The Land of Strong Men

by A. M. Chisholm

  CHAPTER XLIV

  THE RED AVENGER

  Many miles beyond the head waters of Copper Creek four men rode alongthe crest of a sparsely timbered summit. Their horses were weary,gaunted with scant, frost-burnt feed. The riders were unkempt, unshaven,their eyes reddened by much staring into distances and the ceaselesspour of the mountain winds. The wind was now blowing strongly. It wasvery cold, and they bent against it, their hats pulled low, theircollars high. Along the summit on which they rode and even along itsflanks lay thin snow, the first of the coming winter. But above, on thehigher ranges, it lay thickly white on the peaks and in the greatgulches, promise of the twenty or thirty or forty feet of it which wouldfall before Spring, as it had fallen on that high roof of the world forages.

  On the second day on the Copper the fugitives had discovered that theyhad not shaken off pursuit. It clung to them doggedly, tenaciously. Oncethrough binoculars they had seen their pursuers across the width of amountain valley. Little figures, seven of them, had ridden across thefield of the lens focused on a barren patch of hillside. They could makea very fair guess at the identity of some of the men. With the discoverythey had made extra speed.

  Then they had got off the trail, which was ancient, faint, overgrown.Left to himself Gavin, who was the pilot, would likely have steered acorrect course, for he had much of that intuition which for lack of abetter term may be called sense of direction, and an eye for thegeneral configuration of country. But he was in a hurry and his brothersobtruded advice. And so Gavin went astray. Half a day's travel convertedsuspicion of this to certainty. The only thing to do was to angleforward in the general direction in which the old trail might besupposed to lie.

  It is one thing to travel following the line of least resistance; but itis quite another to hold for any definite objective point. Immediately,obstacles interposed. All of a sudden, as it seemed, things went wrong.Their way was barred by swift creeks, rocks, tangled wind-falls piledhigh. These had to be circumnavigated. One pack pony was drowned in asudden dip of what looked like a fordable stream. The other slipped,sprained his shoulder and could not travel. They shot him, and took hisload between them. At last they regained what was presumably the oldtrail. The one redeeming feature was that in their wanderings, theymight have shaken off pursuit. But the next morning, looking back,behind and below them but on their line of travel, they saw smoke. Thepursuit had even gained.

  Now the old trail grew better, clearer, so that they did not have toworry about that; but they did worry about the way their pursuers hungon. Of what profit was it to traverse this sea of mountains and emergewith these hunters at their heels? As they rode, bending against thekeen wind that swept the great ridge, this problem lay in the mind ofeach.

  But Blake viewed it from an angle of his own. He had thrown in his lotwith his brothers in panic, relying on them, feeling the safety ofnumbers. But the pursuit that dogged was primarily of them and not ofhim. Then he had made a mistake in joining them. Garland was a wise birdin striking off by himself. That was what he should have done. He shouldhave known it would be assumed that he had gone with his brothers. Hehad been a fool.

  And there was another consideration. He knew very well that the boys didnot intend to be taken. If he stayed with them he would have to fight.Angus or Turkey, or even Rennie would shoot him on sight, and in allprobability one or more of them was with the bunch behind. Obviously thething to do was to quit his brothers and let them draw the pursuit. Butthe devil of it was he had no money. They, however, had what they hadtaken from Braden. He did not know how much, but it must be a lot. Theyought to share up with him. He considered that he had a grievanceagainst them.

  Toward evening they came to the end of the ridge and began a longdescent into a high valley. They struck timber and shelter from thewind, and water. There they camped. But though feed was short andfrost-burnt, they dared not let their horses range, keeping them onropes.

  Supper over they sat close to the fire, smoking, following their ownthoughts. Gerald regarded the blaze through half-closed eyes; Gavin,motionless his chin in his hand stared straight ahead; but young Larry,on one elbow, frowning, impatient, jerked cones and bits of stick at thefire with vicious flips of the wrist. Finally he sat upright.

  "Oh, what the _hell_!" he said, in tones of nervous irritation.

  Gerald's half-veiled eyes shifted to him; Gavin turned his head.

  "Well?" the latter asked.

  "What's the use of this?" the young man demanded. "How long are we goingto be chased all over these hills? I wouldn't kick if we were making aget-away--but we aren't. This bunch is right on our heels. What gooddoes it do us to keep going? Not a damned bit! Wherever we come outthey'll be right on top of us."

  "The kid's right," Gerald observed.

  "Well?" said Gavin again.

  "Why not let it come to a show-down now?" Larry asked. "Let's make astand. There's only seven of them, near as we can tell." He laughedrecklessly. "Whoever loses out stays in these damned hills for keeps."

