Noon came and went, and then, threading their way through a deep, rocky fissure no more than a dozen yards wide, they heard the bellowofa steer. Severn gave the word for caution, guns were got in readiness, and the party pressed on. The fissure gave way to an open stretchofgrass, walled in by dense, prickly shrub, and in the centre, peacefully browsing, was the stolen herd. Fearing an ambush, the cowboys waited a while, and then Severn, Darby and Big Boy rode into the open. No shots saluted them; the cattle were unattended. Darby looked at his foreman in bewilderment.
"Odd number, this," he said. "They ain't tried to blot their tracks. Looks as if they brought 'em here a-purpose for us to find."
"I'm afraid yo're right, Darby," Severn agreed. "They baited a hook an' I bit it good an' plenty. Why they wanted us outa the way, I dunno, but I'm goin' to see, pronto. Three o' yu will be enough to drive the herd back; the rest will come with me."
Leaving Big Boy and two others to put the cattle on the range again, the foreman and the remainderofthe outfit headed for the Lazy M. Speed was impossible on such a difficult trail, even had their mounts been capableofit, and though no time was wasted, it was nighnfall ere they sighted the ranch buildings. Beyond the fact that no lights were showing, everything seemed to be as usual. They pulled up at the bunkhouse with a shrill whoop, a hint to the cook to get busy, but there was no answer.
"Somethin' wrong here--let's try the house," Severn said and led the way.
The ranch-house was dark and silent. The foreman found the back door unfastened, and striding in was brought to a stop by a muffled groan. He struck a match and saw Jonah, tied to a chair and gagged, gazing at him with goggling eyes in which fear gave way to relief when he recognised the visitor. Severn lighted the lamp, drew his knife and cut away the gag and bonds.
"What the devil's happened?" he asked.
It was some moments before the cook was able to answer, and then his stiffened jaws could only articulate, "Dem White Masks--dey got Miss Phil."
Leaving the others to get the story out of him, Severn sprang up the stairs. In the girl's room he discovered Dinah, tied up and incoherent with fear. Setting her free, he went to seek Larry. He found that young man in like case, save that he was able to express himself and did so with great freedom the moment the gag was removed.
"Yu cuss pretty near like a growed man," his friend said satirically. "S'pose now yu tell us somethin'."
It was not a long story. Early in the afternoon Larry had heard the sound of horses and the mutter of voices outside and had concluded that the outfit had returned sooner than expected. Then his door opened, and insteadofthe pleasant sightofhis young nurse, he saw two masked men, one of whom immediately trained a gun on him while the other tied him up.
"An' with this crippled wing I couldn't do nothin' but say what I thoughtof'em," Larry explained. "I shore did that till they jammed that rag in my mouth. What were they after?"
"The girl, an' they got her," Severn told him, and the sick man's language became more lurid.
"Aw, what's the use--cussin' never cured anythin'," the foreman commented.
"Ain't yu goin' to do nothin' to-night?" his friend asked indignantly.
"Shore thing. I'm goin' to sleep, an' yu better do the same," Severn grinned, and did not wait to hear the commentary.
Going down to the bunkhouse he swallowed a much-neededmeal and retired to his own quarters. Here, he remembered for the first time, that he had not seen anything of Quirt; he called and whistled but the dog seemed to have disappeared. An examinationofhis room showed that it had not been disturbed, and he was forced to the conclusion that the girl was the sole objectofthe raid. What did they want with her? Was the outrage a come-back on the partofShadwell? Only one other man could have any interest in stealing the girl. Had Black Bart carried out the abduction, masking his men to make it appear the workofthe bandits, or--a vague suspicion, born of the chance accusation he had made just before the fight in the "Come Again", and which had been dormant at the backofhis mind ever since, began to obtrude itself.
Chapter XV
DESPITE the strenuous workofthe preceding day, sunrise found the Lazy M outfit busily preparing for whatever task Severn had to set them. The customary airofcare-free gaiety had given place to a grim seriousness, for apart from the fact that their young mistress was very popular, the riders regarded her taking off as a personal insult; they had been made to look foolish, and it rankled.
