Yes, I think I can trust
Billings."
"But not his friends. Ted, do you want to know what I think?"
"Certainly."
"I feel that the invitation out there is a trap to catch you, and
possibly keep you away from the town."
"Nonsense! Why should they want to keep me away from the town? There
doesn't seem to be anything wrong in town that I could bother them in,
except the Norcross incident, and if, as I suspect, he has duped his
partners, he will say nothing to them about me."
"Suppose they want to get out there to do away with you."
"They wouldn't ask all of you out there with me in that case."
"That is where you are mistaken. They are too shrewd to excite your
suspicions by inviting you alone. It will not be hard for them to get
you away from the ranch to look at some cattle and then kill you. Ted,
you are too dangerous to them to be let alone."
"Well, it can't be helped now, and being right in among them is a hope I
did not expect to see realized so easily. But they will have no
advantage over me, for none of the syndicate, I take it, know of the
counterfeits as yet, except Norcross and the inevitable Checkers.
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