“Then he cooled down a bit an’ was askin’ questions about the wounded Greaser when Gene Stewart come in.  Whenever Pat an’ Gene come together it reminds me of the early days back in the ’seventies.  Jest naturally everybody shut up.  Fer Pat hates Gene, an’ I reckon Gene ain’t very sweet on Pat.  They’re jest natural foes in the first place, an’ then the course of events here in El Cajon has been aggravatin’.

“‘Hello, Stewart!  You’re the feller I’m lookin’ fer,’ said Pat.

“Stewart eyed him an’ said, mighty cool an’ sarcastic, ’Hawe, you look a good deal fer me when I’m hittin’ up the dust the other way.’

“Pat went red at thet, but he held in.  ’Say, Stewart, you-all think a lot of thet roan horse of yourn, with the aristocratic name?’

“‘I reckon I do,’ replied Gene, shortly.

“‘Wal, where is he?’

“‘Thet’s none of your business, Hawe.’

“’Oho! it ain’t, hey?  Wal, I guess I can make it my business.  Stewart, there was some queer goings-on last night thet you know somethin’ about.  Danny Mains robbed—­Stillwell’s money gone—­ your roan horse gone—­thet little hussy Bonita gone—­an’ this Greaser near gone, too.  Now, seein’ thet you was up late an’ prowlin’ round the station where this Greaser was found, it ain’t onreasonable to think you might know how he got plugged—­is it?’

“Stewart laughed kind of cold, an’ he rolled a cigarette, all the time eyin’ Pat, an’ then he said if he’d plugged the Greaser it ‘d never hev been sich a bunglin’ job.

“’I can arrest you on suspicion, Stewart, but before I go thet far I want some evidence.  I want to round up Danny Mains an’ thet little Greaser girl.  I want to find out what’s become of your hoss.  You’ve never lent him since you hed him, an’ there ain’t enough raiders across the border to steal him from you.  It’s got a queer look—­thet hoss bein’ gone.’

“‘You sure are a swell detective, Hawe, an’ I wish you a heap of luck,’ replied Stewart.

“Thet ‘peared to nettle Pat beyond bounds, an’ he stamped around an’ swore.  Then he had an idea.  It jest stuck out all over him, an’ he shook his finger in Stewart’s face.

“‘You was drunk last night?’

“Stewart never batted an eye.

“‘You met some woman on Number Eight, didn’t you?’ shouted Hawe.

“‘I met a lady,’ replied Stewart, quiet an’ menacin’ like.

“‘You met Al Hammond’s sister, an’ you took her up to Kingsley’s.  An’ cinch this, my cowboy cavalier, I’m goin’ up there an’ ask this grand dame some questions, an’ if she’s as close-mouthed as you are I’ll arrest her!’

“Gene Stewart turned white.  I fer one expected to see him jump like lightnin’, as he does when he’s riled sudden.  But he was calm an’ he was thinkin’ hard.  Presently he said: