Part 26 (2/2)
”No man who has seen you in a tough place will ever set you down for a coward.”
”Yet I must be, if I don't tote a gun in a wild country,” smiled Reade.
”But to go back to the case of that good-for-nothing, Dolph Gage,”
Jim Ferrers resumed. ”You advise me to forget that he shot at me?”
”Oh, no, I don't,” Tom retorted quietly. ”But you don't have to go out and take your own revenge. There are laws in this state, aren't there?”
”Of course.”
”And officers to execute the laws”
”To be sure.”
”Then why not go back to Dugout City, there to lay information against Gage. That done, the sheriff's officers will have to do the hunting. Having nothing personal against the officers, Gage will very likely hold up his hands when the officers find him, and then go back with them as peaceable as a lamb. Jim, you want to be even with Gage for shooting your brother and for trying to finish you. Won't it give you more satisfaction to feel that you've put Gage day for his bread and water? I know that is the way I'd want to punish a man that I had cause to hate.
At least, I believe it's the way; I don't really know, for I can't recall any man that I hate hard enough to wish him worse than out of my sight.”
”Say, it would be kinder funny to go up to the state 'pen' some day, and see Dolph Gage walking lock-step with a lot of rascally Chinamen, drunken Indians, Knife-sticking foreigners and sa.s.sy bill-collectors, wouldn't it?” grinned Jim Ferrers.
”I'm glad your sense of humor is improving,” smiled Tom Reade.
”Now, tomorrow, morning, Jim, you take two of the other men, and our ponies, and ride into Dugout. If you run across Gage don't try to pick up any trouble. Of course, I don't mean to say that you shouldn't shoot in self-defense if you're attacked, but try, if possible, to keep out of any trouble with Gage. Just save him for the sheriff. It's the law's business to handle such fellows. Let the law have its own way.”
”I'll do it,” promised Ferrers. ”Putting it the way you've done, Mr. Reade, it doesn't seem like such a baby trick to use the sheriff instead of killing the hyena, myself. Yes; I'll sure leave it to the law. If Dolph Gage gets caught and sent to the 'pen' I'll sure go there on some visiting day and see how he looks in his striped suit!”
Instead of being offended, it was plain that Ferrers was in high good humor. He went about camp whistling that night, and with a cheery word for everyone.
Camp had been moved over to the ridge, and the young engineers were ready to begin blasting operations the following morning.
Ferrers was no longer concerned with cooking, he having engaged a man to do that work. The new man kept a sharp eye on Alf Drew, making that youngster do a really honest day's work every day in the week.
”I hate to take two men from you, Mr. Reade right at the start of operations,” complained Jim, the next morning at breakfast.
”I don't need two men, either, to protect me.”
”I don't need the two men here, either, Jim for a few days. As for you, you don't know how many men you are going to need. All three of Gage's partners have vanished, and I'm sure that they're together somewhere out on the Range. They undoubtedly have rifles again, at that, and if you meet them, three men won't be any too many to stand off those four rascals.”
Tom watched the trio of hors.e.m.e.n out of sight in the morning.
”If Jim doesn't lose his head that trip will mean that we shall see the last of Dolph Gage,” mused the young engineer.
For once Tom Reade was in grave error, as subsequent events proved.
”It's ten minutes of seven,” Harry reminded him.
”Get ready, men,” Tom shouted to their few laborers, who were enjoying a few minutes leisure after breakfast.
At seven o'clock the young engineers and their handful of toilers moved over to the point in the outcropping vein of ore that Reade had selected for their first blast.
A small portable engine had already been fired, and all was ready for turning on the steam drill.
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