“I guess you sabe, all right,” pursued Lenning grimly, “that if you were not friends of mine you’d say right off that I’d told you a cock-and-bull story, and that I was really one of the thieves, but that I had lost my nerve and was trying to pull out of a bad scrape without taking any of the consequences.”
“We’re a good way from thinking that, Jode,” said Merriwell earnestly.
“I’m no end grateful to you for hanging on to your confidence in me. There are others, though, who won’t be so considerate. I can’t go back to Ophir without taking Shoup and Geohegan along. Understand? If I do, I shall be arrested. I’ve figured that all out, and know what I’ve got to do.”
Merriwell and Blunt had not looked at the affair from this angle. They were not slow to perceive that Lenning was right, however. His record, in the matter of the robbery, had to be cleared by the capture of the real robbers, or he would surely be regarded with suspicion himself.
“You’re right, Lenning,” declared Merriwell, his face taking on a resolute cast, “we shall have to capture Shoup and Geohegan. The next question is, how are we to do it? Are you armed?”
“No.”
“Neither are we. Undoubtedly the two road agents are pretty well heeled. There are three of us and only two of them, but, with guns, they’ll have far and away the best of it, unless——”
Merriwell’s voice trailed away into silence and he dropped his head thoughtfully.
“Unless what, pard?” said Blunt.
“Why,” and Frank looked up, “unless we can use a little strategy. If we can engineer a bit of a surprise, perhaps we could capture those fellows before they have a chance to draw their weapons and shoot.”