No, sir; that
hombre wasn't any good, was he?"
Alaire wet her lips. "Then you--shot him?"
Law laughed grimly, almost mockingly. "Say! He must be a favorite
of yours?"
"N-no! I hardly knew the fellow. But--did you?"
"I didn't say I shot him," he told her, gruffly. "I warned him
first, and he turned on me--blew smoke in my face. Then he took to
the brush, afoot, and--I cut down on him once more to help him
along."
"He got away?"
"I reckon so."
"Oh, oh!" Alaire's tone left no doubt of her relief. "He was
always a good man--"
"Good? Didn't he steal my horse? Didn't he aim to get me at the
first chance and free his compadre? That's why he wanted his
Winchester. Say! I reckon he--needs killin' about as much as
anybody I know."
"I can't understand it." Alaire sat down weakly. "One of my men,
too."
"This fellow behaved himself while I was gone, eh?" Law jerked his
head in Anto's direction. "I was afraid he--he'd try something. If
he had--" Such a possibility, oddly enough, seemed to choke the
speaker, and the ferocity of his unfinished threat caused Mrs.
Austin to look up at him curiously. There was a moment of silence,
then he said, shortly: "Well, we've got a horse apiece now.
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