voice in the crowd recurred to him; it had reminded him of Hank. It was probable that he and his men had come to Deadwood, since they would have to leave their hide-out in the hills. This latter proved to be the case, for when Husky and his companions found the place, it was deserted. On their way back, following Sudden's directions, they came across the skeletons of a man and two horses in front of the ridge where the cowboy had made his stand. The big miner was game enough to come and apologize.
'You was right an' we was wrong,' he said. 'I'm sorry, butit shore seemed an open an' shut case. No hard feelin's, I hope?'
'I'm forgettin' it,' Sudden told him. 'But give the next fella a chance.'
CHAPTER XV
In a dilapidated shanty, built with becoming modesty away from the street, five men were drinking and smoking. The wavering light of a couple of tallow dips dimly revealing their forbidding faces. They had just finished weighing and dividing a bag of gold-dust.
'An' that's the finish, I s'pose,' Berg said sourly. 'Hank, you've managed to spoil as pretty a plan as ever I made, damn you.' The black-haired fellow who had attracted Sudden's notice at the attempted lynching looked up. 'How the devil could I help it?' he asked angrily.
'We had the game in our hands,' was the rejoinder. 'You shouldn't 'a' touched the Lesurge woman; it was lunacy.'
'I couldn't do nothin' else when she found I wasn't Sudden,' Hank argued. 'It was a fair give-away.'
'An' havin' made the mistake o' carryin' her off you put another to it by lettin' her get loose.'
'How in hell was I to know she had a sticker?'
'You oughta--she advertised it, not so long back.'
'Yo're all so damn clever, ain't you?' Hank sneered. 'Well do the risky work yoreselves an' I'll keep under cover an' collect my share, like some o' you.' A new voice chimed in, that of a rodent-faced youth, one of whose cheeks bore a jagged, half-healed wound. 'Whatsa use scrappin'? If anybody's got a squeal comin' it's me'--he jerked a thumb at his injury--'an' you ain't heard me yap any.'
'That's the way to talk, Lem,' Bandy Rodd supported. 'When pals fall out, trouble comes in, an' you can put yore pile on that.'
'The trouble's in a'ready,' Berg said. 'The old game's too risky now--we'll have to find another way.' So far Fagan had been silent, but now he spoke: 'We gotta get that mine. It's big, or Lesurge wouldn't be after it--he ain't no piker.'
'Him an' Reub Stark is gettin' mighty strong in the town,' Bandy observed. 'He won't be needin' yu much longer.' Fagan spat contemptuously. 'He dasn't turn me off--I know too much. We're pardners.'
'An' yo're tryin' to double-cross him?' Hank fleered.
'Why not? He'll do it to me if I give him a chance,' was the candid answer.
Hank, still sore from the wigging he had received, laughed scornfully. 'Well, we know what to expect from you,' he said. 'Damn you!' Fagan roared. 'I'll '
'Stop it,' Berg snapped. 'Where's the sense in heavin' rocks at each other? We're all out to double-cross Lesurge. What we gotta think of is how to put it over.'
'What about gettin' the gal--Ducane's niece--an' puttin' the screw on her?' Lem suggested.
'Might come off if you wiped out Ducane an' that cussed cowboy first,' Bandy said. 'If not, they'd guess the game an' be waitin' at the mine for us.' The plan aroused no enthusiasm; even to their desperate natures it seemed too big an order.
'If there's to be any bumpin' Mister Sudden off you can count me out,' Lem contributed. 'I've had some, an' I seen Logan get his.'
'Lefty rated hisself too high,' Fagan said. 'I owe Sudden somethin' an' he'll get it, but I shan't worry if he don't know who's payin' him.'
'Any hope o' makin' Ducane so tight he'll talk?' Bandy asked.
'He's allus talkin', but he don't say nothin',' was Fagan's answer. 'An' it wouldn't be no good--he claims he's forgot where the mine is; Sudden's the on'y one what knows.'
'An' we lost him,' Berg said dismally. 'A million dollars waitin' to be picked up an'--'
'Oh, can it,' Hank burst in. 'We gotta watch for another break, that's all. What about a game?' They fell to playing cards, which gave them a new excuse for wrangling. After a while, Fagan rose to depart. 'Goin' to see Paul,' he told them.
* * *
'You have been taking a holiday?' Paul inquired amiably. But the visitor understood, and moved uneasily in his seat.
'Things was gittin' hot,' he muttered. 'It was too dangerous.'
'Another, apparently, did not think so,' came the reply.
'You were not, by any chance, that other?'
'Hell, no, Paul. Why do you ask that?'
'I thought you might have had an inspiration; I should have known better. So you are not in need of money?' Fagan conceived what he regarded as an inspiration. 'I shorely am,' he said mournfully. 'Got cleaned out at Pedro's las' night--playin' the wheel--you never see such luck.'
'At Pedro's? Ah, yes,' Paul said softly, and the liar wished he had not named the place; if inquiries were made ... But the next remark reassured him. 'I can let you have fifty dollars, but you must earn them by finding for me a fellow named `Hank' who was concerned in the seizure of my sister.'
'Shore I will; what's he like?' the ruffian replied, hoping that his start of surprise had escaped notice.
'I can't tell you, but he may be with another called `Lem,' who had a cheek laid open in the scrimmage with Green.' Fagan nodded; it was going to be easy money. 'Them gravel-grubbers come near to riddin' you o' Green,' he grinned.
'I've no desire to be rid of him,' Paul replied coldly. 'Had that been so, Lora would have arrived too late to substantiate his story. Unfortunate, in that case, of course, but ...' The smooth voice faded and Fagan was conscious of chilliness creeping up his spine. Once, when a boy, a rattlesnake had brushed against his bare leg, Lesurge, at times, recalled that horrible moment--the cold sliminess of the contact, the breath-taking fear of impending death.
'What you aimin' to do with this Hank fella, Paul?' he ventured.
'Use him,' was the reply.
Though he took care not to show it, Fagan was delighted. It suited him that Lesurge should surround himself with his, Fagan's, confederates; he was assisting in his own downfall.
'If he's in town, I'll get him,' he promised. 'Pity you've fell in love with Green; I had a plan '
'Then forget it,' Paul ordered. 'I hate him, but he must not be touched. He alone knows
'Where the mine is,' Fagan finished.
'Who told you that?'
'Snowy let on that his memory had slipped up again an' he said the directions in the letter was misleadin' an' it was mainly luck that they struck the right trail.' Mentally Lesurge anathematized the prospector for a chattering old idiot, but Fagan's next remark suggested another aspect.
'Mebbe he's stringin' you.' This produced a thoughtful frown. The secret was a dangerous one, as the puncher had already discovered. Snowy would not be anxious for a similar experience and might be playing for safety. But why should he tell Fagan? With an impatient gesture, he flung a roll of greenbacks on the table and said:
'When you locate the man I want to see him, but not here.' After the visitor had gone, Lesurge sat pondering over his position. So far, matters had gone well with him. Without unduly thrusting himself into the limelight he had become of importance in the settlement. But his ambition had grown. To merely deprive Snowy and Stark of wealth no longer contented him--he wanted power. The prospect he had dangled as a bait before the greedy eyes of the saloon-keeper now appealed to him as a possibility--for himself. Lavish hospitality was purchasing support for Reuben Stark, but when the moment came, he would be shelved and Lesurge would largely control the destinies of Deadwood.
To bring this about he must have gold--a great deal of gold. Snowy's mine would provide this eventually--he was getting together a gang to seize and work it--but his present need was urgent. Putting on his hat, he went to
