ftener than
some I could mention. But that ain't the point. I'm telling the truth
now, when I say somebody ought to hike down to their camp and see what
this old skunk has done with Dan. I'd bet money you'd find him sunk in
the river, or cached under a cut-bank, or something like that. If he'd
kept his face closed I wouldn't uh give it a second thought, but the
more I think uh the story he put up, the more I believe there's
something wrong. He's made way with Dan somehow, and--"

"Yes. Sure thing," drawled Pink wickedly. "Let's organize a searching
party and go down there and investigate. It's only about a three or
four days' trip, through the roughest country the Lord ever stood on
end to cool and then forgot till it crumpled down in spots and got set
that way, so He just left it go and mixed fresh mud for the job He was
working on. Andy'd lead us down there, and we'd find--"

"His friend Dan buried in a tomato can, maybe," supplied Jack Bates.

"By golly, I'll bet yuh _could_ put friend Dan into one," Slim burst
out. "By golly, _I_ never met up with no Dan that packed fifty-dollar
bills around in his gun-pocket--"

"Andy's telling the truth. He says so," reproved Weary. "And when Andy
says a thing is the truth, yuh always know--"

"It ain't." Cal Emmett finished the sentence, but Weary paid no
attention.

"--what to expect. Cadwolloper's right, and we ought to go down there
and make a hunt for friend Dan and his fifty-dollar bills. How many
were there, did yuh say?"

"You go to the devil," snapped Andy, getting up determinedly. "Yuh
bite quick enough when anybody throws a load at yuh that would choke a
rhinoscerous, but plain truth seems to be too much for the weak heads
of yuh. I guess I'll have to turn loose and _lie_, so yuh'll listen to
me. There _is_ something crooked about this deal--"

"We all thought it sounded that way," Weary remarked mildly.

"And if yuh did go down to where them two wintered, you'd find out I'm
right. But yuh won't, and that old cutthroat will get off with the
murder--and the money."

"Don't he lie natural?" queried Jack Bates solemnly.

That was too much. Andy glared angrily at the group, picked up the
wolfer's rope, turned on his heel and walked off to where his horse
was tied; got on him and rode away without once looking back, though
he knew quite well that they were watching every move he made. It did
not help to smooth his temper that the sound of much laughing followed