“Considering the source and spirit of your information, you sadden me,” said Billy. “The better man he is, the better chance to hang. Has he got any close friends here?”
“He seldom ever comes here,” said Jimmy. “All his friends is on Rainbow, specially South Rainbow; but his particular side partners is all away just now; leastways, all but one.”
“Can’t you write to that one?”
The deputy grinned hugely.
“And tell him to come break Jeff out o’ jail?” said he. “That don’t seem hardly right, considerin’. You write to him—Johnny Dines, Morningside. You might wire up to Cloudland and have it forwarded from there. I’ll pay.”
Billy made a note of it.
“They’ll be out here in a jiffy now,” he said. “Now, Jimmy, you listen to all they tell you; follow it up; make no comments; don’t see anything and don’t miss anything. Let Lake think he’s having it all his own way and he’ll make some kind of a break that will give him away. We haven’t got a thing against him yet except the right guess. And you be careful to catch your friend without a fight. When you get him I want you to give him a message from me; but don’t mention any name. Tell him to keep a stiff upper lip—that the devil takes care of his own. Say the devil told you himself—in person. I don’t want to show my hand. I’m on the other side—see? That way I can be in Lake’s counsels—force myself in, if necessary, after this morning.”
“You think that if you give Lake rope enough——”
“Exactly. Here they come—I hear their chairs.”