The Coyote

by James Roberts

  CHAPTER VI

  THE REAL LOW-DOWN

  They rode on in silence. When they reached the north end of the ridgethe man in the lead turned west on a slope studded with large bouldersand rock outcroppings. There was considerable shale here, too, andthey had to proceed cautiously in spots, both for fear of sliding downthe shale and to prevent making much noise.

  "If they follow us up here, we can hear 'em before they get to us,"said the man who called himself Percy, with a shrug and a frowninglook at his companion.

  Rathburn did not reply.

  They continued across the slope and descended into a large bowl orpocket, guarded by huge boulders and scattering trees on the slopeabove.

  "Guess it's safe to rest our horses here," said Percy. "We can hear'em coming either way; but I don't think they'll get up here."

  However, neither he nor Rathburn knew how many men Brown had at hiscommand, nor did they know that the sheriff of the county, with twodeputies, had raced to Dry Lake by automobile, procured horses, andhastened to join Brown on the east trail, which seemed the most likelyroute of escape for the outlaw.

  There was a spring in the pocket surrounded by a small meadow of goodgrass. The pair watered their horses, loosened their saddle-cinches,and permitted the animals to graze with reins dangling.

  Rathburn took his slicker pack from the rear of his saddle and spreadit open on the ground.

  "Reckon it's safe to build a small fire here?" he asked cheerfully."I'm powerful hungry, an' I've got some emergency provisions--beingtrail-broke."

  Percy, too, was hungry, as his eager look toward the pack testified.

  "I'll climb up to the top on the lower side an' keep an eye out whileyou fix some grub," he volunteered. "You needn't be scared of mejumping over the other side. There's a drop of about five hundred feetover there."

  "Go ahead and jump if you want," said Rathburn. "Me--I'd rather live.That's why I want to eat."

  While the other climbed to his lookout position Rathburn made a fire.Then he took a small frying pan and coffeepot, minus its handle, fromthe pack, removed the packages stuffed in them, and soon was makingcoffee, frying bacon, and warming up beans. This, with some hardbiscuits and some sirup out of a bottle, constituted their meal, whichRathburn soon had ready.

  Again he looked closely at Percy's face as the latter scrambled downfrom his perch to appease his hunger.

  Suddenly he burst out laughing; but it was a belittling laugh, halfsneering, which brought the blood to the face of the captive whileRathburn watched him closely.

  "If I had to-day's actions to do over again you mightn't be sotickled," said the man viciously.

  "I'm laughing to think how lucky you are for a rank beginner an'botcher!" said Rathburn as they began to eat. "You must have took acourse in outlawing from some correspondence school," he continued.

  "Maybe you could have done better," hinted the other.

  "Quite likely I could," admitted Rathburn. "In the first place I'dhave shut that back door after I came in so nobody could pot shot mefrom behind. Yes, I reckon I'd have done that."

  Percy glared at him thoughtfully.

  "Then I wouldn't have let myself get in line with the front and sidewindows," Rathburn taunted. "Lots of men are shot through windows.Ever hear of such a thing?"

  His listener didn't answer.

  "An' now that I think of it," Rathburn droned on, "I'd have linedthose men up against the wall with their faces turned away from me.That puts 'em at more of a disadvantage, an' they can't see what'sgoing on."

  Percy now was regarding him keenly.

  "Let's see," said Rathburn, with tantalizing slowness. "Oh, yes,Percy. I wouldn't have taken anything from the cash drawers but thebills. I don't like to take the time to monkey around with a lot ofsilver; besides, it sort of weights one down."

  He paused long enough to let that sink in, then continued: "The thingI'd have paid most of my attention to--excepting for keeping awatchful eye on the men against the wall an' the windows an'doors--would have been the safe. The big money's usually in the safe,an' the bartender can be induced to open the safe just as easy as hecan be persuaded into opening the cash drawers. An' say, Percy, I'dnever let a bartender get as close to me as you let that fellow get toyou. He might start something, then you'd have to begin shootin' an'that would alarm the town an' ball up the program."

  "You talk like you'd had considerable experience," observed Percywarily.

  "Maybe so. Maybe I have. But if I have, I can say I've never pulledanything quite so raw as the way you pulled that stunt last night downin Dry Lake, Percy. That is the real low-down on that. You justnaturally laid yourself open to attack from all quarters."

  His captive looked at him both respectfully and sheepishly.

  "An' there's only one reason why you got away with it," said Rathburn,his eyes narrowing.

  "Because I was lucky like you say, I suppose," sneeringly answeredPercy.

  "No!" thundered Rathburn. "You got away with it because they thoughtyou were The Coyote!"

