"SHOULD OLD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT?"
If Dean was surprised to see his old enemy in such an out of the
way place, Kirby was no less surprised to see his former traveling
companion. There was this difference: the encounter brought him
pleasure, while to Dean it carried dismay. Neither could understand
where on earth the other had sprung from.
"Oho!" laughed Kirby, "so we meet again."
Dan looked surprised, thinking the words were addressed to him, but
following the direction of Kirby's eyes, he saw that he was mistaken.
"Do you know this boy?" he asked.
"Do I know him? Why, we started from the East together."
"How is that?"
"It was at the request of a friend of ours."
"The captain?"
"Yes."
"And why did you separate?"
"Well, I mustn't tell tales out of school. I am very glad to meet you
again, youngster. Is the pleasure mutual?"
"No, it isn't," said Dean, bluntly.
"So I should judge, after the trick you played upon me at our last
meeting."
"What do you refer to?"
"You know well enough. You cautioned Dr. Thorp against me. Don't deny
it, for I know it is true."
"I don't deny it. What happened that night showed that I had good
reason."
"Be that as it may," said Kirby with an ugly scowl, "you did a bad
thing for yourself. You probably thought you would never meet me again."
Dean was silent, but Dan, whose curiosity was aroused, interposed with
an inquiry.
"What are you two talkin' about," he said. "Is this boy a friend or an
enemy?"
"He is an enemy of our association," replied Kirby. "I am glad to have
him in my power."
"So there is an association?" thought Dean. "These two men belong to
it, and Squire Bates is the captain. I shall soon know all about it."
But in the meanwhile the evident hostility of Kirby, reflected in the
face of his new acquaintance Dan, was ominous of danger. Dean felt that
he would gladly pass the night out in the woods exposed to the night
air if he could only get away. But he saw clearly that escape was not
at present practicable.
"Have you seen the old woman?" asked Dan, meaning his mother.
"Yes, she told me that she had taken in a kid for the night, but I had
no idea it was any one I knew. The old lady wears well, Dan."
"Yes, she's tough," said the affectionate son carelessly. "I'll go in
and see whether she's got supper ready."
He entered the house, leaving Dean and his old employer together.
"Come here, boy, and sit down," said Kirby smiling, and eying Dean very
much as a cat eyes the mouse whom she proposes soon to devour. "You
must be tired."
"Thank you," said Dean calmly, as he went forward and seated himself on
the settee beside Peter Kirby.
"What brought you so far West as Colorado?" proceeded Kirby, giving
vent to his curiosity.
"I kept coming West. Besides I heard there were mines in Colorado, and
I thought I might find profitable work."
"So you gave up playing on that harmonica of yours?"
"Yes."
"Couldn't you make it pay?"
"I needed a partner like the one I started with—Mr. Montgomery. I
couldn't give an entertainment alone."
"Then you haven't been making any money lately?"
"No."
"Where did you get that watch?"
"From Dr. Thorp."
"When did he give it to you?"
"Just before I left town."
"It was a present to you for informing on me, I suppose?" said Kirby,
his face again assuming an ugly frown.
"I believe it was for saving him from being robbed."
"Then he had considerable money and bonds in the house?"
"Yes."
"Were they in the cabinet?"
"He removed them."
"After I went to bed?"
"I believe so."
"It seems then that I am indebted to you for foiling my little scheme."
Kirby looked dangerous, and Dean was alive to the peril incurred, but
he was obliged in the interests of truth to answer in the affirmative.
Here Dan appeared at the door.
"Come in, Kirby," he said. "Supper's ready."
"I am ready for it. I am about famished. Come in, boy."
"Thank you; I have supped already."
"All the same you must come in, for I don't propose to lose sight of
you. Hand over that watch, please."
"Why do you want it?" asked Dean apprehensively.
"I have more claim to it than you. It was the price of treachery."
"I hope, Mr. Kirby, you will let me keep it."
"Hand it over without any more words!" said Kirby, roughly, "unless you
want me to take it from you."
It would have been idle to resist, but Dean was not willing to hand it
over, since that would have indicated his consent to the surrender.
"You can take it if you choose," he said.
"It will do after supper. Come in!"
Dean preceded Kirby into the cabin, and sat down on a stool while the
two men were eating. Gradually they dropped into conversation, and Dean
listened with curious interest.
"So you saw the captain, Kirby?" asked Dan.
"Yes."
"Where?"
"He lives in an obscure country place, buried alive, as I call it. It
is for the sake of his family, he says."
"What family has he?"
"A wife and son—the last as like his father as two peas—the same ugly
tusks, and long, oval face. Between the two I prefer the captain. The
boy puts on no end of airs."
"Does he know----"
"Not a word. He thinks his father a gentleman of wealth and high birth,
and holds his head high, I can tell you."
"Does that boy know him?" asked Dan, with a jerk of the head towards
Dean.
"You know Brandon Bates, don't you, Dean?" said Kirby.
"Yes, sir."
"Do you like him?"
"I don't think any one in the village likes him."
"How about his father? is he popular?"
"He is better liked than his son."
"The fact is," resumed Kirby, "the captain's boy is an impudent cub. He
was insolent to me. I could have tweaked his nose with pleasure."
"There seems to be one point on which Mr. Kirby and I agree," thought
Dean. But upon the whole it did not seem to him that he liked Kirby any
better than Brandon Bates. Brandon had unpleasant manners, but it was
clear that Kirby was a professional thief.
"When is the captain coming West?" asked Dan.
"Soon, I think. He may be needed for some work in Denver. I shall make
a report to him when I have gathered the information we need, and urge
him to come. He has brains, the captain has, and he must give us the
advantage of them."
"What plan are you thinkin' of Kirby?"
"Hush!" said Kirby, glancing toward Dean. "I will speak with you about
that later."
After supper they went out again, and sat on the settee, both smoking
pipes provided by Dan. Dean was invited to come out also, but he felt
very much fatigued, and asked if he might go to bed.
"Mother," said Dan, "can the kid go up to bed?"
"Yes, if he wants to."
"I'll go up with him."
Dan led the way up a narrow staircase to the second floor. There were
two rooms, each with a sloping roof. On the floor was spread a sacking
filled with hay, one end raised above the general level.
"You can sleep there, youngster," said Dan. "There's no use in
undressin'. Lay down as you are."
Dean was quite ready to do so. Though he was apprehensive about the
future, fatigue asserted its claim, and in less than five minutes he
was sound asleep.