“I understood, Bob, how you felt. That is, all but once or twice when—Oh, but what’s the use? Of course I forgive you!” When they had shaken hands warmly the conference had a chance to proceed. O’Day took up the narrative where he had left off.
“Jerry got into the confidence of the cowmen principally because they needed him as a go-between and it was not until after he had all his plans laid that I got into the game.”
“Link got onto me all right,” put in Jerry. “He started jawing me one day about playing poker and before he got through I’d told him all about it. I hate playing cards and the only reason I did it at all was to make Wesley and Harper believe that they had me thrown and tied. I’m glad you did get on, though, Link, because I was getting tired of playing the big game alone.”
“After that,” continued O’Day, “we held councils of war and decided that it would be best if we could nip the big plot in the bud without letting you fellows at the dam get wise.”
“What was the scheme the cattlemen had decided upon?” Whitney wanted to know.
“To blow up as much of the works as possible. Have a raid by border Mexicans take place simultaneously with a revolt by the laborers.”
“And are all the ranchers in on this?”
“By no means. Comparatively few. Thad Holman never knew a thing about it. They were mostly dissatisfied cowboys and unsuccessful squatters who saw profit for themselves in a war with Mexico.”
“I’m mighty glad of that,” said Whitney. “But go on; I won’t interrupt any more.”
“Well, the signal for the trouble to start was to be the blowing up of the cofferdam but it was slated to take place to-morrow night instead of to-night. The bandits have been on this side of the border for several days, so the speeding up of the plan did not interfere with them. What it did interfere with, however, was the plans Jerry and I had laid to stop the plot’s being carried out. You, Hazard,” O’Day smiled and pointed him out, “you were responsible for our troubles.”