The Trail Horde

by Charles Alden Seltzer

  CHAPTER II

  DRIVING A BARGAIN

  Lawler stiffened. There was no mistaking the deadly threat of the rifleand the man's menacing manner. Lawler's face was pale, but his eyes wereunwavering as they looked into those that glared out at him through theaperture in the door.

  Guilt and fear were the emotions that had driven Hamlin to this ratherhysterical threat. Lawler resisted an impulse to laugh, though he felt apulse of grim humor shoot through him.

  To his knowledge--excepting Hamlin's predilection to rustle cattle--theman was harmless. He never had been known to draw a gun, even inself-defense, and Lawler was convinced that there was not sufficientprovocation for him to break one of the rules that had governed himuntil now. Hamlin might be goaded, or frightened, into using the rifle,but Lawler had no intention of goading or frightening him. In fact,being aware of the reason for Hamlin's belligerence, he had no intentionof acquainting the man with the knowledge of what had happened the nightbefore. At least, not at this instant.

  Lawler's lips wore a shadowy smile.

  "I reckon you don't know me, Hamlin?" he said.

  "I know you mighty well, Lawler," snapped Hamlin; "you heard me mentionyour name!"

  "Then you've got a new way of greeting your friends, eh--with a rifle.Well, put it down and open the door. There's some things I want to sayto you."

  "What about?" asked Hamlin, suspiciously. Overwhelming every otherthought in his mind was the conviction that Davies and Harris hadapprised Lawler of what had happened the night before, and that Lawlerhad come to capture him, single-handed.

  "About Ruth."

  The wild gleam in Hamlin's eyes began to dull. However, he was stillsuspicious.

  "You seen any of your men this mornin'--Davies or Harris?" he asked.

  "Davies and Harris went to town last night. I reckon they didn't getback yet. What's Davies and Harris got to do with me visiting you?"

  "Nothin'." There was relief in Hamlin's voice. The muzzle of the riflewavered; the weapon was withdrawn and the slide closed. Then the doorslowly opened, and Hamlin appeared in it, a six-shooter in hand.

  "If you're foolin' me, Kane Lawler, I'll sure bore you a-plenty!" hethreatened.

  "Shucks!" Lawler advanced to the door, ignoring the heavy pistol, whichwas shoved close to his body as he walked into the cabin, Hamlinretreating before him.

  "Hamlin, you're losing whatever sense you had," said Lawler as he haltednear the center of the big room. There were three rooms, their doorsopening from the one in which Lawler and Hamlin stood.

  "Meanin' what?" demanded Hamlin, nervously fingering the six-shooter.

  It was clear that Hamlin was impressed with the repressed force that hecould see in Lawler; with the slumbering energy that Lawler's lithe,sinewy body suggested; with the man's complete lack of fear and with thecold confidence that swam in his steady eyes.

  Hamlin did not know at this minute whether or not he had meant to shootLawler. He believed that if Lawler had told him he had come to take himfor blotting out the Circle L brand in the arroyo the preceding night hewould have killed Lawler. But he was not sure. Something about Lawlermade the thought of shooting him seem ridiculous. It would take a lot ofprovocation for _any_ man to kill Lawler, for something about Lawlerseemed to hint that it couldn't be done.

  "Meaning that you are old enough to know that you can't keep on rustlingmy cattle without getting in trouble."

  "Ah!" exclaimed Hamlin, his breath hissing through his teeth as hesucked it in with a gasp; "you sneaked on me, damn you!"

  He threw the muzzle of the pistol up, his body stiffening, his eyesglittering with the malignance that had been in them when he had beenlooking out at Lawler through the aperture in the door.

  "You know about that deal, an' you've come for me. You tried to fool me,eh--tellin' me that you didn't see Davies an' Harris. Well, damn yourhide you ain't goin' to take me; I'll blow you to hell first!"

  Lawler's eyes were steady and unblinking as he watched Hamlin; theybored into Hamlin's with a compelling intensity, that brought aconviction of futility into Hamlin's soul. They were cold eyes--cold asicebergs, Hamlin thought as he watched them; but they seemed to flamealso, to flame with a fire that was cold as the ice in them.

  The terrible power of them, and the promise of volcanic action back inthem; the awful confidence that shone in them; the threat compellingHamlin against his will, deadening his muscles, jumbling histhoughts--brought chaos into the man's brain, and he stood, his mouthagape with wonder over the thing that was happening to him, as Lawlerwalked steadily to him. He made no resistance as Lawler deliberatelywrenched the pistol from his hand and as deliberately walked to a sidewall and placed it upon a shelf.

  Hamlin stood, nerveless and pallid, for an instant, watching Lawler'smovements--until Lawler turned and faced him again. Then he staggered toa chair and dropped into it, lowering his head dejectedly, sitting withhis hands folded, completely subjected.

  Lawler would hang him, now. Lawler would take him to the Circle L andturn him over to Blackburn and the other men of the outfit. AndBlackburn would hang him, for Blackburn had told him he would. Or, ifLawler didn't take him to Blackburn he would take him to the sheriff. Hewould be hanged then, but he would go to the new prison at the capital,and Ruth would have to stay on here to do the real suffering for hismisdeeds.

  "You damned fool!" came Lawler's voice into the vacuumlike stillness ofthe cabin. "You haven't got nerve enough to shoot a coyote!"

