human
Did I hear you say you know where my cattle are?
gpt
I didn't finish it. _I_ don't know where they are, but Hopalong is trailin' 'em, an' _he_'ll know when he comes back. Pay us them rewards now, instead of later, an' I'll do some high an' mighty guessin' about yore head--an' bet you th' rewards that I guess right.
human
You've shore got plenty of nerve, he retorted.
gpt
When this fight is over there won't be no rewards paid. We got th' whole gang in them two buildin's, an' we got 'em good. You've had yore trouble for nothin', Nelson.
human
How 'bout th' gang that are with th' herd?
gpt
I ain't worryin' about them--they'll never come back to Mesquite.
human
That so? queried Johnny, sarcastically.
gpt
I ought to keep my mouth shut, th' way yo're talkin', but I hate to see good men killed. I'll bet you they'll come back just at dawn, some time in th' next five days. An' I'll bet you they'll sneak up on this hotel an' raise th' devil, while Kane starts a bunch from his place and Red Frank's, to help 'em. Th' minute they start shootin' in here their friends'll sortie out an' carry th' fight to you. Want to bet on it?
human
How do you figger that? he demanded suspiciously.
gpt
You gettin' that out of yore medicine bag, too? and then he eagerly drank in every word of the explanation. After a moment's thought he looked around the room and then back to the smiling Johnny.
human
Much obliged, Nelson. I'm beginnin' to see that I owe you fellers somethin', after all. If them fellers we want were loose an' you got 'em, then of course th' reward would stand; but you can't win it very well when we've got 'em corraled. Who-all is in that bunch with th' herd?
gpt
Didn't you say you knowed who killed Ridley?
human
I know him, an' how he did it. Hopalong saw him while his gun was smokin', but didn't know what he had shot at till later.
gpt
Why didn't you tell me, an' earn that reward right away?
human
That's only half of th' rewards, replied Johnny.
gpt
There's money up for th' fellers that robbed th' bank. If we got Ridley's murderer th' others might 'a' smelled out what we was after. You see, I was robbed of more than eleven hundred dollars th' first night I was in town. Th' money belonged to th' ranch. Th' only chance I had of gettin' it back was to make th' rewards big enough to stand three splits that would be large enough to cover it. An' I'm still goin' to do that, Mac. Pay it now an' we'll stick with you till you get th' men an' yore herd. Of course, yo're going to get th' herd, anyhow, as far as we are concerned. I ain't holdin' that over yore head; I'm only tryin' to show you why I can't be open an' free with you.
human
I couldn't pay th' rewards now even if I wanted to,
gpt
I know that, an' I didn't think you would. I was only showin' you how things are with us.
human
Connors, he said,
gpt
Who was right about where that raid on you was goin' to take place? asked Johnny.
human
You was purty shore about that, too, wasn't you?
gpt
Yo're a good guesser,