he had done. Later she might think of him the same way.
DALE CALLED up Sheriff Elbert by long distance and told him, not only what had just taken place at Big Bridge, but also gave him an account of the events that had led to the trouble. He had been a friend of her father and was himself a cattleman, so that he did not doubt the accuracy of her story. He said he would drive over at once. In the meantime her brother and Stevens could go on to Tucson, but he would expect the latter to return to his ranch as soon as he could.
Within five minutes of the time that the Black gang left town on the valley road headed for the hills, the men they had tried to rub out departed in the opposite direction. Hal and Frank traveled in an old roadster owned by Wall. The owner of the car went with them. It seemed to him prudent to leave Big Bridge for a time. He had not felt very safe there, even before his part in the trouble earlier in the day, since the man he had been forced to kill a year ago was a hanger-on of the Black outfit. The outlaws would regard what he had just done as surplusage, and if they found it difficult to get Stevens would very likely try to kill him as part payment on account.
Dale watched them go with some misgivings, though she did not see how their enemies could waylay them before reaching Tucson, since the valley road was the only direct route and they had set out apparently for their home terrain. She followed the Black car as far as the Seven Up and Down. Shortly after dinner the telephone rang. Hal was on the line. They had reached Tucson unmolested and Frank was safe in the hands of the army.
'And whose hands are
'I'm at the Frontera,' he answered cheerfully. 'With Tom Wall. We've just finished a good dinner. Tomorrow we are going to fly back. That level pasture back of your house would make a good landing place — if you are hospitable enough to offer it.'
'Wouldn't it be safer not to wait, but to come tonight?' she asked.
'I don't think so. In a few minutes we are going up to our room. Probably none of the enemy are in Tucson yet, if they come at all. We'll take off fairly early in the morning.'
'I'll be looking for you,' she said quietly, and hung up.
As Hal came out of the booth, Wall warned him. 'Look across the lobby,' Tom said, a grin on his face. 'Over by the drugstore entrance. And see if you see what I do.'
Hal's glance picked up Frawley and Mullins. A moment later, Brick Fenwick came out of the drugstore and joined them. They had not yet seen the two men standing by the telephone booth, but Hal knew it would be impossible to cross either to the elevator or the stairway without being observed. They might as well get credit for facing the situation.
Stevens and Wall were half way across the lobby, moving directly toward the hill men, before Frawley caught sight of them.
'Look!' he cried.
The outlaws were taken by surprise. They had reached Tucson not ten minutes ago, and they had stopped in front of the Frontera to get a drink at the bar. They were looking for Stevens, but they had not wanted to meet him openly. Their idea was to find out where he was stopping and work out the best way to trap him.
'Welcome to Tucson,' Hal called to them. 'If you haven't eaten yet, we can recommend the chef here.'
Frawley called him a vile name angrily.
'I don't believe he likes you, Hal,' Wall said.
'I'm unfortunate,' Hal answered. 'The last three times we have met I have annoyed him. Afraid he's not of a forgiving nature.'
The shallow eyes between Brick Fenwick's narrowed lids were wary and savage. 'You lookin' for trouble again?' he asked, his pitch a low drawl. 'Right here in the hotel?'
'Nothing like that.' Hal's voice was cool and light, his manner casually insolent and at the same time scrupulously amiable. 'My suggestion is no hostilities till you can take me by surprise. You are not so good at open warfare. Or perhaps you are just unlucky.'
'You won't always have a bunch of women to hide behind,' Frawley broke in, hoarse rage in his throat.
'Quite right,' Hal agreed. 'I can't carry one around with me as a bodyguard. If you ever catch me alone, Frawley, you'll likely beat the tar out of me.'
The scar on Frawley's face stood out white against a purple background. He was furious, yet somehow helpless against the smiling derision of the cattleman.
'If you'll come outside—'
He broke off, to finish with a scabrous epithet.
'I stepped out with you once today,' Stevens reminded him. 'It's not fair to ask you to give so much time to my education. Some other day, maybe.'
Mullins was a heavyset short man with thick rounded shoulders. Hard muscles packed the framework of his body, but his mouth was loose and the chin weak. Character etches itself on the faces of men who live on the edge of civilization faced by danger. What Wall and Stevens read in his was that he had to be bolstered by stronger men before he became dangerous.
'I told you the boys would fix you for buttin' in,' he told Wall irritably.
'So you did,' Tom answered. 'I haven't heard them mention it yet.'
'I'll mention it now,' Frawley said, an unpleasant rasp to his voice. 'If you know what's good for you, pull yore freight away from this bird here and light out sudden.'
Wall shook his head. 'I always was an obstinate cuss and never did know what was good for me. Think I'll stick around.'
The two friends turned to go. Fenwick called them back.
'Wait a minute.' A redhot devil of malice glared out of the eyes looking at Stevens. 'Don't figure you've got away with the killing of Hanford. If the law won't fix you, there are those who will.'
Hal nodded. 'If they can,' he said quietly.
He walked across with Wall to the elevator, straight-backed and light-footed, in his poised grace an arrogance born of contempt for his foes. None the less he was glad when the elevator door closed behind them. A bullet in the back is an argument not easily answered.
As the elevator moved upward, Wall asked the operator, 'How many miles is it across the Frontera lobby?'
The boy looked at him, puzzled. 'I don't get you, sir.'
'I'm a crippled old vinegaroon,' Wall explained, 'and I wasn't sure my tottering legs would get me to yore cage.' To Hal he added, after the door of their room had been closed and locked: 'That was no josh. Honest, my knees were wobbling. If you knew how near I came to running that last ten yards!'
His friend laughed. 'If you had ever started, I would have beaten you to the elevator.'
Wall took off his coat and flung it on the bed. 'Where do the three anxious gents downstairs go from here?' he inquired.
'We're going to find that out,' Hal answered. 'They came here to get me, and they won't go home without having a try at it.' He looked steadily at Wall. 'Time you got out of the picture, Tom. Frawley is right. You have done plenty for me today.'
A dull flush burned in Wall's face beneath the tan. 'I'm paying a debt,' he replied stiffly. 'What makes you think I'm a quitter?'
'You've paid it ten times over,' Hal said. 'There was no risk in what I did for you.'
'Hell, this is no time for yore friends to join in a loose-blanket stampede,' Wall said, embarrassed and annoyed. 'A bunch of wolves can't give me orders what I can and can't do. Far as that goes, the brake has done bust already. I'd rather take my chance hanging on than jump into a bed of cactus.'
Hal gave up. 'All right. Have it your own way. I reckon we'll make out.'
It was about fifteen minutes later that a knock came at the door.
'This might be it,' Hal murmured.
Both men moved from in front of the door toward the walls. The knock sounded on the door again. A voice said, 'A bellhop with ice water, gents.'
