"See you in a minute, Dave," he called, and as soon as the pot had been
won he said to the man shuffling the cards, "Deal me out this hand."

He rose, stepped across to Sanders, and shook hands with a strong grip.
"You darned old son-of-a-gun! I'm sure glad to see you. Heard you was
back. Say, you've ce'tainly been goin' some. Suits me. I never did like
either Dug or Miller a whole lot. Dug's one sure-enough bad man and
Miller's a tinhorn would-be. What you did to both of 'em was a-plenty.
But keep yore eye peeled, old-timer. Miller's where he belongs again,
but Dug's still on the range, and you can bet he's seein' red these
days. He'll gun you if he gets half a chance."

"Yes," said Dave evenly.

"You don't figure to let yoreself get caught again without a
six-shooter." Steve put the statement with the rising inflection.

"No."

"Tha's right. Don't let him get the drop on you. He's sudden death with
a gun."

Bob joined them. After a moment's conversation Russell drew them to a
corner of the room that for the moment was almost deserted.

"Say, you heard the news, Bob?"

"I can tell you that better after I know what it is," returned Hart with
a grin.

"The stage was held up at Cottonwood Bend and robbed of seventeen
thousand dollars. The driver was killed."

"When?"

"This mo'nin'. They tried to keep it quiet, but it leaked out."

"Whose money was it?"

"Brad Steelman's pay roll and a shipment of gold for the bank."

"Any idea who did it?"

Steve showed embarrassment. "Why, no, _I_ ain't, if that's what you
mean."

"Well, anybody else?"

"Tha's what I wanta tell you. Two men were in the job. They're whisperin'
that Em Crawford was one."

"Crawford! Some of Steelman's fine work in that rumor, I'll bet. He's
crazy if he thinks he can get away with that. Tha's plumb foolish talk.
What evidence does he claim?" demanded Hart.

"Em deposited ten thousand with the First National to pay off a note he
owed the bank. Rode into town right straight to the bank two hou

Martha Finley (1828 - 1909) was a teacher and author of numerous works, the most well known being the 28 volume Elsie Dinsmore series which was published over a span of 38 years. The daughter of Presbyterian minister Dr. James Brown Finley and his wife and cousin Maria Theresa Brown Finley, she was born on April 26th, 1828 in Chillicothe, Ohio. Finley wrote many of her books under the psodonym Martha Farquharson. She died in 1909 in Elkton, Maryland, where she moved in 1876.

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