  "Larry's right," said Gerald again.

  "He may be," Gavin admitted. "Make a stand, hey?" He stretched his greatarms slowly. "Four of us, seven of them. Well, I'm game, if you are.They're apt to have some pretty good men. Some of us are due to stay inthese hills, as Larry says."

  "Sure," Gerald agreed. "But the hills are better than the pen. We're allin the same boat."

  "I don't know about that," Blake put in.

  "Since you mention it," said Gerald, "maybe we're not. If young Turkeyor Rennie is with that bunch they're out to get you." Blake shifteduneasily, and Gerald sneered. "I'll bet a hundred they _do_ get you,too."

  "You want the big end," said young Larry.

  "You talk about being in the same boat," said Blake. "Well, I didn'tshoot Braden, nor get any of his money. You held out on me. You thoughtyou could get it yourselves. You wouldn't let me in on it."

  "Well?"

  "Well, why the devil should I help you stand off that bunch, then?They're after you, not me."

  "Has anybody asked you to?" Gerald retorted. "And nobody asked you tocome with us, if it comes to that."

  "You had the fear of God in your heart and you begged to come," Larrytold him. "You say you shot up Mackay, but you wouldn't tell why. Andnow, when things are getting hot, you want to quit and sneak off byyourself. I know what you're thinking. Quit and be damned, then! Younever were any good. You never had the sand of a white rabbit."

  Blake blustered, cursing his younger brother. The latter leaped to hisfeet. But Gavin interposed.

  "Sit down, Larry. Blake, do you want to quit us? If you do, say so.There are no strings on you."

  "If I did want to, I couldn't," Blake growled. "You know blame' well Ihaven't got any money."

  Gavin eyed him in silence for a moment.

  "I'll fix the money part," he said. Reaching into his warbag he drewforth a package of bills. He split it in half without counting, tossingone half to Blake as he would have tossed a bone to a dog. "There youare! Anything else?"

  "Well, I don't want--" Blake began, but Gavin cut him short.

  "You needn't lie. I've seen this in the back of your mind for days.You'll go now, whether you want to or not! Our trails fork in themorning, and you play your own hand. But if you try to save your hide byhelping that bunch back there, I'll kill you. And that's cold!"

  Blake could not meet the cold blue eyes that bored into his.

  "You held out on me in the first place," he said. "This is your show,not mine."

  "You--" Larry began.

  "Shut up!" said Gavin. "Let him alone. Take what grub you want in themorning, Blake, and go your own way. And now I'm going to sleep."

  He rolled his blanket around him and lay down. Gerald and Larry followedhis example. Blake, to show his indifference, set by the fire for atime, smoking sullenly; but soon he too turned in.

  It was dark when he awoke, but Gavin was already cooking breakfast,Larry and Gerald rolling blankets. He shared the meal, but nobody
spoketo him. Larry brought in three horses, but Blake had to go for his own.Fresh snow, fallen in the night, lay on the ground, but it was merely askift which would go with the sun.

  The east was rose and gold when they mounted. High to the westward thesun, as yet invisible, struck the eastern face of a great snow-wrappedpeak, playing on it dazzlingly. The cold of the high altitudes nipped;the breath of the gaunt horses hung in steam.

  At the head of the little cavalcade Gavin led the way down a slopingshoulder into the valley. Blake followed, uncertain what to do. When thevalley opened Gavin pulled up.

  "Here's where we break, Blake."

  "All right," he replied sullenly. "Go ahead. I'm not stopping you."

  "I said we broke here."

  "I've got to get out of these mountains, haven't I? This is the onlyway."

  "You wanted to quit us," said Gavin, "and now you have to."

  "All right," Blake replied. "I'll quit you, if you want it that way."

  Without a word of farewell his brothers rode on. Blake watched them go.Their wordless contempt had stung him, and he hated them. He hopedsincerely that they would be caught.

  His own immediate plans were simple. He would ride a few miles off thetrail till Bush and his posse went by. Then he would make up his mindjust what to do. He might take the back trail when they had gone on. Hewould see.

  He took care to leave the trail on rocky ground. The thin snow whichstill lay was unfortunate, but did not greatly matter once he was offthe trail. In an hour or two it would be gone. He rode for a mile, whichfor his purpose was as good as five or ten, and dismounting let hishorse feed. He found a place where the sun struck warmly, filled hispipe and lay down, his back against a rock.

  He counted the money which Gavin had thrown him. It amounted to morethan two thousand dollars. That would help some. He was better off thanif he had stayed with his brothers. Lord, yes! He was safe as a church.

