"Aw, it's only a wench I wanted! A mutt by the name of King butted in on me."
Jordan Morse mentally congratulated himself that he had struck the right nail on the head the very first whack.
To gain possession of Jinnie's money meant finding his boy, and that was the dearest wish of his heart.
"You might tell me about it," he reiterated slowly. "I ought to be able to help you."
"Naw, you can't!" scoffed Maudlin. "My pa and me's tried for a long time, but there ain't nothin' doin' with Jinnie. She's a sure devil, Jinnie is."
"Yes, she's a niece of a cobbler up the track yonder, and as pretty a little minx as walks Paradise Road. If I had 'er I'd fix her. I'd beat her till she minded me, I c'n tell y' that!"
"I believe beating's the way to subdue most women," said Morse, lighting a cigarette. But as he said this, a slight smile passed over his face. He thought of Molly Merriweather in connection with the man's logic.
"It's the way pa done to my stepmother," observed Maudlin presently. "She was a onery woman as ever you see, but pa one day just licked her, and then licked 'er every day till now she don't dast but mind 'im.... I'd do that with Jinnie if I had 'er."
Morse watched rings of smoke curl upward in the summer air, breaking among the branches of the trees.
"Why don't you steal 'er?" he demanded at length.
Bates' lower jaw fell down, showing discolored teeth. He stared at his inquisitor in consternation. Then he dropped back into his former slovenly attitude.
"I'll help you," offered Morse, carelessly, brushing ashes from his coat lapel.
Maudlin turned his eyes slowly from their straight ahead position until they came directly upon the handsome face of the other man. Then the two looked long and steadily at each other.
"Only that I'm also interested in getting Jinnie away from Grandoken. The fact is I hate King, and I think it's a good way to get even with him."
He refrained, however, from mentioning he was Jinnie's relative.
"D'you have me in mind when you come here?" questioned Bates.
"No! But I felt sure there'd be some young buck round here who'd fallen in love with the girl before this. And I found you without asking----"
"I'd make her beg me to marry her after I'd had 'er a week or two," interrupted Maudlin, with dilating pupils. "How could we steal 'er?"