Part 42 (2/2)
G. B. Stiles scrambled in with unusual agility for him, and again they were off, the gray taking them along with leaps and bounds, but the road was smooth, and the dust laid by frequent showers was like velvet under the horse's feet. Stiles drew himself up, clinging to the side of the buggy and to his hat.
”How long will he keep this up?” he asked.
”Oh, he stop putty quvick. He lak it leetle run. T'ree, four mile he run--das all.” And the Swede was right. After a while the horse settled down to a long, swinging trot. ”Look at heem now. I make heem go all tam lak dis. Ven I get my money I haf stable of my own und den I buy heem. I know heem. I all tam tol' Meester Decker dot horse no goot--I buy heem sheep. You go'n gif me dot money, eh?”
”I see. You're sharp, but you're asking too much. If it were not for me, you wouldn't get a cent, or me either. See? I've spent a thousand hunting that man up, and you haven't spent a cent. All you've done is to stick here at the hotel and watch. I've been all over the country.
Even went to Europe and down in Mexico--everywhere. You haven't really earned a cent of it.”
”Vat for you goin' all offer de vorld? Vat you got by dot? Spen'
money--dot vot you got. Me, I stay here. I fin' heem; you not got heem all offer de vorld. I tol' you, of a man he keel somebody, he run vay, bot he goin' coom back where he done it. He not know it vot for he do it, bot he do it all right.”
”Look here, Nelson; it's outrageous! You can't lay claim to that money. I told you if he was found and you were willing to give in your evidence just as you gave it to me that day, I'd give you your fair share of the reward, as you asked for it, but I never gave you any reason to think you were to take half. I've spent all the money working up this matter, and if I were to go back now and do nothing, as I'm half a mind to do, you'd never get a cent of it. There's no proof that he's the man.”
”You no need spen' dot money.”
”Can't I get reason into your head? When I set out to get hold of a criminal, do you think I sit down in one place and wait? You didn't find him; he came here, and it's only by an accident you have him, and he may clear out yet, and neither of us be the better off because of your pig-headedness. Here, drive into that grove and tie your horse a minute and we'll come to an understanding. I can't write you out a paper while we're moving along like this.”
Then Nels turned into the grove and took the horse from the shafts and tied him some distance away, while G. B. Stiles took writing materials from his valise, and, sitting in the buggy, made a show of drawing up a legal paper.
”I'm going to draw you up a paper as you asked me to. Now how do you know you have the man?”
”It iss ten t'ousand tallers. You make me out dot paper you gif me half yet.”
”d.a.m.n it! You answer my question. I can't make this out unless I know you're going to come up to the scratch.” He made a show of writing, and talked at the same time. ”I, G. B. Stiles, detective, in the employ of Peter Craigmile, of the town of Leauvite, for the capture of the murderer of his son, Peter Craigmile, Jr., do hereby promise one Nels Nelson, Swede,--in the employ of Mr Decker, hotel proprietor, as stable man,--for services rendered in the identification of said criminal at such time as he should be found,----Now, what service have you rendered? How much money have you spent in the search?”
”Not'ing. I got heem.”
”Nothing. That's just it.”
”I got heem.”
”No, you haven't got him, and you can't get him without me. Don't you think it. I am the one to get him. You have no warrant and no license.
I'm the one to put in the claim and get the reward for you, and you'll have to take what I choose to give, and no more. By rights you would only have your fee as witness, and that's all. That's all the state gives. Whatever else you get is by my kindness in sharing with you.
Hear?”
A dangerous light gleamed in the Swede's eyes, and Stiles, by a slight disarrangement of his coat in the search for his handkerchief, displayed a revolver in his hip pocket. Nels' eyes s.h.i.+fted, and he looked away.
”You'd better quit this d.a.m.ned nonsense and say what you'll take and what you'll swear to.”
”I'll take half dot money,” said Nels, softly and stubbornly.
”I'll take out all I've spent on this case before we divide it in any way, shape, or manner.” Stiles figured a moment on the margin of his paper. ”Now, what are you going to swear to? You needn't s.h.i.+ft round.
You'll tell me here just what you're prepared to give in as evidence before I put down a single figure to your name on this paper. See?”
”I done tol' you all dot in Chicago dot time.”
”Very well. You'll give that in as evidence, every word of it, and swear to it?”
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