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Page 211

| patches of land. There ain't no way those sheep could have mingled with ours." |

| A coldness surged through Ashton. "Are you saying that Stanford Sidwell now has sheep at his station?" he asked guardedly. "Has anyone seen them? Are they of prime stock?" |

| "I ain't seen them," Rufus said, shrugging. "I ain't had no reason to want to." |

| "I haven't seen them either," Crispin said, his eyes narrowing as he began to understand Ashton's suspicions. "You don't think he might have . . ." |

| ". . . moved some infected sheep in with ours in the middle of the night while we all were sleeping?" Ashton interrupted, completing Crispin's words. |

| Sasha gasped lightly. "Do you think he would do something as mean as that?" she asked, guilt washing through her for having given Stanford a good excuse for coming onto their property at all. |

| Ashton laughed. "Stanford Sidwell do something mean?" he said sarcastically. "Naw." |

| "That man's got the morals of a snake," Crispin interjected. |

| "There is no way to prove Stanford did this," Ashton said bitterly, his brow knit into a deep frown. "But if I ever discover that he's been up to his usual dirty tricks, it will be his last trick!" |

| "What are you going to do about the sheep?" Sasha asked softly. |

| "We'll kill and bury those that are infected the worst, and the others will be treated," Ashton said. He took her hands. "I suggest you don't watch the procedure. It might be unpleasant for you." |

| "Perhaps so," Sasha said. She lifted her chin |

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