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Ed Hazelton had been gone since morning, looking after his cattle, and Nellie was in the house, busily at work in the kitchen Hollis could hear her as she stepped about the room. Norton had left the cabin an hour before and a little later Potter had stopped in on his way over to Dry Bottom to set up an article that he had written at Hollis's dictation.
That afternoon on the street near the Kicker office he had almost collided with a red haired youth of uncertain age who had bounded out through the door of a private dwelling. In order to keep from knocking the youth over Hollis was forced to seize him by the arms and literally lift him off his feet. While in the air the youth's face was close to Hollis's and both grinned over the occurrence.
He saw a smile on Hollis's face, but the rest of his speech was drowned in a clatter of hoofs as the "boss's" pony tore down the Coyote trail. Then Ten Spot smiled, mounted his pony, and rode away toward the ridge. Of course Yuma had been amply punished for his part in the attack on Nellie Hazelton, but there still remained Dunlavey who had instigated it.
And now you men are facing ruin. And you have come to Jim Hollis's son to help you. Do you think he ought?" The men sat silent; the spokesman was without words. "How many men can the six of you muster in case Dunlavey should try to carry out his decision to drive your cattle from the Rabbit-Ear or shoot them?"
Hollis made no reply and the conversation turned to the drought as all conversations did during that period. Word had come to Hazelton of Dunlavey's warning to the cattle owners. He had heard also of Hollis's announced intention of taking sides with the small owners. "Dunlavey's ten days is up the day after tomorrow," said Hazelton. "If Dunlavey starts anything what are you going to do?"
He had already informed Norton that Hollis intended remaining in Dry Bottom until a later hour than usual, but he had said nothing about the intended visit of Ten Spot to the Kicker office. Loyalty to Hollis kept him from communicating to Norton his fears for Hollis's safety.
Now that you know what you do, for instance, I suppose I could be made to give evidence, eh!" "I'm afraid you're quite right, ma'am," admitted Starmidge. "The mystery of Mr. Hollis's death will certainly have to be cleared up. Now that this cheque affair is out, you could be called as a witness at the inquest. Better tell us, ma'am and leave things to us." Mrs.
"It was a curious cheque, ma'am," replied Starmidge. "It was drawn on Mr. Hollis's bankers, Vanderkiste, Mullineau & Company, of Lombard Street. It was dated. It was filled in for ten thousand pounds in words and in figures. But it was not signed and it was not made out to any body. No name of payee, you understand, ma'am, no name of payer. But it is very evident Mr.
He stood silent while the men filed back and resumed seats on the gallery edge. Darkness had come on while he had been talking to the men and inside the ranchhouse Mrs. Norton had lighted the kerosene lamp and its weak, flickering rays straggled out into the darkness and upon Hollis's face and the faces of several of the men who sat on the edge of the gallery.
"We'll know more about it after we've tried her out with the Lucy Foster or the Colleen Bawn or Hollis's new vessel," he said, after a while. One thing we soon found out, and that was that she was a stiff vessel. That was after a squall hit us off Cape Cod. We watched the rest of them then. Some luffed and others took in sail, and about them we could not tell.
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