“That’s the talk!” cried Tate. “Then we’d have fifty thousand dollars more to divide between us,” and he smiled wickedly.
“This high-handed proceeding may get you in hot water, Davenport,” said Jack.
“I’m willing to take the risk. Now that we’ve got you again I’ll see to it personally that you’ll never get back to your folks again until that money is paid.”
“Suppose our folks can’t raise the money?” questioned Fred.
“I happen to know that they can raise it,” answered the oil man. “Your folks are rich. They have made barrels of money out of their transactions in Wall Street and in the West and down in the oil fields. They can pay that hundred and fifty thousand dollars easily enough, and they are going to do it.”
“Have you already made a demand for the money?” asked Randy.
“We have.”
“Well, if they won’t pay it, what then?” questioned Andy.
“Then we’ll put the screws on you boys until you send word to your folks that they’ve got to pay.”
“And if we won’t send word, what then?”