human
Get off them cayuses, he ordered and the two men slowly complied.
gpt
Go over near th' corral, an' stay there.
human
All this was unnecessary, he said.
gpt
You put us all in danger of bein' killed. Don't you _never_ again try to take me in till you _know_ why yo're doin' it! My head might 'a' been blowed off, an' all for nothin'! You don't know who busted that jail, judgin' by yore fool actions, an' you cussed well know it. You got plenty of gall, comin' down here an' throwin' a gun on me, for that! I'm sayin', frank, that whoever done that trick did th' right thing; but that ain't sayin' that _I_ did it. Hope I didn't hurt you, Corwin; but I had to act sudden when you grabbed me.
human
Don't you do no worryin' on my account!
gpt
I ain't blamin' you for doin' yore duty, if you was doin' it honest, said Johnny;
human
Then who did?
gpt
he asked.
human
There's a lot of people down here that would have more reason to do a thing like that, even for strangers, than _I_ would. You ain't loved very much, from what I've heard. I don't want any more enemies than I got; but I'm tellin' you, flat, that I ain't goin' back with you; an' neither would you, if you was in my place, in a strange town. Here, he said, letting the hammer down and tossing the gun at the sheriff's feet,
gpt
No; I ain't, he admitted, and considered a moment as he sheathed the weapon with great care.
human
I _ain't_ got nothin' flat agin' you, he said;
gpt
That's fair enough, replied Johnny, smiling;
human
I'm believin' that, too, retorted the sheriff;
gpt
Right here with Mac an' th' boys.
human
He was, said McCullough.
gpt
Yo're ridin' wide of th' trail, Corwin.
human
Mebby, grunted the sheriff.
gpt
There's two trails. I mebby am plumb off of _one_ of 'em, as long as you know he was down here that night; but I'm ridin' right down th' middle of th' other. When did you meet Long an' Thompson first?
human
Thinkin' what you do about me, replied Johnny,
gpt
I'd be a fool to tell you anythin', no matter what. So, as long as yo're ridin' down th' middle you'll have to read th' signs yoreself. Some of 'em must be plumb faint, th' way yo're guessin', an' castin' 'round. Get any news about them rustlers?
human
What's th' use of makin' trouble for yoreself by bein' stubborn? asked McCullough. He looked at Corwin.
gpt
Sheriff, I know for shore that he never knowed any Bill Long or Red Thompson until after he come to Mesquite. What news did you get about th' rustlers?
human
Huh! muttered Corwin, searching the face of the trail-boss, whose reputation for veracity was unquestioned.
gpt
I ain't got any news about 'em. Once they got on th' hard stretch they could go for miles an' not leave no trail. I'm figgerin' on spendin' quite some time north of where Lukins' boys quit an' turned back. There's three cows missin' that are marked so different from any I've ever seen that I'll know 'em in a herd of ten thousan' head; an' when they're cut out for me to look at there's some marks on horns an' hoofs that'll prove whose cows they are. I'm takin' a couple of his boys with me when I go, to make shore. Of course, I don't know that we'll ever see 'em, at all. Well, he said, turning toward his horse,
human
He waved to the deputies, who approached, picked up their guns under Johnny's alert and suspicious scrutiny, and mounted.
gpt
As for you, Nelson, _next_ time I'll be dead shore; an' I'll mebby shoot first, on a gamble, an' talk afterward. So-long.
human
You told th' truth, Mac; but I wonder if Corwin heard it like I did?
gpt
Who cares? I'm thankin' you for an interestin' lesson in how to beat th' drop; but I reckon I'm gettin' too old to be quick enough to use it. I reckon Waffles has been tellin' th' truth about yore Bar-20 outfit. Where you goin' now?
human
Off to see a couple of better men from that same outfit,