  His eyes half-closed, he enjoyed his pipe, thinking things over. He madea mess of that Mackay business. When you came right down to it, heshould not have laid hands on Faith. But he would have had the deeds outof her if Garland had not weakened. But for Garland there would havebeen no necessity for this get-away. Garland had got him into the thing.Damn Garland! And damn women! They were all fools. Take that klootch.How the devil could she expect a white man to marry her? She wasn't badfor a klootch, but as a wife--good night!

  The pipe had lost its flavor. Blake tapped it out, rose, and startedback with an involuntary cry. Just back of the rock against which hehad been leaning stood Paul Sam.

  The old Indian raised his rifle.

  "S'pose you move," he said, "you go mimaloos." Blake froze intoimmobility. "You go mimaloos, anyway," the old man added; "but first metalk to you."

  A great fear laid hold upon Blake. The old Indian's features wereimpassive, but his eyes were bleak and hard. He lowered the rifle to thelevel of his waist, but its muzzle still dominated. Blake's rifle leanedagainst the rock, out of reach. His six-shooter was in his belt, but heknew better than to try for it. He stood motionless, staring at theseamed features of the Indian.

  "Me talk to you," Paul Sam repeated in soft, clucking gutterals. "Oleman, me; young man, you. You white man; me Injun. Very ole man, me. Allthe men that were young with me go mimaloos many years ago. My wife shego mimaloos. My son and his wife they go mimaloos. Only one of my bloodis left, my son's daughter--Mary!"

  He paused for a moment.

  "There is no one else of my blood. Me raise hiyu kuitan, hiyu moos-moos,all for her when me die. One time this country all Injun. Pretty soon nomore Injun. All white. Injun way no good now. All white man's way. So mesend her to school to learn the white man's way.

  "She come back to my house. When me look at her me think of many things,of many people who go mimaloos many years ago. It is good for an ole manto have the young of his blood in his house, for in them his youthlives.

  "There comes a time when this girl who is the last of my blood, is sad.No more laugh; no more sing. Me not know why. Me ole man. Mebbe-so meblind ole fool. Me never think of--that! When she is dead--then me hearof _you_!"

  The Indian paused. Blake spoke, moistening dry lips.

  "I hadn't anything to do with Mary."

  "You lie!" the old man returned. "You bring shame on her and on me. Some kill you."

  There was no passion in his voice; but there was finality, judgmentinexorable. It was the logical conclusion, worked out, demonstratedaccording to his rules.

  Blake's face blanched. In fancy, as he stared at it, he could see thered stab of flame leap and feel the shock of lead. Was there no way ofescape? He glanced around. There was nothing save the mountainwilderness, the serene heights of the peaks, the blue autumn sky, asoaring golden eagle. His eyes came back to the rifle muzzle. His mouthopened, but words would not come.

  "Mebbe-so you like pray?" Paul Sam suggested calmly. Blake found hisvoice.

  "I have money," he said. "Look! lots of money. Take it. For God's sake,don't kill me. I didn't mean--I didn't know--"

  For the first time a glint of bitter anger leaped into the old man'seyes.

  "Money!" he said. "You think I take money for a dead woman of my bloodand for my shame. Now me kill you all same wolf!"

  The rifle rose, steadied, pointed at Blake's heart. The old fingercrooked on the trigger. The hammer fell with a click. For somereason--worn firing pin, weak spring, or defective cartridge--the weaponfailed to explode.

  Paul Sam's hand jerked down with the lever to throw another shell intoplace. But Blake in that instant of reprieve took his chance. With aleap he hurled himself forward and caught the barrel, throwing it aside,feeling the flame of the explosion heat the metal beneath his fingers.The report smashed out in the stillness of the valley, racketing androlling against the hills.

  Blake wrenched the rifle from the old man's hands and threw it far. Hisfear was gone, his face contorted with passion. He reached for hisrevolver. As he did so Paul Sam drew a nine-inch knife from its beadedscabbard and struck as a snake strikes.

  With a screaming oath Blake shoved the muzzle of the six-shooter againsthim and pulled the trigger. The blunt report was muffled by the body.But again the knife, now red to the hilt, rose and fell, and again thegun barked like a kenneled dog. And then Blake reeled backward, his eyeswide, the gun escaping from his hand, and fell on his back horriblyasprawl. With him fell Paul Sam. But the old Indian's fingers werelocked around the haft of the knife, and the haft stood out of Blake'sbreast. And so they lay together as the rolling echoes died and thestillness of the great hills came again.