by Harold Titus
CHAPTER XV
Murder
The incident at the schoolhouse was not overlooked. Gail Thorpe was notthe only one who heard and saw and understood; others connected themention of drink with VB's sudden departure. The comment went around inwhispers at the dance, to augment and amplify those other stories whichhad arisen back in the Anchor bunk house and which had been told byRhues of the meeting in Ranger.
"Young VB is afraid to take a drink," declared a youth to a group aboutthe fire where they discussed the incident.
He laughed lightly and Dick Worth looked sharply at the boy.
"Mebby he is," he commented, reprimand in his tone, "an' mebby it'd bea good thing for some o' you kids if you was afraid. Don't laugh athim! We know he's pretty much man--'cause he's done real things sincecomin' in here a rank greenhorn. Don't laugh! You ought to help,instead o' that."
And the young fellow, taking the rebuke, admitted: "I guess you'reright. Maybe the booze has put a crimp in him."
So VB gave the community one more cause for watching him. Quick toperceive, ever taking into consideration his achievements which spokeof will and courage, Clear River gave him silent sympathy, and promptlyput the matter out of open discussion. It was no business of theirs solong as VB kept it to himself. Yet they watched, knowing a fight wasbeing waged and guessing at the outcome, the older and wiser oneshoping while they guessed.
When Bob Thorpe announced to his daughter that he was going to JedAvery's ranch and would like to have her drive him over through thefirst feathery dusting of snow, a strain of unpleasant thinking whichhad endured for three days was broken for the girl. In fact, her reliefwas so evident that the cattleman stared hard at his daughter.
"You're mighty enthusiastic about that place, seems to me," he remarked.
"Why shouldn't I be?" she asked. "There's where they keep the finesthorse in this country!"
"Is that all?" he asked, a bit grimly.
She looked at him and laughed. Then, coming close, she patted one ofthe weathered cheeks.
"He's awfully nice, daddy--and so mysterious!"
The giggle she forced somehow reassured him. He did not know it wasforced.
They arrived at Jed's ranch as Kelly, the horse buyer, was preparing todepart after long weeks in the country. His bunch was in the lowerpasture and two saddle horses waited at the gate.
Thorpe and his daughter found Jed, VB, and Kelly in the cabin. Thehorse buyer was just putting bills back into his money belt, and Jedstill fingered the roll that he had taken for his horses.
"Aren't you afraid to pack all that around, Kelly?" Thorpe asked.
"No--nobody holds people up any more," he laughed. "There's only aneven six hundred there, anyhow--and a fifty-dollar bill issued by theConfederate States of America, which I carry for luck. My father was araider with Morgan," he explained, "and I was fifteen years old beforeI knew 'damn Yank' was two words!"
VB was preparing to go with the buyer, to ride the first two days atleast to help him handle the bunch. They expected to make it well outof Ranger the second day, and after that Kelly would pick up anotherhelper.
Gail followed VB when he went outside.
"I'm going away, too," she said.
"So?"
"Yes; mother and I will leave for California day after to-morrow, forthe winter."
"That will be fine!"
"Will I be missed?"
He shrank from this personal talk. He remembered painfully their lastmeeting. He was acutely conscious of how it had ended, and knew thatthe incident of his abrupt departure must have set her wondering.
"Yes," he answered, meeting her answer truthfully, "I shall miss you. Ilike you."
Such a thing from him was indeed a jolt, and Gail stooped to pick up awisp of hay to cover her confusion.
"But I'm sorry," he said, "I must be going."
She looked up in surprise. The horse buyer still talked and thediscussion bade fair to go on for a long time.
"You're not starting?" she asked.
"Oh, no. Not for half an hour, anyhow. But you see, the Captain found apup-hole yesterday and wrenched his leg a little. Not much, but I don'twant him to work when anything's wrong. So I'm leaving him behind and Imust look after him. Will you excuse me? Good-by!"
She was so slow in extending her hand that he was forced to reach downfor it. It was limp within his, and she merely mumbled a response tohis hasty farewell.
Gail watched him swing off toward the corral, saw him enter through thegate and put his face against the stallion's neck. She strolled towardthe car, feet heavy.
