"Hold on!" Ladd's voice would have stopped almost any man. "Dick,
you wasn't agoin' without me?"
"Yes, I was. But I'm thoughtless just now, Laddy."
"Shore you was. Wait a minute, Dick. I'm a sick man, but at that
nobody can pull any stunts round here without me."
He hobbled along the porch and went into his room. Jim Lash
knocked the ashes out of his pipe, and, humming his dance tune,
he followed Ladd. In a moment the rangers appeared, and both were
packing guns.
Not a little of Belding's grim excitement came from observation
of Mr. Gale. At sight of the rangers with their guns the old
man turned white and began to tremble.
"Better stay behind," whispered Belding. "Dick's going to beat
that two-legged dog, and the rangers get excited when they're
packing guns."
"I will not stay behind," replied Mr. Gale, stoutly. "I'll see
this affair through. Belding, I've guessed it. Richard is going
to fight the Chases, those robbers who have ruined you."
"Well, I can't guarantee any fight on their side," returned Belding,
dryly. "But maybe there'll be Greasers with a gun or two."
Belding stalked off to catch up with Dick, and Mr. Gale came trudging
behind with Thorne.
"Where will we find these Chases?" asked Dick of Belding.
"They've got a place down the road adjoining the inn. They call
it their club. At this hour Radford will be there sure.
I don't know about the old man. But his office is now just
across the way.
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