“Only a flesh wound,” he said to his partner. “I didn’t dare to try for his gun in this light. It was too far behind him. That was a good one you gave him, all right.”
“Yeah?” returned Henderson. “Why, I was all ready an’ waitin’ for that play. What about the one you give Perry, huh?”
The fat man groaned and eased over on his side.
“Say,” he wheezed craftily. “A man that can shoot like you can is wastin’ his time out in this ⸺ place. Why don’t you two come in with us? There’s forty thousand in bills amongst us three. We’ll split it five ways—eight thousand apiece. What about it?”
Henderson spat. Nick grinned.
“No,” he answered. “Not us, I guess. I seen your face in the papers too many times a couple o’ years ago, an’ I bet it’s there today, too. You’re wanted bad back in the States, old boy, an’ I know it.”
He turned to his partner.
“Jim, they’s no use us two tryin’ to take this gang out to the Poste. I’ll start off now an’ bring in the sheriff an’ a few others to help. I’ll be out there tomorrow night an’ back the next. All right?”
“All right, only hustle. We don’t want this place to be a pig-pen any longer ’n we can help. Besides, we got to get out on the lines pretty quick.”
“Listen.” The fat man saw it was no use to try to bribe his captors. “You got us, an’ I don’t say it wasn’t my fault, not takin’ Tony’s advice an’ comin’ in peaceable, instead o’ stagin’ a hold-up.” He gave a twisted smile as Tony cursed him heartily. “But you’d never ’a’ done it without pullin’ that hid gun stunt. I wish you’d tell me before you go just how in ⸺ you did that.”