The Quirt

by B. M. Bower

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  YACK DON'T LIE

  For a time the trail seemed to lead toward Whisper. Then it turned awayand seemed about to end abruptly on a flat outcropping of rock two milesfrom Whisper camp. Lone frowned and stared at the ground, and Swan spokesharply to Jack, who was nosing back and forth, at fault if ever a dogwas. But presently he took up the scent and led them down a barren slopeand into grassy ground where a bunch of horses grazed contentedly. Jacksingled out one and ran toward it silently, as he had done all histrailing that morning. The horse looked up, stared and went gallopingdown the little valley, stampeding the others with him.

  "That's about where I thought we'd wind up--in a saddle bunch," Loneobserved disgustedly. "If I had the evidence you're carrying in yourpocket, Swan, I'd put that darn dog on the scent of the man, not thehorse."

  "The man I've got," Swan retorted. "I don't have to trail him."

  "Well, now, you _think_ you've got him. Here's good, level ground--Icouldn't get outa sight in less than ten minutes, afoot. Let me walk outa ways, and you see if that handkerchief's mine. Oh, search me all youwant to, first," he added, when he read the suspicion in Swan's eyes."Make yourself safe as yuh please, but give me a fair show. You've madeup your mind I'm the killer, and you've been fitting the evidence tome--or trying to."

  "It fits," Swan pointed out drily.

  "You see if it does. The dog'll tell you all about it in about twominutes if you give him a chance."

  Swan looked at him. "Yack don't lie. By golly, I raised that dog totrail, and he _trails_, you bet! He's cocker spaniel and bloodhound, andhe knows things, that dog. All right, Lone, you walk over to that blackrock and set down. If you think you frame something, maybe, I pack adead man to the Quirt again."

  "You can, for all me," Lone replied quietly. "I'd about as soon go thatway as the way I am now."

  Swan watched him until he was seated on the rock as directed, hismanacled hands resting on his knees, his face turned toward the horses.Then Swan took the blue handkerchief from his pocket, called Jack to himand muttered something in Swedish while the dog sniffed at the cloth."Find him, Yack," said Swan, standing straight again.

  Jack went sniffing obediently in wide circles, crossing unconcernedlyLone's footprints while he trotted back and forth. He hesitated once onthe trail of the horse he had followed, stopped and looked at Swaninquiringly, and whined. Swan whistled the dog to him with a peculiar,birdlike note and called to Lone.

  "You come back, Lone, and let Yack take a damn good smell of you. Bygolly, if that dog lies to me this time, I lick him good!"

  Lone came back, grinning a little. "All right, now maybe you'll listento reason. I ain't the kind to tell all I know and some besides, Swan.I've been a Sawtooth man, and a fellow kinda hates to throw down hisoutfit deliberate. But they're going too strong for any white man tostand for. I quit them when they tried to get Brit Hunter. I don't_know_ so much, Swan, but I'm pretty good at guessing. So if you'llcome with me to Whisper, your dog may show yuh who owns thathandkerchief. If he don't, then I'm making a mistake, and I'd like to beset right."

  "Somebody rode that horse," Swan meditated aloud. "Yack don't make amistake like that, and I don't think I'm blind. Where's the man that wason the horse? What you think, Lone?"

  "_Me_? I think there was another horse somewhere close to thatoutcropping, tied to a bush, maybe. I think the man you're after changedhorses there, just on a chance that somebody might trail him from theroad. You put your dog on the trail of that one particular horse, and heshowed yuh where it was feeding with the bunch. It looks to me like itwas turned loose, back there, and come on alone. Your man went toWhisper; I'll bank money on that. Anyway, your dog'll know if he's beenthere."

  Swan thought it over, his eyes moving here and there to every hint ofmovement between the skyline and himself. Suddenly he turned to Lone,his face flushing with honest shame.

