“What? Did you kill him?” cried Eells, starting up from his chair, but Wunpost only shrugged enigmatically.
“I ain’t talking,” he said. “Done too much of that already. What I’ve come to say is that I’ve buried all my money and I’m not going back to that mine. So you can call off your bad-men and your murdering Apache Indians, because there’s no use following me now. Thinking about taking a little trip for my health.”
He paused expectantly but Judson Eells was too shocked to make any proper response. His world was tumbling about him, all his plans had come to naught–and Lynch was gone. He longed to question further, to seek out some clew, but he dared not, for his hands were not clean. He had hired this Apache whose grisly scalp-lock now lay before him, and the others who had been with Lynch; and 219if it ever became known─He shuddered and let his lip drop.
“This is horrible!” he burst out hoarsely, “but why should they kill Lynch?”
“And why should they kill me?” added Wunpost. “You’ve got a nerve,” he went on, “bringing those devils into the country–don’t you know they’re as treacherous as a rattlesnake? No, you’ve been going too far; and it’s a question with me whether I won’t report the whole business to the sheriff. But what’s the use of making trouble? All I want is that contract–and this time I reckon I’ll get it.”
He nodded confidently but Judson Eells’ proud lip went up and instantly he became the bold financier.
“No,” he said, “you’ll never get it, Mr Calhoun–not until you take me to the Sockdolager Mine.”
“Nothing doing,” replied Wunpost “not for you or any other man. I stay away from that mine, from now on. Why should I give up a half–ain’t I got thirty thousand dollars, hid out up here under a stone? Live and let live, sez I, and if you’ll call off your bad-men I’ll agree not to talk to the sheriff.”
“You can talk all you wish!” snapped out Eells with rising courage, “I’m not afraid of your threats. And neither am I afraid of anything you can do to test the validity of that contract. It will hold, absolutely, in any court in the land; but if you will take me to your mine and turn it over in good faith, I will agree to cancel the contract.”
“Oh! You don’t want nothing!” hooted Wunpost 220sarcastically, “but I’ll tell you what I will do–I’ll give you thirty thousand dollars, cash.”