But just at this instant Corwin was thinking of Lawler’s return to Willets.  Little wrinkles gathered around his eyes—­which were twinkling; and he chuckled lowly as his gaze roved from one to the other of the men who, like himself, were enjoying the warmth of the stove and listening, between words, to the howling and moaning of the wind.

Three or four times, during silences, Corwin chuckled.  And when at last he saw Dave Rankin, the blacksmith, watching him curiously, he guffawed aloud, rubbing his hands gleefully.

“I don’t reckon I ever seen no mournfuller sight than that!” he declared.

“Meanin’ which?” asked the blacksmith, his eyes alight with truculent inquiry.  The others sat erect, attentive.

“Meanin’ that mornin’ when Kane Lawler hopped off the train with his bunch of cowhands—­an’ Blondy Antrim,” snickered Corwin.  “Dave Singleton an’ Gary Warden an’ Jordan an’ Simmons an’ that pony-built girl which is stayin’ over to the Two Diamond with that ossified woman she calls ’Aunt Hannah,’ was on the platform waitin’ for the six o’clock train from the east.  It appears that pony-built—­Della Wharton, her name is—­was expectin’ some gimcracks, an’ Warden an’ her was waitin’ for them.  Anyways, they was there.  It sure was medium mournful!” declared Corwin.

He appeared to hesitate; and Rankin grinned.

“We’ve heard it before; but I reckon we can stand listenin’ ag’in.  Tell it, Corwin.”

“As I was sayin’ when you interrupted me—­it was medium mournful,” resumed Corwin.  “Shorty—­who was with Lawler on the drive—­has told me since; but at that time I didn’t know—­that Jordan had refused to vent Lawler’s cattle.

“Well, I’d come down to see the train come in, too.  We was all standin’ there when she come a-steamin’ up, an’ stopped.  An’ who clumb off but Lawler an’ his trail crew—­twenty-three of ’em.  An’ Blondy Antrim in the midst of ’em, lookin’ like a sheep-killin’ dog.

“Well, gentlemen, they was a scene.  Warden got his face all screwed up an’ couldn’t get it unscrewed ag’in.  He looked like he’d swallered a hot brandin’ iron an’ it didn’t lay easy on his stummick.  Singleton was a-standin’ there with his mouth open an’ his eyes a-poppin’ out; an’ Jordan was plumb flabbergasted.  Simmons was leanin’ ag’in’ the side of the station buildin’, lookin’ like he was expectin’ to be shot the next minute.

“That Della Wharton girl was the only one that seemed to have any wits a-tall.  I seen her grin eloquent at Lawler, an’ look him straight in the eye like she was tellin’ him somethin’ intimate.

“Well, as I was sayin’, Lawler an’ his boys got off with Blondy Antrim.  Antrim looks wild an’ flighty—­like you’ve seen a locoed steer on the prod.  His eyes was a-glarin’ an’ he was mutterin’ cusses by the mouthful.  All of which didn’t seem to faze Lawler none.

“Lawler was as cool as an iceberg which had just arrove from the North Pole—­an’ then some.  An’ he got a mean, mild grin on his face when he saw the reception committee that had come to meet him.  They was a twinkle in his eyes when he looked at Della Wharton; but when Warden blows into his line of vision he looked mighty wicked.