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"It's all right," he announced on his return, a quarter of an hour later. "Nick's going to muster a gang of his pals, and they'll act as armed escort. It seems that the word of the coming of my outfit has already been passed along the trail, and that even the Indians have gotten wind of it." "Kiddie," said Isa Blagg, "you're makin' a all-fired mistake. Nick Undrell has jus' canoodled you.
Rube did not observe that, on remounting, his companion held a black feather between his fingers. When they rode into Laramie, they found the cavalcade halted before Brierley's saloon, all ready to start. Nick Undrell rode up to Kiddie, respectfully touching the wide brim of his hat. "All s'rene, sir," he announced. "I got a gang o' picked boys distributed among the baggage.
There was a screened light in the window, but it was hurriedly extinguished when he knocked. After a long delay the door was cautiously opened by a man wearing a mask. A strong smell of tobacco smoke and spirits came from within. "Nick Undrell is here," said Kiddie, looking into the muzzle of a revolver held close to his face. "I heard his voice.
"Allowin' that Nick Undrell entered by the broken winder an' carried off the valuables you've just bin figurin' up, why, when he went into th' other room, did he take the cigarettes an' leave the tobacco?" "That's a very interestin' proposition which has already occurred to me," said Kiddie. "You see," pursued Rube, "Nick ain't a cigarette smoker. He looks on a cigarette as a childish plaything.
"We c'n overtake them in the defile, goin' by way of Poison Spider Creek and the old Buffalo Trail, droppin' on 'em when they least expect us." They saw no sign of the Indians for several miles; not even on the wide expanse of Laramie Plain. Here, however, Nick Undrell pointed to the dusty ground where the track of a horse crossed his path obliquely. "See that, Mr.
Nick Undrell's different." "What about Nick Undrell?" Kiddie asked. "That fetches me up against the point," returned Isa. "That's the business brought me on your trail. But before we drag in Nick, I'll start at the beginnin'. I don't doubt you remember the name of Sanson T. Wrangler." "Yes," Kiddie affirmed, "he kept a prosperous general store in Laramie.
Nick Undrell did not answer this very pertinent question, and his visitor did not press him, but resumed, still casually "Can't say as this is quite a palatial residence for an industrious man that's called successful. You used ter make good money at one time, Nick, when you worked along with Buckskin Jack; had a consid'rable bankin' account, too. This all you've got ter show for it?" "Yep.
"He's here in this yer camp, right now, with the boys that hev just rounded up an' corralled Gid's stolen ponies; only he ain't figurin' ter meet you as knowed him only as a honest man. He ain't a whole lot proud of hisself, these times, ain't Nick Undrell." Kiddie reached for his hat, strode across the veranda, and turned towards the corral. He looked exceedingly tall and handsome as he went out.
I don't want it. D'you reckon you could run it for a season or two, Nick?" "As your lordship's manager?" Nick asked. "No," Kiddie answered, "as my workin' partner." "Could you trust me?" questioned Nick. "Down to the ground," said Kiddie, holding forth his hand. Nick Undrell seized it. "Kiddie," he faltered, "you're making a new man of me. You found me when I was lost.
The light in the room was then turned up, and he saw four evil-looking men busily pulling off their masks, putting away their pistols, and sweeping their playing cards, dice-box, and a "pool" of coins and greenbacks from the table. "The four o' you kin quit, soon's you likes," said Nick Undrell.
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