To the surprise of both Thompson and the clerk, Carl interfered.
“I beg that you will do nothing of the kind,” said he. “Thompson, come back here and sit down.”
This was said in the form of an order, and Thompson had nothing to do but obey. Carl settled back on his pillow and closed his eyes, and the clerk, readily divining that he was not wanted there, got up to go.
“If you can think of anything you want, don’t fail to send Thompson after it and you shall have it,” said he.
Carl said he would bear that in mind, and when he was alone with the cowboy he exclaimed:
“Don’t you see that if you arrested those men you would get Claude into a mess?”
“No, I don’t. Did Claude have a hand in sending those men here?”
“Of course he did. As soon as he got ashore he went and got those fellows to come here and steal the money; and if they should be caught, don’t you see how easy it would be for them to tell on him?”
“And you want to let him go free because he is your cousin?”
“That’s it exactly. I am doing just as I believe my father would do if he were here. Besides, you would be held as a witness. I don’t know how long it will be before court sits, probably a month or six weeks, and you would have to lay in jail all that time.”