“Bill sorta showed up as a windbag, didn’t he?” the old prospector remarked.
“Yeh, Jack Allen is sure enough a little hellion on wheels.” Hard-rock grinned his admiration.
“How come yuh persuaded Bill to write to him?” asked Pop.
“I ain’t supposed to say, but it was Steve Brandon who got me to prod Bill to get Jack Allen,” Hard-rock answered, after a moment’s hesitation.
When Pop Howes entered the living room he found Jim-twin Allen waiting for him. Pop laughed as he related what had happened at the miners’ meeting that night.
“An’ yuh say it was Steve Brandon who started gettin’ Jack down here?” Allen asked curiously.
“Yeh. Steve sure has a head on him. Reckon he don’t want it known for fear these here quartz robbers will get after him.”
“Listen, Pop. I’ve been thinkin’. That night they robbed yuh—yuh say the kid they downed was dressed in his underclothes an’ wasn’t armed?”
“Yeh.”
“Did yuh ever think that maybe some one downed that kid, figgerin’ it was you—an’ done it for a purpose?” Allen asked.