The cowboy detectives bent over Cook.
“Talk fast,” Chuck warned him. “If you don’t I’ll take you for a real ride.”
Cook moistened his lips. It was plain that he was reluctant to talk and only Chuck’s threat of a terrible punishment had loosened his tongue.
“It was Titzell,” he muttered. “Titzell got us into this jam. He was too greedy. He wanted everything.”
Slim looked at Chuck. He had been right. Titzell was the leader of the rustlers. Disguised as a cattle buyer, he had ridden the length and breadth of the valley, spotting choice stock to be run off by the gang later.
“Who else is in the gang?” insisted the relentless Chuck.
“They’ll kill me if they learn I’ve squealed,” begged Cook.
“If you don’t talk, they’ll never see you again,” promised Slim.
“There’s Maxie Denkman and Leo Kovec and Newt Bemis, besides the boys on my own place.”
“How many have you got there?”