“You dirty hound!” he gasped. “Blackmail! So that’s it! You did know your stuff after all, didn’t you? Had it all planned out! Well, by golly, you take me to camp an’ see how much good it’ll do you! Think you can convict me on your word alone? How can you prove there was gold in them bags?”
“Go easy on them names!” The eyes behind the gun narrowed. “You see, stranger, we don’t need much proof in this here camp. Four or five witnesses heard you offer to help me cart the gold. A friend of mine was standin’ outside my tent when you walked off with the bags. You didn’t see him, but he was there, sure enough. The boys around here are sort of hair-triggered. Man, I got enough proof to hang you ten times over!”
“Hey, what’s this talk about hangin’?”
Nick and Allen turned quickly at the sound of the voice. It was Bug Eye, and he had his pistol leveled straight at Allen’s heart.
“You drop that gun, bozo!” he said sharply. “Drop it quick!”
CHAPTER XXI
Allen’s Gun
The gun fell from Allen’s fingers. It struck the pony on the neck, and he shied. Bug Eye moved his bronco forward.
“Now we’ll have a little conversation,” he went on. “Nick, what’s it all about?”
“It’s about robbery, that’s what it’s about!” Allen broke in. “Your little playmate took the gold I trusted him with and substituted rock! Look!” He pulled from his pocket the bag that Nick had handed him. “Plain, ordinary rock!”
“He done what?”