Dick, we're jobbed, outfigured, beat, tricked, and we can't
do a thing."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Belding, most of all for Laddy," said Gale,
feelingly. "He's all in. He'll never ride again. He wanted to
settle down here on the farm he thought he owned, grow grass and
raise horses, and take it easy. Oh, but it's tough! Say, he
doesn't know it yet. He was just telling me he'd like to go out
and look the farm over. Who's going to tell him? What's he going
to do when he finds out about this deal?"
"Son, that's made me think some," replied Belding, with keen eyes
fast upon the young man. "And I was kind of wondering how you'd
take it."
"I? Well, I'll call on the Chases. Look here, Belding, I'd better
do some forestalling myself. If Laddy gets started now there'll be
blood spilled. He's not just right in his mind yet. He talks in his
sleep sometimes about how Yaqui finished Rojas. If it's left to
him--he'll kill these men. But if I take it up--"
"You're talking sense, Dick. Only here, I'm not so sure of you.
And there's more to tell. Son, you've Nell to think of and your
mother."
Belding's ranger gave him a long and searching glance.
"You can be sure of me," he said.
"All right, then; listen," began Belding. With deep voice that
had many a beak and tremor he told Gale how Nell had been hounded
by Radford Chase, how her mother had been driven by Ben Chase--the
whole sad story.
"So that's the trouble! Poor little girl!" murmured Gale, brokenly.
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