Page:Allan Dunn--Dead Man's Gold.djvu/117

Rh sweat than ever the sun had extracted. He did not look at Stone, who had affected not to notice the character of the conversation, but who had not failed to see the startled expression in Healy's shifty eyes when Larkin mentioned the telegrams. The Cockney had targeted there, whether or not he had sped the shaft at random.

It had only taken a few minutes before Larkin had said his say and strutted away, for all the world like a pugnacious sparrow. Harvey had fixed his diamond-hitches to his liking and they started off, in the face of the sun, up the valley.

The stream was beginning to narrow fast, the cañon walls were getting lower, broken up here and there by side ravines. The water ran in fretting trickles alternating with cascades, and the way was steadily uphill. Ahead, the masses of the Mogollon Mesa swung southward where they entered the Indian reservation. Stone moved up beside Harvey for a few minutes, leaving Healy alone.

"Before you get into any palaver with the Indians, Harvey," said Stone, "I want to set you right about the purpose of this trip of ours. We have talked it over and decided it would be unwise, and unfair, to keep our reason covered any longer. We have got definite directions where to find gold near the head-waters of this creek. There should be a great deal of it. You, of course, will have your opportunity to stake a claim or so."

The Desert Rat cocked a droll eye at Stone and another at Larkin on the other side of him.