"Shore _looks_ like one o' mine," answered that worthy; "but--"
His speech was suddenly interrupted by the rustler. Throughout his capture he had remained as mute as a trapped wolf. Now he broke in with:
"Yes, but yu' cain't _swear_ it's yores." And the sneering taunt conveyed a meaning that was not lost on his listeners.
For a moment or two the Sergeant scanned the faces of the two men, a lazy, tolerant smile playing over his hard features as he fumbled inside the breast of his stable-jacket.
"Oh, he cain't, cain't he?" he drawled mockingly. "No, but _I_ can, my strawberry blonde. Here's a letter for yu', Gallagher," he continued, grinning. "Reckon I'll let Shorty read it first, though." And, unfolding the flap of hide, he carelessly held it up for that gentleman's inspection.
With starting eyes and a ghastly imprecation the prisoner gazed at the missing link, fear, anger, and astonishment flitting in turn over his evil visage.
"Yes, _why_--" Ellis finished for him sarcastically. "_Why_ do yu' aim to start in chokin' poor coyotes to death with other people's brands?"
He handed the sticky piece of evidence over to Gallagher. "Double H.F.," he said. "That's yore brand all right, ain't it, old-timer?"
"Yu'll find it fits into th' cut-out all hunkadory," the Sergeant added.
"Satisfied?" he queried presently. "All right, then." And, in the set formula that the Law prescribes, he proceeded to formally charge and warn his prisoner. This duty ended, he sank down with a lazy yawn and, rolling a fresh cigarette, tossed it good-naturedly over to the captive, with a match along.
"Have a smoke, Shorty," he observed, with an indolent, meaning smile. "I guess yu' shore needs one."
The three men smoked meditatively awhile, amid a silence that was eventually broken by Gallagher.
"Playin' it up kinder mean on me, ain't yu' Shorty?" he remarked bitterly. "I reckon I've always treated _yu'_ white."
The shackled man, with sullen, averted eyes, gave a hopeless shrug.
"Didn't aim to put it over on _yu'_ in particular, Barney," he mumbled in a low voice. "I was just a ridin' past here, casual like, lookin' for some horses, when I see this steer a tryin' to catch up to th' bunch with a broken leg. I kin pay yu' for it," he added defiantly. "An' if yu'--"