by Hal Dunning
CHAPTER VII
THE SENTENCE
A little after dawn the following morning, eighteen heavily armedriders from the Frying Pan Ranch clattered into town. They dismountedbefore the Hogg Hardware Store, and Sam Hogg, followed by Tad Hicks,Windy Sam, and Kansas Jones, stepped from the store and greeted them.
The ex-Ranger's eyes lit with enthusiasm as he looked them over. Cleanlimbed, hardy, eager faced, reckless eyed, each one of them was willingto fight at the drop of a hat. He snapped out his orders; half of themwere to be on duty at all times at the store; those not on duty werefree to do as they pleased--with one exception--the Red Queen Saloonwas barred to all.
Tom Powers and his posse returned to town with long faces and jadedhorses. The sheriff dismounted before the hardware store. He shook hishead at a question from Sam Hogg.
"The trail was plain until we struck Snake Canyon, halfway between thelava fields and the Frying Pan, but we lost it there. Cattle had beendriven across the trail, and we couldn't find nothin'."
He threw himself into a chair and rolled a cigarette while Sam Hoggtold him of the murder of Tim Lynch, and why he had sent for hisriders. Suddenly the sheriff looked up and asked hopefully:
"You seen Allen?"
Sam Hogg shook his head.
The sheriff got up wearily. He left the store and headed for the jail.He attempted to snatch a few minutes' sleep before time to conduct PeteCable to the court to be sentenced, but sleep refused to come.
Where was Allen? Had he proof about the men he accused? Could he getit? The Lava Gang had struck twice. Who would be the third victim? Thesheriff cursed when he thought of Snippets McPherson in the power ofsuch men as the sons of _le Diable a Cheval_. He felt helpless. Hesuddenly realized how much he had come to depend on the outlaw, JimAllen.
At eleven o'clock he led the prisoner, Pete Cable, into the crowdedcourtroom. A hush settled on the spectators as they entered. All eyeswere fixed on the prisoner. His assurance had left him completely. Heseemed crushed by fear.
The formalities were gone through.
"And there hanged by the neck until dead."
The judge pronounced the fatal sentence. For a moment there was silenceas people craned their necks to see the condemned man. The judge walkedslowly from the court, the sheriff half carried, half led, Pete Cableback to his cell.
The people filed from the courtroom. As far as they were concerned theaffair was over.
Waiting is the most trying ordeal for the active man, and as the daypassed and night came, and still nothing happened, the Frying Panriders became restless.
The men within the store were fully as impatient as those without.Toothpick paced the floor; every few minutes he would stop and listen,then recommence his pacing. On his return, when he had been told ofDutchy and Snippets, the men had barely been able to keep him fromimmediate violence.
Jim Hogg was fuming for action. The sheriff stared at the ceiling. TadHicks and Windy sat on the floor close to the stove and grumbled theirimpatience.
"Hey, Sam," Windy pleaded, "tell a gent why for yuh're delayin' thebattle?"
"An' who the devil are we goin' to fight?" Tad Hicks added.
Sam Hogg threw up his hands and shook his head. What were they waitingfor? Allen? He might be dead.
Time passed, and all but Toothpick were dozing. He continued hisendless pacing. Suddenly he stopped and listened for a moment, thensprang to the back door and threw it open. Sam Hogg and the sheriffjerked to sudden life and crowded after him. Some one was coming.
"It's him," Toothpick said exultantly.
They heard a faint whistle. With hands on guns they stepped outside. Ablack blotch materialized from the darkness and Jim-twin Allen hailedthem.
"That yuh, Toothpick? Who's with yuh?"
"Tom Powers and Sam Hogg?"
The black blotch crept nearer.
"Where can I stable these old bags of bones?"
"Is them yuhr grays?" Sam Hogg asked.
"Yeah," Allen replied.
"Yuh go on in and get warm. Til rub 'em down, feed 'em, and fix 'empretty," Sam Hogg said eagerly.
For a fraction of a second Allen hesitated, then he spoke to the grays.
"Thanks," he said as he passed Sam Hogg.
Unceremoniously Allen sauntered into the store, sank into a chair nearthe fire, and called a greeting to Jim Hogg. The sheriff looked atToothpick, and the latter shook his head; both hesitated to tell himthe bad news. They served him a thick sandwich, which he munched insilence, then drank two cups of black coffee.
"Well?" he asked when he had finished.
Toothpick, Jim Hogg, and the sheriff stirred uneasily. Sam Hoggreturned to the room just as the sheriff began to tell his story.
Sam Hogg stared at the little outlaw as he listened. This was not theboy he had seen the night before in the judge's house. The freckledface was the same, but it was older. Allen was no longer a laughingyouth, but a man whom all respected and, deep down in their hearts,feared. Allen's expression never changed at the faltering accounts ofthe death of Dutchy and the kidnaping of Snippets. The ex-Ranger gotthe idea Allen had heard the story before and for some reason wasconcealing the fact.
Tad Hicks opened his sleepy eyes and stared at the little man by thestove. He took one look, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. He nudgedWindy, and the plump puncher ceased his snores and sat up.
When the sheriff had finished, Toothpick stepped forward with clenchedhands.