"He wouldn't even ask me to go--go with him. He cares more about--thathorse--than--"
She clenched her fists and whispered: "I hate you! I hate you!" Thenmounting to the seat and tucking the robe about her ankles, she blewher nose, wiped her eyes, and in a voice strained high said: "No, Idon't, either."
VB and Kelly took their bunch down the gulch at a spanking trot. Mostof the stock was fairly gentle and they had little difficulty. Theyplanned to stop at a deserted cabin a few miles north of Ranger where apassable remnant of fenced pasture still remained. They reached theplace at dark and made a hasty meal, after which VB rolled in, but hiscompanion roped a fresh horse and made on to Ranger for a few hours'diversion.
It was nearly dawn when Kelly returned with a droll account of thenight's poker, and although VB was for going on early, wanting to berid of the task, the other insisted on sleeping.
"I don't want to get too far, anyhow," he said. "Those waddies like torimmed me last night. Got all I had except what's in old Betsy, thebelt. I'm goin' back to-night and get their scalp!"
It was noon before they reached Ranger and swung to the east.
"Oh, I'll be back to-night and get you fellows!" Kelly called to a manwho waved to him from the saloon.
VB held his gaze in the opposite direction. He knew that even the sightof the place might raise the devil in him again.
A man emerged from one of the three isolated shacks down on the riverbank. It was Rhues. The two rode slowly, for the buyer was in no moodfor fast travel, and for a long time Rhues stood there following themwith his eyes.
At dusk the horsemen turned the bunch into a corral and prepared tospend the night with beds spread in the ruin of a cabin near theinclosure. Before the bed-horses had been relieved of their burdens acowboy rode along who was known to Kelly, and arrangements were madefor him to take VB's place on the morrow.
"Well, then, all you want me to do is to stay here to-night to see thatthings don't go wrong. Is that it?" VB asked.
"Yep-- Oh, I don't know," with a yawn. "I guess I won't sit in thatgame to-night. I'll get some sleep. Mebby if I did go back I'd onlyhave to dig up part of my bank here." He patted his waist. "You can goon home if you want to."
VB was glad to be released, for he could easily reach the ranch thatnight. He left Kelly talking with the cowboy, making their plans forthe next day, and struck across the country for Jed's ranch.
Left alone, the horse buyer munched a cold meal. Then, shivering, hecrept into his thick bed and slept. An hour passed--two--three.
A horse dropped slowly off a point near the corral. A moment later twomore followed. One rider dismounted and walked away after a low, hoarsewhisper; another pushed his horse into the highway and stood still,listening; the third held the pony that had been left riderless.
A figure, worming its way close to the ground, crawled up on thesleeping horse buyer. It moved silently, a yard at a time; thenstopped, raised its head as though to listen; on again, ominously, somuch a part of the earth it covered that it might have been just theridge raised by a giant mole burrowing along under the surface. Itapproached to within three yards of the sleeping man; to within sixfeet; three; two.
Then it rose to its knees slowly, cautiously, silently, and put out ahand gently, lightly feeling the outlines of the blankets. A shoot oforange scorched the darkness--and another, so close together that theflame was almost continuous
. The blankets heaved, trembled, settled.
The man on his knees hovered a long moment, revolver ready, listeningintently. Not a sound--even the horses seemed to be straining theirears for another break in the night.
The man reached out a hand and drew the blankets away from the figurebeneath, thrusting his face close. The starlight filtered in and hedrew a long, quivering breath--not in hate or horror, but in surprise.He got to his feet and listened again. Then he moved into the open,over the way he had come. After a dozen quick, stealthy paces hestopped and turned back. He unbuttoned the jumper about the figureunder the blankets, unbuttoned the shirt, felt quickly about the waist,fumbled a moment, and jerked out a long, limp object. Again he strodecatlike into the open, and as he went he tucked the money belt into hisshirt-front.
VB rode straight to the ranch. He made a quick ride and arrived beforeten.
"Mighty glad Kelly got that man," he told Jed. "I'm like a fish out ofwater away from the Captain."
At dusk the next day a horseman rode up the gulch to Jed's outfit. Theold man stood in the doorway, watching him approach.
