“Why didn’t you and Levitt ride into town with the colonel, Joe?”
“He thought it would be better for us to come by ourselves. He was ’way ahead of time, you know, and had to go to the bank before closing hours for the bullion. It wasn’t necessary for Levitt and me to be around until time for the meeting. Oh, I’ve had a fine run for my auburn chip, and no mistake. I’ll resign, here and now, from our partnership. The place for me is the range. Cattle punching is about the scope of my ability, and it ought to be the height of my ambition. Consider my resignation handed in, pard.”
“Then,” said Matt, “consider it declined. I won’t accept it.”
“Don’t make any misplay now, old chap,” begged McGlory. “I’m about as dependable as this crazy runabout. Sometimes I answer the control, but you’ve just seen how I can take the bit in my teeth and play hob with everything. I don’t think you can trust me, pard.”
“I don’t know any one I can trust better, Joe,” answered Matt.
Their hands clasped for an instant, and McGlory stifled a groan and clutched at his side.
“Say,” demanded Matt, “what’s wrong with you?”
“All jarred to pieces. That fall did it. When you shook my right hand I thought I was coming apart.”
“I wish,” said Matt, “that I’d had the Hempstead doctor look at you.”
“Look at me? Well, I reckon he did. He looked at me as though he thought I was a sandbagger. And he came pretty near having it right, at that.”
“Sure, I do. But we didn’t have time. We may be late for the meeting as it is. The colonel has showed his bullion, and flashed that affidavit about its coming from the ‘Pauper’s Dream’ as the result of a week’s run, and perhaps the syndicate has been stampeded. We may be too late.”
“We’ll not be too late to go on record,” declared Matt.
“Tell me this, pard,” said the cowboy: “Why were you piking for New York at the time you met the runabout backing down the road with no one aboard?”
“I had started for the meeting in Random & Griggs’ office,” said Matt.
“You were going there just the same, eh?”
“While I was doing everything I could to help the colonel get me into trouble, you were still hustling to keep me out of it?”
“I knew Billings had influenced you in some way, Joe.”
“That’s the sort of a fellow for a pard! Of course you’re the lad to tie to. The wonder is that you’re still willing to hang onto me.”