"Say, Tom," and Whittles leaned over the table, "suppose it had been you or me instead of Joe?"
"Abner loves us about as much as he loved Joe this morning, doesn’t he?"
"Oh, I see," and the lawyer rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner. "I never thought of that."
"I know you didn’t. Now, suppose Abner gets out of jail and learns who gave Joe that information, what then?"
Rackshaw shifted somewhat uneasily in his chair, and glanced down at the dog. Then he laughed and picked up the cards he had dropped upon the table.
"I guess Abner won’t do any more of his wild stunts for a while," he remarked. "He’s in deep enough water now. He’ll need a lawyer to defend him, and I’m the only one in town."
"Just you wait. He’s in a trap and knows very well that I can get him out; that is, if I want to."
"Want to! Won’t you want to get him out? Won’t you do everything for him that you can if he engages you to defend him?"
"That all depends. If he comes to me I’ll do all I can under certain conditions."
The lawyer bit savagely at his cigar, but offered no explanation.
"D—n that express team!" he growled. "What can have happened to it?"
"Abner can’t afford to engage a lawyer, can he?" Whittles asked, noting Rackshaw’s silence.
"Farm! Why, that’s nothing but a bed of gravel. I wouldn’t have it as a gift."
"You wouldn’t, eh? But suppose the Government should want that same bed of gravel for ballast, what then?"
Whittles’ eyes opened wide, and he looked enquiringly at the lawyer. Light was beginning to dawn upon his mind.
"Oh, I see your game, now," he at length replied. "You hope to get the farm, and turn it over to the Government?"
"Abner’ll not engage you to defend him. He has little use for you, and you should know by this time what a cranky cuss he is."
"Well, if he won’t engage me, I shall take up Joe’s case."
"Didn’t you hear what I said? I’ll defend Joe."
"But how can you? You love Joe about as much as you do Abner."
"H’m, that’s all right. Joe doesn’t know what I think of him. And I guess you’ve got to learn a few things yet, Hen. You’re not as sharp as I thought you were. But, say, here’s the express team, now."
The next instant the door was pushed open, and a fair-sized box was handed to the lawyer.