Twenty minutes later, with a witness called in from next door, Henderson was the owner of the Sunburst and Golden Lode claims. Bowen picked up the check for five thousand and handed it to Miss Ferguson.
“I don’t know you, Henderson,” he said quietly, “and I need cash badly. Further, I have an engagement in half an hour with Dickover and this must be settled one way or the other. So, Miss Ferguson, kindly step around the corner to the bank and cash this check for me. Good thing you deal with a local bank, Henderson.”
“I’ll go right with the young lady,” spoke up Henderson. “I can facilitate the cashing of the check, perhaps.”
“No,” said Bowen, his gray eyes suddenly icy. “No. You stay here, Henderson. I want to have a little private conversation with you.”
Henderson looked at him hard. Bowen’s tone had not been nice; but then, Bowen seemed to be on the inside, and private conversation was an alluring bait.
“Well—” he hesitated.
“You’d better stay,” said Bowen calmly. Then he rose and stepped outside the door as Miss Ferguson left. He closed the door again and spoke to the girl in a low voice.
“Cash that check, then run up to the Palace and wait for me, will you? Please!”
The girl nodded. Her eyes sought his with a mischievous gleam. “You won’t hurt him?”
“Hurt him? Great Jehu! I should say not! Why, he’s Dickover’s confidential agent!”