echoes reached the secluded women; and chiefly through the butcher,
between whom and Belle a tacit armistice was soon in effect. Chops
were slashed ruthlessly as he revealed details of what was going on,
and the patent block shook under the savage blows of the cleaver while
the butcher hinted at things more momentous to come. From him, Belle
learned that Van Horn and Stone had been held somewhere up at Tenison's
incommunicado, by Lefever and Sawdy, while Laramie, opposed by the
cattlemen's lawyer, was demanding from Justice Druel warrants for his
prisoners; and that after they had reluctantly been issued, Sheriff
Druel had pigeon-holed them until Tenison, backing Laramie, had told
Druel after a big row, he would run him out of town if he didn't take
his prisoners to jail.

It was five o'clock when the butcher, instead of sending over the boy,
brought the meat for supper himself: "They're locked up," he said in a
terse undertone, as he handed his package to Belle. "There was a big
bunch up there when they was put in. Some of 'em talked pretty loud
about a jail delivery. Laramie stood right there to see they went into
their cells and they went."

"Were you there?" demanded Belle.

"I was."

"What did Laramie say?"

"All he said to Druel was: 'If you don't keep 'em locked up, Druel, I
take no responsibility for what happens.' I come all the way from the
jail with Laramie myself," recited the butcher; "walked right alongside
him and Harry Tenison down t' the hotel."

"Well, if you walked so far with him, is he coming here for supper?"

The butcher was taken aback: "How in thunder should I know?" he blurted
out.

"There you go, slamming away with your blasphemy again. Couldn't you
ask him?"

"Why, yes, Belle, I reckon I could. Maybe I can. Say!" he returned
after starting down the steps, to point to the package in her hand,
"there's a mess o' sweetbreads in there for you."

"Shucks! I can't use sweetbreads tonight, Heinie."

"Throw 'em away then. A present, ain't they? Nobody in town eats 'em
but you."

Kate unfortunately suggested braizing the sweetbreads for Sawdy and
Lefever.

"What?" exclaimed Belle. "Men don't eat sweetbreads, don't you know
that? You've got to give 'em steak--round steak and the tougher the
better--tough as cowhide and fried to tears. They'd be insulted.
Lefever and Sawdy won't be here tonight, anyway. They're in Medicine
Bend on an Indian case. All I'm wondering is,