“Why does he want to kill me?”
“So’s his job’ll be over an’ he c’n get de jack dat’s comin’ to um. It’s up to um to keep youse put, it looks like, till a coitain time. Den he’ll get de kale. Well, if youse’re croaked, youse’re put, ain’t youse? No foolin’! An’ Slim an’ his jane have got a bunch o’ coin on ’em now dat dey made at Ragtown rollin’ de suckers. De moll wants to beat it East an’ get herself some furs an’ di’mon’s an’ t’ings. An’ Slim an’ me’s on de outs—see?—so no one c’n watch youse but him. An’ he’s sick of his job. But now dat he’s tried to croak youse he’s scared to let any one else in on de deal. It’s one t’ing to hire a guy to lamp anudder one, an’ anudder t’ing to hire um to have anyt’ing to do wid murder. An’ anudder t’ing: Since youse got dat big jack from Demarest, Spruce an’ Tillou, he’s scared youse’ll be beatin’ it East yerself any day. He don’t savvy wot youse’re gonta do wid dat coin, an’ he’s worried.”
“The idea, then,” remarked Joshua, “seems to be to prevent me from going East.”
“Dat’s de way I dope her out, Jack.”
“Then I’ll be perverse and go East and find out what it’s all about,” Joshua declared.
“Take me wid youse, ol’-timer!” pleaded The Whimperer. “I c’n steer youse to Slim’s hangouts back dere, an’ maybe de bot’ of us put togedder c’n get de dope. I’m scared to hang aroun’ now dat I’ve sprung meself. Dat Slim Wolfgang’s a killer. Youse won’t squeal on me, will youse, Jack?”
“I’ll protect you,” Joshua promised. “And we’ll call it square between you and me regarding the theft of the telescope. But there it must end. I can’t afford to take you East.”
“Den slip me a little piece o’ jack, an’ I’ll hit de stage out o’ Ragtown to-morrow an’ take to de road again. Honest, Jack, I’m scared o’ dat plug!”
“I thought you told me that you weren’t.”
“Well I am an’ I ain’t—see? I fight in de open, meself. He’s a dago fighter, dat no-good son-of-a-gun! Dat’s w’y I’m scared of um—see? Get me, Jack?”