“That’s so. Now, let’s go cautious, an’ not run inter any shootin’ bees ’thout havin’ our own powder dry. This is gittin’ as interestin’ as er game o’ odd an’ even, with beans for stake money.”
Half an hour later Fighting Dan and Lex passed around a jutting ledge and beheld six horsemen pulled up in front of the black mouth of the old mine. They seemed to be holding parley with invisible parties in the darkness beyond.
“That’s Red Dick, or I’m ther living image of a liar!” gasped Dan.
He watched for a moment, and then said:
“See here, Lex; you let me hev yore guns ter go with mine, an’ I’ll keep ’em in there if they try to get out, while you go back arter ther boys. If there’s any honey to be passed round, Red Dick ain’t goin ’ter sweeten his lips. What!”
Lex stole away, and Fighting Dan looked to his guns, while from an angle in the rocks above and behind the gambler two more heads appeared.
They belonged to old Nomad and Skibo.