“If McGowan finds out ye didn’t go with him——”
“Bern will take care of that, in case McGowan makes any remarks. He’ll offer an excuse by saying he had me stay a while in Phœnix to talk with our powder-men about the last lot of high-explosives. Hike out, now, and do your work. I’ll leave after a while myself. Make sure you’re not shadowed, Bascomb, and don’t let any grass grow under your feet. Bern told me to say that everything depends on you, and if we get away with forty-odd thousand in bullion, you’ll be handsomely remembered.”
“Which I ort ter be. Waal, adios fer now.”
Nomad put back the knot carefully and got to his feet. He was astounded by what he had heard.
Here, at the very start-off, was evidence of the plot against the baron, as well as evidence of a greater plot against the clean-up which was to be made on the following day at the Three-ply Mine!
And Buffalo Bill was to be ambushed along the Black Cañon trail!
Nomad exulted to think that he had acquired information which, properly used, would break this far-reaching combination of bullion thieves.
But what, he asked himself, did Jacobs and Bascomb mean in their references to underhand work at the hotel?
That part of it had escaped Nomad. He felt that he had overheard enough, however, and was not disposed to find any fault because a little of the conversation had got away from him.