"After I"ve robbed the stage what do I do?"
"There you have me," confessed Tip. "I don"t know what you"ll do. You might ride away and keep going for several weeks. That would be the sensible thing to do."
"Or I can ride back to Golden Bar and be arrested by my own deputies for stage robbery. I don"t suppose anybody would believe it if I said I was kidnapped."
Tip smiled slightly. "They might. You never can tell what people would believe."
Billy drew his knees up to the level of his chin and hugged them.
"No," he drawled, "too fishy. Folks don"t kidnap folks nowadays--only in books. Shucks, I"ll bet you fellers were counting on just that particular snag in human nature. Looks like you"ve got me, don"t it?"
Tip nodded his head. "Looks like it."
"You"ve only got yourself to blame," said Felix Craft, studying the gun on the table so handy to his fingers.
"True," acquiesced Billy. "I"ve only got myself to blame. So what care I for poverty or precious stones? Look here, fellow citizens, who is going to take my part in this stage hold-up?"
"I will," said Craft modestly. "I rode your pinto out of town last night, and I think I made a good impression. Yeah, I"m sure I did.
And I have more than a sneaking idea I can get away with the hold-up."
"Don"t doubt it," said Billy. "Don"t doubt it for a minute. You"ve got nerve enough, I know that, and we"re about of a size. I--uh--I _thought_ there was something familiar about that vest you"re wearing.
And are those my other pants you have on? The table hides "em so I can"t tell for sure."
"They are your other pants, and your coat and hat are hanging on a hook in the kitchen. I had to put your spurs on my boots though. Yours were too small."
"Oh, I"m sorry," mourned Billy, genuine concern in his tone. "If I"d only known-- However, suppose some one in the stage puts a hole in your face right over the eye, Felix. Have you thought of that?"
Craft nodded. "We have to take some chances."
"That"s so. You"ve got a sporting spirit after all, Crafty. You"d think running a gambling house so long would have taken it out of you, sort of. Might be your ranch has saved you. And suppose I don"t feel like having you risk your valuable life, Crafty, what then?"
"Then the deal can be arranged," Tip answered for Craft. "Give us your word Bill, and you can walk out that door and ride back to Golden Bar right after breakfast. Right now, if you don"t want to wait."
Billy looked incredulous. "You mean to tell me, Tip, that you"d take my bare word?"
"You"re whistling we would," Tip declared heartily. "Everybody knows your word is good."
"I"ve never broken it yet, but don"t you see, once broken, what good is it?"
"But if you give it, you wouldn"t break it. We know you."
"But if I give my word to you to do this thing, I will have broken it--to the territory. When I took office I made oath to obey and uphold the laws. I guess maybe you forgot that."
Tip looked a trifle dashed. "Well--" he began.
"You see," interrupted Billy, "If I broke my word to the territory, I"d break it to you likely. Anyway, what guarantee have you that I wouldn"t?"
"Looks like there was only one trail out," Craft said briefly.
"Gimme something to eat first," Billy implored, rubbing his empty stomach.
"We"ll do that much for you," said Tip. "And while you"re eatin" you think it over. There"s a lot to be said for what we want you to do.
Think how easy it is, Bill. Just go a li"l slow is all we want. And think what you get by it--complete freedom otherwise and that ten thousand a year easy money we spoke of a while back. Ten thousand ain"t to be sneezed at these days. I dunno where you"d make it any easier."
"Neither do I," Billy admitted frankly.
"You don"t want to go to jail now, do you, Bill?" wheedled Tip.
"Sure not," was the prompt answer.
"Of course you don"t. And if you decide to accept our offer, Bill, the secret will be left behind right in this room. No one will ever know anything about it. To your friends you will be one of the straightest sheriffs Crocker County ever had. Oh, I know what you"re thinking of.
You"re afraid of what Hazel Walton might think. But----"
"Let"s leave her out of this," Bill struck in sharply.
"All right," acquiesced Tip, with a slight cough, "we will. Alla same, Bill, who"s to ever know what you did?"
"I"d know for one," Billy observed simply. "And suppose I tell somebody? You know I never could keep a secret."
"I told you how it would be, Tip," remarked Craft. "He"s too d.a.m.n honest for any use."
Billy nodded his grat.i.tude. "Felix, I thank you. At least you are a friend of mine."
"You forget me," said the disappointed Tip. "If it hadn"t been for the ground-and-lofty talking done by yours truly, you, William, would have already gone where the good Indians go. I can tell you, Felix and Sam are downright disgruntled with you."
"Felix, I take it all back," grieved Billy. "At the first convenient opportunity I shall drop a li"l a.r.s.enic in your coffee or a li"l lead pill in your system. I dunno which yet. And that goes for you too, Sam."
"What"s that?" queried Sam, entering with a large platter of ham, eggs and potatoes and setting it down on the table. When Bill had explained, he smiled grimly. "Yep," said Sam Larder. "You"ve been a thorn in our well-known side for some time. Tr.i.m.m.i.n.g you off the parent stem would do you--and us--a heap of good."
"I see," remarked Billy, sliding from the bed and hooking up a chair to the table, "I see that the patient is not yet out of danger. But the doctors have not completely despaired of his life. How about it, Tip?
You haven"t given me up yet, have you?"
"Bill," said Tip irritably, "you"re a fool."
"But not a d.a.m.n fool," returned Bill with his mouth full. "You"ll have to admit there is a method in my madness."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
OBSCURING THE ISSUE
"Well," said Felix Craft, attempting a pleasantry, "how do I look?"
"You look," said Billy, following a meticulous survey of his questioner"s attire, "you look like Mr. Felix Craft, our genial gambler and non-resident ranch owner."
"Shucks, I was hoping I"d look like you. I"d sure enjoy making a good appearance. Maybe the mask will make a difference."