"Hello, Dick!" he called, recognizing the deputy from Sand Creek.
"How's things, Jed?"
"Better'n fine."
Worth left his horse and entered the cabin.
"VB around?" he asked.
"Uh-huh; out in th' corral foolin' with th' Captain."
Dick dropped to a chair and pushed his hat back. He looked on the othera moment, then asked: "What time did VB get home last night?"
Jed showed evident surprise, but answered: "Between half-past nine an'ten."
"Notice his horse?"
"Saw him this mornin'. Why?"
"Was it a hard ride th' boy made?"
"No--sure not. I rode th' pony down to th' lower pasture myself thisafternoon."
Worth drew a deep breath and smiled as though relieved.
"Bein' 'n officer is mighty onpleasant sometimes," he confessed. "Iknew it wasn't no use to ask them questions, but I had to do it--'causeI'm a deputy." With mouth set, Jed waited for the explanation he knewmust come.
"Kelly was killed while he slept last night."
Horror was the first natural impulse for a man to experience on theknowledge of such a tragedy, but horror did not come to Jed Avery thenor for many minutes. He put out a hand slowly and felt for the table asthough dizzy.
Then, in a half tone, "You don't mean you suspected VB? Dick--_Dick!_"
The sheriff's face became troubled.
"Jed, didn't I tell you I knew it wasn't no use to ask them questions?"he said reassuringly. "I'd 'a' gambled my outfit on th' boy, 'cause Iknow what he is. When you tell me he got here by ten an' it wasn't ahard ride, I know they's no use even thinkin' about it. But th' factis--
"You see, Jed, everybody in th' country has got to know what's up withVB. They know he's fightin' back th' booze! That gang o' skunks down atRanger--Rhues an' his outfit--started out to rub it into VB, buteverybody knew they was tellin' lies. An' everybody's thought lots ofhim fer th' fight he's made."
He got to his feet and walked slowly about the room.
"But th' truth is, Jed--an' you know it--when a man's been hittin' th'booze, an' we ain't sure he's beat it out, we're always lookin' fer himto slip. Nobody down at Ranger has thought one word about VB in this,only that mebby he could tell who'd been round there.
"But, bein' 'n officer, I had th' sneakin', dirty idee I ought to askthem questions about VB. That's all there is to it, Jed. That's all!I'm deputy; VB's been a boozer.
"But I tell you, Jed Avery, it sure's a relief to know it's all right."
The warmth of sincerity was in his tone and his assurances had been ofthe best, but Jed slumped limply into a chair and rested his head onhis hands.
"It's a rotten world, Dick--a rotten, rotten world!" he said. "I knowyou're all right; I know you mean what you say; but ain't it a shamethat when a man's down our first thought is to kick him? Always expecthim to fall again once he gets up! Ain't it rotten?"
And his love for Young VB, stirred anew by this sense of the injusticeof things, welled into his throat, driving back more words.
Dick Worth was a man of golden integrity; Jed knew well that nosuspicion would be cast on VB. But the knowledge that serious-minded,clear-thinking men like the deputy would always remember, in a timelike this, that those who had once run wild might fall into the oldways at any hour, stung him like a lash.
VB opened the door.
"Hello, Dick!" he greeted cheerily. "Want me?"
Worth laughed and Jed started.
"No; I come up to get a little help from you if I can, though."
"Help?"
"Kelly was shot dead in his bed last night."
For a moment VB stared at him.
"Who?"
"That's what we don't know. That's what I came up here for--to see ifyou could help us."
And Jed, face averted, drew a foot quickly across the boards of thefloor.
"One of Hank Redden's boys was with him--th' one who took yourplace--until dark. Little after eight old Hank heard two shots, butdidn't think nothin' of it. Kelly was shot twice. That must 'a' beenth' time."
VB put down his hat, his eyes bright with excitement.
"He'd planned to go back to Ranger," he said. "But, after being up mostof the night before, he was too tired. He told them at Ranger he'd beback. And if I'd been there they'd have got me," he ended.
"Unless they was lookin' for Kelly especial," said Dick. "They took hismoney belt."
"Mebby," muttered Jed,--"mebby they made a mistake."
