"Got it from your father, didn't you ?" "I don't know, but I don't believe HE ever thought it necessary to warn twenty men of the approach of ONE," replied Clarence, in the same tone.
"I had no time to stand on ceremony, for I have just come from Hooker's quarter section at Fair Plains." Gilroy smiled again, and gazed abstractedly at the sky.
"You know as well as I do," said Clarence, controlling his voice with an effort, "that what you have done there will have to be undone, if you wish to hold even those lawless men of yours together, or keep yourself and them from being run into the brush like highwaymen.

I've no fear for that.

Neither do I care to know what was your motive in doing it; but I can only tell you that if it was retaliation, I alone was and still am responsible for Hooker's action at the rancho.

I came here to know just what you have done with him, and, if necessary, to take his place." "You're just a little too previous in your talk, I reckon, Brant," returned Gilroy lazily, "and as to legality, I reckon we stand on the same level with yourself, just here.

Beginnin' with what you came for: as we don't know where your Jim Hooker is, and as we ain't done anythin' to HIM, we don't exackly see what we could do with YOU in his place.
Ez to our motives,--well, we've got a good deal to say about THAT.
We reckoned that he wasn't exackly the kind of man we wanted for a neighbor.