  Hamlin knew it; he knew, now, at least, that he hadn't had nerve enoughto shoot Lawler. He cringed under Lawler's contemptuous tone. And thenhe became aware that Lawler was speaking again.

  "I'm giving you another chance. I'm letting you off, clean. For Ruth'ssake.

  "Look here, Hamlin!"

  Hamlin's chin was caught in an iron grasp and he found himself lookinginto the terrible eyes. He saw grim pity in the eyes and he shuddered.

  "Ruth knows you're stealing cattle. Everybody knows it, now. Who isbuying them?"

  "Singleton."

  "Singleton!" Lawler's voice snapped with astonishment. "Dave Singleton,Lefingwell's old range boss?"

  Hamlin nodded. And then the grip of Lawler's fingers on his chinrelaxed. He heard Lawler step back, but he did not lift his head for afew minutes, during which a strained silence descended upon the room.Then he covertly raised his head, to see Lawler standing with his armsfolded over his chest, watching him.

  Lawler had not suspected Singleton. Between himself and Singleton therehad always been a lack of ordinary cordiality, a constraint closelyapproaching dislike; but Lawler had never entertained a suspicion thatLefingwell's range boss was dishonest.

  Hamlin was a moral weakling, he knew. Everybody in the Wolf Riversection knew it. Hamlin was lazy and shiftless, seemingly contented todrift along in an aimless way, regardless of what happened to him. Therewas at Hamlin's feet some of the wealth that other cattlemen of thedistrict were gaining. He had proved on a quarter-section of good grassland amid plenty of water, and yet he chose to steal cattle rather thanraise them.

  Lawler's pity for the man was stronger than the resentment he felt.Hamlin was Ruth's father, though looking at him as he sat dejectedly inthe chair, Lawler found it hard to discern the relationship.

  "How long has Singleton been buying cattle from you?"

  "About a year. I sold him what stock I had, before--before I got torunnin' my brand on other folks' stock, an' he hinted he wasn'tparticular whose cattle I got, long as he could get 'em under the marketprice."

  "Does Singleton come here?"

  "Sometimes--mostly nights."

  Lawler's quick conclusion was that Ruth must have seen Singleton at thecabin, must have noted that the visits seemed surreptitious. Perhaps shehad watched, convincing herself of her father's guilt. Lawler hadwondered how she had gained the knowledge she seemed to have, andSingleton's visits must be the explanation.

  Hamlin had bowed his head again after a swift glance at Lawler. Hesti
ffened when he felt Lawler at his side again, for there had come intothe atmosphere of the cabin a premonitory chill which warned him thatLawler was on the verge of action.

  But he was not prepared for what happened.

  Lawler's sinewy hands fell on his shoulders. The fingers bit deeply intothe flesh, drawing a groan of pain from Hamlin. He was lifted to hisfeet--off his feet, so that he dangled in the air like a pendulum. Hewas suspended by the shoulders, Lawler's fingers gripping him like ironhooks; he was shaken until his feet, powerless to retard the movement,were flopping back and forth wildly, and his teeth rattled despite hisefforts to clench them. It seemed to him that Lawler would snap his headfrom his shoulders, so viciously did Lawler shake him. Then suddenly theterrible fingers relaxed, and Hamlin reeled and swayed, dizzy and weakfrom the violence of movement. He was trying to keep his feet solidly onthe floor when he felt Lawler's fingers at his throat.

  To his astonishment, the fingers did not sink into the flesh. Theytouched his throat lightly, and he dazedly met Lawler's eyes, burning,with a passion he never had seen in them before. And Lawler's voice wasdry and light, but steady--so steady and cold that Hamlin realized thatonly the man's complete mastery of himself had kept him from committingmurder.

  "Hamlin, I ought to kill you. I'm letting you off on one condition--thatyou break off with Singleton, and that you keep silent about the thingswe both know. If you confess to Ruth that you've been rustling cattle,or if you tell her--or hint of it--that I know you've beenrustling--I'll tear you apart!

  "You're like a lot of other damned, weak-kneed polecats. You've got agirl who is good as gold, and you're making a regular hell for her.She's wise to what you've been doing--she suspects you. And from now onyou're going to show her that she was wrong--that you're straight andsquare.

  "There's a job for you over at the Circle L--if you want it. I'll throwthings in your way; I'll put you on your feet again--give you stock andtools, and pretend I've sold them to you. I'll do anything to keep yousquare. But if you tell Ruth, I'll kill you as sure as my name isLawler!"

  "I'm agreein'," said Hamlin, thickly. "I ain't wanted to do the thingsI've been doin'. But things didn't go right, an' Singleton--damn it,Lawler; I never liked the man, an' I don't know _why_ I've been doin' whatI have been doin'. But I've wanted to do somethin' for Ruth--so's shecould quit teachin' an' live like a lady. I thought if I could get abunch of coin together that mebbe she'd have----"

  "She'd see you dead before she'd touch it," scoffed Lawler.

  "Mebbe I'd be better off if I was dead," said Hamlin, glumly.

  "You'll die, right enough, if you don't keep your word to me," grimlydeclared Lawler.

  He strode to the door, leaped upon Red King and rode away.

  Inside the cabin, Hamlin got to his feet and swayed toward the door,reaching it and looking out, to see Lawler riding rapidly towardWillets.