‘Well, if yuh see him, yuh can tell him he don’t need to come back.’
‘If he knows you’re here, it’s a cinch he won’t want to.’
It did not take the three boys long to pack their belongings in their war-bags. Dave Morgan and Ed Jones sat on the spacious porch of the ranch-house and watched them saddle their horses and leave the ranch.
Dave Morgan smiled around at his possessions. The 6X6 was the biggest ranch in the country. Even the stable was a better building than the ranch-house at the Flying M.
‘Got kinda salty, didn’t they?’ grinned Dave.
‘They allus have been,’ said Ed slowly. ‘I was wonderin’ about old man Briggs, Dave. He pulled out several days ago, and he had plenty chance to open that safe.’
Dave smiled thoughtfully. ‘I’ll betcha you’re right, Ed. That old pelican cleaned out that safe and skipped the country. I’ll get in touch with the sheriff as soon as I can, and we’ll see if we can’t find Briggs. He’s the man.’
‘Another thing,’ said Jones. ‘You’ll have to hire some punchers, Dave. We can’t run both places. What yuh ort to do is to hire a crew to run the Flyin’ M, and let us come here.’
‘Might be a good idea. I dunno where I’d find any men right now.’
‘How about them two jiggers at the Lane place? Oh, I know yuh don’t like ’em, but they look like cowmen, Dave.’