“Sure,” the rancher agreed, then went on just a shade too quickly. “She don’t know a thing about what I’m doing. When you go in ask her for the envelope the man left and she’ll give it to you. You’ll find the money for this lot in it. Only don’t mention any names.”
“I won’t,” Danny promised. “See you, Turk.”
Turning, Danny rode to where Tommy sat waiting for him at the rear of the bunch of cattle. Just as he reached the youngster, Danny heard the drumming of hooves. Somebody was riding through the night, coming in their direction at a fair speed. One thing Danny knew for sure. The newcomer would not be bringing news of joy and good cheer for him and his young friend.
“Coming from town,” Tommy said in a low voice, showing again how clear-headed he could be.
“Get set for trouble,” Danny replied, swinging his horse to face the suddenly alert and suspicious Stocker and Schatz.
“Stacker!” yelled the fast-riding shape as it drew closer. “Danny Forgrave’s a Ranger. Get him!”
Chapter 13 HOLD HER UNTIL I GET BACK
BUSINESS WAS SLACK IN THE CATTLE QUEEN. ONLY Wally Stirton, boss of the Rafter O, a few of his hands and a handful of townsmen used the bar room. Calamity Jane and Mousey sat at a table clear of the men, idly talking and waiting for customers to arrive. Phyl crossed the room and came to a halt by the two girls.
“Aren’t your fellers coming in tonight?” she asked.
“Don’t look like it,” Calamity replied. “It’s gone nine now and no sign of them. They’d’ve been in afore this if they was coming.”
“Things are always quiet on Wednesdays,” Mousey went on.
At that moment the batwing doors opened and a man entered, halting just inside to look around. Yet he did not have the watchful caution of a hard-case gun fighter who might find enemies inside and wanted his eyes to grow accustomed to the bar’s lights after coming from the darkness. Glancing at the door, Calamity stiffened slightly; recognizing Jake Jacobs, the pedlar who sold information to peace officers. For a moment Jacobs stood at the door, then he walked forward in the direction of Phyl and the other two girls. Calamity felt Jacobs’s eyes studying her with more than normal care. Maybe he recognized her, although she doubted it. As far as she knew, the pedlar left Austin before she arrived, but he might remember her from some other town. Calamity decided she must find out what brought the man to Caspar.
“Where’s the boss, Phyl?” Jacobs asked, giving Calamity another long, searching look then turning to the buxom redhead.
“Up to her office. You want to see her about something important?”
“She’ll think so.”
Phyl studied the man for a long moment. Knowing that Ella was preparing to ride out and visit Stocker, Phyl did not wish to disturb her boss. However, Phyl knew that Jacobs often brought news of importance and so decided to take him upstairs.
“Let’s go see her then,” Phyl said. “Only she’ll for sure blister your hide if it’s not important.”
Watching Phyl and Jacobs make for the stairs, Calamity decided she must try to learn what brought the pedlar to town. A couple of the cowhands drifted over and asked Calamity and Mousey to join them. Rising, Calamity told Mousey to go ahead and she would sit in once she had been upstairs to collect a handkerchief.
By the time Calamity reached the head of the stairs she found that Phyl and the pedlar were just entering Ella’s room. Calamity waited until the door closed, then walked over and halted by it. Glancing along the passage, she could see no sign of life. However, she wished she knew where Maisie might be as the big brunette had not been in the bar room. Calamity did not wish to be caught eavesdropping at Ella’s door, especially by Maisie for the brunette disliked her due to her friendship with Phyl. Seeing no sign of Maisie or any of the other girls, Calamity placed her ear close to the door and listened to the muffled, but audible conversation inside. She only heard a few words before deciding it had been a good idea to come up and take a chance to discover Jacobs’s business.
In the room Ella Watson sat behind the table and looked at Jacobs with cold, speculative eyes. For his part, Jacobs stared back with frank interest. On his arrival, Ella had been about to change into the clothes she wore when riding the range on visits to the stolen stock’s hiding place. At such a time Ella wore men’s clothing with only a pair of drawers beneath the shirt, levis, boots and jacket out of sight and pulled on her robe. While this covered her naked torso, it gave more than a hint of her state of undress underneath.
“This’s private, Miss Ella,” Jacobs said, glancing at Phyl.
“Likely,” the saloonkeeper replied. “Spit it out, Jake, and put your eyes back in, it won’t do you any good.”
“I got something to tell you,” the pedlar told her, jerking his eyes away from the valley between her breasts.
“I didn’t think you’d just dropped in to pass the time of day.”
“Just come up from Austin way,” Jacobs went on, not put out by her apparent lack of interest.
“So?” asked Ella calmly, although she did not feel calm inside. The nearest company of Texas Rangers had their base in Austin as she well knew.
“So I heard something as might interest the right folks up here.”
“I’m busy and tired, Jake. Come to the point, or let’s miss you?”
“I’m a poor man, Miss Ella,” the pedlar whined. “Not like these cow thieves up this ways.”
“Let’s have it!” Ella spat out, opening the table drawer and taking out a five-dollar bill. “Damned if I know why I’m bothering, but if you’ve something interesting you can have the five.”
“I hear tell Cap’n Murat’s sent a feller up here to bust the cow thieves.”
“Why should that interest me?” Ella asked, trying to keep her voice normal although her throat felt dry and her body cold.
“No reason—’Cepting that if this feller does it, you’ll lose a fair few good customers.”
“Hey——!” Phyl began.
“I see,” Ella interrupted.
Only with an effort could she hold her voice even and Phyl’s obvious agitation drew a warning scowl from Ella. Annoyance at the red-head’s reactions stiffened Ella and enabled her to hide her true feelings. Clearly the pedlar knew something. In some way he must have learned that she ran the cow-stealing organization. Yet he could not know, unless—at that moment Ella remembered a remark passed a few days before, about her bartender’s friendship with Jacobs. Izzy must have sold her out, either accidentally or deliberately. Well, that matter could wait until later. More important right now was to discover the identity of the man sent by Captain Murat. Ella did not underestimate the Texas Rangers. The trouble with a Ranger was that he wore no uniform and kept his badge concealed. There had been one new arrival in the area who claimed to have come from down Austin way, she recalled.
“All right,” she said. “Supposing I give a damn for my customers! Who is this Ranger?”
“Like I said, ma’am——” Jacobs started to say.
“I know,” Ella cut in, “you’re a poor man. Here’s twenty dollars. Who is he, Jake?”
There she had the pedlar, but he did not intend to mention the point. While Jacobs had gathered a vague rumor that a Ranger left town headed for Caspar County, he could not learn which member of Company “G” was assigned to the task. However, Jacobs could put two and two together so as to come up with a reasonable answer.
“One of them fellers brought in Choya’s bunch of
“And his name?” asked Ella.
“Danny Fog. He’s Dusty Fog’s kid brother.”
This time Ella could not hold down her startled gasp. Danny Fog—Danny Forgrave—it must be true. Ed Wren claimed that Forgrave reminded him of the Rio Hondo gun wizard. So he would if he was Dusty Fog’s younger brother.
