“It’s like this,” explained Langley. “Rance got that hundred and thirty-two thousand dollars cached. Chuckwalla busted jail for him, and old Rance has high-tailed it out of this country, takin’ the stuff along. As soon as things blow over, old Chuckwalla will hit the grit. Now, you jist watch and see if I ain’t right, Slim.”
“And you think Rance was so anxious to get out of the country that he wouldn’t stop long enough to kill DuMond, eh?” asked Hashknife.
“I don’t think he would.”
“And you don’t think old Rance will ever come back?”
Langley shut his lips tightly for a moment, as he shook his head in the negative.
“No,” he said, “I’d almost bet he won’t.”
“Well, we better work on it from a different angle, Hashknife,” said Slim seriously.
“Are you workin’ on it, Hartley?” asked Langley.
“Well, I’m kinda helpin’ Slim,” laughed Hashknife.
Later on that day Langley and Butch Reimer met in front of the Red Arrow and discussed the case. Reimer had imbibed a few drinks and was inclined to be big-voiced.