“Clean Out of Cash & Poor Pay!”
“Aw!” scoffed Davy. “Is it as bad as that?”
“Pretty near,” asserted Bob. But that wasn’t his news. His news followed. “Do you know something else; what’s going to happen next on this blooming road?”
“Pony express!” hazarded Dave.
Bob turned his head and coolly stared.
“How’d you find out?”
“I guessed. Mr. Ficklin spoke about it a long time ago.”
“Well, she’s due, and Ben Ficklin and Billy Russell and Alex Majors and that crowd are back of it. You saw Billy Russell go through Laramie last month. He’s been buying hosses—the best in the country, two hundred of ’em, at from one hundred to two hundred dollars apiece. Read this advertisement in the paper; that’ll tell you the scheme.” And reaching in behind the leather apron which covered the front of the pocket or “boot” under his seat, Bob extracted a newspaper. He indicated with his thumb. “Read that,” he bade.
It was a “Missouri Republican,” date of March 26. The article said: