"----in a gopher hole and near broke my fool neck."

"Where'd this old geezer come from, anyway? Never heard of him
before!"

"'Tain't fair, just when we was all crowdin' up for supper! He might
have waited."

"This will be merry hell and repeat if he hooks up with Foy," said
Creagan's voice, adding a vivid description of Pringle.

Old Nueces answered, raising his voice:

"He's afoot. We got to beat him to it. Let's ride!"

"That's right," said the sheriff. "But we'll grab something to
eat first. Saddle up, Hargis, and lead us to your little old cave.
Robbins, while we snatch a bite you bunch what canteens we've got and
fill 'em up. Then you watch the old man and that girl, and let Breslin
come with us. You can eat after we've gone."

"Don't let the girl heave a pillow at you, Robbins!" warned a voice.

"Better not stop to eat," urged Nueces.

"We can lope up and get to the foot of Thumb Butte before Pringle gets
halfway--if he's going there at all. Most likely he's had a hand in
the Marr killing and is just running away to save his own precious
neck," said the sheriff. "We'll scatter out around the hill when we
get to the roughs, and go up afoot till every man can see or hear