nd then the older
man invited:

"Sit down in front of me, Dan, sociable like, so I can keep track of yer
hands."

"D'ye think I'm the only one'll bear watching?" demanded Jaggers,
hoarsely. "I ain't taken my eyes off that pocket o' your 'n. Now, pull
out that money, an' be sure ye git it all out. Turn the pocket inside
out. That's right. Now, you count your money, an' I'll watch. Then
I'll count mine, an' you can watch, if ye wanter."

Mutual confidence being thus established between the rogues, the
counting proceeded. Josh found that he had just four hundred dollars
in his "findings." Dan Jaggers's count proved that that young bully
possessed an exactly equal sum.

"Then there ain't no need o' dividing," declared Dan, thrusting his
money into a trousers pocket and fumbling for a pin with which to close
the top of the pocket. "Now, I'll go back to the road, find the hoss,
an' drive him most of the way into town. Then I'll turn the hoss loose,
to do his home-findin' an' I'll keep on until I can buy something in
bottles."

"But ye ain't goin' t' take all that money with ye inter town?"
protested Josh Owen.

"Why not? It's mine," declared Jaggers, with singular ideas of
ownership.

"But I know ye, Dan Jaggers. If ye git inter Dunhaven with all that
money ye won't be able to keep from showin' it. Then, if these boys
ever git loose, an' do their talkin', folks will remember that ye showed
such a lot o' cash on this night, an' the law'll have you caught in yer
own steel trap. It'd help to put me in trouble, too. No, no, Danny.
Ye can take five dollars, but ye'll have t' leave the rest of the money
with me."

"An' then I'd find ye here when I came back, wouldn't I?" sneered
Jaggers.

"Yes!" replied Josh Owen, stoutly, and doubtless meant it, for he was
really fond of this rough, shaggy young bully of a nephew of his.
"Don't ye see, Danny, it'd be foolish of me to light out with all the
money? Then ye'd turn against me, an' help the constables to catch me.
Looky here, Danny, you trust me, an' ye won't come far out. Now, take
five dollars, an' leave the rest with me."

"No, I won't," retorted that youth, defiantly.

"Yes, ye will!" suddenly shot from between the lips of Josh Owen. He
accompanied the words with a spring, bearing his nephew down to the
ground, and holding him there.

"I'm stronger than you, Danny, an' ye know it," growled the ex-foreman,
hoarsely. "Now, will ye hand up that mo