CHAPTER II


CONCERNING LITE AND A FEW FOOTPRINTS


"Lucky you was with me all day, up to four
o'clock, Lite," Jim said. "That lets you out
slick and clean, seeing the doctor claims he'd been dead
six hours when he seen him last night. Crofty--why,
Crofty was laying in there dead when I was talking
about him to you! Kinda gives a man the creeps to
think of it. Who do you reckon done it, Lite?"

"How'n hell do _I_ know?" Lite retorted irritably.
"I didn't see it done."

Jim studied awhile, an ear cocked for the signal that
the coroner was ready to begin the inquest. "Say,"
he leaned over and whispered in Lite's ear, "where
was Aleck at, all day yesterday?"

"Riding over in the bend, looking for black-leg
signs," said Lite promptly. "Packed a lunch, same as
I did."

The answer seemed to satisfy Jim and to eliminate
from his mind any slight suspicion he may have held,
but Lite had a sudden impulse to improve upon his
statement.