“Hardly probable. What kind of a person was this Blair?”
“Blair was all right,” said Baldy, adjusting the bandage on his wrist. “I sent Blair out to trail Torres and Garcia the night Blair was killed. Them two Mexicans went out of here, headin’ south, but they must have circled and bushwhacked Blair.”
The Mexican cook announced breakfast, and they all trooped in to eat. The loss of the big cargo was a blow to Meline, who had paid for it in hard cash. He was still complaining about the loss of the money he had sent to Big Medicine Hawkworth, which he had only valued at five hundred dollars with the express company.
And he was half-afraid of Baldy Kern and his hard-riding crew. He could not bulldoze them, and he knew that their loyalty to him was only because of the fact that he paid well. It was true that Baldy Kern had an interest in the business, but dollars did not mean as much to Baldy as they did to Meline.
“What about Lee Yung?” asked Baldy, as they ate breakfast. “Can yuh trust him, Doc?”
“Why not? He lost as much as I did on the deal.”
“If he wasn’t in on it,” suggested Baldy meaningly.
Meline shook his head. He did not believe that the Chinaman would double-cross him. The boys finished breakfast and rolled into their bunks for a sleep, while Meline sat down and tried to figure out who was trying to spoil his game; a game that was causing much concern among the customs inspectors and making big money for those actively interested.
CHAPTER X
“THANK THE LADY”
And at the same hour of the morning the Tumbling H outfit ate breakfast to the scratching music of “The Holy City,” while Musical Matthews, a boot in each hand, sat before the ornate horn of the old machine and drank in the song.