the sheriff's gesture of negation spread a film of cigar-ash
on the floor. "It's the other man I want."

"Sundown?" asked Shoop, sitting up suddenly.

"You go to sleep, Bud," laughed the sheriff. "You can't catch me that
easy."

Shoop relaxed with the grin of a school-boy.

"I'll go bail," offered Corliss.

"No. That would spoil my plan. See here, Jack, I know you and Bud
won't talk. Loring telephoned me to look out for Sundown. I did.
Now, Loring knows who shot Fadeaway, or I miss my guess. Nellie Loring
knows, too. So do you, but you can't prove it. It was like Fade to
put Loring's sheep into the canon, but we can't prove even that, now.
I'm pretty sure your scrap with Fade didn't have anything to do with
his getting shot. You ain't that kind."

"Well, here's my side of it, Jim. Fadeaway had it in for me for firing
him. He happened to see me talking to Nellie Loring at Fernando's
camp. Later we met up on the old Blue Trail. He said one or two
things that I didn't like. I let him have it with the butt of my
quirt. He jerked out his gun and hit me a clip on the head. That's
all I remember till the boys came along."

"You didn't ride as far as the upper ford, that day?"

"No. I told Fadeaway I wanted him to come back with me and talk to
Loring. I was pretty sure he put the sheep into the canon."

"Well, Jack, knowing you since you were a boy, that's good enough for
me."

"But how about Sundown?"

"He stays. How long do you think I'll hold Sundown before Nell Loring
drives into Antelope to tell me she can like as not prove he didn't
kill Fade?"

"But if you know that, why do you hold him?"

"To cinch up my ideas, tight. Holding him will make talk. Folks
always like to show off what they know about such things. It's natural
in 'em."

"New Mex. is a comf'table-sized State," commented Shoop from the bed.

"And he was raised there," said the sheriff. "He's got friends over
the line and so have I. Sent 'em over last week."

"Thought Sun was raised back East?" said Shoop, again sitting up.

Corliss smiled. "Better give it up, Bud."

"Oh, _very_ well!" said Shoop, mimicking a _grande dame_ who had once
stopped at Antelope in search for local color. "Anyhow, you got to set
a Mexican to catch a Mexican when he's hidin' out with Mexicans." With
this bit of advice, Shoop again relapsed to silence.

"Going back to the Concho to-morrow?" queried Banks.

"No. Got a little business