"That's right."
"This way, sir."
He led Joe to one of the log buildings and stood aside to let him enter.
With a disarming grin, Ellis entered too. Joe looked at the man who sat
behind the desk.
Major Dismuke was perhaps forty-five, and his was the bearing that only
a lifetime of soldiering can impart. His hair was short, graying at the
temples, and it surmounted a face that seemed chiseled out of solid
granite. Cool eyes appraised Joe and Ellis, but never for a second was
there any departure from military briskness or any indication that the
taut mouth could smile. Major Dismuke was a good and efficient officer
but he was also a stern one. He knew all the regulations by heart and he
enforced them as they were written.
"Mr. Tower?"
"Yes."
Major Dismuke leaned forward on the desk and rested his chin lightly in
his right hand. "You have an army mule in your possession?"
"Guess you're right."
"You guess? Don't you know?"
"We have one."
"Where did you get it?"
"From a couple of trappers."
"_Where_ did you get it?"
"Maybe sixty miles down the Trail."
"Describe the trappers."
Briefly Joe described the two men while the officer listened. He looked
searchingly at Joe.
"Did you know, when you received this animal, that it was army
property?"
"Yes."
"Did you know also that the army isn't selling any mules?"
"I did."
"Therefore you knew that this one was stolen from the army?"
"I had that idea."
"Why did you take the mule?"
Joe's anger flared. "Blast it, man! I lost a mule and had to have
another! What did you think we'd do? Sit there?"
"Control your temper, Mr. Tower. If you knew these two men were thieves,
why did you not take them into custody?"
"It was none of my business. I'm no law officer."
"Do you have proof that what you've said is true?"
"I have my word, Ellis's here, my wife's, my daughter's, and my oldest
son's."
"Do you realize, Mr. Tower, that we shall have to take the mule and
detain you until we have investigated?"
"You can have the mule!" Joe roared. "But nobody's detaining us! We're
going on as soon as we can get another!"
"I've already advised you to control your temper. Do you have this
animal with you?"
"Yes."
"We'll look at it."
He rose and walked past them. Ellis and Joe fell in behind as he strode
toward the wagon. Ellis nudged Joe with his elbow. "Joe Tower," he said
solemnly, "your explosions of temper are going to get us all into
trouble."
Joe turned angrily to him and then, at the quizzical set of the boy's
eyebrows, Joe grinned.
"Let me handle this," Ellis pleaded. "You can argue with a human being,
but that man is no human being. He's a bundle of army regulations. Let
me try, Joe." And then, before Joe could say yes or no, he called out,
"There's a sick youngster in that wagon and you're not to bother her or
her mother."