“That’s so,” said Brown. “I had the right hunch when I got the tip he’d left his Arizona hangout, sheriff. I figured he’d head this way. Then he had the nerve––well, you know what happened in my office.”
The sheriff chuckled. Then he spoke angrily. “He can’t pull any of his stunts in my territory,” he said growlingly. “I’ll hunt him down if I have to put every man I’ve got on the trail an’ keep ’em there. I figure, though,” he added hopefully, “that we’ve got him cornered in or around this valley. We traced ’em here, and we got sight of ’em yesterday. We’ll have ’em before night!”
“I hope so,” said Brown grimly.
“I’ve given orders to shoot to kill and not to miss,” thundered the sheriff. “But I guess the rewards offered for him would kind of steady the aim of the man that got a crack at him.”
Rathburn’s face went white, and his eyes shot fire as he listened to the sheriff’s cruel laugh in which the others in the room above now joined.
Lamy signaled that he wished to whisper in his ear, and Rathburn bent his head, although he kept the gun handy.
“I’m not goin’ to risk shootin’ anybody if we should be found or cornered,” Lamy whispered. “I thought you ought to know–––”
“If we’re cornered you leave it to me,” Rathburn came back. “I have reasons for everything I’m doing. An’ don’t forget that I’d rather be grabbed 69 for this simple trick of yours in Dry Lake than for one or two jobs over in Arizona. If things go wrong keep your mouth shut––don’t talk! If you start talking any time I’ll try to kill you!”
Lamy drew back from the ferocity in Rathburn’s tone and manner. That menacing message was again in Rathburn’s eyes.
“Who’s that boy out there?” the sheriff called sharply.