“Howdy, sheriff,” he said.  “Bringing on another one to look over your bear?”

CHAPTER 7

The prisoner’s good humor impressed Bull immensely.  Here was a man talking commonplaces in the face of death.  A greater man than Uncle Bill, he felt at once—­a far greater man.  It was impossible to conceive of that keen, sharp eye and that clawlike hand sending a bullet far from the center of the target.

He gave his eyes long sight of that face, and then turned from the bars and went out with the sheriff.

“Is that your man?” asked the sheriff.

“I dunno,” said Bull, fencing for time as they stood in front of the jail.  “What’d he do?”

“You mean why he’s in jail?  I’ll tell you that, son, but first I want to know what you got agin’ him—­and your proofs—­mostly your proofs!”

The distaste which Bull had felt for the sheriff from the first now became overpowering.  That he should be the means of bringing that terrible and active little man to an end seemed, as a matter of fact, absurd.  Guile must have played a part in that capture.

Suppose he were to tell the sheriff about the shooting of Uncle Bill?  That would be enough to convince men that Pete Reeve was capable of murder, for the shooting of Uncle Bill had been worse than murder.  It spared the life and ruined it at the same time.  But suppose he added his evidence and allowed the law to take its course with Pete Reeve?  Where would be his own reward for his long march south and all the pain of travel and the crossing of the mountains at the peril of his life?  There would be nothing but scorn from Uncle Bill when he returned, and not that moment of praise for which he yearned.  To gain that great end he must kill Pete Reeve, but not by the aid of the law.

“I dunno,” he said to the sheriff who waited impatiently.  “I figure that what I know wouldn’t be no good to you.”

The sheriff snorted.  “You been letting me waste all this time on you?” he asked Bull.  “Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place?”

Bull scratched his head in perplexity.  But as he raised the great arm and put his hand behind his head, the sheriff winced back a little.  “I’m sorry,” said Bull.

The sheriff dismissed him with a grunt of disgust, and strode off.

Bull started out to find information.  This idea was growing slowly in his mind.  He must kill Pete Reeve, and to accomplish that great end he must first free him from the jail.  He went back to the hotel and went into the kitchen to find food.  The proprietor himself came back to serve him.  He was a pudgy little man with a dignified pointed beard of which he was inordinately proud.

“It’s between times for meals,” he declared, “but you being the biggest man that ever come into the hotel, I’ll make an exception.”  And he began to hunt through the cupboard for cold meat.