"I reckon that settles it," he said. "There don't seem to be nothin'
more to it. Miss Bransford says the cattle is hers, an' we found them
in Ben Nyland's corral. There ain't-----"
"Alva Dale, you are a sneak and a liar!"
This was the girl. She had stepped forward until she was within a
short pace from the big man. She stood erect, rigid, her hands
clenched at her sides; her chin lifted, her eyes flashing with defiant
passion.
Dale smirked at her.
"Peggy Nyland," he said, "you're handin' it to me pretty strong, ain't
you? You'd fight for your brother's life, of course. But I represent
the law here, an' I've got to do my duty. You won't deny that we found
them steers in your brother's corral?"
"No, I can't deny that!" declared the girl passionately. "You found
them there. They were there. But Ben did not put them there. Shall I
tell you who did? It was you! I heard a noise in the corral during
the night--last night! But I--thought it was just our own cattle. And
I did not go out to see.
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