"Had business that detained you, maybe."
"You're a good guesser."
"Folks were right anxious down there, according to the say-so that reached me."
Keller's cool eye measured him in silence, at which his enemy laughed contemptuously and turned on his heel.
Healy drew his confederate to one side of the room and held a whispered talk with him. Apparently he did not greatly care whether his foe caught the drift of it or not, for occasionally his voice lifted enough so that scraps of sentences reached the man lounging on the bed.
"—close to two hundred head—by the Mimbres Pass—the boys are ce'tainly pushing the drive—out of danger by midnight—wait for the signal before you turn him loose——"
"So-long, Mr. Keller. I cayn't spare the time to stay longer with you," their owner jeered.
"Just a moment, Mr. Healy. I want to know why you are keeping me here."
The man grinned. "Am I keeping you here, seh? Looks to me like it was Brad that's a-keeping you. Make a break for a getaway, and I'll not do a thing to you. Course I cayn't promise what Brad won't do. He's such a plumb anxious host."
"You're his brains. What you tell him to do he does. I hold you responsible for this!"