"Did you see the man that killed old Mr. McBride?" asked Custer,
breaking the breathless spell that was upon him.

"No; if I'd been just about fifteen minutes sooner I'd have seen him;
but I was just about that much too late, sonny. I guess he's a whole lot
better off, though."

"What would you have done if you'd seen him?" Custer's voice sank to a
whisper.

"Well, I don't pack a gun for nothing. If I'd seen him there, he'd had
to go 'round to the jail with me. I guess I could have coaxed him there;
I was ready for to offer extra inducements!"

"And does everybody know you seen old Mr. McBride the first of any?"
asked Custer.

"I guess they do; I ain't afraid about that. Colonel Harbison's too much
of a gentleman to claim any credit that ain't his; he'd be the first
one to own up that he don't deserve no credit."

"What took you into McBride's store? You hadn't no errand there." Mrs.
Shrimplin was a careful and acquisitive wife.

"I allow I made an errand there," said Mr. Shrimplin bridling. "I reckon
many another man might have thought he hadn't no errand there either,
but I feel different about them things. I was just turned into the
Square when along comes young John North--"