Lance evinced great interest, especially in the fact that Garry’s name had been mentioned.
“Why should these scoundrels especially pick on Garry?” asked Tavia suddenly. “Isn’t there anybody besides Garry around here that has something they want?”
“There ain’t nobody around here that has something that they don’t want to get it away from them, Miss Tavia,” rejoined Lance, with his grim chuckle.
“Then why must they pick on Garry? More than the rest, I mean?” persisted Tavia.
Lance shrugged his shoulders eloquently.
“Because Garry Knapp happens to have the largest and most succulent wheat land anywhere around here,” he said. “Lightly and Stiffbold and those fellers believe in hookin’ the big fish first. Then they can come after us little ones.”
“Do you think Garry is in any real danger?” asked Dorothy slowly. “Any personal danger, I mean?”
Lance shook his head emphatically.
“Now don’t you go worryin’ about that, at all, Miss Dorothy,” he said. “These fellers are sneakin’ and mean. But that’s just it—they ain’t out-an’-outers. They always tries to play just within the law, or as near to the edge of it as they can. That’s why they haven’t been caught long ago and sent to jail like they deserve. There ain’t never been anything that you could really hang on them—any proof, if you get what I mean.
“No, they wouldn’t dare do nothin’ to Garry except pester the life out of the lad in hopes he’ll be glad to sell. If they try any dirty work—well, Garry Knapp has plenty of friends to punish the offenders!”