Everybody seemed to know that there was something coming now. The sheriff looked expectant, and those who had accompanied him to the cabin, merely out of curiosity, led their horses closer to the speaker and formed a complete circle around him.
As Bob uttered these words, he fastened his eyes upon Wallace and his two friends, and kept them there so long that the rest of the party began to look toward them, also.
Wallace, who showed himself to be possessed of uncommon nerve, met his gaze without flinching; Forbes moved about uneasily and smiled in a sickly sort of way; and Benson, utterly unable to endure his close scrutiny, walked off as though he had no particular object in view, leading his horse by the bridle.
“Don’t go away, Benson,” said Bob. “You are just the fellow I want to talk to. Come back here.”
“Why, Bob, you’re crazy!” exclaimed Wallace. “What does Benson know about Mr. Stebbins’ money? I mean—”
Wallace saw that he had made a false step, and he intended to correct it; but Bob was too quick for him.
“Who said anything about Mr. Stebbins’ money?” he demanded. “That subject was dropped long ago; but Benson knows all about it, and so do you and Forbes.”
The horsemen moved up closer to Bob, and exclamations of astonishment were heard on all sides. Forbes would have been glad to run away with Benson, but Wallace stood his ground manfully.
“If I know all about it, why don’t you question me instead of Benson?” he inquired, with a sneer.
“Because I don’t choose to, just now. I may have a few questions to ask you, by-and-by.”