  The captive started; stared at Rathburn with widened eyes.

  "That's why you got away with it," continued Rathburn in a hard voice."An' you thought you'd cinch it when you told 'em before you went outthat they could tell their funny judge you called!"

  Rathburn's eyes blazed with angry contempt. "Trading on somebodyelse's name," he mocked. "Trying to make out you was the goods, an' Ibelieve they thought you was The Coyote, at that. Man, I saw the wholedirty business."

  Percy's face went white. However, his emotion was more anger thanfear, and he was prey to an overpowering curiosity.

  "How do you know I _ain't_ The Coyote?" he asked shrewdly.

  Rathburn stared at him--stunned. Then he leaped to his feet and hisgun flashed into his hand in a movement too swift for the eye tofollow.

  "Go over there and look at the brand on my horse," he commanded."Remember how that printed bill read that put it in your fool head totry an' masquerade as The Coyote, an' then read the brand on thathorse!"

  The captive rose and without a look back walked to where Rathburn'shorse was cropping the grass. The left side of the animal was towardhim and for a few moments he stood looking with bulging eyes at theCC2 on the shoulder. Then he turned slowly.

  Rathburn's gaze burned into his, but a cool, deliberate light had comeinto his eyes.

  "So you're The Coyote!" Percy said quietly. "I should have recognizedyou."

  "Yes, I'm called The Coyote," said Rathburn, walking slowly towardhim. "I'm the man they think robbed that joint down in Dry Lake lastnight. I'm the man they're looking for. I'm the man they want to makepay for your bungling work. That's the way it's gone for three years,Percy. I've been blamed for job after job that I didn't even know waspulled off till I heard they were looking for me on account of it. Butthis is one job they'll not be able to lay at my door; for I've gotthe man who's responsible an' I've got him red-handed!"

  "What're you going to do about it?" asked the other coolly.

  Again Rathburn's eyes blazed with rage. "Do? Why, I'm just naturallygoing to take you in all by my lonesome an' turn you over to thesheriff with my compliments."

  Rathburn cooled down as he said this, drew tobacco and papers from hisshirt pocket, and proceeded to build a cigarette. He looked at his manqueerly.

  "Now I reckon you know why I ain't got any idea of taking that moneyoff you," he said.

  "They might not believe you," returned the other.

  "I know what you mean. You mean they might think I was putting up ajob on 'em an' trying to shift the blame on somebody else. It can't bedone, Percy. Listen to this: I was looking through the front window ofthat place last night when you held it up. Two men that work in thehotel down there came along an' looked in alongside of me after Iwarned 'em not to go in. I showed 'em this scar on my arm." He rolledback his left sleeve disclosing a scar on the forearm about threeinches below the elbow.

  "I told 'em that scar was made by a bullet from The C
oyote's gun,"Rathburn went on, pulling down his sleeve and drawing his right handback to the gun he had replaced in its holster. "That scar _was_ madeby The Coyote's gun. I shot myself in the arm by accident some fewyears ago. Now, here's the point: Those men will remember me an'remember that scar. The descriptions the sheriff of that county musthave in his office will tell all about that scar. It won't be hard toidentify me by it an' by the two men that stood out there by thewindow with me. So they'll know I didn't pull the robbery!"

  The other man shifted uneasily on his feet.

  "An' that ain't all, Percy," Rathburn continued. "Somebody saw merunning up the street afterward because they took a couple of shots atme for luck. That'll dovetail with my story. I've never been known touse two guns. An' if they want any more proof all they'll have to dowill be to stand you up in front of the men you had in line, dressedas you are with that black handkerchief over your face. That'll settleit. I reckon the sheriff will believe me an' give me a chance when hehears the facts, or I may not wait for a talk with him."

  "I take it you've got me right," said the captive, compressing hislips. "But if you're really The Coyote I've heard so much about,you'll give me my gun an' give me a chance to run for it!"

  Rathburn's laugh jarred on his ears. "Give you a chance an' take achance myself on going to the gallows?"

  "The gallows!" exclaimed the other. "Oh--I see. But didn't you say youthought the sheriff would give you a chance if he met you an' heardyour story? At that you don't have to stay around an' get taken backto Arizona now."

  "They hang men in this State," Rathburn interrupted.

  "But--there wasn't----" The other man faltered, staring.

  "One of those shots you fired at the lamp went wild, or glanced offsomething, an'----" Rathburn lifted his brows significantly.

  "Killed somebody!" cried the other.

  He staggered back just as a rattle of falling stones signified thathorsemen were in the shale on the slope to eastward.