Part 40 (2/2)
”Itto work on my own hook, Rover,” answered Davenport, and there was a sneer in his voice ”I've got tired of trying to make a deal with you, and I've coood”
”I think I understand you perfectly,” answered dick Rover, and looked at the man so sharply that Davenport had to drop his eyes ”You think you have everything your oay, eh?”
”Never ot any real claim on this property you show the evidences That little paper that Lorimer Spell wrote out on the battlefield of France doesn't hold water with ot to show ”
”A man can't show papers when he has been robbed of them,” went on Jack's father pointedly
”Humph! So that's your latest story, is it, Rover? First when I asked you for the papers you said they were in a safe deposit vault in Wichita Falls”
”So they were But now I have been robbed of theoing crazy? I don't know any such thing,” and now Davenport put on an assuer
”I say you do know it--you and your whole crowd!” retorted dick Rover
”This land is a tract said to be full of oil, and you want to do hts” And now Jack's father appeared to war, and I won't stand for any more of it!” cried Carson Davenport ”Youfront with soo with me I claim that this land is mine, and I won't pay any more attention to what you say until you produce those precious papers that you have said so much about And even then I may not listen to you My private opinion is that the arht to take up your case and make an example of you,” went on the oil promoter, with more of a sneer than before
”The army authorities?” questioned dick Rover, puzzled
”That's what I said I've heard a thing or two about you It was all well enough for you to pull Spell in and get ait But when that poor fool wrote out a so-called will leaving you everything he possessed, I reckon he rather put his foot into it,” finished Davenport significantly
Jack's father and the boys were, of course, astonished, and even Davenport's co they had not been expecting Thenext
”Davenport, I'll have to ask you to explain yourself!” exclai
”Want ely
”All right, then, I will According to reports Loriht, and then he was shot in the back Do you understand that--shot in the back! Well, who did it? Certainly not the Germans They were in front of him”
”Do you mean to insinuate that I or one of our other men shot Spell?”
demanded dick Rover, and now his face was almost white
”He had made a will in your favor--you were the only one to profit by his death”
”You cur, you!” cried dick Rover And beside hi forward and planted a blow on Carson Davenport's chin that er back and fall flat
”Hi! Hi! None of that around here!” bellowed Jake Tate, and caught dick Rover by the aret back there,” was the quick reply ”This is none of your affair
Thisto take it back”
”You let my father alone!” broke in Jack, and rushed toward Tate, followed by Randy and Nick Ogilvie Then the fellow fell back Jackson viewed the contest in silence