Pauline released him, dabbed at her eyes, and ran, choking, into the house.

“You’ve got to be in trouble to make a real hit with Miss Roubideau,” suggested the lank deputy, a little bitterly.  “I’ll take those bracelets off now, Clanton.  You can wash for supper.”

Polly saw to it, anyhow, that the prisoner had the best to eat there was in the house.  She made a dinner of spring chicken, mashed potatoes, hot biscuits, jelly, and apple pie.

A rider for the Flying V Y dropped in after they had eaten and bridled like a turkey cock at sight of Clanton.

“Don’t you let him git away from you, Jack,” he warned the officer.  “We’re allowin’ to have a holiday on the sixth up at our place so as to go to the show.  It is the sixth, ain’t it?” he jeered, turning to the handcuffed man on the lounge.

“The sixth is correct,” answered Jim coolly, meeting him eye to eye.

“You wouldn’t talk that way if Clanton was free,” said Goodheart.  “You’re taggin’ yoreself a bully an’ a cheap skate when you do it.”

“Say, is that any of yore business, Mr. Deputy Sheriff?”

“It is when you talk to my prisoner.  Cut it out, Swartz.”

“All right.”

The cowpuncher turned to Pauline, who had come to the door and stood there.  “You’ll be goin’ to the big show on the sixth, Miss Roubideau.  Live-Oaks will be a sure-enough live town that day.”

The young woman walked straight up to the big cowpuncher.  Her eyes blazed.  “Get out of this house.  Don’t ever come here again.  Don’t speak to me if you meet me.”

The Flying V Y rider was taken aback.  Like a good many young fellows within a radius of a hundred miles, he was a candidate for the favor of Pierre Roubideau’s daughter.

“Why, I—­I—­” he stammered.  “I didn’t aim for to offend you.  This fellow bushwhacked my boss.  He—­”

“That isn’t true,” she interrupted.  “He didn’t do it.”

“Sure he did it.  Go-Get-’Em Jim is a killer.  A girl like you, Miss Roubideau, has got no business stickin’ up for a bad man who—­”

“Didn’t you hear me?  I told you to go.”

“You’ve been invited to remove yoreself from the place an’ become a part of the outdoor scenery, Swartz,” cut in Goodheart, a snap to his jaw.  “I’d take that invite pronto if I was you.”

The cowpuncher picked up his hat and walked out.  The drawling voice of the prisoner followed him.

“Don’t you worry, Polly.  They can’t hang me if I ain’t there, can they?”

The deputy guessed that Pauline wished to talk alone with Clanton.  Presently he arose and sauntered to the door.  “I want to see yore father about some horses Billie needs.  Back soon.”

He gave them a half-hour, but he took pains to see that his assistant covered the back door while he watched the front of the house.  The prisoner was handcuffed, but Jack did not intend to take any chances.  Personally he believed that Clanton was guilty, but whether he was or not it was his duty to bring the convicted man safely to Live-Oaks.  This he meant to do.