'B-but – ' He stared at her, stunned. 'But how do you – why -?'
'Cinch cut. You want me to show you, by God?' She started to rise, paused as his hand detained her. 'Is true, Critch. Ol' Arlie, he cut.'
'You mean you saw him? And you didn't warn me?'
'Course not,' Joshie exclaimed indignantly. 'I listen outside door this morning while he an' Kay talk. Kay want him to kill you. Arlie say maybe so Marshal Thompson find out, so Kay say fix up nice little accident. You see?' – she gave him an anxious look. 'I don' know nothin' for sure. Not till you have accident an' I see cut cinch.'
Critch nodded slowly, an unreasoning rage growing in his heart. That God damn Arlie! What kind of a rotten son-of-a-bitch was he, anyway? Forcing him to come to the ranch, and then trying to kill him!
How low-down could a man get?
Joshie watched him with grave anxiety, misreading his savage scowl. 'I sure sorry, Critch. Jus' not think he try to do it so soon.'
'What?' he said blankly. 'What are you talking about?'
"Bout why he want to kill you. Ol' Arlie tell Kay no good reason to kill you. Kay say there be plenty reason when you find out money gone. She say you hokay 'long as you think you get money back. But you find out he no have money, you sure 's hell kill him.'
She nodded with grave emphasis, dark eyes concernedly fixed upon his face. He sat quite still, staring at her and beyond her. And slowly his lips curled back from his teeth in a frightful grin.
'Gone,' he said. 'So the money's gone.'
'Uh-huh.' She bobbed her head. 'Arlie steal from you, yes? Was very much?'
Critch's grin widened hideously. He said, Oh, no, no it wasn't much at all. Hardly worth talking about. Why – why –
He began to laugh. He fell back into the bunk laughing, then hoisted himself out of it. Began staggering around the floor, oblivious to the wracking pain of his movements; simultaneously whooping and hollering and weeping.
Not much money. _Not much!_
What a wonderful, wonderful joke! The money was gone, and Arlie was afraid he'd be sore about it; killing mad. Imagine that! For, of course, he wasn't a bit angry. Perish the thought! Arlie might think he was angry when he got his head caved in and his ribs carved out and his balls toasted over a slow fire… so he'd have to keep laughing throughout the mayhem. Make Arlie understand that it was really very funny.
As funny as permanently stripping a brother of his wealth, and then trying to kill him…
'Critch! Please, ol' Critch! Don' do no more.' Joshie clung to him frantically, her voice half-sobbing. 'No more laugh, please. Scare me plenty much.'
The red haze cleared from Critch's eyes. His insane hysterics ended as suddenly as they had begun, and he docilely allowed Joshie to guide him back to the bunk. He would not, however, lie down in it.
'I think I'd better sit up a while,' he explained. 'Maybe even move around a little. I'm liable to get stiff as a board if I don't.'
'Well…' Joshie gave him a doubtful look. 'Well, hokay, but you no ride horse. I go get wagon for you.'
Critch smiled his agreement, then masked his handsome features with an expression of great concern. 'But it'd be way after dark before you could get back here. I won't allow that, Joshie.'
'Ho,' she scoffed. 'I be all right.' But Critch shook his head firmly, over-riding her with the tenderly playful reminder that she was now his squaw and must do as he said.
'You let Arlie bring the wagon. See that he does do it. Tell him I want to talk to him privately.'
'But he try to kill you!' Joshie protested. 'He get you alone, he try to finish job, an' you too hurt to fight back!'
'Now don't you worry about me,' Critch said, chucking her under the chin. 'I'm feeling better all the time. Anyway, Arlie won't be stupid enough to make two attempts on my life in one day.'
'Well…' She didn't think it was a good idea. She saw no reason to take a chance that need not be taken. 'I tell you, ol' Critch – '
'No,' Critch said firmly. 'I tell you, ol' Joshie. I tell you to have Arlie come after me alone. So that's what you do, yes? Yes.' He gave her a playful pat on the bottom; stood up and kissed her. 'One more thing, Joshie. That bellyband – the saddle cinch – broke, understand? It wasn't cut; it broke.'
'Like hell!' Joshie blazed indignantly. 'Was by God cut!'
'But you don't say that. You say that it broke. You say that,' he said slowly, letting the words sink in. 'Because if you don't, Joshie, I just might stop liking you…'
'No! Oh, no, Critch!'
'I might if you don't say what I tell you to do. You just might have to go through life using your finger instead of the real thing.'
'Finger tabu,' Joshie said. 'Anyway, no damn good. I do what you say, ol' Critch.'
____________________
*Chapter Three*
Some five hundred yards from the abandoned farm house, Arlie lay bellied down in the lush growth of weeds and grass, his nervousness increasing with the passing of each minute. Joshie's horse and Critch's saddleless animal were hobbled in the grownover yard of the dwelling, so obviously the two were inside. But as to what condition Critch was in, Arlie could only guess. For more than an hour now, he had lain hidden and watched the place. Fretting, worrying; profanely praying to whatever powers that be that nothing was seriously amiss with his brother. More than an hour of agonized waiting… and he knew no more now than he had at its beginning.