Part 16 (1/2)
”Drop 'em, boys! Don't let 'em near!” roared Dolph Gage, swinging his rifle as though to bring it to his shoulder.
But Jim Ferrers had forestalled him. The guide was gazing at his enemy through his rifle sights.
”Drop your weapon, Dolph Gage, and do it blazing quick, or I'll shoot you where you stand!” sounded Jim's voice, low and businesslike.
”If any of you other galoots tries to raise his weapon I'll turn and drop him.”
As Jim Ferrers had a reputation in Nevada as a rifle shot the others hesitated, then let their rifles drop to the ground.
”Hold them to their present good intentions, Jim,” said Tom, with a smile, as he continued to move forward. ”Now, Mr. Gage---I believe that's your name let me see what kind of notice you know how to draw up.”
”There 'tis,” muttered Dolph sullenly, pointing to the board.
Tom read the notice through under his breath, word by word.
”You've done this sort of thing before, I guess, Gage,” said Reade quietly.
”You bet I have. Find it all reg'lar, too, don't you?”
”As nearly as I can tell, it is,” agreed Tom.
”And the claim is ours.”
”It's yours if you file the formal papers soon enough.”
”They'll be filed first thing tomorrow morning,” grunted Dolph Gage. ”Now, try a two-step off the dirt that goes with this claim.”
”Not until I've seen the borders that you claim,” Tom rejoined.
”Why!” demanded Gage cunningly. ”Going to start your claim right at the corners of ours.”
”If you'll pardon me,” Reade smiled, ”I don't believe I'll tell you anything about my intentions.”
”Maybe you think this claim is a pretty valuable one,” Gage insinuated.
”I didn't say so.”
”But you would have staked if we hadn't done it first.”
”That's what you've got to guess,” smiled Reade.
”Say, now you've lost this claim, tell us some thing straight, won't youth begged Dolph.
”Tell you something straight?” repeated Tom. ”Certainly. I'll tell you something just as straight as I know how,”
”Well,” he said, at last, ”you said you'd tell us something straight.”
”And so I will,” laughed Tom. ”It's just this: Go to blazes!”
”Come, now, don't get fresh, kid!” warned Dolph angrily. ”If we're going to be on neighboring claims you may find it a heap to your advantage to use us about half-way decent and polite.”
Tom didn't answer at once. He was rapidly covering the statement of location from the paper nailed to the board.