u're
taking a lot for granted."

The big man chuckled. "If you ain't loaded with hootch, it's because
one of the boys met up with yuh before I did. Open 'er up. Lemme see
what you got."

The young fellow scowled, swore under his breath and climbed out,
turning toward the loaded tonneau with reluctant obedience.

"I can't argue with the law," he said, as he began to pull out a roll
of bedding wedged in tightly. "But, for cripes sake, go as easy as you
can. I'm plumb lame from my last fall!"

The big man chuckled again. "The law's merciful as, it can afford to
be, and I've got a heart like an ox. Got any jack on yuh?"

"I'm just about cleaned, and that's the Gawd's truth. Have a heart,
can't yuh? A man's got t' live."

"Slip me five hundred, anyway. How much is your load?"

"Sixty gallons--bottled, most of it. Two kegs in bulk." Young Kenner
was proceeding stoically with the unloading. Casey, his mouth clamped
tight shut, was glaring stupifiedly straight out through the windshield.

"Pile out thirty gallons of the bottled goods by that bush. You can
keep the kegs." The big man's eyes shifted to Casey Ryan's
expressionless profile and dwelt there curiously.

"Seems like I know you," he said abruptly. "Ain't you the guy that was
brought in with that Black Butte bunch of moonshiners and got off on
account of a nice wife and an L. A. alibi? Sure you are! Casey Ryan.
I got yuh placed now." He threw back his head and laughed.

Casey might have been an Indian making a society call for all the sign
of life he gave. Young Kenner, having deposited his camp outfit in a
heap on the ground, began lifting out tall, round bottles, four at a
time and ricking them neatly beside the large sagebush indicated by the
officer.

Standing upon the running board at Casey's shoulder where he had a
clear view, the big man watched the unloading and at the same time kept
an eye on Casey. It was perfectly evident that for all his easy good
nature, he was not a man who could be talked out of his purpose.

"All right, pile in your blankets," the big man ordered at last, and
young Kenner unemotionally began to reload the camp outfit. The big
man's attention shifted to Casey again. He looked at him curiously and
grinned.

"Say, that's a good one you pulled! You had all the county officials
bluffed into thinking you were the victim of that Black Butte bunch,
instead of being in cahoots. That alibi of yours was a bird.