"You ain't on your job a heap, are you? There's a locoed coyote barkin' at me through the door, there. Run him out, will you—he's disturbin' me plenty."
He turned from the door, stretched himself on the cot, and with his face to the wall listened while Silverthorn cursed.
CHAPTER XV
DALE PAYS A VISIT
Shortly after midnight Sanderson was sound asleep on the cot in the cell when a strange, scraping noise awakened him. He lay still for a long time, listening, until he discovered that the sound came from the window. Then he sat up stealthily and looked around to see, framed in the starlit gloom of the night, the face of Barney Owen, staring in through the window at him.
The sight of Owen enraged Sanderson, but his curiosity drove him to the window.
The little man was hanging to the iron bars; his neck muscles were straining, his face was red and his eyes bright.
"Don't talk, now!" he warned. "The boss of the dump is awake and he'll hear. He's in his room; there's nobody else around. I wanted to tell you that I'm going to knock him silly and get you out of this!"
"Why?" mocked Sanderson, lowly.