Part 7 (2/2)
”Then you bear the lad no love?”
”Love?” The cavalryet a shot at him”
”Then keep that wish in mind, Tucker, when the time for action arrives”
”If it's worth five hundred to you to have pawnee Brown knocked over it ought to be worth ested Tucker, as naturally a grasping fellow
”Five hundred in cold cash is a good deal in these times,” was the sloer ”But I'll tell you what I'll do If, after a fight, you can bring me absolute proof that pawnee Brown and dick Arbuckle are dead I'll give you an even twelve hundred dollars, the five hundred I borrowed and seven hundred extra There's ive me the money as soon as you have the proofs?”
”I will,” and Louis Vorlange raised his right hand as though to ht, then; I take you up,” answered Tucker
CHAPTER VI
dick'S HUNT
”Don't you take it so hard, my lad; I feel certain that your father will turn up sooner or later”
It was pawnee Broho spoke He addressed dick, who sat on a horse belonging to Jack Rasco The pair had been scouring the plains and the woods for three hours in search of dick's father
”Poor father! If only I knehat had becootten all about his adventures aht to detain him as a horse thief
”It's a mystery, thet's what it is,” burst in Jack Rasco
”It looks loike the hivens hed opened an' swalleyed him up,” was Mike Delaney's coh last noight Me turn-out is afther standin' in two foot o' wather, an' Rosy raisin' the o out 'Moike,' sez she, 'Moike Delaney, git a boat or Oi'll be drowned,' an' niver a boat in sight Th' ould woon till the wather runs off of itself”
”I wonder if it is possible my poor father wandered into town,” mused dick ”Perhaps he did that and was locked up by the police He is--well, you know he gets strange spells,” and the youth's face flushed
”Run into town, lad, and et the chance we'll follow We shan't strike caood advice and was soon on his way The rain had stopped entirely and the sun was just peeping up over the distant plains when he entered Arkansas City and began his hunt
A visit to the police station speedily revealed the fact that nothing was known there concerning hisparent Here dick left a description of his father, and was pro was discovered of theridden around to the depot, hotels and other public places, dick tied up his steed and began a hunt through the various streets, looking into the doors of the stores and saloons as he passed
His footsteps soon brought him down to the vicinity of the river front
Here, situated along several blocks, were a nu houses, patronized principally by riversatisfied hih of relief, that his father was not in any of the saloons, the youth came to a halt in front of a restaurant He had not eaten anything since the evening before, and his night of adventures had et a cup of coffee and soht, and entered the establishiven, and he took a seat at a side table, close to a thin board partition