[CHAPTER XIV.]
AN UNEXPECTED TURN.
Motor Matt was never more at sea than he was at that moment. What could he, and McGlory, and Ping do against six armed cowboys who, because of their hostility, would not listen to reason?
Jed Spearman and his companions could do exactly as they pleased. They could take the law into their own hands, so far as Newt Prebbles was concerned, and delay his departure for Fort Totten; and, in reckless defiance of what Matt said, they could release Murgatroyd.
Ping, so far from being a factor of strength in the slender force to be mustered against the cowboys, was a decided element of weakness. He was afraid he was going to lose his queue, and the fear had made him almost daft.
"Slim," called Spearman, tilting back in his chair and fanning himself with his hat, "jest count the dinero in that bag an' see how much it foots up."
Slim slouched over to the table, Matt, meanwhile, standing guard between him and Murgatroyd.
With elaborate ease, Slim dumped the contents of the pouch on the table and proceeded to count the gold pieces.
"Why, Jed," he called, "I'm blamed if it ain't all here, an' a dollar more'n what we lost."