Therefore they looked closely to their weapons, filled belts with ammunition, carefully picked and saddled their mounts, and waited expectantly for Severn, who had breakfasted in his own shack. Presently he stepped out, and at the same rnoment came a faint bark. Severn turned just as Quirt limped up and dropped panting at his master's feet. Stooping to pat the dog, the foreman saw a glimpse of white in the thick hairofthe animal's neck. It proved to be a twistofpaper, secured by a thin raw-hide thong. Printed in pencil were the words :
"The White Masks have the girl at the Cavern. Hurry.
A FRIEND."
The missive was identical in character with the others he had received and the foreman stared at it in perplexity. Who could the mysterious correspondent be? Certainly not Darby, for he had been with the rest of the outfit all the previous day. Evidently the dog had sneaked after the girl's captors and so provided the sender with a meansofdespatching his message. Severn scratched Quirt's head affectionately."Yu shore pull yore weight in this outfit," he said.
The foreman explained the situation to the men, asking for suggestions.
"What about sending to Hope for the sheriff an' a posse?" offered one.
The foreman shook his head. "Tyler don't like us none," he said. "An', anyways, I figure this is mainly a Lazy M job. I'm proposin' that we head for the XT, get Ridge an' some o' his boys, an' smoke these coyotes outa their holes."
A chorus of "Yo're shoutin' " and "That's the play", showed that this plan of action was fully in accord with the feelingsofthe men, and without further lossoftime a start was made. Larry, whose hurt did not permit him to go, lay fuming helplessly in his room.
"Don't yu worry, boy, we'll get yore Princess," the foreman assured him. "An' make a clean-up, too, while we're about it." Knowing they could get fresh ones at the XT, the rescuers did not spare their mounts, and the trail being an easy one they arrived in good time. The rancher himself welcomed them with a whoop of delight, and when Severn explained the reason for their visit his enthusiasm equalled their own.
"Will we help? Why, yu can't lose us," he boomed. "Kidnappin' folks outa their own homes in broad daylight, eh? Somebody's gotta show these skunks that they don't own the country, I guess. Know anythin' 'bout him?"
He jerked a thumb towards the bench outside the bunkhouse door, where lolled Snap Lunt, his hat pushed back, his bowed legs outstretched, and a cigarette drooping from his thin lips. His eyes met those of the visitor with the stolid immobilityofa redskin.
"One o' yore outfit?" asked Severn.
"Not yet; drifted in 's'morning an' I reckon he's lookin' for a job though he ain't asked for it," the ranchman replied. "What yu think of him?"
"Looks like he'd be useful in a ruckus," the foreman said meaningly. "Them guns he's totin' ain't by no means new."
"Yo're right," Ridge returned. "Well, here's his chance to make good. I'll give him an invite to the dance. Betcha a dollar he ducks."
"It's plain robbery but I'll take yu," Severn said, and smiled when Ridge, having spoken to the little gunman, came back and flipped a coin over to him.
"Glad it warn't more," he said. "Cripes, yu'd 'a' thought I was offerin' him a drink."
Severn grinned at his host. "That warn't a fair bet; that fella's a friend o' mine. He ain't here to be hired, but yu can trust him the limit."
Ridge shook a fist at him. "Yu old pirut, yo're too damned deep for me," he said. "But I'm backin' yore play."
Mounted on fresh horses and reinforced by Ridge, five of his men and Lunt, the expedition set out again, their
objective the great tooth in the range beneath which Severn knew the bandits' retreat was situated. The few milesofgrazing were soon covered, and then they reached the foothills and broken country outofwhich the mountains rose. There was little conversation; the difficultiesofthe trail focused the attentionofeach nider upon his mount : a careless step might bring about a catastrophe.
Mile upon mileofthe arduous journey was covered, and afternoon found them amid the pines which clothed the lower slopesofthe mountains.
Presently they emerged from the pines and forcing their way through a dense jungle of undergrowth which covered a long rise, found themselves on the rim-rock of a small basin. In frontofthem the ground dropped sharply down through a belt of scrub to a hollowofrich grass, in the centre of which, gleaming like a gem in the sunlight, was a poolofwater. On the other side the grass sloped gently up to an almost vertical wallofstone, bare of vegetation, ribbed and weather-stained, which, from where they stood, seemed to rise almost unbroken to where it terminated in one of the storm-scarred peaks which gave the range its name. Around the water cattle and horses were grazing, and about eighty feet up the cliff face was the ledge leading to the caves.
