“Don’t talk so loud!” He advanced a step and caught Smallpox Dave by the arm. “And listen! I’m glad you’re here, for I need you. You’re always ready to earn money, and I’m ready to pay you more for this job than any you ever undertook for me.”
“It’s about ther nugget?”
“Don’t speak of that—here! Do you understand? Keep your mouth shut about that. And now, listen.”
“I’m listenin’,” was the answer.
“You have a horse here, or near?”
“Right out yender.”
“I thought so. What brought you here?”
“Well, say, it was that letter you sent me. It mixed me all up. What did you mean by askin’ me fer ter marry ye, and callin’ me yer sweetheart and all them kind of things? Say, now, wouldn’t that run any man crazy? What did ye mean by it? Er was it some sort of a cipher letter you thought mebbe I’d be able to read. I tried to figger it out, thinkin’ maybe that ‘sweetheart’ meant ther nugget, and that when you said you wanted ter marry me you was only tryin’ to tell me you wanted ter see me bad. I didn’t know but maybe you was afraid ther letter would be opened, and——”
“Curse the letter!” Barlow snarled. “Don’t speak of it!”
“But why did ye send it?”