The One-Way Trail: A story of the cattle country

by Ridgwell Cullum

  CHAPTER XXXI

  THE DISCOMFITURE OF SMALLBONES

  Never in all his recollection had Silas Rocket had such a profitablenight. From sundown on, his saloon was packed almost to suffocation,and he scarcely had time to wipe a single glass between drinks, sorapidly were the orders shouted across his bar. All the male portionof Barnriff were present, with the addition of nearly thirty men fromthe outlying ranges. It was a sort of mass meeting summoned by DocCrombie, who had finally, but reluctantly, been driven to yield to thepublic cry against Jim Thorpe.

  The doctor understood his people, and knew just how far his authoritywould carry him. He had exerted that authority to the breaking pointto protect a man, whom, in his heart, he believed to be innocent ofthe charges laid at his door. But now the popular voice was too strongfor him, and he yielded with an ill-grace.

  Smallbones was the man responsible for this rebellion against along-recognized authority. He was at the bottom of the campaignagainst Jim Thorpe. Whether he was himself convinced of the man'sguilt it would have been difficult to say. For some reason, which wasscarcely apparent, he meant to hang him. And, with all the persistenceof a venomous nature, he shouted his denunciation, until at last hisarguments gained credence, and his charges found echo in the deepthroats of men who originally had little or nothing to say in thematter.

  The meeting was in full swing, tempers were roused in proportion tothe arguments flung about at haphazard, and the quantities of liquorconsumed in the process of the debate. At first the centre of thefloor had been kept clear for the speakers, and the audience was linedup around the walls, but as the discussion warmed there was lessorder, and Doc Crombie, in spite of his sternest language, waspowerless to keep the judicial atmosphere necessary to treat thematter in a dignified manner. Smallbones kept up a fiery run ofcomment and spleenful argument on every individual who backed thedoctor in his demand for moderation. He ridiculed, he cursed, heshowered personal abuse, until he had everybody by the ears, and bythe sheer power of his venom herded the majority to side with him.

  One of the men he could not influence was Peter Blunt. He did hisutmost to provoke the big man to a personal attack upon himself thathe might turn loose personalities against him, and charge him withcomplicity in some of Jim's doings, however absurdly untrue they mightbe. He had all a demagogue's gift for carrying an audience with him.He never failed to seize upon an opportunity to launch a poisonousshaft, or sneer at the class to which Jim and such men as Peterbelonged. Before he left that saloon he meant to obtain a verdictagainst his man.

  Doc Crombie's anger was hot against the hardware dealer. He meantruling against him in the end, but he was not quite sure how thatruling would be generally received. He was now listening to a finalappeal from Peter in the hopes of gleaning something that might helphim when he finally set his foot on the neck of Smallbones' charges.

  "See here, fellers," Peter said, with a quiet directness of manner,but in a voice that rose above the hum of general talk, and at oncesilenced it, "you've heard a whole heap of 'tosh' from Smallbones andhis gang. I tell you that feller's got a mind as big as a pea, andwith just about as much wind in it. You've heard him accuse Jim Thorpeof cattle stealing on evidence which we all know, and which wouldn'tconvince a kid of ten, by reason of its absurd simplicity. Do I needto ask sensible men such as you if any sane rustler is going to do thethings which you're trying to say Jim Thorpe did? Is any sane rustlergoing to use his own brand, and run stolen cattle with his legitimatestock, in a place where folks can always see 'em? Sure, sure you don'tneed to ask yourselves even. Jim Thorpe's been a straight man all hisdays in Barnriff. 'Honest Jim Thorpe' you've all many a time calledhim. I tell you this thing is a put-up job. Some dirty, mean skunk hasset out to ruin him for some reason unknown. There are mean folks," hewent on, with his keen eyes fixed on Smallbones, "here in Barnriff.They're mean enough to do this if they only hated Jim enough. I'd hateto cast reflections, but I believe from the bottom of my heart thatSmallbones, if he hated enough, would do such a trick. I----"

  "Are you accusin' me, you durned hulk?" shrieked the hardware dealerfiercely.

  "I wasn't," remarked Peter, calmly. "But if you like, I will. I'm nota heap particular. And there'd be just about as much sense in doingso as there is in your accusations against Jim."

