt disfavor, but her contemptuous certainty of his guilt was plainly wavering.
gpt
To go and bring stolen cattle right down here--
human
It seemed to me they'd be safer here than anywhere else, Charlie observed naïvely.
gpt
Nobody ever comes down here, unknown to us. I had it sized up that the fellow who worked those brands would never dream we'd bring the stock right into the Cove. Why, Miss Louise, even I would know better than to put our brand on top of Seabeck's and expect it to pass inspection. If I wanted to steal cattle, I wouldn't go at it that way!
human
How do you mean--the real rustlers?
gpt
I mean just what I said. Charlie's manner was becoming more natural, more confident.
human
I've been riding through the hills a good deal, and I've seen a few things. And I've an idea the fellow got a little uneasy. He saw her wince a little at the word
gpt
and he went on, with an impulsive burst of confidence.
human
Miss Louise, have you ever, in your riding around up above Jones Canyon, in all those deep little gulches, have you ever seen anything of a--corral, up there?
gpt
Whereabouts is it? she asked, without looking at him. And then:
human
I thought you would go to any length before you would accuse anybody.
gpt
I would. But when, they deliberately try to hand me the blame--and I'm not accusing anybody--anybody in particular, am I? The corral is at the head of a steep little canyon or gulch, back in the hills where all these bigger canyons head. Some time when you're riding up that way, you keep an eye out for it. That, he added grimly,