Jimmy. The Doc can't fight and Williams don't think of anything but the
store. You and Miller have got to do the rest."

"Why don't you go to Casa Grande? It's nearer."

"What's the use? What could I do? If I go to Conejo, I can pick up Mendoza
and his car and mebbe some fellers to go along and make a posse. Of
course, if they're cleaned out--but I'm figurin' that they ain't."

"Sure. You got to do that," replied O'Grady. "When you goin' to start?"

"Soon as I can get Mrs. Van to put me up some chow."

"Well, good luck to you--and the rest of them. I'd sure hate to think of
them folks of ours massacred by a bunch of greasers," and O'Grady strolled
sadly away.

Mrs. Van Zandt was washing dishes when Johnson stopped in with his request
He prefaced it with an inquiry about the invalid.

"Oh, he's doin' all right, I guess. Doc's give him something to make him
sleep. I'll say this for the man--he's a good doctor. He means to be a
doctor while he's here, too. Nothing doing on the cooking job."

"No?"

"No, sir! I asked him something just kind of casual about pies and you'd
have said he'd never heard of one. Distant as anything! I suppose I can
stand it if he cures Jimmy. Where you going?"

"Going to walk to Conejo."

"Walk!"

Tom repeated his plan. Mrs. Van wiped her eyes on the dish towel. "You're
a good man," she said, simply. "I wish I could go with you."

"I ain't feeling as brisk as I'm letting on about this business, Mrs.
Van," continued Tom. "What that Chink saw don't listen good to me."

"Nor to me. When I think of those girls--well, I ain't going to think of
them. After all, Tom, there's more ways for folks to get out of trouble
than there is for them to get in. I've always noticed that. When I was
married, I had a husband who knew more about getting into trouble than any
living man, and I used to notice that he always went about it in just the
same kind of ways--drink, cards, and women; but when I had to get him out
of it--why, Lord, there were a million different ways I had to manage.
There are loads of ways for smart folks to dodge trouble and our folks are
smart."

Johnson started for Conejo about noon. It was not the hour he would have
selected for a long walk in a warm climate, but he had no choice. He did
not try to make very rapid progress during the afternoon, his idea being
to get in his best work at night; so he rested whenever he struck a shady
spot. A stranger coming along and spying T