“Don’t you know some place about two or three miles outside of town where you can take him and keep him till about six o’clock this afternoon?”
“I judge I do. I could take him out to Ben Shannon’s place.”
“That’s all right.”
“But how’m I goin’ to get him to go, suh? I can’t jest openly nab him right here befo’ everybody and carry him off without raisin’ a row.”
“I’ll fix that all right so he will go along with you without a word. When you get him out there you must take care of him and see that he doesn’t come back.”
“Oh, I can do that all right if I can get him to come along without raising a fuss. But how’m I to get him to come along, suh?”
“I’ll explain. There is a girl stopping in this town, whom he knows. Her name is Elsie Bellwood, and she is stopping out at the Parker plantation. Merriwell is more or less smashed on her, and he always stands ready to fly to her at her call.”
Cunningham rolled his quid of tobacco over his tongue, and winked at Roland, as he observed:
“I begin to see yo’ game. I’m ter tell him she wants to see him, git him inter my turnout, an’ whisk off.”
“Something like that, but I’ve prepared something that will make it dead easy to fool him. I happened to get hold of some of her handwriting, and I’ve written a note for you to give him. I’ve imitated her writing and signed her name, and I think it will fool him. He won’t be looking out for tricks, so it will be dead easy.”