"Any one of us three is likely to be killed, if we have trouble with the Apaches, before we reach the gold at all. If Lefty is the one, or you, the rest are bunked out of everything. We've signed an agreement binding ourselves and our heirs and all that sort of thing. There's no use in hanging on to secrets that belong to the pool. I've done my part so far and I'm willing to tell the rest of what I know. If I'm killed you and Lefty will be powerless to do anything but turn back. Let's all come clean. No sense in mystery any longer."
He spoke plausibly enough but Larkin winked across at Stone from behind Healy's back. Stone took the cue.
"What did you tell him, Lefty?"
"I told 'im that, since the war, no agreement looked hany better to me than a scrap of pyper, not heven the League of Nashuns. Lyman 'ad 'is reasons for splittin' up the thing the w'y 'e did. I'm for stickin' to it. Hit's a bizness deal, to begin wiv, and, in biz'ness an' in cards I don't trust nobody to hover look my 'and hor play it. Lor', lummy, I wouldn't trust my own wife."
"I agree with Lefty," said Stone, serenely regardless of the scowl on Healy's face. "This is Lyman's money, left to us in trust, and I believe he had a right to dictate the terms in which that trust should be carried out. Lefty and I will take a chance of losing out if you get killed, Healy, before we get to the head-waters, and so on through the whole combination."
"Let's each write down our directions and keep
