Not five minutes after Melissy had left the deputy sheriff, another rider
galloped up the road. Jack, returning from his room, where he had left the
box of gold locked up, waited on the porch to see who this might be.
The horseman proved to be the man Norris, or Boone, and in a thoroughly
bad temper, as Jack soon found out.
"Have you see anything of 'Lissie Lee?" he demanded immediately.
"Miss Lee has just left me. She has gone to her room," answered Flatray
quietly.
"Well, I want to see her," said the other hoarsely.
"I reckon you better postpone it to to-morrow. She's some played out and
needs sleep."
"Well, I'm going to see her now."
Jack turned, still all gentleness, and called to Jim Budd, who was in the
store.
"Oh, Jim! Run upstairs and knock on Miss Melissy's door and tell her Mr.
Norris is down here. Ask if she will see him to-night."
"You're making a heap of formality out of this, Mr. Buttinsky," sneered
the cowpuncher.
Jack made no answer, unless it were one to whistle gently and look out
into the night as if he were alone.
"No, seh. She doan' wan' tuh see him to-night," announced Jim upon his
return.
"That seems to settle it, Mr. Norris," said Jack pleasantly.
"Not by a hell of a sight. I've got something to say to her, and I'm going
to say it."
"To-morrow," amended the officer.
"I said to-night."
"But your say doesn't go here against hers. I reckon you'll wait."
"Not so's you could notice it." The cowpuncher took a step forward toward
the stairway, but Flatray was there before him.
"Get out of the way, you. I don't stand for any butting-in," the cowboy
blustered.
"Don't be a goat, Norris. She's tired, and she says she don't want to see
you. That's enough, ain't it?"
Norris leaped back with an oath to draw his gun, but Jack had the quickest
draw in Arizona. The puncher found himself looking into the business end
of a revolver.
"Better change your mind, seh," suggested the officer amiably. "I take it
you've been drinking and you're some excited. If you were in condition to
savez the situation, you'd understand that the young lady doesn't care
to see you now. Do you need a church to fall on you before you can take a
hint?"
"I reckon if you knew all about her, you wouldn't be so anxious to stand
up for her," Norris said darkly.