rliss turned to his cook. "I guess we've won out, Hi," he
said.

"Generally speakin'--we sure have," said Wingle. "But I reckon _you_
lost."

Corliss nodded.

CHAPTER XXVII

"JUST ME AND HER"

Sheriff Banks tossed Corliss's note on his desk, reached in his pocket
and drew forth a jack-knife with which he began to trim his
finger-nails. He paid no apparent attention to the arrival of one of
his deputies, but proceeded with his manipulation of the knife. The
deputy sidled to a chair and sat watching the sheriff.

Presently Banks closed his knife, slid it into his pocket, and leaned
back in his chair. "Lone Johnny gone back?" he queried.

The deputy nodded.

Banks proffered his companion a cigar and lit one himself. For a while
he smoked and gazed at the ceiling. "I got two cards to play," he
said, straightening up and brushing cigar-ash from his vest. "Last
election was pretty close. By rights I ought to be at the county-seat.
Got any idea why they side-tracked me here in Antelope?"

The deputy grinned. "It's right handy to the line. And I guess they
saw what was comin' and figured to put you up against it. They
couldn't beat you at the polls, so they tried to put you where you
wouldn't come back."

"Correct. And there's no use running against the rope. Now I want you
to call on every citizen in Antelope and tell every dog-goned one of
'em what Lone Johnny kind of hinted at regarding the Concho and Loring.
And show 'em this note from Jack. Tell 'em I'm going to swear in each
of 'em as a special. I want to go on record as having done what I
could."

The deputy rose. "All right, Jim. Kind of late to make that move,
ain't it?"

"I got another card," said the sheriff. "Tell 'em we'll be ready to
start about twelve. It's ten, now."

With the departure of the deputy the sheriff reached in his desk and
brought forth a book. It was thumbed and soiled. He turned the pages
slowly, pausing to read a line here and there. Finally he settled back
and became immersed in the perennial delight of "Huckleberry Finn." He
read uninterruptedly for an hour, drifting on the broad current of the
Mississippi to eventually disembark in Antelope as the deputy shadowed
the doorway. The sheriff closed the book and glanced up. He read his
answer in the deputy's eyes.

"'T ain't that they don't like you," said the deputy. "But they ain't
one of 'em that'll do anything for Loring or do anything agains