Sim Pierce was the first man Dunbar saw when he stepped through the door of the hotel, the present for Hattie in his pocket. “Hello, Nate!” called Sim. “I was out ter the Star-A an’ had dinner. Buffler Bill told me you was in town. Have ye seen the sky pilot yit?” “Is Jordan in town, Sim?” queried Nate, surprised. “He was some tired an’ out o’ sorts, an’ he allowed he’d go ter bed fer a day. He’s at the Delmonico, but I reckon he’s snoozin’, an’ makin’ up fer the sleep he lost when he tied that knot on hossback.” Sim Pierce chuckled and nudged Dunbar in the ribs. The cowboy grinned responsively. “Whyever did you make such a quick trip to the ranch, Sim?” Nate asked. Sim drew Nate off toward the hitching pole in front of the hotel, looked carefully around, and told the young rancher what he had already told Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill. Dunbar at once began to worry. “I’m going to let the rest of my work here in town wait,” said he, “and I’m going back to the ranch. If any trouble happens, I want to be there.” “I reckoned you’d feel that-er-way, Nate,” returned Sim, “but afore ye go, I’d advise ye ter palaver with Jordan. If he knowed ye was in town he’d be anxious ter see ye.” Dunbar ran back into the hotel and inquired his way to the sky pilot’s room. He was with Jordan no more than fifteen minutes, and when he left him he hurriedly settled his bill, saddled and bridled his horse and started at speed for the Star-A. All this was circumstantial evidence against Nate. He had told the clerk that he expected to remain in Hackamore two days, but here he was leaving in haste before he had been in town much more than four hours. Nate had hardly hit the trail before Abraham Isaacs began to stir up the whole hotel with the howling announcement that he had been robbed. As ill luck would have it, Bloom, the sheriff, happened to be in the hotel office at the time. He took Isaacs in hand, questioned him, and the clerk cut into the talk to tell about Dunbar’s hurried flight for the Brazos. “He’s the man!” declared Bloom, with a snap of his lean jaws. “You, an’ you, an’ you,” he turned to indicate three cowboys who were in the office, “will come with me. You can’t refuse the law when you’re called upon. We’re a ‘possey come-and-git-us,’ and we’ve got to overhaul Dunbar and see if he’s got the stolen goods.” Sim Pierce, strolling toward the hotel from down the street, saw the sheriff and the four cowboys hustling off along the trail. He knew, from the way they rode, that there was something up. In the office the clerk told him about the robbery of Isaacs, and about Dunbar being suspected. “It ain’t so!” bellowed Sim Pierce. “That ’er boy is as squar’ a piece o’ furniture as ever come out o’ the fact’ry. I tell ye I won’t b’leeve it.”