“‘Cash down now?’ I asks.

“The captain has a sort of discussion with his helpmates, and they all produce the contents of their pockets for analysis.  Out of the general results they figured up $102.30 in cash and $31 worth of plug tobacco.

“‘Come nearer, capitan meeo,’ says I, ‘and listen.’  He so did.

“‘I am mighty poor and low down in the world,’ says I.  ’I am working for twelve dollars a month trying to keep a lot of animals together whose only thought seems to be to get asunder.  Although,’ says I, ’I regard myself as some better than the State of South Dakota, it’s a come-down to a man who has heretofore regarded sheep only in the form of chops.  I’m pretty far reduced in the world on account of foiled ambitions and rum and a kind of cocktail they make along the P. R. R. all the way from Scranton to Cincinnati—­dry gin, French vermouth, one squeeze of a lime, and a good dash of orange bitters.  If you’re ever up that way, don’t fail to let one try you.  And, again,’ says I, ’I have never yet went back on a friend.  I’ve stayed by ’em when they had plenty, and when adversity’s overtaken me I’ve never forsook ’em.

“‘But,’ I goes on, ’this is not exactly the case of a friend.  Twelve dollars a month is only bowing-acquaintance money.  And I do not consider brown beans and corn-bread the food of friendship.  I am a poor man,’ says I, ’and I have a widowed mother in Texarkana.  You will find Black Bill,’ says I, ’lying asleep in this house on a cot in the room to your right.  He’s the man you want, as I know from his words and conversation.  He was in a way a friend,’ I explains, ’and if I was the man I once was the entire product of the mines of Gondola would not have tempted me to betray him.  But,’ says I, ’every week half of the beans was wormy, and not nigh enough wood in camp.

“‘Better go in careful, gentlemen,’ says I.  ’He seems impatient at times, and when you think of his late professional pursuits one would look for abrupt actions if he was come upon sudden.’

“So the whole posse unmounts and ties their horses, and unlimbers their ammunition and equipments, and tiptoes into the house.  And I follows, like Delilah when she set the Philip Steins on to Samson.

“The leader of the posse shakes Ogden and wakes him up.  And then he jumps up, and two more of the reward-hunters grab him.  Ogden was mighty tough with all his slimness, and he gives ’em as neat a single-footed tussle against odds as I ever see.

“‘What does this mean?’ he says, after they had him down.

“‘You’re scooped in, Mr. Black Bill,’ says the captain.  ‘That’s all.’

“‘It’s an outrage,’ says H. Ogden, madder yet.

“‘It was,’ says the peace-and-good-will man.  ’The Katy wasn’t bothering you, and there’s a law against monkeying with express packages.’

“And he sits on H. Ogden’s stomach and goes through his pockets symptomatically and careful.