“It’s a damn lie!” declared Chuck.

Tweezy smiled.  He was a lawyer, not a fighter.  Names signified nothing in his greasy life.  “It’s no lie,” he tossed back.  “You know Lanpher and me bought the mortgage on the Dale place from the Marysville bank.  The mortgage is due in a couple of days.  Dale didn’t have the money to satisfy the mortgage.  We was gonna foreclose.  In order to save trouble all round he made the ranch over to us.”

“You mean to tell me Dale did that just to save trouble?” burst out Racey.  “Just because he liked you two fellers and wanted to make it as easy as possible for you?  Aw, hell, Tweezy.  Aw, hell again.  Yo’re as poor a liar as yore side-kicker McFluke.”

Tweezy smiled once more and drew forth a long and shiny pocket-book from the inner pocket of his vest.  From the pocket-book he extracted a legal-looking document.  Which document he handed to Sheriff Rule.

“Read her off, Jake,” requested Luke Tweezy.

The sheriff read aloud the lines of writing.  Shorn of the impressive terms so beloved of law and lawyers, the document set forth that in consideration of being allowed to retain all his live-stock, wagons, and household goods, instead of merely the fixed number of cattle, horses, and wagons, and those specified household articles, exempt from seizure under the law, Dale voluntarily released to the mortgagers, without the formality of foreclosure proceedings, the mortgaged property comprising six hundred and forty acres as described hereinafter, etcetera.

The document was signed by Dale and witnessed by Doc Coffin and Honey Hoke: 

The sheriff held the paper out to Chuck Morgan.  “This Dale’s signature, Chuck?”

Chuck Morgan examined the signature closely and long.

“Looks like it,” he said, hesitatingly.

“It’s his signature, all right,” spoke up Honey Hoke.  “I saw him sign it.”

“Me, too,” said Doc Coffin.

“Paper’s dated to-day,” said the sheriff.  “How long before he was killed did Dale sign it, Luke?”

“About a hour,” replied Tweezy.

“It’s made out in yore writin’, ain’t it?” went on the sheriff.

“Shore,” nodded Luke.  “All but the signature.  So, you see, Chuck,” he continued, turning to Morgan, “you might as well pack him to yore house.  We intend to take possession immediately.”

“You do, huh,” said Chuck.  “You try it, thassall I gotta say.  You try it.”

“I’d admire to see you drive those women out of their home on the strength of that paper, Tweezy,” remarked Racey.

“Sheriff, I’ll make out eviction papers immediately and Judge Dolan will have you serve them on the Dale family.”  Thus Luke Tweezy, blustering.

“That’s yore privilege,” said the sheriff, “and I’ll have to serve ’em, I suppose.  But only in the regular course of business, Luke.  I’m mighty busy just now.  Yore eviction notice will have to take its turn.”