“Because my gun was rolled up in my bed,” Andy replied simply.  “I ain’t as brave as you are, Happy.  I ain’t got the nerve to ride right up on a man that’s scared plumb silly and pumping lead my way fast as he can work the lever on his rifle, and lick him with my fists till he howls, and then throw him and walk up and down his person and flap my wings and crow.  It’s awful to have to confess it, but I’m willing to run from any man that’s shooting at me when I can’t shoot back.  I’d give a lot to be as brave as you are, Happy.”

Happy Jack growled and subsided.

“Well, by golly, there’s times when we’d be justified in shooting yuh, but I don’t see what he’d want to do it for,” objected Slim.

“Guilty conscience, I told yuh,” retorted Andy.  “He seen I was chasing him up, and I guess he thought it was somebody that had got next to what happened—­Lord, I wish I knew what did happen, down there in the breaks!  Boys,” Andy got up and stood looking earnestly down at them in the twilight, “you can’t make me believe that there hasn’t been a murder done!  That fellow has been up to something, or he wouldn’t be acting so damn’ queer.  And if it was just plain stealing, Dan would sure be hot on his trail—­because Dan thought more of his money than most men do of their wives.  It was about all he lived for, and he wasn’t any coward.  That old man never would get it off him without a big ruction, and if he did, Dan would be right after him bigger’n a wolf.  There’s something wrong, you take my word.”

“What do yuh want us to do about it?” It was Chip who asked the question, and his tone was quite calm and impersonal.

Andy looked at him reproachfully.  “Do?  What is there to do, except go down there and see?  If we can find that out, we can put the sheriff wise and let him do the rest.  It sure does seem kinda tough, if a man can do a murder and robbery and get off with it, just because nobody cares enough about it to head him off.”

The Happy Family stirred uneasily.  Of course, it was all just a josh of Andy’s—­but he was such a convincing liar!  Almost they felt guilty of criminal negligence that they did not at once saddle up and give chase to the murderer, who had tried to kill Andy for following him, and who was headed for Chinook after unnecessarily proclaiming himself bound for Dry Lake.

“Do you want the whole outfit to turn out?” asked Chip calmly at last.

“No-o—­”

“Say, is it anywheres near that prehistoric castle you found once?” Ping asked maliciously, unbelief getting strong hold of him again.

Andy turned toward him, scowling.  “No, Angel-child, it ain’t,” he snapped.  “And you fellows can back up and snort all yuh darn please, and make idiots of yourselves.  But yuh can’t do any business making me out a hot-air peddler on this deal.  I stand pat, just where I stood at first, and it’ll take a lot uh cackling to make me back down.  That old devil did lie about Dan, and he did take a shot at me—­”