  "Loney, take a damn Swede and give him something he believes, and youcould pull his teeth before you pull that notion from his thick head.You acted funny, that day Fred Thurman was killed, and you gave yourselfaway at the stable when I showed you that saddle. So I think you're thekiller, and I keep on thinking that, and I've been trying to catch youwith evidence. I'm a Swede, all right! Square head. Built of wood twoinches thick. Loney, you kick me good. You don't have time to ride overhere, get some other horse and ride back to the Quirt after Frank waskilled. You got there before I did, last night. We know Frank was deadnot much more than one hour when we get him to the bunk-house. Yack, hegives you a good alibi."

  "I sure am glad we took the time to trail that horse, then," Loneremarked, while Swan was removing the handcuffs. "You're all right,Swan. Nothing like sticking to an idea till you know it's wrong. Now,let's stick to mine for awhile. Let's go on to Whisper. It ain't far."

  They returned to the rocky hillside where the trail had been covered,and searched here and there for the tracks of another horse; found thetrail and followed it easily enough to Whisper. Swan put Jack once moreon the scent of the handkerchief, and if actions meant anything, Jackproved conclusively that he found the Whisper camp reeking with thescent.

  But that was all,--since Al was at that moment trailing Lorraine towardthe Sawtooth.

  "We may as well eat," Swan suggested. "We'll get him, by golly, but wedon't have to starve ourselves."

  "He wouldn't know we're after him," Lone agreed. "He'll stick around soas not to raise suspicion. And he might come back, most any time. If hedoes, we'll say I'm out with you after coyotes, and we stopped here fora meal. That's good enough to satisfy him--till you get the drop on him.But I want to tell yuh, Swan, you can't take Al Woodruff as easy as youtook me. And you couldn't have taken me so easy if I'd been the man youwanted. Al would kill you as easy as you kill coyotes. Give him areason, and you won't need to give him a chance along with it. He'llfind the chance himself."

  Because they thought it likely that Al would soon return, they did nothurry. They were hungry, and they cooked enough food for four men andate it leisurely. Jim was at the ranch, Sorry had undoubtedly returnedbefore now, and the coroner would probably not arrive before noon, atthe earliest.

  Swan wanted to take Al Woodruff back with him in irons. He wanted toconfront the coroner with the evidence he had found and the testimonywhich Lone could give. There had been too many killings already, heasserted in his naive way; the sooner Al Woodruff was locked up, thesafer the country would be.

  He discussed with Lone the possibility of making Al talk,--the chance ofhis implicating the Sawtooth. Lone did not hope for much and said so.

  "If Al was a talker he wouldn't be holding the job he's got," Loneargued. "Don't get the wrong idea again, Swan. Yuh may pin this on toAl, but that won't let the Sawtooth in. The Sawtooth's too slick forthat. They'd be more likely to make up a lynching party right in theoutfit and hang Al as an example than they would try to shield him. He'splayed a lone hand, Swan, right from the start, unless I'm badlymistaken. The Sawtooth's paid him for playing it, that's all."

  "Warfield, he's the man I want," Swan confided. "It's for more thankilling these men. It goes into politics, Loney, and it goes deep. He'sbad for the government. Getting Warfield for having men killed isgetting Warfield without telling secrets of politics. Warfield, he's asmart man, by golly. He knows some one is after him in politics, but hedon't know some one is after him at home. So the big Swede has got to besmart enough to get the evidence against him for killing."

  "Well, I wish yuh luck, Swan, but I can't say you're going at it right.Al won't talk, I tell yuh."

  Swan did not believe that. He waited another hour and made a mentalinventory of everything in camp while he waited. Then, chiefly becauseLone's impatience finally influenced him, he set out to see where Al hadgone.

  According to Jack, Al had gone to the corral. From there they put Jackon the freshest hoofprints leaving the place, and were led here andthere in an apparently aimless journey to nowhere until, after Jack hadbeen at fault in
another rock patch, the trail took them straight awayto the ridge overlooking the Quirt ranch. The two men looked at oneanother.

  "That's like Al," Lone commented drily. "Coyotes are foolish, alongsidehim, and you'll find it out. I'll bet he's been watching this placesince daybreak."

  "Where he goes, Yack will follow," Swan grinned cheerfully. "And Ifollow Yack. We'll get him, Lone. That dog, he never quits till I sayquit."

