U.S Marshal Shorty Thompson - In The Middle of the Colfax County War: Tales of the Old West Book 56

Thru thick trees, Shorty saw flames of a campfire and dismounted several yards away. Walking in slowly not making a sound, he saw a little girl no more than maybe ten or so stirring something in a skillet over the fire.
He came close enough she could make him out in the dim light so he wouldn’t scare her. “Hello the fire, Polly can I come in?”
“Yes Sir Marshal Shorty.” She never stopped stirring.
Shorty walked up saying, “I see you have two plates setting there. Where’s Dean?”
“Hid out yonder in the dark with a rifle pointed dead center of your chest.” She kept right on stirring.
Shorty took a deep breath. “Whoa now! Don’t you think you ought’a call him off?”
She stopped stirring, looked up and hollered out, “Hey Dean, it’s nobody! Oh yes it is, it’s U.S. Marshal Shorty! Sorry Marshal Shorty, I just mean it was nobody he had to shoot.”