" This in a dogged tone from a slouched hat just above a
whiskey barrel.
There was a pause.
"I don't think anybody could have taken him," continued Westerfelt,
pleasantly.
"Hain't seed 'im." The speaker struck the wagon-bed with his rifle as
he was trying to put it down behind the barrels without being seen.
"The left hand road leads to town, I believe?" said Westerfelt, riding
away.
"Yes, but take the right at the next fork."
About half a mile farther on he saw two horsemen, approaching. When
quite near they stopped.
"Howdy' do?" said one, eying Westerfelt suspiciously.
"How are you?" answered Westerfelt.
"We are revenue men; we're after a couple o' men and a wagon loaded
with whiskey. Seen anything of them?"
Westerfelt was silent. The revenue officer who had spoken rested his
elbow on his thigh and leaned towards him.
"Looky' here," he said, deliberately; "we don't know one another, but
there may be no harm in tellin' you if you try to throw us off the
track you lay yoreself liable to complicity. We've had about as much
o' that sort o' treatment round heer as we are going to put up with.
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