, he told you what
ain't so."

"But the father of the other boy--the one that's missing--he's rich too,
ain't he?"

"I don't know nothing 'bout it; what are you driving at? Bill, you know
that my 'pinion of you is 'bout the same as it is of that tramp Motoza,
so, if you've got anything to say to me, out with it! I hain't any time
to fool away."

"I _have_ something to say, Hank, and it's about them young tenderfeet:
I've seen Motoza."

"When?"

"This morning."

"Did you give him my message?"

"Every word of it, as I received it from Bok-kar-oo; I made it as strong
as I could."

"You couldn't make it any too strong; how did he take it?"

"It didn't seem to worry him much; he says he don't know anything about
the missing boy and your threats don't scare him. But, Hank," added
Tozer, lowering his voice almost to a whisper and glancing furtively
around, "I suspect Motoza was lying."

"I _know_ he was, fur he doesn't know how to tell the truth."

"If he's treated right, I believe he'll produce the missing youngster."

Hank Hazletine was keener mentally than most of his friends suspected.
He had more acumen than even Bill Tozer suspected. A great light flashed
upon the cowman, and the questions and answers which fell from his lips
during the next few minutes were intended to hide his real purpose.

"What do you mean by treating Motoza right? If he was treated right he'd
be kicking the air this very minute."

"I agree with you," said Tozer, laughing; "but Motoza doesn't, and he's
the one who asks to be treated right, as he considers it."

"I've said that if he produces the younker, and we find he hain't been
harmed, why we'll call it a joke and drop the whole thing."

Tozer gazed at a distant mountain peak and thoughtfully chewed tobacco
for a minute. He was approaching delicate ground and needed all his
_finesse_.

"That's fair on your part, and is more than he ought to expect, but I've
a suspicion it isn't what he means."

"Do you know what he means, Bill?"

"No; he hasn't told me a word, but I think I can guess it."

"Wal, then, guess."

"Remember it's only a guess, and I may be away off."

Hazletine nodded his head.

"I'm listening."

"I suspect Motoza has the tenderfoot in hiding somewhere, where there's
no chance of his getting away or of any of his friends finding him."

"What does the scamp mean by doing that?"

"He must have had an idea that the father of the Greenwood boy has
enoug