"I see that the same idea has shadowed itself to you. You must consider
us--Eric and I--equals in that enterprise, friend Mayer. Three good
friends together. I begin to fear we have sadly underestimated Eric--you
and I. By our own admission--and his--he is a better fighting man than
either of us. You wouldn't want to displease him."

"I think you go about it in an ill way to remedy a mistake, Dewing," said
Zurich. "Don't let's be silly enough to fall out over one chance gone
wrong. We've got all we can attend to right now, without such a folly as
that. Don't mind him, Eric. Tell me, rather, what we are going to do
about this troublesome Johnson? Violence is out of the question: we need
him to show us where he found that copper. Besides, it isn't safe to kill
old Pete, and it never has been safe to kill old Pete. As for the Kid,
I'll do what I have been urged to do this long time by the personage who
takes so kindly an interest in his fortunes--I'll railroad him off to
jail, at least till we get that mine or until it is, beyond question,
lost to us. It isn't wise to let him go East; he might get hold of
unlimited money. If he did, forewarned as he is now, Johnson would fix it
so we shouldn't have a look-in. You turn this over and let me know your
ideas."

"And that reminds me," said Dewing with smooth insolence, equally
maddening to both hearers, "that Eric's ideas have been notably justified
of late; whereas your ideas--and mine--have been stupid blunders from
first to last. You see me at a stand, friend Mayer, doubtful if it were
not the part of wisdom to transfer my obedience to Eric hereafter."

"For every word of that, Johnson would pay you a gold piece, and have a
rare bargain of it." Zurich's voice was hard; his eye was hard. "Is this