Though they knew they were doing what was very, very wrong--
Inky, dinky, doodum, day!
And the song of the owls, it sounded so nice
That closer and closer crept the three little mice.
And the owls came and gobbled them----"_

A shadow fell across the floor.

"Hands up!" said the sheriff of Dona Ana. "We want Chris Foy!"




Chapter IV


Navajo, Pima, and Hopi enjoy seven cardinal points--north, east,
west, south, up, down, and right here. In these and any intermediate
directions from the Vorhis Ranch the diligent posse comitatus made
swift and jealous search through the slow hours of afternoon. It
commandeered the V H Saddle horses in the corral; it searched for sign
in the soft earth of the wandering draws between the dozen low hills
scattered round Big Thumb Butte and Little Thumb Butte; it rode
circles round the ranch; the sign of Christopher Foy's shod horse was
found and followed hotfoot by a detachment. Eight men had arrived in
the first bunch, with the sheriff; others from every angle joined
by twos and threes from hour to hour till the number rose to above
a score. A hasty election provided a protesting cook and a horse
wrangler; a V H beef was slaughtered.