“You talk like you’d had considerable experience,” observed Percy warily.
“Maybe so. Maybe I have. But if I have, I can say I’ve never pulled anything quite so raw as the way you pulled that stunt last night down in Dry 48 Lake, Percy. That is the real low-down on that. You just naturally laid yourself open to attack from all quarters.”
His captive looked at him both respectfully and sheepishly.
“An’ there’s only one reason why you got away with it,” said Rathburn, his eyes narrowing.
“Because I was lucky like you say, I suppose,” sneeringly answered Percy.
“No!” thundered Rathburn. “You got away with it because they thought you were The Coyote!”
The captive started; stared at Rathburn with widened eyes.
“That’s why you got away with it,” continued Rathburn in a hard voice. “An’ you thought you’d cinch it when you told ’em before you went out that they could tell their funny judge you called!”
Rathburn’s eyes blazed with angry contempt. “Trading on somebody else’s name,” he mocked. “Trying to make out you was the goods, an’ I believe they thought you was The Coyote, at that. Man, I saw the whole dirty business.”
Percy’s face went white. However, his emotion was more anger than fear, and he was prey to an overpowering curiosity.