money."
"He's getting fifty," Felton said somewhat testily.
"Did you ever sit up on that box holding the lines on some half-broke broncs while you're getting shot at? If I'd known there was that much gold rd never have agreed to the price. Once the story gets out, every thief in the country will be riding."
"All right," Felton agreed reluctantly. Matt Coburn turned abruptly and went outside. For the first time he was really worried. Fifty thousand was a lot of gold but twice that much? And the story of the big nugget would surely get out. There was excitement in such a story, and there was challenge.
Dandy Burke came outside. "Thanks," he said. "That was decent of you."
"You've got it coming," Matt said. "You'll earn it." "Let's have some more coffee."
While they were drinking the coffee Matt saw some people coming up the street two men and a woman. The woman was not with the men, but walked slightly behind them.
Holding the cup in his hands, he watched them. The men were strangers. One was a stocky, wide-shouldered, bearded man with quick movements and a tough, capable look about him. The other man was slender, better dressed, but not a gambler, Matt decided, and probably not a businessman.
The woman was scarcely more than a girl, young but with no wide-eyed innocence about her. She was dressed very well for the time and place, and wore no make-up. She carried only a carpetbag.
Newton Clyde came out, followed by Cohan and Felton. "Passengers?" Matt inquired quietly, over his cup. "There will be four," Clyde said. "Matt Coburn, meet Charlie Kearns" this was the stocky, bearded man "and Peter Dunning."
The girl had halted, well behind the others, but Clyde made no move to introduce her until the two men had acknowledged the introductions and gone inside for coffee.
"Matt," Clyde said quietly, "this is Madge Healy."
The girl's eyes were on his face, awaiting a reaction, but Matt's smile was casual and friendly. "Howdy, ma'am." He held his hat in his hand. "I hope you won't mind a rough ride."
Her chin lifted slightly and she looked straight into his eyes. "I have had some rough rides, Mr. Coburn. I think I can stay with you."
"You know,* he said gently, "I think you could, at that Would you like some coffee?"
"Yes, please.'
He went inside and took a clean cup from the shelf. The men were standing about, most of them silent. It was a cold morning, they had only just gotten out of bed, and they did not feel talkative.
He took the coffee outside "It's hot," he warned. "Be careful."
`Thank you."
He put his hat on and stood beside her as she sipped the coffee. "If there is anything you want," he said, "just tap on the underside of the roof. I'll hear you."
"I will be all right" She hesitated ever so little, and then said, "Mr. Coburn, you are a gentleman."
He made no reply, and she looked up to see his eyes were on the man who was walking up the street The fourth passenger.
He was a lean, wiry man wearing a black coat and a tied-down gun. He carried a blanket roll in his left hand, which he tossed to the stage-top. Only then did he turn to face them, looking first at Matt, then at Madge Healy. He had deep, sunken eyes, and thin brows on a narrow face. When he looked at Matt, the gaze straight but the eyes curiously unalive, Matt was reminded of a snake he had once seen at close quarters. The man's clothing was new, a store-bought outfit still showing the creases of the packing case. Only the gun was not new. It was a gun that showed much use.
"You drivin7' he asked.
"No, Dandy Burke is driving. He's inside right now." The man turned away, and when he had gone inside the girl said, "Do you know him?"
"No."
"That is Pike Sides, the Cherry Creek gunman." 'Thanks."
Matt knew something about him. He was from West Virginia by way of Texas and Old Mexico. He had killed a man in Chihuahua, another in Durango. He had been involved briefly in the Lincoln County War, had been involved in a shooting in Vernal, Utah,
"He's getting fifty," Felton said somewhat testily.
"Did you ever sit up on that box holding the lines on some half-broke broncs while you're getting shot at? If I'd known there was that much gold rd never have agreed to the price. Once the story gets out, every thief in the country will be riding."
"All right," Felton agreed reluctantly. Matt Coburn turned abruptly and went outside. For the first time he was really worried. Fifty thousand was a lot of gold but twice that much? And the story of the big nugget would surely get out. There was excitement in such a story, and there was challenge.
Dandy Burke came outside. "Thanks," he said. "That was decent of you."
"You've got it coming," Matt said. "You'll earn it." "Let's have some more coffee."
While they were drinking the coffee Matt saw some people coming up the street two men and a woman. The woman was not with the men, but walked slightly behind them.
Holding the cup in his hands, he watched them. The men were strangers. One was a stocky, wide-shouldered, bearded man with quick movements and a tough, capable look about him. The other man was slender, better dressed, but not a gambler, Matt decided, and probably not a businessman.
The woman was scarcely more than a girl, young but with no wide-eyed innocence about her. She was dressed very well for the time and place, and wore no make-up. She carried only a carpetbag.
Newton Clyde came out, followed by Cohan and Felton. "Passengers?" Matt inquired quietly, over his cup. "There will be four," Clyde said. "Matt Coburn, meet Charlie Kearns" this was the stocky, bearded man "and Peter Dunning."
The girl had halted, well behind the others, but Clyde made no move to introduce her until the two men had acknowledged the introductions and gone inside for coffee.
"Matt," Clyde said quietly, "this is Madge Healy."
The girl's eyes were on his face, awaiting a reaction, but Matt's smile was casual and friendly. "Howdy, ma'am." He held his hat in his hand. "I hope you won't mind a rough ride."
Her chin lifted slightly and she looked straight into his eyes. "I have had some rough rides, Mr. Coburn. I think I can stay with you."
"You know,* he said gently, "I think you could, at that Would you like some coffee?"
"Yes, please.'
He went inside and took a clean cup from the shelf. The men were standing about, most of them silent. It was a cold morning, they had only just gotten out of bed, and they did not feel talkative.
He took the coffee outside "It's hot," he warned. "Be careful."
`Thank you."
He put his hat on and stood beside her as she sipped the coffee. "If there is anything you want," he said, "just tap on the underside of the roof. I'll hear you."
"I will be all right" She hesitated ever so little, and then said, "Mr. Coburn, you are a gentleman."
He made no reply, and she looked up to see his eyes were on the man who was walking up the street The fourth passenger.
He was a lean, wiry man wearing a black coat and a tied-down gun. He carried a blanket roll in his left hand, which he tossed to the stage-top. Only then did he turn to face them, looking first at Matt, then at Madge Healy. He had deep, sunken eyes, and thin brows on a narrow face. When he looked at Matt, the gaze straight but the eyes curiously unalive, Matt was reminded of a snake he had once seen at close quarters. The man's clothing was new, a store-bought outfit still showing the creases of the packing case. Only the gun was not new. It was a gun that showed much use.
"You drivin7' he asked.
"No, Dandy Burke is driving. He's inside right now." The man turned away, and when he had gone inside the girl said, "Do you know him?"
"No."
"That is Pike Sides, the Cherry Creek gunman." 'Thanks."
Matt knew something about him. He was from West Virginia by way of Texas and Old Mexico. He had killed a man in Chihuahua, another in Durango. He had been involved briefly in the Lincoln County War, had been involved in a shooting in Vernal, Utah,
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