HAPTER XVII

A COMMISSION

Sautee rose and extended his hand with an affable smile. "Will you
come to breakfast with me, Mr. Rathburn?"

Rathburn took the hand with a curious side glance at Mannix. "I'm
powerful hungry," he confessed; "an' I don't reckon I'd be showing the
best of manners if I balked at havin' breakfast with the man that got
me out of jail."

"Quite right," admitted Sautee, winking at the deputy. "Well, perhaps
I have my reasons. All right, Rathburn, let's be going."

They walked out of the jail, and as they progressed up the street they
were the cynosure of many wondering pairs of eyes; for the report had
spread that the stranger who had been jailed was the bandit who had
made away with the Dixie Queen pay-roll on several occasions, and that
he was a gun fighter and a killer.

They entered a restaurant just below the hotel, and Sautee led the way
to a booth where they were assured comparative privacy.

"Ham an' eggs," said Rathburn shortly when the waiter entered.

Sautee smiled again. He was covertly inspecting the man across the
table from him and evidently what he saw caused him to arrive at a
satisfactory conclusion.

He gave his order with a nod and a mild flourish of the hand,
indicating that he would take the same.

"Oh--waiter," called Rathburn. "Four eggs with mine."

Sautee laughed. It was a peculiar laugh in that it seemed to convey
little mirth. It was perfunctory.

He gazed at Rathburn quizzically. "They tell me you're a gunman," he
said in a low voice.

Rathburn's brows shot up. "They? Who's they?"

Sautee waved a hand impatiently. "I am the manager of the Dixie Queen.
I have been around a bit, and I have eyes. I can see. I know the
signals. I witnessed the play in the Red Feather last night."

"That ain't a bad name for the place," Rathburn mused.

"Just what do you suppose was my object in getting you out of jail?"
Sautee asked seriously, leaning over the table and looking at Rathburn
searchingly. "You said last night you were a good guesser."

"But I didn't say I was good at riddles," drawled Rathburn.

Sautee leaned back. For a moment there was a gleam of admiration in
his eyes. Then they narrowed slightly.

"The Dixie Queen has been robbed four times within the last year," he
said soberly. "That represents considerable money. Yesterday I
resorted to a ruse and sent the money up with a truck driver, but
whoever is doing this thing must have got wise somehow,