I heard some one comin', thought it was one of Taggarts, an'
dragged Telza behind that scrub brush over there. I saw you come, but
I wasn't figgerin' on makin' any explanations for my bein' around the
Lazy Y at that time of the night, an' besides I saw the Taggarts
sneakin' up on you. While they was gassin' to you I had one knee on
Telza's windpipe an' my rifle pointin' in the general direction of the
Taggarts, figgerin' that if they tried to start anything I'd beat them
to it. But as it turned out it wasn't necessary. I sure appreciated
your tender-heartedness toward them poor dumb brutes of the Taggarts.
"After you set the Taggarts to walkin' home, I took Telza to Lazette
an' locked him up for murderin' Sharp."
"I reckon, then," said Calumet, a puzzled frown wrinkling his forehead
as he looked from Taggart to the freshly dug hole; "that somebody else
killed Taggart. It was someone who knew where the idol was, too--he'd
been diggin' for it."
"I reckon you've got me," said Toban. "Sharp an' Telza an' you an'
Betty is the only one's that ever saw the diagram. I saw you pick it
up from where Telza dropped it when I was maulin' him. I know you
didn't do any diggin' for the idol; I know Betty wouldn't; an' Sharp's
dead, an' Telza's in jail--"
There was a clatter of hoofs from the direction of the ranchhouse.
Pages:
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284