“Because I haven’t any other place to go. Forty-five dollars a month is better than nothing.”
“You say he has lots of money in that safe?” continued Harding, coming down to the point at once.
“Oceans of it.”
“Do you know where he keeps the key?”
“I do. He has it in his pocket; but then he takes his clothes off every night and throws them over a chair.”
“Do you suppose you could work your way in there at night and get it? You would have to be careful and not wake him up.”
“Oh, yes, I could do it. Uncle sleeps like a log.”
Harding went off at a lope to catch a steer that objected to being rounded up, and when he came back Claude waited for him to say something more; but the cowboy seemed to have had his talk out. After waiting until his patience was exhausted, Claude broke in with——
“Now, I want to know what you mean by inquiring in regard to uncle’s safe? It’s there in the office, and there is nobody going to rob it, either.”
“How much money do you think he has in the safe?” asked Harding. “It wouldn’t pay to break into it and get nothing out.”