"Kells, if we can agree I'll join," he said in his sonorous voice.
"You can bet you won't join unless we do agree," snapped Kells.
"But--see here, Gulden. Let's be friendly. The border is big enough
for both of us. I want you. I need you. Still, if we can't agree,
let's not split and be enemies. How about it?"
Another muttering among the men attested to the good sense and good
will of Kells's suggestion.
"Tell me what you're going to do--how you'll operate," replied
Gulden.
Keils had difficulty in restraining his impatience and annoyance.
"What's that to you or any of you?" he queried. "You all know I'm
the man to think of things. That's been proved. First it takes
brains. I'll furnish them. Then it takes execution. You and Pearce
and the gang will furnish that. What more do you need to know?"
"How're you going to operate?" persisted Gulden.
Kells threw up both hands as if it was useless to argue or reason
with this desperado.
"All right, I'll tell you," he replied. "Listen. ... I can't say
what definite plans I'll make till Jesse Smith reports, and then
when I get on the diggings. But here's a working basis. Now don't
miss a word of this, Gulden--nor any of you men. We'll pack our
outfits down to this gold strike. We'll build cabins on the
outskirts of the town, and we won't hang together. The gang will be
spread out. Most of you must make a bluff at digging gold. Be like
other miners. Get in with cliques and clans. Dig, drink, gamble like
the rest of them. Beard will start a gambling-place. Red Pearce will
find some other kind of work. I'll buy up claims--employ miners to
work them. I'll disguise myself and get in with the influential men
and have a voice in matters. You'll all be scouts. You'll come to my
cabin at night to report. We'll not tackle any little jobs. Miners
going out with fifty or a hundred pounds of gold--the wagons--the
stage-coach--these we'll have timed to rights, and whoever I detail
on the job will hold them up. You must all keep sober, if that's
possible. You must all absolutely trust to my judgment. You must all
go masked while on a job. You must never speak a word that might
direct suspicion to you. In this way we may work all summer without
detection. The Border Legion will become mysterious and famous. It
will appear to be a large number of men, operating all over. The
more secretive we are the more powerful the effect on the diggings.
In gold-camps, when there's a strike, all men are mad. They suspect
each other. They can't organize. We shall have them helpless. ...
And in short, if it's as rich a strike as looks due here in these
hills, before winter we can pack out all the gold our horses can
carry."