  "You better go down and get a horse, then," Lone advised. "They're allgentle. Al's mounted, remember. He's maybe gone over to the Sawtooth,and that's farther than you can walk."

  "I can walk all day and all night, when I need to go like that. I cantake short cuts that a horse can't take. I think I shall go on my ownlegs."

  "Well, I'm going down to the house first. I know them two men ridingdown to the gate. I want to see what the boss and Hawkins have got tosay about this last 'accident.' Better come on down, Swan. You mightpick up something. They're heading for the ranch, all right. Going tomake a play at being neighborly, I reckon."

  "You bet I want to see Warfield," Swan assented rather eagerly andcalled Jack, who had nosed around the spot where Al had waited so longand was now trotting along the ridge on the next lap of Al's journey.

  They reached the gate in time to meet Warfield and Hawkins face to face.Hawkins gave Lone a quick, questioning look and nodded carelessly toSwan. Warfield, having a delicate errand to perform and knowing how muchdepended upon first impressions, pulled up eagerly when he recognizedLone.

  "Has the girl arrived safely, Lone?" he asked anxiously.

  "What girl?" Lone looked at him noncommittally.

  "Miss--ah--Hunter. Have you been away all the forenoon? The girl came tothe ranch in such a condition that I was afraid she might do herself orsome one else an injury. Has she been unbalanced for long?"

  "If you mean Lorraine Hunter, she was all right last time I saw her, andthat was last night." Lone's eyes narrowed a little as he watched thetwo. "You say she went to the Sawtooth?"

  "She came pelting over there crazier than when you brought her in,"Hawkins broke in gruffly. "She ain't safe going around alone likethat."

  Senator Warfield glanced at him impatiently. "Is there any truth in herdeclaring that Frank Johnson is dead? She seemed to have had a shock ofsome kind. She was raving crazy, and in her rambling talk she saidsomething about Frank Johnson having died last night."

  Lone glanced back as he led the way through the gate which Swan washolding open. "He didn't die--he got killed last night," he corrected.

  "Killed! And how did that happen? It was impossible to get two coherentsentences out of the girl." Senator Warfield rode through just behindLone and reined close, lowering his voice. "No use in letting this getout," he said confidentially. "It may be that the girl's dementia issome curable nervous disorder, and you know what an injustice it wouldbe if it became noised around that the girl is crazy. How much Englishdoes that Swede know?"

  "Not any more than he needs to get along on," Lone answered,instinctively on guard. "He's all right--just a good-natured kinda cussthat wouldn't harm anybody."

  He glanced uneasily at the house, hoping that Lorraine was safe inside,yet fearing that she would not be safe anywhere. Sane or insane, she wasin danger if Senator Warfield considered her of sufficient importance tobring him out on horseback to the Quirt ranch. Lone knew how seldom theowner of the Sawtooth rode on horseback since he had high-powered carsto carry him in soft comfort.

  "I'll go see if she's home," Lone explained, and reined John Doe towardthe house.

  "I'll go with you," Senator Warfield offered suavely and kept alongside."Frank Johnson was killed, you say? How did it happen?"

  "Fell off his wagon and broke his neck," Lone told him laconically."Brit's pretty sick yet; I don't guess you'd better go inside. There'sbeen a lot of excitement already for the old man. He only sees folkshe's used to having around."

  With that he dismounted and went into the house, leaving SenatorWarfield without an excuse for following. Swan and Hawkins came up andwaited with him, and Jim opened the door of the bunk-house and lookedout at them without showing enough interest to come forward and speak tothem.

  In a few minutes Lone returned, to find Senator Warfield trying toglean information from Swan, who seemed willing enough to give it ifonly he could find enough English words to form a complete sentence.Swan, then, had availed himself of Lone's belittlement of him and wasliving down to it. But Lone gave him scant attention just then.

  "She hasn't come back. Brit's worked himself up into a fever, and Ididn't dare tell him she wasn't with me. I said she's all tired out andsick and wanted to stay up by the spring awhile, where it's cool. I saidshe was with me, and the sun was too much for her, and she sent him wordthat Jim would take care of him awhile longer. So you better move downthis way, or he'll hear us talking and want to know what's up."

