CHAPTER XXII
Retribution
Teddy’s eyes flashed and he drew his revolver. He made as if to urge Flash out into the trail to face the oncoming horseman, but Roy laid a restraining hand on his arm.
“Wait!” he cautioned tensely. “Not yet!”
Now the rider was nearly opposite those hidden in the brush. Roy looked at Teddy and Nick, then nodded. Carelessly the five men walked their horses into the middle of the trail, adequately covering it. The slouched horseman yelled, pulled back sharply on the reins, and brought his pony to a sudden, sliding halt.
“You crazy fools!” he shouted. “Want to send me over the cliff? What in time’s the matter with you-all, jumpin’ out on me like that?”
“Well, now, mister, we weren’t aimin’ to do just that,” Gus drawled mildly. “But we heard you comin’, an’ we kind o’ thought you might like to palaver a little.”
“Well, I don’t!” The man turned angrily toward Gus. “An’ I’ll thank you to move aside an’ let me by! I’m in a hurry!”
“Shorely you can’t be in a hurry on a nice evenin’ like this!” Nick suggested gently. “Seems like yuh ought to be ridin’ along slow like, observin’ the birds an’ the flowers, an’ maybe tossin’ sticks with paper tied to ’em down into the gully. Hey?”
“Stand aside, you locoed cow-nurse! I ain’t got no time fer no foolishness! Once more, I’m tellin’ yuh—”