CHAPTER XIV.
THE DOCTOR TURNS CONSPIRATOR—THE PLOT TO ROB THE RANCHE.
The pseudo doctor had been at the ranche a week, during which he had become quite chummy with Jim Cummings and Dan Moriarity, who, finding that time hung very heavy on their hands, welcomed the jovial, story-telling doctor and spent most of their time in his company.
Swanson, who was moving his stock further west and making preparations for the spring round-up, was obliged to be in the saddle all day and sometimes late at night. Although a hard drinker, an unscrupulous rascal and an inveterate gambler, he was a good stock-raiser, and kept good care of his cattle. He employed a large force of cowboys or herders, and, acting himself as captain of the round-up, he would absent himself from home for days at a time.
One morning the Doctor, flashing a significant glance toward Scip, which said, "Take your cue and follow me," remarked in a careless tone:
"I reckon the old man must have considerable dust salted down by this time."
As the remark was a general one made to Cummings, Moriarity and Scip, the latter answered:
"Yes, sah; Mass Swanson got a pile of gold laid up for a rainy day, suah."
The Doctor continued:
"He's had more than the average run of good luck the last few years. He told me the other day that he only lost a few head all year, and was just going to ship a big lot to Chicago."