The cowman obeyed, and they seated themselves still further from Jack Dudley.
"What makes you so afeard he'll hear us ?" asked Hazletine, impatiently, noting the suspicious glances which the man cast in the direction of the youth.
"For the reason that I don't want him to hear us; I've something to say about him and his friend." "His father owns half of Bowman's ranch." Bill Tozer started with an angry exclamation.
"Is that so ?" he asked in amazement.

"I thought it was the other fellow's father." "How should you know anything about it anyway ?" demanded Hazletine, who made no attempt to conceal his dislike of the man.

"I'd like to know where you picked up so much knowledge 'bout these two younkers." "There's no need of getting huffy about it, Hank; it seemed to me that I was to be on your heels for the last few days, for I stopped at the ranch and had a talk with the fellows only a short time after you left with the tenderfeet for this hunt.

I understood Kansas Jim to say that it was the father of the Greenwood boy that owned half the ranch." "If Jim told you that, which I don't believe he done, he told you what ain't so." "But the father of the other boy--the one that's missing--he's rich too, ain't he ?" "I don't know nothing 'bout it; what are you driving at?
Bill, you know that my 'pinion of you is 'bout the same as it is of that tramp Motoza, so, if you've got anything to say to me, out with it! I hain't any time to fool away." "I _have_ something to say, Hank, and it's about them young tenderfeet: I've seen Motoza." "When ?" "This morning." "Did you give him my message ?" "Every word of it, as I received it from Bok-kar-oo; I made it as strong as I could." "You couldn't make it any too strong; how did he take it ?" "It didn't seem to worry him much; he says he don't know anything about the missing boy and your threats don't scare him.

But, Hank," added Tozer, lowering his voice almost to a whisper and glancing furtively around, "I suspect Motoza was lying." "I _know_ he was, fur he doesn't know how to tell the truth." "If he's treated right, I believe he'll produce the missing youngster." Hank Hazletine was keener mentally than most of his friends suspected.
He had more acumen than even Bill Tozer suspected.