"Early! What d'ye mean?"
"Nothing, except that ye didn't expect to meet the devil an' his bunch until ye cashed in, did ye?"
"Oh, I see. But we'll be pardners, then, Dan, never fear. But if the devil an' his gang are any worse than the ones at Glen West, then the outlook isn't very bright for either of us."
"So you've been in Jim Weston's hands, eh?" Dan queried, while his eyes closed to a narrow squint.
"Should say I have, an' just barely escaped. It was terrible!" Curly's hands trembled, and into his eyes came a look of fear as he glanced apprehensively around. "Ye don't suppose they've followed me, do you?"
"Don't be a fool," Dan chided. "D'ye want me to tell ye something?"
"Sure. Go ahead."
"Jim Weston and his Indian gang were only bluffing."
"Bluffing!"
"That's what I said. Look here, Curly, they did the same thing to me, and scared me nearly to death when I was prowling around Glen West. I thought fer certain that I had escaped just by the skin of me teeth. But since I've talked with several others who were treated in the same way, I know that the whole thing is a bluff, an' nothin' more."