human
Come in!
gpt
Ah, hello, Mac,
human
Mac _who_?
gpt
McCullough, said the man at the door, correcting himself.
human
How are you?
gpt
Yo're one full-blooded d--n fool of a sheriff, sneered the trail-boss.
human
Where's them two prisoners I been waitin' for?
gpt
They got away. Somebody helped 'em bust th' jail. I sent word back to you by yore own men.
human
Shore, I got it; I know that. That's no excuse a-tall! retorted the trail-boss.
gpt
I went an' sent word down to Twitchell on th' jump that his fool way worked an' that I was goin' to send him th' men he wanted. Then you let 'em bust out of jail! Fine sort of a fool you made of me! Where's yore reward now, that you was spendin' so fast? An' what'll Twitchell say, an' _do_? He wants th' bank robbers, not excuses; an' more'n all he wanted th' man that shot Ridley. It ain't only a question of pertectin' th' men workin' for him, but it's personal, too. Ridley was an old friend of his'n--an' he'll raise h--l till he gets th' man that killed him. What about it? What have you done since they got away?
human
We trailed 'em, but they lost us, growled Corwin.
gpt
Reckon they got up on that hard ground an' then lit out, jumpin' th' country as fast as they could. Kane had it on 'em, cold an' proper--but I had my doubts, somehow. I ain't quittin'; I'm watchin' an' layin' back, an' I'm figgerin' on deliverin' th' man that got Ridley.
human
You mean Long an' Thompson are innocent? demanded McCullough with a throaty growl.
gpt
Yo're sayin' it yoreself! What was you tryin' to run on me, then?
human
They must 'a' robbed th' bank, replied the sheriff;
gpt
Then it was Kane who cold-decked them two fellers?
human
I ain't sayin' a word, now, replied the sheriff.
gpt
Not yet, I ain't, but I'm aimin' to get th' killer. Where's that Nelson?
human
What you want with him? asked the trail-boss.
gpt
Reckon he done it?
human
No; he didn't, answered Corwin.
gpt
He only helped them fellers out of jail, an' I'm goin' to take him in.
human
What? shouted McCullough, and then burst out laughing.
gpt
I'm repeatin' what I said about you bein' full-blooded! Say, if you can turn that trick I won't raise a hand--not till he's in jail; an' then I'll get him out cussed quick. He's workin' for me, an' he didn't do no crime, gettin' a couple of innocent men out of that mud hut; an', besides, I don't know that he did get 'em out. Go after him, Corwin; go right out after him. He glanced out of the window again and chuckled.
human
I see you brought some of yore official fam'bly along. Shucks! That ain't no way to do, three agin' one. An' I heard you was a bad hombre with a short gun!
gpt
It ain't no question of how bad I am! retorted the sheriff.
human
We want him alive.
gpt
Oh, I see; aim to scare him, bein' three to one. All right; go ahead--but there ain't goin' to be no pot-shootin'. Tell yore fam'bly that. I mean it, an' I cut in sudden th' minute any of it starts.
human
There won't be no pot-shootin',