Pockets--or Tiger?" demanded Higgins the instant
the ladies were out of hearing.

"Payne," said Garman, instantly dropping his air of affectation and
becoming the business man, "you've made a mistake in picking a chief
assistant with red hair. Damn it, man, don't you know it's a sign of
hot-headedness. Keep 'em down--foremen, crew handlers, perhaps; but as
executives, never!"

The veins were swelling in Higgins' thick neck and his face rivaled his
fiery poll in redness. He came toward Garman with quick, eager steps.

"Hey, Hig!" laughed Payne. "Are you going to prove that he's right?"

"I came to see you about that Indian, Payne," said Garman, dismissing
Higgins emphatically. "Not that I'm interested personally. Others
are. Didn't he come back to you?"

"No."

"You haven't seen him since?"

"No."

"All right; neither have I. He's gone back to his people probably;
Indians come and go. Now that will be all about Willy Tiger," he said
in a tone of finality.

"Payne, if you're going to stay here we'd better talk like business
men. I'm a business man."

"I try to be."

"Sure. No sense wasting any energy fighting. You're going to develop
your tract here?"

"Going to try to; yes."

Garman studied him with new intentness for a moment.

"And yet you look like you had business sense, too."

Payne made no reply.

"You know what a poor business proposition you've got, of course,"
continued Garman. "Even assuming that things are as you think they
are?"

"What things?"

Garman smiled slightly, a slow, amused smile.

"Payne, if I told you that I'm afraid you'd pull up stakes and get out
_pronto_."

Payne laughed.

"That would leave you broken-hearted, wouldn't it, Garman?"

"No-o-o," said Garman; "but it would--well it would deprive me of your
company. I'm a sociable animal, Payne. I crave company; I like to
have all sorts of people about me. Take Ramos, for instance; did you
ever see a more supercilious, sneaky, disagreeable specimen of the
half-breed Mexican? Neither have I. You, I suppose, wouldn't have him
'round you."

"Not if I was able to kick him away."

"Exactly; and thereby you would be depriving yourself of most excellent
entertainment, besides the services of a most useful servant."

"I haven't got any dirty work to be done, Garman."

Garman smoked deliberately for several seconds.

"Payne, once and for all, let this be understood between us: when I
have any dirty wo