Y'u're scared stiff and it might get into your fool coconut
to plug one of us and light out. I'd hate to see y'u commit
suicide right before us, so I'll just natcherally unload y'u."
He was talking to lift the strain, and it was for the same
purpose that Bannister moved over to Hughie, who sat with his
face in his hands, trying to shut out the horror of what he had
seen.
The sheepman dropped a hand on his shoulder gently. "Brace up,
boy! Don't you see that the very best thing that could have
happened is this. It's best for y'u, best for the rest of the
gang and best for the whole cattle country. We'll have peace here
at last. Now he's gone, honest men are going to breathe easy.
I'll take y'u in hand and set y'u at work on one of my stations,
if y'u like. Anyhow, you'll have a chance to begin life again in
a better way."
"That's right," agreed the blatant youth. "I'm sick of rustling
the mails and other folks' calves. I'm glad he got what was
coming to him," he concluded vindictively, with a glance at his
dead chief and a sudden raucous oath.
McWilliams's cold blue eye transfixed him "Hadn't you better be a
little careful how your mouth goes off? For one thing, he's daid
now; and for another, he happens to be Mr.
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