It was exceedingly dark outside. A heavy mist moistened his face as he stared through the enveloping gloom. He groped forward until he had found the path that led to the stable, then hurried along it, wondering what had happened to detain the corporal.
Forty or fifty yards from the house he stopped short in consternation. From his right came the sound of voices. Hesitating for a brief moment, he struck forth again in the direction of the sound, walking on tiptoes, his pulses pounding. Quite unexpectedly, there loomed before him the dark shape of the company’s warehouse. It was a large, square building, constructed entirely of logs. Here he came to an abrupt pause and crouched down close to the wall, trembling at his own audacity.
Immediately around the corner from him were two men, talking in guarded tones. Dick listened intently.
“Yuh can do this thing a hull lot better than I can,” drawled the voice of Murky Nichols. “Yuh gotta fix it up somehow jes’ as soon as yuh possibly can. Tomorrow mornin’ ain’t none too soon, La Qua, ’cause there ain’t no tellin’ what that danged breed’ll be up to next.”
“Yuh mean yuh want me to get him outta the way?”
“If there ain’t no other way—yes!” calmly answered Murky. “We can’t afford to take no more chances with him. I gotta know he’s gonna get right down to business an’ no more foolin’. Yuh can tell him we’ll give him fifty dollars more fer the next bunch o’ pelts he brings down. I won’t go a dime higher ’an that an’ if he squawks I’m givin’ yuh permission to pick him off any time.”
“Should o’ done that long time ago,” growled the other. “Yuh can’t trust him. Yuh ain’t the only one he’s nearly got with that blamed knife o’ his. He nearly killed one o’ my best packers less ’an a week ago in a scrap over a card game. I tell yuh, I hate to have him around.”
“Jes’ the same, he comes in pretty handy,” Murky Nichols declared. “Take the case of Daddy McInnes, fer example. None o’ yuh fellers would o’ dared to do what he done. Both you an’ Bremner was in the party guardin’ the pass when the ol’ man came through.”
“I was the first one who seen him,” protested the other hotly. “It was me what told this breed, Testola, to go after him.”
“Mebbe so, but yuh wouldn’t o’ done it yourself.”