“Ye needn’t be afeared I’d sponge him out, Lige,” leered Red Steve, catching the drift of arrangements.
“If you tried that,” said Benner, “you’d get sponged out yourself. I’m going to have the country watched, all around the ranch. If Buffalo Bill, or any of his pards, come here looking for Hickok, we’ll have them before we know what they’re doing.”
“Purvidin’ they’re reckernized,” qualified Red Steve. “I hadn’t a notion Gringo Pete was Wild Bill—an’ I looked Gringo Pete over mighty close, too. Say, he’s some on playin’ a part, Wild Bill is.”
“You’re a very accomplished man, Wild Bill,” said Benner, with some sarcasm, “but this time your accomplishments have loaded you up with more trouble than you can handle.”
“It looks that way, for a fact,” returned the Laramie man cheerfully. “Would you mind telling me, Benner, how you happened to learn I wasn’t what I seemed?”
“Jerry got next to that. Jerry can get next to anything in the lame-duck line.”
“Which indicates that Jerry also has his accomplishments,” grinned Wild Bill. “But how did he turn the trick against me?”
Benner explained that point in a few words. Wild Bill cast a rueful look in the direction of the fireplace.
“If I hadn’t been a little shy on reasoning myself,” he muttered, “this wouldn’t have happened, and I’d now be on the way to the Star-A. Nobody but myself to blame. Go ahead and do your worst, Benner. After that, you take my advice and get out from under.”
Benner whirled on his heel, beckoned Red Steve to follow, and the two men passed out of the room. The door was closed and the bolt shoved into place.