“He must have had something to hide.”
“Old Stony ran away from a past. I suspected that when I hired him.” Walz laughed without mirth. “He was afraid to set foot over the Colorado line, so I figured he was wanted for something in that state.”
“He kept it a secret?”
“Old Stony never told me anything. Nothing, that is, except wild yarns. The truth is, he disliked me and was ungrateful for all I did to help him.”
“Well, he’s in a bad spot at the moment,” Mr. Livingston said. “Any idea who might have attacked him?”
“Not the slightest.”
“The motive?”
“Oh, I figure some hoodlum put faith in Stony’s story of having gold or a map to a gold mine. Trouble with him, he couldn’t keep his lips from wagging. He invited the attack.”
“You’ve reported it to the police?”
Walz frowned. “Why, no. Figured it was none of their business.”