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"Shore we do," said Alicran, cheerfully. "And don't you forget it." When the two 88 men had departed Molly Dale continued to stand where she was for a space and stare dumbly at nothing. Racey, realizing well enough that her world had crashed to pieces about her, wished that she would burst into tears. A sobbing woman is easily comforted.
Between the two words was a perceptible pause. "I ain't shootin' nobody in the back. I never have yet, and I ain't beginnin' now, not for you or any other damn man." "Say " began Lanpher, threateningly. Alicran Skeel turned a grim face on his employer so suddenly and sharply that Lanpher almost dodged.
"But they's one thing you wanna remember, Alicran. It don't pay to be squeamish. It comes high in the end usually. You'll find, if you keep on being mushy thisaway, that you'll have more'n you can swing at the finish." "Is that so? You leave me do things my own way, you hear? Lemme tell you if I'd 'a' knowed all what you was up to by coming to Dale's this mornin' I'd never have allowed it."
"I say that Luke Tweezy is a damn liar," reasserted Swing, "and they ain't no difference of opinion about that." "Well, of course, if Luke " Alicran did not complete the sentence. "I am a lawyer," Luke Tweezy explained, hurriedly. "I ain't paying any attention to what his man says now." "Or any other time," jibed Swing. "Any of you boys see this?" Alicran asked of his three punchers.
Racey knew the latter by sight and reputation. The man was one Skeel and rejoiced in the nick-name of "Alicran." The furtive scorpion whose sting is death is not indigenous to the territory, but Mr. Skeel had gained the appellation in New Mexico, a region where the tail-bearing insect may be found, and when the man left the Border for the Border's good the name left with him. "Oh, lookout!
He flicked a thumb westward, and stared at Lanpher with bright eyes. Lanpher's eyes dropped, lifted, then veered toward Alicran Skeel, that appreciative observer, who continued to sit his horse as good as gold and silent as a clam. Lanpher turned to his horse without another word, slid the reins over the animal's neck and crossed them slackly. He stuck toe in stirrup and swung up.
"Then for the benefit of the gents who wasn't here," said Racey, smoothly, "I don't mind saying that I told Lanpher to go after his gun, and he did, and I did." "He's a liar," gibbered Lanpher. "Alicran, ain't you man enough to take care of Racey Dawson?" Alicran nodded composedly. "I guess him and me would come to some kind of an agreement provided I was shore he needed taking care of.
"They knowed you was my friend," said Rod, simply. "Anyway, you keep away from McFluke's." "Maybe I will take yore advice. It has its points of interest, as the feller said when he sat down on the porkumpine. And speakin' of porkumpines, have you seen Lanpher?" "Shore. Him and Alicran pulled in a hour ago. Guess he's in the office Lanpher." "See anything of Tweezy lately?"
It was obvious that Luke Tweezy was of two minds. Racey grinned to see the other's hesitation. "What you scared of, Luke?" he inquired. "It ain't far to the corral, and you can ask Alicran to come outside and watch me while I'm talkin' to you." "I ain't got any business with you," denied Luke Tweezy. "Oh, yo're mistaken, a heap mistaken. Yes, indeedy, you got business with me.
"That's all right," sulked Lanpher, then added, with a sudden flare of spite: "When I hired you as foreman I shore never expected to draw a skypilot full o' sermons into the bargain." "No?" drawled Alicran, looking hard at Lanpher. "I often wonder just what you did hire me for." On which Lanpher made no comment. "Yeah," resumed Alicran, the fish having failed to bite, "I often wonder about that.
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