"Hold out your hands," he said. "You have your carbine ready, trooper?"
The man made no resistance, and Stimson laughed when the handcuffs were
on.
"Now," he said, "where's your partner?"
"I don't know that I mind telling you," said the prisoner. "It was a
low down trick he played on me. We got down to take out the horses
when we saw we couldn't get away from you, and I'd a blanket girthed
round the best of them, when he said he'd hold him while I tried what I
could do with the other. Well, I let him, and the first thing I knew
he was off at a gallop, leaving me with the other kicking devil two men
couldn't handle. You'll find him rustling south over the Montana
trail."
"Mount and ride!" said Stimson, and when his companion galloped off,
turned once more to his prisoner.
"You'll have a lantern somewhere, and I'd like a look at you," he said.
"If you're the man I expect, I'm glad I found you."
"It's in the wagon," said the other dejectedly.
Stimson got a light, and when he had released and picketed the plunging
horse, held it so that he could see his prisoner. Then he nodded with
evident contentment.
"You may as well sit down. We've got to have a talk," he said.
"Well," said the other, "I'd help you to catch Harmon if I could, but I
can prove he hired me to drive him over to Kemp's in the wagon, and
you'd find it difficult to show I knew what there was in the packages
he took along."
Stimson smiled dryly.
Pages:
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313