"Jim, Dutchy was my friend, and I want yuh to promise----" he began.
Allen interrupted.
"I get yuh, but it can't be did. Dutchy was downed by a couple ofskunks what was called 'Left Steve' and Bill Ranee----"
Sam Hogg now interrupted in his turn.
"Did yuh say _was_ called?" he asked.
"Yeah," Allen said indifferently. "Tom, I hears yuh fellows talkin'last night where yuh lost the trail. I hears that Dutchy was downed,but don't hear nothin' about Snippets being run off. So I takes afterthe killers an' downs 'em."
They glanced from the little outlaw in the chair to one another, thenback again. Windy Sam dug Tad Hicks in the ribs.
"Yuh know him?" he whispered.
"The Wolf," Tad replied.
"I knows that, but take a look at them pants," Windy muttered.
"The hobo! He talks of downin' gents like yuh does prairie hens, an' wecome near beatin' hell out of him," Tad Hicks exclaimed in anawe-struck whisper.
"But the girl! Snippets! What are you going to do about her?" Jim Hoggdemanded impatiently.
"I thinks I knows where she is," Allen replied wearily.
"Let's get goin' then!" The choleric little storekeeper seized his hat.
"It can't be did. They got her over in the lava fields. I got to trail'em. I found where they went in and I've got to pick the rest out,"Allen said flatly.
"We got twenty men out there and a hundred more scattered about. We'llcomb them hills and find her," Jim Hogg insisted.
Allen shook his head.
Sam Hogg and the sheriff looked at each other. They knew Allen waslying. For if there had been a single chance of Snippets being takenover the border he would be wasting no time in words. They could notfathom why he was lying.
"Looka here, there ain't no use being stubborn," Jim Hogg growled atAllen. "We _got_ to do something."
"Go ahead," Allen replied. He looked at Sam Hogg and added: "I'm goin'now. Where's them hosses of mine?"
"Don't yuh go 'way, sheriff," Jim Hogg cried as his brother and Allenstarted toward the rear door. "I'm goin' to see the judge and make himorder yuh to hunt for that gal."
As the furious storekeeper stormed out of the room Allen winked at SamHogg and the sheriff.
Outside, while he was saddling his horses, he explained. "The Toad'sgot the Yuma Kid and Baldy and them two brothers watchin' the girl.What happens if we go chargin' in there? Do yuh think them four willgive her up? And if we kill 'em
they'll sure enough take her with them."
"What yuh goin' to do?" the sheriff asked.
"I'm hopin' Jim, your brother'll do it for me. The Toad plumb hates me,an' if he could down me he'd be willin' to cut and run for Mexicoafter. When he hears I'm goin' to try and pick out the trail throughthe lava fields I sorta figure he'll tell his killers to hike it overthere and get me; then I'll get the girl."
"And yuh lied deliberate to fool Jim?" Sam Hogg asked.
"Jim is right convincin' when he's got his mad up, an' I don't thinkhe's a good liar. I figure there'll be some one who will be plumbanxious to pass the news on to the Toad." Then Allen talked rapidly fora few minutes and the others listened in silence.
After Allen had vanished into the night the sheriff said admiringly:"Gosh, ain't he a hellion?"
Sam Hogg nodded and hurried through the store. Outside he found TadHicks. He ordered him to follow and hurried down the dark, desertedstreet. He explained a little to Tad, and the two crouched down in somebushes opposite the judge's and settled themselves to watch.
Jim Hogg was still spluttering with wrath when he burst into thejudge's house. Although the hour was late he found the judge's familystill up. Ace Cutts and Kennedy were with them.
"We got news of Snippets!" roared the storekeeper. "An' I want yuh toorder Tom Powers to gather every blessed man in town and search themlava hills, 'cause that's where they got her."
"What do you mean? How do you know? Is she hurt?" The judge fired rapidquestions.
"Jim Allen tole me. He says they got her over there and that he knowspart of the trail and is goin' to pick out the rest to-morrow, but bythat time the gal will be over the border," Jim attempted to explain.
"Wait a minute, Mr. Hogg," Kennedy spoke quietly. "Let's get thisstraight. You say that Allen insists that Snippets is being heldcaptive in the lava beds? And he's going by himself to trail her?"
"That's exactly what I said. The dam little runt----"
"It's sense to me," Ace Cutts interrupted. "Three men in those lavabeds can hold off a hundred. Allen has a better chance by himself," heinsisted.
The judge, Mrs. Ransom, and even Mary joined in the discussion as tothe best way to rescue Snippets.
"I think Allen is right," Kennedy said. "But then I'm an Eastern dudeand don't know anything about it. Good night, folks. I'm riding out tomy ranch to-night, so I won't see you to-morrow."
"I'm going with yuh," Ace Cutts stated.
The two went out and hurried toward the Red Queen.
Sam Hogg arose from his hiding place and growled: "The dirty skunk!"
"Who? Him or tother?" Tad asked.
Ten minutes later Kennedy and Ace Cutts rode down the street. Themoment they had passed the judge's house they put their horses into awild, scrambling run.
Sam Hogg smiled grimly, then, drawing his gun from his holster, hefired three times in the air.
