"With all the political pull our crowd has behind it do you suppose we fear a little thing like that ?" "I'll talk the crime over with Dave Fulsbee," Tom continued.
"A lot of good Fulsbee will do you," jeered 'Gene.

"We have him attended to as well as we have you." "That's a lie," Reade declared coolly.
"Do you want us to show him to you ?" "Yes," nodded Tom.

"You'd have to show me Dave Fulsbee before I'd believe you." "Yank the cub off that horse!" ordered 'Gene Black harshly.
Three or four men seized Reade, dragging him out of the saddle and throwing him to earth.

Tom did not resist, for he saw other men standing about with revolvers in their hands.

He did not believe that this desperate crew of worthless characters would hesitate long about drilling holes through him.
"Take the horse, you, and ride it away," directed Black, turning to one of the men, who promptly mounted and rode off into the darkness.