ole Happy Family and Big Aleck Douglas and Lite Avery moving down in
a close-bunched, expectant group behind the two, was construed as
hostility rather than curiosity. At any rate the sheriff and his
deputies shifted meaningly in their saddles and came up sour-faced and
grim, and with their guns out and pointing at the group.

"Don't go making any foolish play, boys," the sheriff warned. "We
don't want trouble--we aren't looking for any. But we ain't taking any
chances."

"Well now, you're takin' a dang long chance, Hank Miller, when yuh come
ridin' up on us fellers like yuh was cornerin' a bunch uh outlaws,"
Applehead exploded. But Luck pushed him aside and stepped to the front.

"Nobody's making any foolish play but you," he answered the sheriff
calmly. "You may not know it, but you're blocking my scene and the
light's going. If you've got any business with me or my company, get it
over and then get out so we aim make this scene. What d'yuh want?"

"You," snapped the sheriff. "You and your bunch."

"Me?" Luck took a step forward. "What for?"

"For pulling off that robbery at the bank today." The sheriff could be
pretty blunt, and he shot the charge straight, without any quibbling.

Luck looked a little blank; and old Applehead, shaking with a very real
anger now, shoved Luck away and stepped up where he could shake his fist
under the sheriff's nose.

"We don't know, and we don't give a cuss, what you're aimin' at," he
thundered. "We been out here workin' in this brilin' sun sense nine
o'clock this mornin'. Luck ain't robbed no bank, ner he ain't the kind
that DOES rob banks, and I'm here to see you swaller them words 'fore I
haul ye off'n that horse and plumb wear ye out! Yuh wanta think twicet
'fore ye come ridin' up where I kin hear yuh call Luck Lindsay a thief,
now I'm tellin' ye! If a bank was robbed, ye better be gittin' out after
them that done it, and git outa the way uh that camery sos't we can git
t' work! Git!"

The sheriff did not "git" exactly, but he did look considerably
embarrassed. His eyes went to Luck apologetically.

"Cashier come to and said you'd called him up on the phone about eleven,
claimin' you wanted to make a movin' pitcher of the bank being robbed,"
he explained--though he was careful not to lower his gun. "He swore it
was your men that done the work and took the gold you told him to pile
out on the--"

"_I_ told him?" Luck's voice had the sharpened quality that caused
laggar