“Aw, gwan!” Happy Jack was exclaiming in his habitual tone of protest.  “Conductor lied to me, is how I come to be over to that place when the train started to pull out.  I was buyin’ something.  I wasn’t talking to no Mexican girl.  I betche—­”

“Now, while we’re all together,” Luck broke suddenly into Happy’s explanation, “I’m just going over the scenario from start to finish and assign your parts.  Applehead, I’m going to cast you for the sheriff.  You won’t need to do any acting at all—­”

“We-ell, if I do, I calc’late I got some idee uh how a shurf had oughta ack,” Applehead informed him with a boastful note in his voice, and pulled himself up straighter in his chair.  “I was ’lected shurf uh this county four different terms right hand runnin’, and if I do say it, they wasn’t nobody ever said I didn’t do my duty.  Ary man I went after, I come purty near bringin’ him into camp, now I’m tellin’ ye!  This here old girl has shore talked out in meetin’, in her time, and there wasn’t ary man wanted to face her down in an argument, now I’m tellin’ ye.”  He got up and took his old six-shooter off the mantel and held it lovingly in his palm.  Very solemnly he licked his thumb and polished a certain place along the edge of the yellow ivory handle, and held it so the Happy Family could see three tiny notches.

“Them’s three argyments she shore settled,” he stated grimly, and turned slowly upon Luck.

“Yes-s, I calc’late I can play shurf for ye, all right enough.”

Luck looked up at him with his eyes shining, remembering how staunch a friend Applehead had been in times past, and how even his boastings were but a naive recognition of facts concerning himself.  Applehead Forrman was fifty-six years old, but Luck could not at that moment recall a man more dangerous to meet as an enemy or more loyal to have as a friend.

“I calc’late you can,” he agreed in his soft, friendly drawl.  “Sit down and turn your good ear this way, Applehead, so this story can soak in.  You’ll see where you come in as sheriff, and you’ll sabe just what you’ll have to do.  Bud, here, will be the outlaw that blows into the cow-camp and begins to mix things.  He’s the one you’ll have to settle.  So here’s the way the story runs:” 

“Say, boss, make it short and sweet, can’t you?” Andy begged.  He was sitting on the floor with his head against Rosemary’s knees, and his eyelids were drooping drowsily.  “By gracious, nobody’ll have to sing me to sleep to-night!  I’m about ready to hit the hay right now.”

“I’ll cut out the atmosphere and just stick to the action, then,” Luck conceded.  “I want to get you all placed, so we can get to work in the morning without any delay. Sabe?”

“Shoot,” murmured Pink, opening his eyes with some effort “I can listen for five minutes, maybe.”

“I can’t, I don’t believe,” the Native Son yawned.  “But go ahead, amigo.  My heart’s with you, anyway, whether my eyes are open or shut.”