d actors to jump. "Be a little more exact in the words you use."

"Well-l--somebody on the phone 't he THOUGHT was you," the sheriff
amended obediently. "Your men--and they sure WAS your men, because
three or four fellers besides the cashier seen 'em goin' in and comin'
out--they gagged the cashier and took his keys away from him and cleaned
the safe, besides taking what gold he'd piled on the counter for y--for
'em.

"So," he finished vigorously, "I an' my men hit the trail fer the ranch
and was told by the women that you was out here. And here we are, and
you might just as well come along peaceable as to make a fuss--"

"That thar is shore enough outa YOU, Hank Miller!" Applehead exploded
again. "I calc'late you kin count ME in, when you go mixin' up with
Luck, here. I'm one of his men--and if he was to pull off a bank robbery
I calc'late I'd be in on that there performance too, I'm tellin' you!
Luck don't go no whars ner do nothin' that I AIN'T in on.

"I've had some considerable experience as shurf myself, if you'll take
the trouble to recolleck; and I calc'late my word'll go about as fur as
the next. When I tell ye thar ain't goin' to be no arrest made in Bear
Canon, and that you ain't goin' to take luck in fer no bank robbery, you
kin be dang shore I mean every word uh that thar!" He moved a step or
two nearer the sheriff, and the sheriff backed his horse away from him.

"Ef you kin cut out this here accusin' Luck, and talk like a white man,"
Applehead continued heatedly, "we'd like to hear the straight uh this
here robbery. I would, 'n' I know Luck would, seein' they've gone t'
work and mixed him into it. His bunch is all here, as you kin see fer
yourself. Now we're listenin' 's long's you talk polite--'n' you kin
tell us what men them was that was seen goin' in and comin' out--and all
about the hull dang business."

The sheriff had not ridden to Bear Canon expecting to be bullied into
civil speech and lengthy explanations; but he knew Applehead Furrman,
and he had sufficient intelligence to read correctly the character of
the group of men that stood behind Applehead. Honest men or thieves,
they were to, be reckoned with if any attempt were made to place Luck
under arrest; any fool could see that--and Hank Miller was not a fool.

He proceeded therefore to explain his errand and the robbery as the
cashier had described it to the clerks who returned after lunch to
finish their Saturday's work at the bank.