"I dunno, but suppose some gents is plumb scared of their partner. Suppose this here Baldy Kane was a member of their gang, an' they was scared of him. He's hell on wheels, that bald-headed ol' jasper. They would figger out you would learn somethin', then go try for Baldy. He ain't a gent what would ever give up, so you'd sure cash him, an' he'd prob'ly cash you. They'd have got rid of him, an' anythin' you'd learnt wouldn't matter, 'cause you'd be dead!" Later Jim-twin Allen stood there and watched his brother ride away. And the woman watching him saw Jim's face grow old, become covered with a thousand wrinkles. It was lifeless, nearly, dead like the desert that was his home. The woman turned away, ashamed that she had witnessed the baring of a man's soul. Suddenly the outlaw's face grew young again, and he grinned. "All right, Jack. Whether yuh like it or not, the Wolf is goin' to horn in on your play an' sorta prove to yuh that yuh don't know nothin' a-tall!" CHAPTER XV THE TRAP The sun had rushed behind the distant mountains, and the dusk was gathering in the gulch when Pop Howes rode up to the American Beauty and dismounted. His face was worried and haggard. He had had a long talk with his friend, Hard-rock Hogan, but neither of them could think of any way by which they could raise sufficient money to save the American Beauty from the clutches of the Black Rock Bank. Another week and the bank would automatically take possession, unless Pop could raise the necessary cash to pay the interest and part of the loan. Jim Allen was waiting for him, and before Pop entered the house, the little outlaw drew him aside and talked rapidly for several minutes. "That would be a fool thing to do!" Pop complained. "What you got in your head now?" "Yuh do like I say; yuh trot down to the post office an' pretend to get that letter; then yuh tell two or three people on the quiet what I just tol' yuh to. Yuh act happy an' glad--make believe you're a little drunk--an' then tell a coupla more folks. Then yuh come back here, get your ol' lady, an' sneak over to Hard-rock's place an' lay low. I'll do the rest, an' don't yuh worry none. I ain't sure she works, but if she does, mebbe yuh won't lose your mine!" Jim spoke confidently and grinned one of his broad, likable grins. Pop grumbled and complained about being left in the dark as to just what Allen intended to do, but at length he consented to do what Allen asked. He told his wife that he had to go to town with Jim Allen. And as Jim saw the look of worry that crossed her face, he realized she must have known all the while that the Mexican boy had been killed by mistake for her husband. "Don't worry none, ma'am. I stick close to him an' he won't get hurt none!" Allen reassured her.