  "Hark at him, fellers," cried the furious Smallbones, pointing at thebig man. "He's his friend--he'd sell his stinkin' soul for him.He'd----"

  "I'd sell my soul for no man," Peter replied, cutting him short. "ButI'd like to keep it as decently clean as such folks as you will letme. Now listen to me. You've no right to condemn this man in the wayyou're trying to. I don't know what your ultimate intentions are abouthim. I dare say some of you would like to hang him, but there's toomany sane men who'd stop such as Smallbones at tricks like that. Butyou've no right to banish him out of the district, or even censurehim. He's done nothing----"

  "What about the Henderson woman?" cried Smallbones.

  "Yes, yes," cried several voices, standing near their little leader.

  Peter's eyes lit.

  "Don't you dare to mention her name in here, Smallbones," he cried,with a sudden fierceness, "or, small as you are, I'll smash you to apulp, and kick you from here to your store. In your wretched gossip,and in your scandal-loving hearts you must say and think what youplease, but don't do it here, for I won't stand for it."

  A murmur applauded him from Doc Crombie's direction, and evenSmallbones was silenced for the moment. Peter went on.

  "See here, I'm known to everybody. I'm known in most places where thegrass of the prairie grows, and my name's mostly good. Well, I want tosay right here, on my oath, Jim Thorpe's no cattle-thief, and, as Godis my judge, I know that to be true. Jim Thorpe hasn't an evil thoughtin his----"

  "Hold on," cried Doc Crombie, excitedly, as the swing doors werepushed suddenly open. "Here's some one who'll mebbe have a word to sayfer himself. You're jest in time to say a word or two, Jim Thorpe," hesmiled, as the man's pale face appeared in their midst.

  "Here he is," cried Smallbones, his wicked eyes sparkling. "Here heis, fellers. Here is the man I accuse right here of bein' a low-downcattle-thief. That's your charge, Jim Thorpe. An' don't ferget we hangcattle----"

  "Shut your rotten face, you worm!" cried Jim, contemptuously. He wasstanding in the centre of the room. Everybody had made way for him,and now he confronted a circle of accusing faces. He glanced swiftlyround till his dark eyes rested on the hawk-like visage of thedoctor.

  "Say, Will Henderson's dead," he said, in a quiet, solemn voice. "He'sbeen murdered. He's lying up there on the south side of the easternbluff. Guess you'd best send up and--see to him."

  His words produced a sudden and deathly silence. Every eye was uponhis pale face in excited, incredulous wonderment. Will Henderson dead?Their questioning eyes asked plainly for more information, while theirtongues were silent with something like awe. Smallbones reached hisglass from the counter and drank its contents at a gulp, but his eyesnever left Jim's face. His astonishment didn't interfere with therapid working of his mean brain. To him Jim looked a sick man. Therewas something defiant in the dark eyes. The man, to his swiftimagination, was unduly perturbed. He glanced down at his clothes, andhis eyes fixed themselves greedily upon the fingers of the handnearest to him. A flash of triumph shot into his eyes as he heard DocCrombie's voice suddenly break the silence.

  "How'd it happen? Who did it?" he asked sharply.

  Jim's answer came promptly.

  "He's up there stabbed to death. Stabbed through the heart. As to whodid it, that's to be found out." He shrugged. His eyes were on thedoctor without shrinking.

  But he turned swiftly as Smallbones' harsh tones drew every one'sattention.

  "Say, hold up your left hand, Jim Thorpe," he cried gleefully. "Holdit right up an' tell us what that red is on it. Say, I don't guesswe'll need to puzzle a heap over how Will Henderson come by hisdeath."

  Jim raised his hand. There was nothing else to
be done. For a secondhe gazed at it ruefully. But it was only the sight of the murderedman's blood on it that disturbed him, and not any thought of theconsequences of its discovery.

  "It's Will Henderson's blood," he said frankly. "It was necessary forme to touch him."

  The frankness of his admission was not without its effect upon thosewho did not belong to Smallbones' extremist party, but to them itpassed as a mere subterfuge. They promptly gave voice to an ominousmurmur which momentarily threatened to break out into violence. ButSmallbones saw fresh possibilities. He suddenly changed his frenziedtactics, and entirely moderated his tone.

  "You've come straight in?" he inquired.

  "Yep." Jim's face wore something approaching a smile. He knew exactlywhat to expect before the night was out, and Smallbones' questions hadno terrors for him. He had nothing to gain, and nothing to lose,except that which he had already made up his mind to lose--ifnecessary.

  "What wer' you doin' out by that bluff?" Smallbones demanded.

