“Right, sonny; Esmeralda’s who they meant,” assented Bill. “I believe she sends money or jewelry pretty nigh every month. See’d that diamond pin Varley wears?”
All eyes turned to the sparkle of fire shining in Varley’s scarf, and Bill nodded again.
“‘He’ll be here presently,’ says Simon. ‘You shoot the mare, as arranged, and fire straight, or she’ll be off, and I’ll cover Bill. He may make a fight of it, for he’s precious proud and fussy about that mail-bag o’ his; but I’ll persuade him into reason.’
“‘Oh, will you!’ says I to myself, and, as I didn’t think their conversation elevatin’, I crawls back to where the mare was tied and thinks things over a bit.”
He wet his lips suggestively, and, without a word, one of the men got his glass replenished.
“Now, boys, there’s a kind of affection ’twixt me and the mare; anyhow, I’m thinking her’s too good for a running target for the scum of Dog’s Ear to shoot at, and so I just leaves her there quiet and contented, and set off on foot to make a round of it. I’d got a couple of miles when I hears something moving, and there was my two friends lightin’ out on my trail. I lay low and quiet-like for a bit, then went back on my tracks and waited; that dazed ’em a bit, and then I made straight for here on a bee-line, and keeping under cover of the scrub. I’d spent the afternoon at this game, but I thought I’d given ’em the slip, when up rides a third gentleman a’most a top of me. ‘Hold up!’ says he, covering me. I chucked up my hands, but I’d took the precaution to stick a revolver down the back of the collar o’ my coat—it’s a darned bad fit, and there’s room—and I snatched it out and fired without waiting to ask how his mother was. Then, as he tumbled off his gee-gee, I lit out for all I knew, for I heard the other two comin’ round the bend. I’d got in sight o’ this blessed haven o’ rest an’ respectability, when one o’ the darned skunks fired and peeled a bit off my cocoa-nut. Don’t none o’ you faint,” with a grin—“it ain’t nothin’ to speak of.”
A low growl rose.
“And they’ve got the mail,” said one, with an oath
But the postman turned on him with an angry twinkle in his eyes.