Finding that he could make no impression upon his father, the boy grew angry, and was more than once on the point of declaring that Sam had made a demand upon him for five thousand dollars, threatening, in case of refusal, to publish a story of his own getting up, that would induce the herdsmen to make short work of both of them.
But his guilty fears would not allow him to do it, and, besides, he had some other plans in his head that he wanted to try first, so he bolted out of the office, banging the door behind him.
“He’s the meanest old hulks of a father that any fellow ever had,” thought Arthur, stopping in the hall long enough to shake his fist at the door, “and I don’t care what happens to him. As he is too pig-headed to do as I want him to do, I’ll help myself to every cent there is in that safe this very night if I can get in. If I succeed, I will give Sam his hush-money to-morrow morning, and hire him to show me the way to the railroad station. I have seen quite enough of Arizona, and if I can only get aboard a train of cars that is headed for the East, the prospect of owning four times four million dollars won’t bring me back here.”
While Arthur was talking to himself in this way, he looked cautiously out of the door, and, having satisfied himself, by a few minutes’ reconnaissance, that the herdsmen had all dispersed, he walked across the porch, and bent his steps toward the grove.
He wanted to be alone, and this was the most retired spot he could find. It was utterly impossible for him to keep still, and here he could walk about among the trees without being seen by anybody.
Arthur had been in the grove, perhaps half an hour, keeping his thoughts busy with the plans he intended to put into operation in case his attempt to steal the money in the safe did not prove successful, when he saw the superintendent stop in front of the porch with a couple of horses that were saddled and bridled.
After he had stood there for a minute or two, Uncle Bob came out of the ranch, with his hat on his head and a riding-whip in his hand. He mounted one of the horses, Mr. Jacobs sprang upon the other, and together they rode away.
“They are going off somewhere on business,” soliloquized Arthur, “and this is as good an opportunity as I shall have to take a look at that safe. I wish the money in it belonged to me, and that the old man wanted some of it. He shouldn’t have a cent if he was starving.”
Arthur gave the horsemen time to get out of sight, and then he left the grove and walked toward the ranch.
He went into the office, and having locked the door to prevent interruption, he began an examination of the safe, which was set into the wall so that nothing but the face of it could be seen.