Sucatash lay silent for a moment. Then:
“Jumpin’ snakes!” he said. “That fellow has got a lot comin’ to him, ain’t he?”
“He has,” said De Launay, shortly. “More than you know.”
Again the cow-puncher was silent for a space.
“Reckon he beefed Dave?” he said at last.
“Shouldn’t be surprised,” said De Launay. “I searched for him but couldn’t find him. He wouldn’t get lost or hurt. But Jim Banker’s done enough, in any case.”
“He sure has,” said Sucatash.
De Launay helped the cow-puncher up in front of him and turned back to the crater. He rode past Banker’s camp without stopping, but keeping along the slope to avoid the deeper snow he came upon a stake set in a pile of small rocks. This was evidently newly placed. He showed it to Sucatash. 253
“The fellow’s staked ground here. What could he have found?”
“Maybe the old lunatic thinks he’s run onto French Pete’s strike,” grinned Sucatash. “This don’t look very likely to me.”