“There’s where you’re dead wrong,” rejoined Sampson, emphatically.  “I imagined that once, not long ago.  I was bull-headed.  Who would ever connect Roger Sampson with a rustler gang?  I’ve changed my mind.  I’ve begun to think.  I’ve reasoned out things.  We’re crooked and we can’t last.  It’s the nature of life, even in wild Pecos, for conditions to grow better.  The wise deal for us would be to divide equally and leave the country, all of us.”

“But you and I have all the stock—­all the gain,” protested Wright.

“I’ll split mine.”

“I won’t—­that settles that,” added Wright instantly.

Sampson spread wide his hands as if it was useless to try to convince this man.  Talking had not increased his calmness, and he now showed more than impatience.  A dull glint gleamed deep in his eyes.  “Your stock and property will last a long time—­do you lots of good when Steele—­”

“Bah!” hoarsely croaked Wright.  The Ranger’s name was a match applied to powder.  “Haven’t I told you he’d be dead soon same as Hoden is?”

“Yes, you mentioned the supposition,” replied Sampson sarcastically.  “I inquired, too just how that very desired event was to be brought about.”

“Blome’s here to kill Steele.”

“Bah!” retorted Sampson in turn.  “Blome can’t kill this Ranger.  He can’t face him with a ghost of a show—­he’ll never get a chance at Steele’s back.  The man don’t live on this border who’s quick and smart enough to kill Steele.”

“I’d like to know why?” demanded Wright sullenly.

“You ought to know.  You’ve seen the Ranger pull a gun.”

“Who told you?” queried Wright, his face working.

“Oh, I guessed it, if that’ll do you.”

“If Jack doesn’t kill this damned Ranger I will,” replied Wright, pounding the table.

Sampson laughed contemptuously.  “George, don’t make so much noise.  And don’t be a fool.  You’ve been on the border for ten years.  You’ve packed a gun and you’ve used it.  You’ve been with Blome and Snecker when they killed their men.  You’ve been present at many fights.  But you never saw a man like Steele.  You haven’t got sense enough to see him right if you had a chance.  Neither has Blome.  The only way to get rid of Steele is for the gang to draw on him, all at once.  And even then he’s going to drop some of them.”

“Sampson, you say that like a man who wouldn’t care much if Steele did drop some of them,” declared Wright, and now he was sarcastic.

“To tell you the truth I wouldn’t,” returned the other bluntly.  “I’m pretty sick of this mess.”

Wright cursed in amaze.  His emotions were out of all proportion to his intelligence.  He was not at all quick-witted.  I had never seen a vainer or more arrogant man.  “Sampson, I don’t like your talk,” he said.

“If you don’t like the way I talk you know what you can do,” replied Sampson quickly.  He stood up then, cool and quiet, with flash of eyes and set of lips that told me he was dangerous.