Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/372

 leave the woods, and what the outside world never knew, never happened.

He sounded them, asking why they “tied up” with a half-breed when he could give them well paid employment with his company.

“We’ve got a good boss,” grinned Joe.

“Shut up on that. We have no boss,” warned Ben.

“Ye needn’t try to cover up. Jim Nace is yer boss, but even he, as bad as he is, never meant ye should do murder,” cried Abner.

“Will ye keep yer mouth shet, or shall we do fer ye right here?” hissed Ben.

“And to think ye are fools enough to trust the half-breed, while he’ll throw ye over in a second,” sneered Abner.

“He might if he got mad with us and had a chance to blab,” agreed Pete.

“Meaning ye’ll put him out of the way if necessary?” queried Abner.

“I don’t think he’d be missed very much,” laughed Joe.

Abner said no more. The men talked openly before him, as if realizing what they said would never be carried further. After camp was pitched the veteran fell into a doze and did not wake till late in the afternoon. In the meanwhile one of the men had repaired to the camp