  "That's my business."

  The little man snarled furiously. All eyes were set curiously uponJim's face, but there were several smiles at the manner of the snub.Peter Blunt standing beside Angel Gay was hopelessly wondering at thesudden turn of events.

  But now Doc Crombie once more took the lead.

  "We'll send up six boys and bring him in. I'll go myself." He turnedand gave his orders. Then his luminous eyes settled themselvessteadily upon Jim's face. "We want the rights o' this, sure. Do youknow anything more?"

  But Jim was tired of the questioning. He shrugged his shoulders.

  "I've told all I've got to tell you. For Heaven's sake, go and fetchin the man's body. It'll maybe tell you more than it told me."

  He turned to the bar and called for a drink, which he devouredthirstily.

  But Doc Crombie was not to be dealt with in so cavalier a fashion.

  "You'll come along up an' show us just wher' Henderson is," he saidsharply. "It'll make it easier findin'." He stepped up to him, andtapped him on the shoulder. "Do you get me? Ther's been murder done,an'----"

  "I'll stay right here," said Jim, flashing round on him. "I've seenall I want to see up there. You'll have no difficulty locating him.He's on the south side."

  "You'll come----" Doc began.

  But Smallbones, still smarting under his snub, could no longer keepsilent.

  "Take him prisoner," he demanded. "Get him now. Are you goin' to lethim get away? Once he's on his horse he'll---- Say, he's got blood onhis hands, and he's the on'y man with reason to wish Will Hendersondead. Gee, get his guns away an' strap him fast."

  But the doctor ignored the interruption.

  "You're coming out there, Jim Thorpe," he said deliberately, "oryou'll hand over your guns, and----"

  "Consider myself under your arrest, eh?" Jim promptly removed both ofhis guns from their holsters, and handed them, butt first, to thedoctor. "Guess I'll stay right here," he said easily. "And I'm glad tohand you those; it'll save me using them on Smallbones."

  The furious hardware dealer now bristled up, and his mean face wasthrust up so that he stared into Jim's with all the cruelty of hishatred laid bare in his eyes.

  "Yes, you ken stay right here an' we'll look after you, me an' a fewo' the boys. You're a prisoner, Jim Thorpe, and if you attempt toescape, we'll blow you to bits. We'll look after you, sure. You shan'tescape, don't you mistake. It 'ud do me good to hand you a little leadpizenin'."

  "I've no doubt," was all the answer Jim vouchsafed.

  But before Smallbones could retort, Peter Blunt, followed by JakeWilkes and Angel Gay, approached.

  "We'll stay here too, Doc," he said. "Guess Smallbones'll need help.You see he isn't much of a man to look after a prisoner. Anyway, JimThorpe's a friend of ours."

  "Right, Peter, an' you two fellers," cried the relieved doctor. "I kenhear the buckboard I sent over for comin' along. I'll start rightout." Then he added pointedly, "I guess I'll leave him in yourcharge."

  The doctor passed out and was followed at once by most of Rocket'scustomers, all eager to investigate the murder for their own morbidsatisfaction. And thus only the three friends of Jim Thorpe, withSmallbones and two others, were left with the prisoner.

  The moment the doors had swung to behind the last of the departures,Peter Blunt suddenly strode across the room to where Smallbones stood,staring at his intended victim with snapping eyes. So sudden was hisapproach that the little man was taken quite unawares. He seized himby the collar with one hand, and with the other deprived him of theguns with which he was still armed, as a result of his service on thevigilance committee, and, though he struggled and cursed violently, hecarried him bodily to the door and deliberately flung him outside.

  "If you attempt to get in here again till Doc returns I'll throw youout just the same again, if I have to do it twenty times," Peterdeclared. Then he turned back to the men at the bar.

  "I feel mean havin' to do it," he said, almost shamefacedly. "Only Iguess things'll be more comfortable all round now."

  "Thanks, Peter," said Jim simply, holding out his hand.

  Peter took it and wrung it.

  "You see he wants to--hang you, Jim," he said by way of explanation.

  "And he'll do it."

  Jim's words came so solemnly that the men beside him were startled.

  "But--but you didn't--kill him?" Peter stammered.

  Jim shook his head.

  "No," he said decidedly. "But--he'll hang me--sure."

  "Will he?" cried Peter emphatically. "We'll see."

  And the startled look in his eyes was again replaced by the shrewd,kindly expression Jim knew so well.