“An’ it says mighty funny things sometimes,” replied Larkin, who now made no concealment of his dislike of Huntington and his “game.”
“We’ll see!” cried Huntington angrily. “How does twelve hundred sound to you two?”
He looked steadily at Raley and Smith, who exchanged glances.
“What’s your awful hurry?” Larkin demanded, in a drawling tone, but with an anxious eye for the galloping figure now in plain view. “We’ll give Haig a chance to bid––eh, men?”
Smith shot an angry but uneasy look at the leader. Huntington saw it, and guessed that there was more than weariness and greed in the willingness of Smith and Raley to combine against Larkin. Probably, he thought, there had been differences of opinion, disputes even, on the road to Paradise. He turned impatiently toward the store.
At that instant Thompson ran out, broke through the ring of men, and handed a roll of “yellowbacks” to Huntington, who hurriedly peeled off several of the bills, and thrust them at arm’s length toward the wavering cow-punchers.
“Haig talked about a thousand dollars!” he cried. “There’s fifteen hundred. Do you want it?”
For a moment it was heads or tails. Even Larkin eyed the money hungrily. Then his teeth clicked 40 together, and he turned upon his partners, whose faces showed plainly the answer that was upon their lips.
“An’ what’ll you say to him?” he demanded.
“Eighteen hundred!” shouted Huntington.