"
Bat laughed. The idea of the Texan being yellow struck him as
humorous. "I'm wonder how mooch more beeg lie you got for tell, eh?"
Tex was grinning now, "Search me. I had to concoct some excuse for
getting 'em started--two or three excuses. An' it looks like I got to
keep on concoctin' 'em to keep 'em goin'. But it don't hurt no
one--lyin' like that, don't. It don't hurt the girl, because she's
bound to get one of us. It don't hurt the pilgrim, because we'll see
him through to the railroad. It don't hurt you, because you don't
believe none of it. An' it don't hurt me, because I'm used to it--an'
there you are. But that don't give you no license to set around an'
snort an' gargle while I'm tellin' 'em. I got trouble enough keepin'
'em plausible an' entangled, without you keepin' me settin' on a cactus
for fear you'll give it away. What you got to do is to back up my
play--remember them four bits I give you way back in Los Vegas? Well,
here's where I'm givin' you a chance to pay dividends on them four
bits."
Bat grinned: "You go 'head an' mak' you play. You fin' out I ain't
forgit dat four bit. She ain' mooch money--four bit ain'. But w'en
she all you got, she wan hell of a lot . . . _bien_!"
CHAPTER XVII
IN THE BAD LANDS
It was well toward noon on the following day when the four finally
succeeded in locating the grub cache of the departed horse-thief.
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