irplane and make
your getaway, and lie till your tongue wore out, proving it was yours.
You'd do it if you got a chance. That's why I hid the gas on you. That's
why you couldn't take Miss Selmer home. I knew darn well you wouldn't
come back. And that's why I took off the propeller and hid it. It ain't
why I licked you yesterday--that was for what you said about Miss--"

"Aw, f'r cat's sake! Did yuh have to come and wake me up in the middle of
the night just to--"

"No--oh, no. I'm merely explaining to you that I don't trust you for one
holy minute. I don't want you to think you can put anything over on me by
getting on my blind side. I haven't got any, so far as you're concerned.
Now listen. I meant, and if possible I still mean, to keep my promise and
take you to the Coast in the plane; but something's come up that is going
to hold up the trip for a few days, maybe--"

"Aw, yes! I had a hunch you'd--"

"Shut up! I told you I'd go as soon as I could without leaving the boss
in the hole. Well, it happens that--well, some horses were stolen off
this range, and I'm the one that's responsible. So--"

"Say, bo, you don't, f'r cat's sake, think _I_ stole your damn horses?
Why, honest, bo, I wouldn't have a horse on a bet! I--"

"Oh, shut _up_!" thundered the distracted Johnny above the other's whine.
"Of course I know you didn't steal 'em. Horses ain't in your line, or I
wouldn't be so sure. The point is this. I've got to get out and get 'em
back, or get a line on who did it. I can't go off without doing something
about it. This range was in my charge. I was supposed to report anything
that looked suspicious, and I--well, the point is this--"

"So you said," Bland cut in, with something of his natural venom.

"Shut up. There's just a chance I can find out where those horses were
taken. We'll go in the plane. You'll have to go along to handle it,
because I'm liable to be busy, if I run across anybody. I'm going to pack
a rifle and a six-shooter, and I don't want my hands full of controls
right at the critical minute. Besides," he added ingenuously, "some of
these darned air currents nearly got the best of me yesterday, coming
back. You can handle the machine, and I'll do the look-see."

"Aw, sa-ay! I--"

"I know it's against my promise to a certain extent," Johnny went on.
"I know I've got you in a corner, too, where you can't help yourself.
You couldn't walk to the railroad, or even to the closest ranch, if you
kne