The banker, wincing, extricated his hand. Flexing it a moment, and apparently reassured, he said, 'I must be getting back, but if you'll step over for a moment I feel certain we can arrive at a profitable arrangement.' That last he pushed out with considerable unction, not smiling exactly, but nevertheless managing to give the impression of an unending jingle of cascading dollars all bound for Rafe's pockets.
*****
The bank was the only brick building in town. Lines of jostling people, all with money in their paws, stood before the tellers' cages in an ornate lobby replete with guards and grilles and an overabundance of stuffed animal and bird heads; and the pride of them all, a dusty bald eagle, hovered on spread wings above the door to Chilton's office.
The banker escorted Rafe past the gun hung lackies, herded him inside and got him ensconced in a leather- covered chair that sort of closed out the world's woes like the sweet scented arms of a harem houri.
Chilton, after removing his hat, pushed a box of fat cigars across the shine of his desk and then, while his guest was stowing away half a dozen, fetched out a bottle of fine bourbon and a pair of glasses.
Rafe, surreptitiously pinching himself, picked up the pushed-forward nearest. Cold eyes sparkling above the rim of his lifted own, Chilton proposed, 'Your health, young feller, and all that goes with it.'
Rafe smacked his lips and, feeling some stronger, gawped around like a bumpkin. The banker evidently lived about as high off the hog as a man in this country was liable to get. Recognition of this brought to mind an old saw having to do with gifts and Greeks. With that jaw, and eyes that would have looked as much to home in one of those moose heads, Chilton's red carpet welcome had a lot more behind it than was being tossed onto the table.
With the stiff-fingered hand Rafe set down his glass. 'Not much point chasin' clean around the barn, eh?'
The banker, showing his store teeth, sat back while Rafe fired up. Then he said, leaning forward, 'This property I mentioned is being let go to hell. A man's entitled to protect his investment?'
'No argument there. Your bank owns the property?'
'Bank holds the mortgage. Last payment made—and it took care only of interest—was more than a year ago. These payments,' Chilton explained, 'are due quarterly. Our depositors have—'
'I dunno,' Rafe said. 'If you're wantin' 'em foreclosed I'd say your best bet's the sheriff.'
Chilton snorted. 'He won't even go near the place, and his deputy's more scairt of Spangler than he is. To make a long story short what we've got out there is a bunch of damn fools, a family of wastrels. The old man knows stock, and that's all you can say for them. Left alone I expect he could make a real go of it—that's why we loaned him the money. But—'
'How much was that?'
'Thirty thousand.'
Rafe whistled. 'That spread must take up half the county.'
'Takes up enough. An old Spanish grant. First couple of years we didn't have no trouble. Then they took on this Spangler—'
'Who's he?' Rafe cut in.
'Foreman, range boss, whatever you want to call him. I won't try to fool you, he's a plenty rough customer. Old man's been failing—eyes ain't what they used to be. He's fell into the habit of letting Spangler pretty much run things. Spangler's stealing him blind.'
Rafe said, 'Where do I come in?'
'I don't say it'll be easy; you'll earn every nickel you're going to get out of this.' Chilton said confidentially, 'You'll be going out there as the bank's representative. You'll look into these losses, do whatever you think's called for.'
'Hmmm,' Rafe said dubiously.
'You'll draw two hundred a month, and a thousand dollar bonus if you wind this up to the bank's satisfaction. That's a lot of money, mister.'
It was a good deal more than Rafe had ever got hold of or ever expected to. 'This Spangler,' he said, 'must be hell on wheels.' He got up with a sigh.
'Where you going?' Chilton growled.
'Ain't much doubt where I'd go if I took on that chore.'
'You don't have to fire him, if that's what's bothering you. I'm not tying your hands. Work under cover, do it any way you want. There's a girl out there, old man's daughter, wild as a hare.' Chilton smiled suggestively.
'I guess not,' Rafe said, turning to hide the black leap of his anger.
'Where else can a secesh make that kind of money?'
The banker had something there, but money wasn't everything. Rafe, arriving at the door, grabbed hold of the knob. Chilton said, 'Figure you can afford to entertain such fine sentiments?'
Rafe, chewing his lip, glared over a shoulder. 'What's that supposed to mean?'
'Got the price of that damage you inflicted across the street?'
Rafe bristled. 'An' if I haven't?'
'Better think over my offer if you don't want to find yourself headed for Yuma.'
