“But why?” argued Lennox. “I’m not in Geerusalem. They’ve run me out. I’ve quit.”
Billy Gee nodded. “That’s jest it. They’re skeert you’ll talk. You know too much about their leetle game. I got the straight tip. They’re set on gettin’ you.”
Alarm crept into the other’s face. “And I’m flat on my back, unable to protect myself. That’s certainly cheerful news.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t give you nothin’ better,” said Billy Gee simply. Some moments later he turned to leave the room. “Me and Huntington’s got business together if you’ll excuse us. Hope you’ll come out all right.”
Once back in the kitchen, the table between them, the outlaw studied Lemuel speculatively for a few seconds.
“What did them two railroad detectives do the night I rambled off in their automobile? Sorter jolted ’em, didn’t it?” he asked finally.
“They didn’t do nothin’. They was sore, of course, an’ started quarrelin’ among themselves. I s’pose you knowed they left here to-day?” Lemuel paused and added: “I—I oughter mebby thank you for doin’ me a favor. They was goin’ to arrest me.”
Billy Gee laughed softly. “I heerd ’em gabbin’ about it. Miss Dot turned the money back to Lex Sangerly, didn’t she? I’m glad she did—now.” He shifted in his chair, placed his elbows on the table, and covered the rancher with an intense look. “I come to ask a favor off o’ you, Huntington. It ain’t a favor either. You owe it to me. I give you yore start, so to speak. You made ten thousand dollars off o’ me—sold me like you would one of yore cows. I’ll never forget that. You’re goin’ to pay heavy for it some o’ these days. See if you don’t! Right now I’m askin’ what’s part mine, savvy? I want you to give Tinnemaha Pete a deed o’ gift to that hill on the far end of the ranch.”
Lemuel sat bolt upright, then a hoarse exclamation burst from him. He paled through his sunburn. “Good Lord, man! You don’t aim to take the leetle I got?” he choked.
“If that hill was bringin’ you in anythin’, I wouldn’t ask it, Huntington—bad as I’d like to hurt you,” said Billy Gee evenly. “But it ain’t. A steer’d starve to death for the grass that’s on it, and you know it. Tinnemaha is lookin’ to do some prospectin’ an’ he don’t figger to deevelop another man’s property. He’ll be here to see you to-morrow or nex’ day. An’ you see that you give him a deed, see, or—well, I’ll be back, you kin gamble on that!”