"Why?"
"For resisting me--an officer."
"Why did he resist you?"
"I went to his house to ask him some questions and--"
"And what?"
"He slugged me."
"What questions did you want to ask him?"
"About Biddy--his little girl."
"What did she do--rob the bank?"
Laughter bubbled in the crowd and Cecil Bates had a sudden helpless
feeling. "No, Sam. You see I was up real early this morning and--"
More laughter and someone remarked, "Glory be! He was up at dawn
looking for law-breakers."
"--I met Biddy Parker riding out on her burro."
Sam Taber waved an impatient hand. "I got the story--what there was of
it. One of my men brought it to me this morning. That's why I'm here."
"Then you'll back me up."
Sam Taber rifled a contemptuous look at Bates. "Put that popgun away.
You've got no more case than a jackrabbit. I'll ask the questions
around here."
The crowd was silent and Cecil Bates stood alone and the humiliation
was gall. He holstered his gun muttering, "You got no right to do this
Sam. You got no right to make me look foolish."
Taber probably did not hear the words. His eyes leveled over the crowd.
"Seems to me the little girl's story bears looking into. But you fools
have yourselves a picnic while this unknown man may be pointing all
hell at you from out in the ridges."
Bates snatched at the statement. "Say, Sam--you might have something
there. That's what I was trying to get at in the first place--"