“I've let yeh have money on a mortgage for one or two little favors yeh've done me.”
“Yes.”
Hackett began to grow pale.
“Now I'll lift that whole mortgage for another favor—an' don't get scared. I sha'n't ask yeh to do any more'n I propose to do myself.” Ward had noted the look of alarm on the man's face. “If we're both in it neither can say anything. I took yeh along with me last night and to-day so's yeh could hear how that young fool insults me on my own land.”
“I heard what he said, colonel, an' no man can blame ye for feelin' put out.”
Ward looked at him steadily for a moment.
“Listen to me. Few words when there's work to do: that's my motto. I've done the thinkin' part of this thing. What I want you for is to help on the work.”
The man stared with stupid inquiry.
“Hackett, here's my plan. You and I don't want to hurt that man. We can't afford to hurt him. But he's on my hands, an' he won't back down, an' it puts me in a hard place—a mighty hard place, Hackett. You heard what passed between us? Now he's got to be put out of this camp an' shoved where he can't blab this thing round about. Why, he's half got that fool of a Connick on his side already.
“The only thing, Hackett, is for you to take him across into that Tumble-dick camp an' keep him there—keep him there! Tie him to a beam and feed him like yeh would a pup. Keep him there till he weakens an' quits, or till I can think up some plan further. It'll give me time, Hackett.”