"Did you see any one near me who might have picked it up, unnoticed in the excitement?"
The question was asked quietly, with no unusual emphasis. But it was loaded!
By it the great bandit sought to learn whether or not the banker's son was the person who had uttered the exclamation as his beard was pulled from his face.
Its answer would tell if the call of young Rozier was an act of friendliness or of hostility.
The unsuspecting lad, however, accepted it at its face value, responding:
"There was no one near you but Mr. Sloan and myself. If I had seen it, I should have called your attention to it. Probably it was trampled in the dirt."
As he heard the admission, Jesse's eyes grew steely.
There was no longer any doubt in his mind that his caller had discovered his disguise. Yet it was necessary to learn the plans and purpose of the banker before acting.
The battle of wits was on!
Instinctively the occupants of the tent realized that the apparently harmless question and answer had changed their relations.