Part 30 (2/2)
”Where d'ye think I've been?” was the surly reply. ”Where do I look as if I'd been? To a Garden Party?”
”Well, no, judging by your appearance. Haven't been mauled by a grizzly, have you?”
”No, worse than a grizzly. I've been in the hands of devils, that's where I've been. And his Satanic majesty was there, too.”
”H'm, it's rather early, isn't it, Curly?” and Dan grinned.
”Early! What d'ye mean?”
”Nothing, except that ye didn't expect to meet the devil an' his bunch until ye cashed in, did ye?”
”Oh, I see. But we'll be pardners, then, Dan, never fear. But if the devil an' his gang are any worse than the ones at Glen West, then the outlook isn't very bright for either of us.”
”So you've been in Jim Weston's hands, eh?” Dan queried, while his eyes closed to a narrow squint.
”Should say I have, an' just barely escaped. It was terrible!”
Curly's hands trembled, and into his eyes came a look of fear as he glanced apprehensively around. ”Ye don't suppose they've followed me, do you?”
”Don't be a fool,” Dan chided. ”D'ye want me to tell ye something?”
”Sure. Go ahead.”
”Jim Weston and his Indian gang were only bluffing.”
”Bluffing!”
”That's what I said. Look here, Curly, they did the same thing to me, and scared me nearly to death when I was prowling around Glen West. I thought fer certain that I had escaped just by the skin of me teeth.
But since I've talked with several others who were treated in the same way, I know that the whole thing is a bluff, an' nothin' more.”
Curly's eyes were big with amazement, and slowly he comprehended the meaning of it all.
”An' ye think they wouldn't burn a man alive?” he gasped.
”No. Take my word fer it, they have never done such a thing yet, an'
never will. Jim Weston wants to keep all white men away from Glen West, an' so he puts up that bluff. It's on account of his daughter.
He knows that more than you an' me have their eyes on her. That's what took you there, wasn't it?”
”Sure. D'ye think it'd be anything else than a woman that would put me into such a sc.r.a.pe?”
”An' didn't get her after all. That's too bad.”
”But I will get her,” Curly declared with an oath. ”That slick gentleman sucker isn't going to have her.”
”Who d'ye mean?”
”Oh, you know, don't ye? It's that guy who knocked off the bottles.
He's at Glen West now, an' very chummy with Jim Weston's daughter.”
<script>