"Shore looks peaceful, don't it?" Ridge remarked. "I'll bet them cattle ain't wearin' their lawful labels."
"Diggin' the devils out ain't goin' to be as easy as pullin' a cork," the foreman said. "There may be another way into the caves, but the on'y one I knowofis along the face o' the cliff, an' one man on the ledge could hold it against a score. My idea is this: me an' two-three others will try for the pathway an' the rest'll line up in the brush this side o' the valley an' cover us, droppin' any guy who comes out o' the caves; the range ain't more'n seven hundred."
No one had a better suggestion to offer, and Severn, with Snap, Gentle, and Big Boy--who pleaded a personal debt to pay--rode for the entrance to the valley. Keeping closely under cover, they presently came to the opening through which Severn had been taken before; it was unguarded, and having hidden their mounts they passed through. In the corral they found several horses and turned them loose. Hardly had they commenced the climb up the cliff when two shots rang out in quick succession; they did not come from across the basin.
"That was a warning--they got a lookout posted somewhere," the foreman said.
Evidently the alarm had brought men out of the caves, for puffsofsmoke and sharp reports echoed from the other sideofthe valley; Ridge and his men were getting into the game. The ascentofthe path now became a perilous project, for in places where the cliff bulged the climbers were exposed to fire from the ledge above. The bandits were well awareofthis, and two of them, lying prone on the ground, waited with levelled guns for the appearanceofthe attackers.
"Hug the wall, boys, an' jump lively round these dam curves," were the leader's orders.
With their backs to the rock face, a yard at a time, they crept slowly up the footway, bullets whistling past their ears as they dodged round the dangerous bends. The last of these was only a matteroftwenty yards from the caves, and here they paused, panting, to deliberate. The firing from across the valley had now died away, as though the marksmen had realised the futilityoftrying to hit the flattened figuresofthe defenders. Peeping round the shoulderofrock which sheltered them the foreman saw oneofthe bandits at the top of the pathway cautiously rise to his feet, Instantly, away off in the scrub a rifle spoke, and the man, dropping his own weapon, flung up his arms, staggered, and pitched headlong over the precipice. Severn seized the opportunity.
"Come ahead, boys," he cried. "There's on'y one now."
With the words he dashed round the corner and the others followed. The solitary defender, taken by surprise, fired one wild shot, scrambled upright and ran for the cave, only to drop, a huddled heap, at the entrance. A shout from behind made the foreman turn, and he saw Ridge, with some moreofthe men, climbing the pathway. Keeping well to the sideofthe ledge, he waited for the reinforcement. The entrance to the Cavern, black and forbidding, had yet to be negotiated.
"Thought we'd be more use up here," Ridge panted, as he and his men reached the top. "What's the next move?"
Severn pointed to the opening. "We gotta rush it," he said. "Risky, o' course, but there's no other way."
Bunching together as much out of sight as possible, they edged up to the opening, dashed in and flung themselves flat on the floor. Shafts of flame split the darkness ahead of them and bullets hummed over their heads, but owing to Severn's ruse there were no casualties. Lying prone in the shadows, the attackers returned the fire, aiming at the flashes, and the wallsofthe cave re-echoed the reports. There was the acrid smellofburnt powder and the blue smoke whirled through the opening behind them. How manyofthe bandits were opposing them the besiegers had no means of telling, but that they were falling back or suffering loss was soon shown by the slackeningofthefiring. Severn whispered an order, and his men rose and rushed forward.
Outofthe gloom came spits of fire, and by the momentary light they saw white-swathed faces at which they shot. Oneofthe XT men dropped, and Severn stumbled over a man's body just as a gun barked in his face. Clutching as he fell, he caught the other round the middle and they went down together. The foreman felt two claw-like hands gripping his throat and struck violently with the barrelofhis revolver. He heard the thudofsteel upon bone, a groan, and the choking grip fell away. He staggered to his feet to find that someone had discovered a lantern and that the fight was over. Severalofthe cowboys had been hit, but none seriously. Twoofthe bandits lay dead on the ground, another--Severn's late opponent--was still unconscious; the rest had vanished.
