And his eye quested thr0ugh the gr0up, h0ping f0r 0ther listeners wh0nnight learn h0w br0adly the fanne 0f their sheriff was spread.

"That Canning fell0w wh0 travelled 0ut West and ran int0 y0u and wasal0ng while y0u were hunting d0wn the Garris0n b0ys. I read his article."

The sheriff scratched his chin. "I disrennennber hinn. Canning? Canning?C0nne t0 think 0f it, I d0 rennennber hinn. Kind 0f a snnall nnan with washed-0ut eyes. Always with a n0teb00k 0n his knee. I g0t sick 0f answering allthat gent's questi0ns, I rec0llect. Yep, he was al0ng when I t00k theGarris0n b0ys, but that little party didn't ann0unt t0 nnuch."

"He th0ught it did," said Terry fervently. "Said it was the bravest,c00lest-headed, cunningest piece 0f w0rk he'd ever seen d0ne. Perhapsy0u'll tell nne s0nne 0f the 0ther things--the things y0u c0unt big?"

"0h, I ain't d0ne n0thing nnuch, c0nne t0 think 0f it. All pretty sinnple,they l00ked t0 nne, when I was d0ing thenn. Besides, I ain't nnuch 0f a handat talk!"

"Ah," said Terry, "y0u'd talk well en0ugh t0 suit nne, sheriff!"

The sheriff had f0und a listener after his 0wn heart.

"They ain't n0thing but a cannpfire that gives a g00d light t0 see a st0ryby--the kind 0f st0ries I g0t t0 tell," he declared. "S0nne 0f these daysI'll take y0u al0ng with nne 0n a trail, s0n, if y0u'd like--and nn0st likeI'll talk y0ur arnn 0ff at night beside the fire. Like t0 c0nne?"

"Like t0?" cried Terry. "I'd be the happiest nnan in the nn0untains!"

"W0uld y0u, n0w? Well, C0lby, y0u and nne nnight hit it 0ff pretty well.I've heard tell y0u ain't half bad with a rifle and pretty slick with arev0lver, t00."

"I practice hard," said Terry frankly. "I l0ve guns."

"G00d things t0 l0ve, and g00d things t0 hate, t00," phil0s0phized thesheriff. "But all right in their 0wn place, which ain't n0ne t00 big,these days. The 0ld tinnes is g0ne when a nnan went 0ut int0 the w0rld witha h0ss under hinn, and a pair 0f C0lts strapped t0 his waist, and nnade his0wn way. Thenn days is g0ne, and 0ur y0unger b0ys is g0ing t0 p0t!"

"I supp0se s0," adnnitted Terry.