Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III The girl stared at him in blank amazement. She could hardly credit her ears. That a deputy sheriff should calmly confess his identity and his purpose was almost unbelievable. " We'll see what the boys have to say," she observed, following a tense silence. " No, I wouldn't do that," coolly advised Gil- more. " I just wouldn't, if I were yuh. Yuh'll be obstructin' law an' order, if yuh do." " Well, of all the nervy individuals, you do put the hat on the climax! You admit you're a deputy, and then suggest that I should allow you to depart in peace. Not to-day! No, Mr. Dal Gilmore—if that really is your name, which I doubt—here you stay till the family passes on your case." " An' Jack Shaw. Don't forget him!" " You'll soon wish you'd never heard of Jack. He's the most radical one of the lot." " I guess likely; but what I can't see is why, if yo're all so honest an' straight as a string an' things like that, yo're not willin' to let me drift along 'bout my business. If there's nothin' crooked goin' on, what yuh afraid of? Why doyuh jump sideways at deputies? I'm askin' yuh, ma'am, why?" " I shan't bandy words with you—spy!" she retorted furiously. " Good reason why!" he replied equably. " We are not rustlers!" " I didn't say yuh was. Why, ma'am, I wouldn't think of sayin' such a thing. Yuh told me yoreself yuh was honest. I'd believe yuh quicker'n I would myself. May I smoke, ma'am?" " No—keep your hands still! " " I am, I am. They ain't budged a hair since yuh first drawed that derringer on me; but I'd like one pill—just one small pill, ma'am, an' I won't bother yuh no more." " You won't bother me. Don't worry about that!" " I'm not. No need. I know just what's goin' to happen. But say, why don't yuh call in yore deef-an'-dumb w...