  "You're sure she isn't here?" Senator Warfield's voice held suspicion.

  "You can ask Jim, over here. He's been on hand right along. And if youcan't take his word for it, you can go look in the shack--but in thatcase Brit's liable to take a shot at yuh, Senator. He's on the warpathright, and he's got his gun right handy."

  "It is not necessary to search the cabin," Senator Warfield answeredstiffly. "Unless she is in a stupor we'd have heard her yelling longago. The girl was a raving maniac when she appeared at the Sawtooth.It's for her good that I'm thinking."

  Jim stepped out of the doorway and came slowly toward them, eyeing thetwo from the Sawtooth curiously while he chewed tobacco. His handsrested on his hips, his thumbs hooked inside his overalls; a gawky posethat fitted well his colorless personality,--and left his right handclose to his six-shooter.

  "Cor'ner comin'?" he asked, nodding at the two who were almost strangersto him. "Sorry, he got back two hours ago, and he said the cor'ner wouldbe right out. But he ain't showed up yet."

  Senator Warfield said that he felt sure the coroner would be prompt andthen questioned Jim artfully about "Miss Hunter."

  "Raine? She went fer a ride. I loaned her my horse, and she ain't backyet. I told her to take a good long ride and settle her nerves. Sheacted kinda edgy."

  Senator Warfield and his foreman exchanged glances for which Lone couldhave killed them.

  "You noticed, then, that she was not quite--herself?" Senator Warfieldused his friendly, confidential tone on Jim.

  "We-ell--yes, I did. I thought a ride would do her good, mebby. She'sbeen sticking here on the job purty close. And Frank getting killedkinda--upset her, I guess."

  "That's it--that's what I was saying. Disordered nerves, which rest andproper medical care will soon remedy." He looked at Lone. "Her horse wasworn out when she reached the ranch. Does she know this country well?She started this way, and she should have been here some time ago. Wethought it best to ride after her, but there was some delay in gettingstarted. Hawkins' horse broke away and gave us some trouble catchinghim, so the girl had quite a start. But with her horse fagged as it was,we had no idea that we would fail to get even a sight of her. She mayhave wandered off on some other trail, in which case her life as well asher reason is in danger."

  Lone did not answer at once. It had occurred to him that SenatorWarfield knew where Lorraine was at that minute, and that he might beshowing this concern for the effect it would have on his hearers. Helooked at him speculatively.

  "Do you think we ought to get out and hunt for her?" he asked.

  "I certainly think some one ought to. We can't let her wander around thecountry in that condition. If she is not here, she is somewhere in thehills, and she should be found."

  "She sure ain't here," Jim asserted convincingly. "I been watching forthe last two hours, expecting every minute she'd show up. I'd a beenkinda oneasy, myself, but Snake's dead gentle, and she's a purty fairrider fer a girl."

  "Then we'll have to find her. Lone, can you come and help?"

  "The Swede and me'll both help," Lone volunteered. "Jim and Sorry canwait her
e for the coroner. We ought to find her without any trouble,much. Swan, I'll get you that tobacco first and see if Brit needsanything."

  He started to the house, and Swan followed him aimlessly, his longstrides bringing him close to Lone before they reached the door.

  "What do you make of this new play?" Lone muttered cautiously when hesaw Swan's shadow move close to his own.

  "By golly, it's something funny about it. You stick with them, Loney,and find out. I'm taking Al's trail with Yack. You fix it." And headded whimsically, "Not so much tobacco, Lone. I don't eat it or smokeit ever in my life."

  His voice was very Swedish, which was fortunate, because SenatorWarfield appeared softly behind him and went into the house. Swan wasstartled, but he hadn't much time to worry over the possibility ofhaving been overheard. Brit's voice rose in a furious denunciation ofBill Warfield, punctuated by two shots and followed almost immediatelyby the senator.

  "My God, the whole family's crazy!" Warfield exclaimed, when he hadreached the safety of the open air. "You're right, Lone. I thought I'dbe neighborly enough to ask what I could do for him, and he tried tokill me!"

  Lone merely grunted and gave Swan the tobacco.