human
That's what I'm a-huntin', he answered,
gpt
She's layin' up agin' the mouth of a coulee, 'bout two mile or so this side of Red Sand.
human
See her clost up?
gpt
Yup. Went right down to her.
human
Anyone in her?
gpt
No.
human
Any tracks around--like anyone had be'n there?
gpt
Not none except what I made myself. Look a-here, Bill; what you so damned anxious to find that ferry fer? It would cost you more to haul it back upstream than what it would to build you a new one.
human
Sure they wasn't no one there? No one could of got off her an' struck back in?
gpt
Not onless they could of flew, opined Purdy,
human
I'll tell you how come she bust loose, he roared, when he had sufficiently recovered to proceed,
gpt
Texan! cried Purdy,
human
Who the hell d'ye s'pose I mean? Who else 'ud have the guts to steal the Red Front saloon, an' another man's woman, an' my ferry all the same day--an' git away with it? Who would? The infuriated man fairly screamed the words,
gpt
Me--or you--not by a damn sight! You claim to be a horse-thief--my Gawd, if that bird ever turned horse-thief, in a year's time horses would be extincter than what buffaloes is! They wouldn't be _none_ left fer _nobudy--nowheres_!
human
An' here's the rewards--a hundred fer Tex, an' a thousan' fer information about the woman.
gpt
Looks like me an' you had a purty good thing--if it's worked right,
human
Wha' d'ye mean?
gpt
I mean, answered Purdy,
human
Got the woman! he repeated,
gpt
That's what I don't know. I hope he's drownded. He never landed where she did. They wasn't no tracks. That's the only thing that's botherin' me. I don't mind sayin' it right out, I ain't got no honin' to run up agin' him--I don't want none of his meat.
human
Course he's drownded, if he never landed, cried Long Bill, and taking tremendous heart from the thought, he continued:
gpt
I hain't afraid of him, nohow--never was. I hain't so damn glad he drownded neither. If I'd of run onto him, I'd of be'n a hundred dollars richer. I'd of brung him in--me!
human
You'd of played hell! sneered Purdy,
gpt
Sure he will! Five thousan'--two thousan' five hundred apiece----
human
They wasn't nothin' mentioned about no even split, he reminded,
gpt
You didn't know nothin' about the reward till I come along. An' who's got to do the dickerin'? You don't dast to show up nowheres. You'd git nabbed. They's a reward out fer you.
human
When we git the five thousan', you git five hundred. Take it or leave it. They's others can do the dickerin'.
gpt
You listen to me. We don't want no mistakes about this here. I'll write a note to the pilgrim an' sign Tex's name to it, demandin' five thousan' fer the return of the woman. You take the note to him, an' tell him Tex is hidin' out in the bad lands, an' they ain't a show in the world to git the woman without he pays, because Tex will kill her sure as hell if he goes to gittin' any posses out. Then you fetch him over here--this place is good as any--today a week, an' we'll give him his woman.
human
What if he won't come? What if he thinks we're double-crossin' him?
gpt
If he wants his woman bad enough, he'll come. It's his only chanct. An' here's another thing: Before you hit back acrost the river, you spread them bills around all the ranches an' on all the trails around here. They ain't no one else can horn in on the big reward 'cause I've got the woman, an' if the Texan should of got to shore, it's just as well to have everyone huntin' him.
human
I ain't got no horse,
gpt
Drift down the river till you come to a coulee with two rock pinnacles on the left hand side. Go up it till you come to a brush corral, there's two horses in there, an' a saddle an' bridle is cached in a mud crack on the west side. Saddle up one of 'em, an' be sure you put him back or Cass Grimshaw'll make coyote bait out of you.
human
If I c'n double-cross the pilgrim, I will, he muttered,