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54
The Quitter
the night, enabled him to squirm through and make his get-away.
He got a lift on an early-morning market wagon and drifted into Gold City about noon. Here, while he was staring into the store Avindows, he was accosted by a keen-eyed, well-groomed man of middle age who grasped his arm and swung him around.
"I thought I couldn't mistake your
"7 told you he was a crook" thundered Willet.
face," he said, with an apology for a smile. "How are you, Happy ?"
"Why, it's Mr. Willet !" exclaimed Jack. "Have yuh heard how that assay uh mine came out ?"
"Good — very good, I may say. I'm willing to make you an offer. Come over to my office. But first, a drink."
They did not stop with one drink, or two, or three, and when Jack went to Willet's office he was cloudy about details and utterly forgot that he had deeded his claim to Glad Mason. Willet chuckled as Happy signed his name to the transfer. The young miner insisted on being paid in bank notes, and, buttoning his coat on them, he stalked out, feeling that he had done a splendid stroke of business.
Things were spinning around him ; his head did not feel at all clear. He started out along the mountain road. A motor car roared up from behind. "Give you a lift," said the chauffeur. Jack climbed aboard. But something went wrong with the starter, and the chauffeur got down to investigate.
Jack dozed — a second car appeared. Then came the command :
"Stick up your hands !"
He obeyed. A man with a handkerchief bound round his face delved into his pockets and commandeered the sheaf of bills, while another stood with his gun against Jack's breast. Two more kept watch for newcomers. If Happy Jack had had his gun, there might have been a different ending to the encounter, but he had been relieved of that at Braithwaite, and, unarmed as he was, it would have been suicidal to attempt reprisal. He contented himself with jerking the handkerchief from the face of one of the men and mentally registering a vow never to forget the fellowr's features. The revenge might be delayed, but it was bound to happen, he told himself, as he watched the two cars disappear.
They had left a five-dollar gold piece in his pocket "for luck," and he used this for a ticket to Pine Junction. The rest of the journey to Paradise Gulch he made on foot.
The reception he got from his oldtime partners at the gulch was chilling. Nobody seemed particularly pleased to see him. He half wished he had not come back. To Big Bill he told his