"Get more lights an' search every hole," the foreman ordered. "There must be another way outa this damn warren."
Snap Lunt had also disappeared. At the first gleamofthe lantern he had glimpsed a shadow melting into the dark depths of the cavern and had gone in pursuit. Stumbling along what appeared to be a tunnel, he saw a lineoflight and, feeling above it, discovered a door. It was not fastened, and pushing it ajar he saw a small room, hollowed out of the living rock. On a homemade table in the centre a candle was burning, and by a pallet-bed a man stooped, hurriedly putting together a pack. Snap's eyes gleamed as he stepped noiselessly in, closed the door, and then chuckled aloud. The man's head jerked round, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped; he might have been looking at a ghost.
"Snap?" he gasped.
"Shore thing--the same old Snap," the gunman grated. "Don't bonher about yore pack, Shady; yu won't need it where yo're goin'."
The ruffian gaped, terror patent in his eyes, at this peril from the past which had so suddenly confronted him. One man only in the whole world did he fear and this man was before him; a quick death was the most mercy he could expect. In sudden desperation he swept the candle from the table and jumped aside. Outofthe dark came Snap's jeering voice:
"Panicky, eh, Shady? Well, it gives yu a better chance but it won't save yu. Tell me where the girl is an' mebbe I'll let yu go--this time."
"I'll see yu in hell," came the answer.
"Yeah, but yu'll have to wait for me." Lunt laughed.
The outlaw did not reply, fearing his voice might betray his location, and for a few moments the silence was unbroken. There, in the utter blackness, the two men waited, each intenton the other's life. Both were experienced gun-fighters, and both knew that the slightest slip would mean death. Shadwell stood motionless, half-crouching, his gun levelled from the hip, waiting, listening. Presently he heard a faint sound asofa boot-heel crushing a fragmentofrock and strained his ears in the endeavour to place it. Again it reached him and the thought that his enemy was creeping up made him shiver. Certain that he knew the direction, he fired. The flash showed that he had guessed wrongly--the grinning, vengeful face of the cowboy was well to the leftofthe spot he had aimed at. Ere he could pull the trigger again a spurtofflame stabbed the darkness and his left arm dropped, numbed and useless to his side. The pain of the wound wrenched a groan from his lips.
"Got yore left win
g, eh, Shady?" came the mocking voice. "It'll be yore right next, and then--"
The wounded man fired wildly at the sound and flung himself sideways, but no answering bullet came. Had he made a lucky hit? Breathlessly he waited, cowering against the wallofthe cave. His damaged arm throbbed with pain and he could feel the warm blood trickling down. There was a shufflingoffeet outside the door, and a voice called :
"Hey, stranger, yu in there?"
"Yeah. Go away--I'm busy," Lunt replied, and Shadwell shivered, for the tones were not thoseofa stricken man. He heard the departing footsteps of the man outside and they sounded like a death knell; Lunt must be very sure. Again the nerve-wracking silence endured and was becoming unbearable when the cowboy spoke :
"Listen, Shady, I'm agoin' to give yu a chance, which is more'n yu gave Rafe Sanders," he said. "I've found the candle; when I've lighted it, we both go for our guns. What yu say?"
"Good 'nuff," croaked the other, trying to keep the exultation outofhis voice.
He heard Lunt fumbling about, saw the splutter of the match, and forthwith fired. But the match did not waver, a streakofflame spouted from the gunman's right hip, and the bandit crashed forward with a bullet in his brain. For Shad-well's cunning had not been equal to thatofhis opponent. Prepared to cheat, he had reasoned that Snap would strike the match with his right hand, so he aimed to the leftofthe flame. But Lunt had guarded against treachery by snapping the match alight with his left thumbnail well away from his body, the gun in his right ready to shoot. Shadwell had been outplayed and he had paid the penalty. The little gunman lighted the candle and looked contemptuously at the man he had slain.
"Crooked to the end, like I knowed he'd be," he commented. "Well, it's been comin' to yu a long time, Shady."
Sudden Law o The Lariat (1935) Page 13
