Part 35 (2/2)

”Who's that? What d'ye want?” came the response in a surly tone.

”s.h.!.+ don't make any noise,” he whispered, ”it's Haight; get up and come out on the porch, but be quiet about it; I want to have a talk with you.”

A muttered a.s.sent was given, and Haight tip-toed softly out to the porch, and sat down.

Lyle crept up-stairs again to Miss Gladden.

”Don't be frightened,” she said, ”but I believe Haight must have seen or heard something;” and she hastily told what she had overheard.

”Now,” said she in conclusion, ”the window on the porch is open, and as soon as they are both outside, I will go there and listen. Even if I cannot hear all that is said I will probably catch enough to learn what is going on. You wait for me and keep perfectly quiet.”

A few moments later, Maverick shuffled out on the porch and sat down beside Haight with a growl.

”d.a.m.ned pretty time, I sh'd think, to talk! What in h.e.l.l do you want?”

”Well, you were long enough getting out here,” said Haight, in his smoothest tones, all unaware of a figure that had glided to the open window behind him, and now knelt within six feet of him. ”Now quit your growling, for you and I are good friends, Jim, and I want your advice. Jim,” he continued in a lower tone, ”what would you think two fellows like Houston and Van Dorn would want with that old chap, Jack?”

”Huh?” said Maverick, rather stupidly, ”what are ye drivin' at?”

”Wake up! you're half asleep, Jim! Your two dandy boarders here only just came home about twenty minutes ago; they've been for the last three or four hours down there in Jack's cabin, with the windows all shut tight and curtains down, and still as death. What do you suppose that means?”

”d.a.m.ned if I know,” was the laconic response.

”Now, Jim, don't be so uncommunicative; there may be something in this for you and me if we just put our heads together, 'two heads are better than one,' you know, so set your thinking machine to work and grind out some ideas.”

”Well,” said Maverick, slowly, ”I dun'no what that Houston, d.a.m.n him, would be runnin' 'round after Jack for, unless he wanted to get some p'inters on the mines some way.”

”That's it, go ahead!” said Haight.

”Houston,” continued Maverick, with an oath and applying a vile epithet, ”is too all-fired smart to notice anybody, and Jack's another, so they'd be likely to hitch.”

”That's right,” said Haight, ”now what object would he be likely to have in getting information from Jack?”

”I dun'no,” said the other, ”unless mebbe he's paid by somebody on the outside.”

”Well,” said Haight, ”I guess we've got about the same idea of it; it's my opinion he is paid by somebody, and that somebody is Van Dorn, or whoever's backing him. I don't put much stock in this machinery business of his; he don't act like a fellow that needs to go peddling machines about the country, and I notice he don't seem in any great rush about putting it up, now he's got here; he ain't one of the kind that has to rustle for a living, like you and me. I think he's just out here getting pointers on the mines for that old fellow that was here a while ago, and he's probably paying Houston a good, round sum for helping him along, and now they've got Jack roped in on the deal.”

”Well,” said Maverick savagely, ”if that's their game, I guess 'twill be dead easy stoppin' it any time we're a mind to; these 'ere mines is awfully unsafe places for a tenderfoot to be prowlin' 'round in,” and he laughed a cruel laugh, very familiar to the listener at the window.

”That's so,” a.s.sented Haight, ”I think we'd better keep close watch of these fellows, and if they get too fresh, just have 'em laid out with a sandbag or two.”

”Better'n that,” said Maverick, ”to take 'em some time in the mines; folks like them are likely to get dizzy and fall some times, or get in the way of the ore buckets and be knocked silly.”

”Well, I'll tell you what I want you to do; I'll keep watch, and if I know of their going down to the cabin again, I want you to put some men on to watch out for them; we'll investigate and find out what is going on. Put on what men you please, and have them report to me, and we'll find out what this means, and make our plans accordingly.”

”That there's a d.a.m.ned ticklish place to get any of the men to go late at night,” said Maverick reflectively.

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