“That I’m going into action the next time you loom up anywhere within range,” Carver stated. “I’m just telling you so that you’ll know how to act the next time we meet. Right soon after we next sight each other there’ll be one of us absent from human affairs.”
The group on the sidewalk saw nothing unusual in this interview,—merely a low-voiced conversation between two acquaintances.
“Absent!” Noll repeated. “That one will be you!”
“Maybe,” Carver assented and turned off up the street.
He spent the night at the hotel and in the morning sought the deputy United States marshal whose posse guarded against the destruction of railroad property and the consequent interference with the delivery of the United States’ mail.
“You helped me into this job,” Mattison greeted. “Now it’s up to you to help me hold it. You’re to be my right-hand assistant until this mess is cleared up. Did you know it?”
“Not for sure,” Carver said. “But I suspected it somewhat when you sent over for me. I’ll make a deal with you. You can deputize me now till we iron out this fuss, provided that some future time you agree to let me deputize myself on some occasion when I may have to go into action right rapid and you not at hand; when it’s a case where county officers wouldn’t fit in and a deputy marshal would. I’d proclaim that I was acting under orders from you, meantime having dispatched word for you to make haste toward the spot. You arrive and assume command.”
“What’ve you got in mind?” Mattison inquired a bit doubtfully.
“Not anything special,” Carver returned. “I may never avail myself of my end of the bargain. If ever I do I’ll guarantee that the parties I move on will be eligible to arrest for shattering some Federal law and I’ll be able to prove it. That will let you out.”
“Yes. Likely it will let me out of my job,” Mattison said. “But you’re responsible for my getting it and I oughtn’t to object if you should also be responsible for my losing it. We’ll close the deal.”