"What!" Murray lowered his weapon, in genuine amazement. Deadoak leaped at the chance.
"Yep, that's right, Doc! I didn't go to defraud nobody! If you ain't satisfied with the deal, I'll take back the prop'ty and no hard feelin's—that's what I rid out here to say, if ye give me a chance. Ding my dogs, I ain't no gunman. P'int that thing another way!"
Murray obeyed.
"You don't mean that you'll take back the property? At the price we paid?"
"Certain!" assented Deadoak, fervently virtuous and hugely relieved. "Give ye a profit, if ye feel bad. Why, Doc, we wouldn't go to pirootin' no pilgrims—future denizens o' this here great an' glorious Two Palms! We wouldn't have ye feel that we was anythin' but honest an' simple natives, welcomin' you to our midst. We'll go to 'most any length to make things good. If we'd knowed that Mac was attracted by them ruby silver samples—which same I didn't know—we'd have run down the thing then an' there——"
"Hold on," interjected Murray. "Here's Mackintavers now."
Sandy had descried the arrival of the visitor from afar, and was now hastening toward the cabin. It was a rare thing, an unknown thing, for Sandy Mackintavers to meet any man who had successfully bilked him; he arrived upon the spot somewhat out of breath, and gazed upon Deadoak more in sorrow than in wrath.
Deadoak, however, hastened to avoid any trouble by apprising Sandy of the reason which he avowed had caused his visit.
"And now," he added, screwing up his leathery countenance into sanctimonious lines, "I stand ready to do the right thing, gents. I'm offerin', this bein' on behalf o' me and Piute together, what ye paid for the prop'ty and five hundred to boot."
"What about your mortgage?" queried Sandy shrewdly.