“Voluntarily donate so much to the good cause, and pledge your words to give us an hour’s start before Uncle Tomming us. Sixty minutes you hold your dogs.” He stopped and set himself. Says he, through a thin and tight mouth: “Otherwise we take all and risk all. Let her come quick.”
Dana Mossman spoke up: “Your proposition is all right with me, Parson. I am much interested in mission work myself. But I want to call your attention to Frank Dodds here. He wasn’t in on our little witticism the other day, and only came along to keep us from going too far to-night. He swore he’d tell the hobo we was only fooling before we got the rope around his neck.”
“The point is well taken,” said the Parson pleasantly. “Your attitude is sportsmanlike to a degree, and does you great credit. Mr. Dodds may pass. Now, has any other gentleman any suggestion to make?”
“A nice point arises in my mind as to what would happen if we resisted,” said Tinnin. “You couldn’t kill all of us, you know—and when we did get hold of you you would find it a matter for subsequent regret.”
“Very true—ve-ry true,” said the Parson musingly. “Yet not one of you knows but he might be the one to have bad luck. We count on that—and you must count that, expecting no mercy, we should show none.”
“Yes—that’s so, too. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. Leave out the horse-wranglers—they’re just boys and don’t know no better than to follow us—and I’m with you.”
“Well, I don’t know about the horse-wranglers. It might be a valuable lesson in the future. They can not learn too early to avoid pleasure which gives others pain. What do you say, Doc?” This to the silent one.
“Boys free,” said that vigilant person. “Cut it short! You talk too damn much!” And that was his only remark that evening.
“All right. We had set our hearts on clearing up an even ten thousand, though. I see some steer buyers of a facetious turn here. Perhaps they will be good enough to make up the deficiency.”
The Colonel spoke up deprecatingly: “Now I do not for a moment desire any bloodshed. But as to taking all our money, remember that ninety per cent. of it is in checks. You couldn’t use them, you know. And I certainly do not carry a thousand dollars with me in cash. I’m willing to give you what money I have—but I can’t pay you one dollar a head.”