Part 19 (1/2)
”A lawyer--but not ornery, I hope,” he said pleasantly ”And my client is Mrs Nelson, the nener of the ranch Is there anything else you would like to know about arded Allen with a shreinkle in his kindly blue eyes
”Sorry, Son,” he said ”I reckon there are soh I never ain't met one yet--not round here leastways”
”Thanks for a rather doubtful co the old h I am not always honest, there are times when I try very hard to be” Then he suddenly added: ”By the way, do you happen to know a man around here--one of those ornery lawyers--by the naustedly
”Know him!” he answered with a wealth of scorn in his voice ”I reckon hty fes any good o' him Take my advice, Son, an' keep away from him”
”Thanks,” said Allen dryly ”But the proble a client ants to buy Gold Run Ranch”
The old lea to share his emotion, crept closer to hierly, then relaxed once e inward turmoil
”Listen, Son,” he said ”Ef you let that snake in the grass argy you into sellin', you're a bigger fool 'n I take you to be An' what's erly, ”if Peter wants that there property of yourn there's gold on it, you can bet your last dollar onto it Pete ain't no angel, an' he don't work for nothing”
Burning with exciteirls marveled that Allen could take this statement so calmly
”Thanks for the tip,” he said, in his ordinary voice ”I had soment backed by somebody who knows the people in the case”
CHAPTER XVII
THE NET TIGHTENS
Allen learned much about Peter Levine and his associates and about Gold Run itself in the following conversation, and when he and the girls finally said good-by to the old ain, he was irls, they could hardly wait to get out of earshot of theloose a flood of excited coet so excited about,” said Allen, after they had rattled on for severalwe didn't already know--or suspect, anyway He simply confirmed our suspicions, that's all”
”See to think a thing yourself and an entirely different thing to find out soranddaddy, Allen,” Betty said, adding threateningly: ”If you don't look out on't let you have any of that wonderful gold we are going to find--not one little tiny nugget”
”That's gratitude for you,” said Allen reproachfully ”Not one little nugget for a felloho finds her a fortune”
”You haven't found it yet,” Amy reminded him
”No,” said Allen suddenly animated, ”I haven't found it--not yet--but I'ht track Look here,” he appealed to them: ”It seems reasonable to me to suppose that if Peter Levine and the people above hiet the property they know pretty here they stand They don't want the ranch siold on it”
”Then you think----” Betty was beginning breathlessly, when Allen interrupted her with a rush of words
”Yes, that's just what I think,” he said ”I've been pretty well over the whole of this ranch since I came, and I've noticed that this extreme northwest portion of it, the only part where there would be any possibility of finding gold, is pretty well deserted ht----”
”Then you think,” Betty burst forth, ”that these people, whoever they are, old here?”
Allen nodded
”That is ravely ”But of course the only way to prove the truth of it is to keep my eyes open and catch them, if that is possible, in the act”