“I’ll tell a maverick it isn’t!” Roy cried. “At least, it doesn’t look like one. It happened just as Pop said when he started that speech of his. We were standing at the door, talking, and a rider came out of the dark and threw this at us, tied to this stick. Then he beat it again before we could wink.”
For a moment Mr. Manley said nothing. He pulled first one side of his mustache, then the other. Then he put the paper in his pocket, took out a corncob pipe, filled, and lit it.
“Regular Wild West stuff,” he remarked slowly, removing the pipe from his mouth. “Deadeye Bill. Well, let him have his little fun. He don’t annoy us any.”
“What you goin’ to do?” Pop asked.
“Me?” Mr. Manley turned to the speaker, a surprised look on his face. “Why, I’m goin’ to hit the hay pretty soon. Gettin’ kind of late. She’s sure some warm out, ain’t she? We’ll probably have a long Indian summer. Nick, will you see that General is saddled for me early to-morrow? Want to take a ride over Hawley way. Got somethin’ I want to tell the sheriff. Well, I’ll be gettin’ back. Watch out for that door, Gus, or you’ll have all the gnats an’ millers in the whole state flyin’ around in here.”
With a glance toward Roy and Teddy, the ranch owner stepped out into the night. Gus chuckled.
“He’s some worried, ain’t he? They might just as well have written ‘Merry Christmas’ on that note for all the boss cares.”
“The man that tries to buffalo dad has got a mean job on his hands,” Roy declared, with a grin. “He’ll push that charge now harder than he would have before. Well, I’ll tell you one thing. Froud didn’t have a hand in this. He knows dad—and with good reason. He’d never send a note like this if he really wanted the charge dropped. He’d know it would be the one sure way of getting dad to force it.”
“You’re right, Roy,” Teddy remarked. “This was written by one of the men that got away. Wouldn’t be surprised if old Slouch himself did the job. Must think he’s some hot stuff! Well, he’ll learn. He sure will. He’s young yet.”
“Check,” Nick agreed, with a laugh. “Teddy, yore dad is one fine man; you know it? Best boss I ever had. I’m sure glad he’s not gonna be scared out of puttin’ those rustlers in jail for a long stretch. Yessir, I’m fer the boss every time.”