Part 20 (2/2)
”I have an object in co out for Peter Levine” He felt he could trust Rawlinson
”I thought as much,” replied the head cowboy, with a chuckle ”Believe ht, if I was the boss I've seen him prowlin' around here several tietting hold of the ranch?”
”Sure as shootin' That feller is a bad one--take it from me”
”Please don't make too ht co, or soet you It would be just like him Quiet it is” And after that the pair spoke only in whispers
Nothing was seen of the calves, and presently Rawlinson was on the point of going back, when, all at once, soht was intensely dark; not a star twinkled through the storm clouds that scudded across the sky Allen had just stubbed his toe on a projecting root and had ht when an unusual sound caught the ears of the two young men and stopped theh the brush So under his breath
”Shut up, can't you?” a second voice growled, and Allen's hand instinctively went to Rawlinson's arht exultantly, as he held hiainst the trunk of a tree ”There ers passed close enough to Allen and Rawlinson to have touched thewith excitement, followed the pair, and when, soers stopped, they stopped too, keeping within the shadow of the trees
The strangers were bending over soht of an electric torch
”Here's the place, Ji first to the paper and then into the shadow of the woods ”There's gold running wild around here, man I've tested the bed of the creek that runs down there, and it's chock full of yellow et hold of this ranch we're rich runted the other, noncoet hold of this ranch? Ain't done it yet, so's any one could notice it”
”No, that's where you coerly to his conized the features of Peter Levine ”This woman, this Mrs Nelson ns the place, won't sell I'old here And she suspects hed unpleasantly
”'Tain't hard for uess the reason for that, Pete” And at the sneer Levine gave a grunt
”You et down to business The woman distrusts me and she has sent for this insolent cub lawyer--Washburn, his name is He's been to see me already, the unwhipped pup,” he went on, while in the shadows Allen's hands gripped the to find out ood joke, Jiinary ranchman, John Josephs, and my client who they think are crooks, when all the time little Peter Levine is their meat and they don't know it”
”You didn't let on you wuz the one that wanted the place?” questioned Jim, as evidently able to appreciate this joke ”You wuz just the lawyer, and so nowise interested except jest in the fee?”
”Righto!” chuckled the other ”And a good-sized fee it will be if once I can get my hands on it”
”Which you ain't--yet,” the other reminded him ”Get busy, Pete, and tell us your scheht”
He gave an uneasy glance over his shoulder, and Allen and Rawlinson shrank still further into the shadows They were not yet ready to ht,” said Peter Levine, speaking hurriedly ”If you'll agree to estion, you're in for easy money, Jim All you have to do is to approach this Mrs Nelson and make her an offer for the ranch--for yourself, you understand She doesn't know you, and shearound here by now, and there's just a chance that she'll take you--that is, if you handle the cards right No eagerness, you understand--just sort of offhand and careless, as if you didn't care much whether she took you or not”
”Huh!” said the other, with his noncoet out of it, ef I pull this deal off, eh?”