“So it would seem,” mused Rathburn. “I fooled ’em, an’ to all appearances I fooled myself, although maybe I did take a peep into that package when I changed it in my room, Mr. Sautee.”
The mines manager shifted in his chair; but he stared defiantly at Rathburn.
“You’d have a hard time proving anything,” he said grimly.
“That’s the trouble,” Rathburn admitted. “I’d sort of have to depend on you. I was thinkin’ maybe you double crossed me to make ’em think I was carrying the money while you sneaked it up some other way, Mr. Sautee.”
“You can think what you want to,” said Sautee. “But you better start moving. If I was you, I’d get as far away from this town and Mannix as I could by daylight.”
Rathburn’s manner underwent a lightning change as he threw away his partly finished cigarette.
“You’re right,” he said crisply. “It’s time to start moving, Sautee.”
He rose, and his right hand moved incredibly fast. Sautee gasped as he looked into the bore of Rathburn’s gun. He could hardly realize that Rathburn had drawn.
“I fooled the night riders twice,” explained Rathburn with a peculiar smile. “First, when I let ’em get the wrong package, an’ again when I let ’em get the wrong gun. This gun an’ I work together like clock ticks when necessary. I’ll have to ask you to fork over the money that you drew from the bank an’ that should have been in that package, Sautee.”