“Guess I see what you mean now, brother,” ventured Perk, his face lighting up with extreme joy; for he felt they were already on the track, and that from that hour there must be rapid action continuously. “If so be that ’ere critter that slams out these bills on greenhorns and come-ons is gettin’ anxious to see what sorter prize he’s drawn in the lottery, why, he might jest come along any ol’ time now, since the storm’s over an’ there’s nawthin’ to hold him up. Got any idea he’s nigh due here, partner?”
“Shouldn’t be a bit surprised if he walked in on us any time,” ventured Jack; and then, seeing the puzzled look on his chum’s rugged face he went on to add: “I didn’t mention the fact but while we were making our way over from the ship I felt certain I glimpsed several far-off lights, as if they might be in windows of cabins or houses of some sort. Then, too, I surely did hear a big dog barking, and something like a rooster crowing.”
“Well, I’ll be jiggered if you ain’t got sharper ears than I c’n boast, Jack, ol’ hoss, which ain’t no lie either.”
“Don’t you believe it, Perk; it just happened that you were so wrapped up in thinking of that coffee treat you didn’t pay as much attention to outside things as I did. So it seems as if there might be some kind of a village or prairie town not more than two miles from this abandoned old shack and if that’s so then the chances are this agent who’s been working the public for Slim probably lives there. Then again, like as not he has a pretty good idea about when his bunch of kale ought to be placed under that brick—in fact he might have made his way out here this very night only for the storm threatening.”
“Just so, partner,” Perk hastened to say, brimful of energy, “which, bein’ the case, it’s up to us to lay a sweet little mantrap, so’s to trip him by the heels if so be he knocks on our door. How’ll we fetch it, Jack?”
“First of all we’ll finish our supper, and clean up here,” came the ready explanation; “he may smell the odor of coffee and bacon, but then you might expect this shelter to be used once in a while by Mexican tramps, or passing cowboys, especially when a big storm threatens, so that isn’t going to scare the Johnny. As for us, we’ll fix things so as to give him a nice little surprise, by hiding out, after making things all dark inside here, with water thrown on the fire to smother the hot coals, after which there’s nothing to do but take things easy until he shows up—if he does.”
“I sabbe, okay, partner; let’s get busy, for the bacon’s done brown to a turn.”
CHAPTER XX
SPRINGING THE TRAP
There was much that must be done before they could feel satisfied they had their mantrap arranged. Jack realized that if the party who played the part of local agent for the counterfeiter gang had been kept from coming to secure the fresh supply of bogus bills by the threatening storm, he was likely to make his appearance at almost any time, since all danger from the electrical disturbance was now past.
They finished their little supper without wasting any more time, after which the matter of hiding all traces of their presence was taken up.