The foreman halted, and stood looking in surprise
first at Billy Byrne, and then at Eddie Shorter and Mr.
Harding.
"What does this mean?" he demanded, addressing Eddie.
"What you doin' here with your prisoner? Who told you to
let him out, eh?"
"Can the chatter," growled Billy Byrne. "Shorter didn't let
me out. I escaped hours ago, and I've just come back from
Jose's to ask you where Miss Harding is, you low-lived cur,
you. Where is she?"
"What has Mr. Grayson to do with it?" asked Mr. Harding.
"How should he know anything about it? It's all a mystery to
me--you here, of all men in the world, and Grayson talking
about you as the prisoner. I can't make it out. Quick, though,
Byrne, tell me all you know about Barbara."
Billy kept Grayson covered as he replied to the request of
Harding.
"This guy hires a bunch of Pimans to steal Miss Barbara,"
he said. "I got it straight from the fellow he paid the money
to for gettin' him the right men to pull off the job. He wants
her it seems," and Billy shot a look at the ranch foreman that
would have killed if looks could. "She can't have been gone
long. I seen her after midnight, just before I made my getaway,
so they can't have taken her very far. This thing here
can't help us none neither, for he don't know where she is
any more'n we do.
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