"Mebbe. But ain't it good figgerin' to make Cleve do some kind of a
job, even if he is on the square?"
They all acquiesced to this, even Kells slowly nodding his head.
"Jack, I've thought of another an' better job for young Cleve,"
spoke up Jesse Smith, with his characteristic grin.
"You'll all be setting him jobs now," replied Kells. "What's yours?"
"You spoke of plannin' to get together once more--what's left of us.
An' there's thet bull-head Gulden."
"You're sure right," returned the leader, grimly, and he looked at
Smith as if he would welcome any suggestion.
"I never was afraid to speak my mind," went on Smith. Here he lost
his grin and his coarse mouth grew hard. "Gulden will have to be
killed if we're goin' to last!"
"Wood, what do you say?" queried Kells, with narrowing eyes.
Bate Wood nodded as approvingly as if he had been asked about his
bread.
"Oliver, what do you say?"
"Wal, I'd love to wait an' see Gul hang, but if you press me, I'll
agree to stand pat with the cards Jesse's dealt," replied Handy
Oliver.
Then Kells turned with a bright gleam upon his face. "And you--
Pearce?"
"I'd say yes in a minute if I'd not have to take a hand in thet
job," replied Pearce, with a hard laugh. "Gulden won't be so easy to
kill. He'll pack a gunful of lead. I'll gamble if the gang of us
cornered him in this cabin he'd do for most of us before we killed
him."
"Gul sleep alone, no one knows where," said Handy Oliver. "An' he
can't be surprised. Red's correct. How're we goin' to kill him?"
"If you gents will listen you'll find out," rejoined Jesse Smith.
"Thet's the job for young Cleve. He can do it. Sure Gulden never was
afraid of any man. But somethin' about Cleve bluffed him. I don't
know what. Send Cleve out after Gulden. He'll call him face to face,
anywhere, an' beat him to a gun! ... Take my word for it."
"Jesse, that's the grandest idea you ever had," said Kells, softly.
His eyes shone. The old power came back to his face. "I split on
Gulden. With him once out of the way--!"
"Boss, are you goin' to make thet Jim Cleve's second job?" inquired
Pearce, curiously.
"I am," replied Kells, with his jaw corded and stiff. "If he pulls
thet off you'll never hear a yap from me so long as I live. An' I'll
eat out of Cleve's hand."