We made our camp consid’able higher than our look-out had been, and it was a well sheltered spot. An easy slopin’ stretch led up to it from the north, and a ledge skirted the face o’ the cliff up back of it, to the south. We examined this some distance; but it didn’t seem to lead anywhere. We found several dips back in the hills where the snow water made grazin’ for our ponies, and we were as comfortable as it’s ever possible to be while waitin’.
I know what my plan would be for makin’ a hell which would be punishment for any mortal sin, and yet not severe enough to make me hate all the peace out o’ my own existence. I’d make the wicked sit in the dark for a hundred years, waitin’ to hear what their sentence was. Then, I’d let ’em into heaven, and I bet they would be in a fair way to appreciate it. I never met up with any one able to out-wait me without showin’ it more ’n I did; but I’ll wager what I got, that the suspense was gorin’ into me worse ’n into them, all the time.
One evenin’, me an’ Tank went up to camp after doin’ our stunt at the look-out, and as we went, we caught sight o’ two riders headin’ our way. We hastened along so as to be ready to move in case this was a pair we didn’t care to draw to; but by the time we reached camp, they were close enough to recognize as the Friar and Olaf. The plan was to keep the Friar in the dark as long as possible, and we waited their comin’ with consid’able interest.
The Friar had squeezed the whole thing out of Olaf, as we might have known he would. You couldn’t trust Olaf with a secret where the Friar was concerned. Tank, now, would have sent the Friar off to Bosco or Laramie as contented as a bug; but just as soon as Olaf was backed into a corner, he told the truth, and spoiled all our arrangements.
The Friar rode into our camp, dismounted, threw his reins to the ground, and sez: “Where is Promotheus?”
We looked at Olaf, and he nodded his head as sheepish as the under dog at a bee-swarmin’. “He’s down at the ranch,” sez Horace.
“Has he brought any news?” asked the Friar. So we told him all ’at The had reported. He took a few steps up and down, ponderin’.
“I can’t permit this,” he said after a minute. “He is riskin’ his life down there, and I can’t allow him to continue.”
The rest all joined in and argued with him; but he was as obstinate as a burro, once he got his back up; so I didn’t say anything. I went off and started to eat my supper. When I was about half through, Horace came over and said the Friar was bent on goin’ down to Ty’s himself. “Well, let him go,” sez I as cool as a snow-slide.
“Yes, but if he goes, Ty will kill both him and Promotheus!” sez Horace raisin’ his voice. I noticed the others headin’ toward us so I only flung my hands into the air, meanin’ that it was none o’ my business.