“Hello, Steve! Glad to death to see you. Hope you've come to stay, you old pie eater,” he cried joyously, at sight of the Texan.
Fraser got down. “Wait here a moment, Bobbie. I want to have a talk with Alec. I may go on with you.”
They went into the cabin, and Fraser sat down. He was still far from strong.
“What's up, Steve?” the rancher asked.
“You asked me to stay, Alec. Before I say whether I will or not, I've got a story to tell you. After I've told it, you can ask me again if you want me to stop with you. If you don't ask me, I'll ride off with the boy.”
“All right. Fire ahead, old hoss. I'll ask you fast enough.”
The Texan told his story from the beginning. Only one thing he omitted—that Arlie had told him the name of the Squaw Creek raiders.
“There are the facts, Alec. You've got them from beginning to end. It's up to you. Do you want me here?”
“Before I answer that, I'll have to put a question myse'f, Steve. Why do you want to stay? Why not leave the valley while you're still able to?”
“Because Jed Briscoe put it up to me that I'd got to leave within a week. I'll go when I'm good and ready.”