There was enough truth in what
the rancher said to make the untruths the more painful. Before the
accident Hervey had, indeed, been all that anyone could ask in a
manager. But when too much authority came into his hands owing to the
crippling of his chief, the temptation proved too strong for resistance.
It was all so easy. A few score of cows run off here and there were
never noted, and his share in the profit was fifty-fifty. Indeed, as the
hand of Jordan crushed over his own he came perilously near to making a
clean breast of everything, but the memory of his fat and growing
bank-account gagged the confession.
"If that's the way things are standing," Jordan was saying, "we got to
get rid of this skunk Perris. Good-looking, as I remember him, and
Marianne is so darned lonely on the ranch that she might begin to take
him serious and--Hervey, I'll give you a written note. That'll be
authority. I'll give you a note to Marianne, telling her that I've got
to go across the mountains and that I want you to have the running of
the place till I get back. I guess that'll give you a free hand, Lew!
You fire that Perris, and when he's gone, send me word over to the hotel
in Lawrence.
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