“Listen,” resumed Hugh.  “Among other things he mentioned was an account of his adventures down in Texas in the big oil field there, where he said men make fortunes one day and lose them the next in speculation.  He went into some details to tell me of a strange thing he had witnessed there, and among other names mentioned, he chanced to speak of a Marshal Hastings, who, it seems, is much feared by the bad men of that community.  Somehow, I thought I could detect a little quaver in Brother Lu’s voice whenever he spoke of this party; and, Thad, do you know, the idea flashed through my brain that perhaps he’d had an unpleasant half hour with that same Marshal Hastings himself.”

“I take it that you mean the officer may have warned Lu to shake the dust of that region off his brogans, and make himself scarce, if he didn’t want to pull hemp; is that your idea, Hugh?”

“Something along that order,” came the steady reply.  “At least he could not think of Marshal Hastings without some memory that was unpleasant, making him shiver.”

Thad’s eagerness increased by jumps, and showed itself on his face, which was now lighted up with anticipation.

“I’m beginning to sense something coming, Hugh,” he hastened to say.  “What you saw gave you a sort of idea, didn’t it?  You reckon right now that there may be a way to frighten this lazy loafer, so that of his own free will he’ll cut stick and clear out.  Well, perhaps after all something like that would be the best way to get rid of him.  I don’t believe the people in this civilized section of country would stand for any night-riding business like they did in the Kentucky tobacco district; or such a thing as that tar and feather picnic.  So go on and tell me your scheme.”

“Well,” Hugh continued, “you could hardly call it by such a name as yet, because the idea is hardly more than half hatched.  But when he told me about the way the bad men used to shake at mention of that brave marshal’s very name, and I saw him doing something along the same order, why, I began to figure out that if only Brother Lu could be made to believe Marshal Hastings was here from Texas, looking for somebody he meant to take back with him, why, he might get such a bad scare he’d skip by the light of the moon between days, and never, never come back again.”

Thad gave his chum a vigorous pound on the back that made the other wince; but then he was accustomed to taking things of this nature from expressive Thad.

“Oh! that sounds good to me, Hugh!” he burst out with.  “I honestly believe you are getting close to a bully scheme that may pan out firstclass.  Argument and all kinds of pleading wouldn’t influence that man a bit, because he’s selfish, I know he must be, or else he wouldn’t burden his poor sister, and see her working for his miserable comfort every day, and all day long.  But, Hugh, he could be moved by fear.  If so be he has ever done anything down there in Texas that he could be arrested for, why, just the mere knowledge that this marshal, who always gets those he goes after, has come north, and is looking for some one, ought to start Brother Lu on a gallop for another distant section of country.”