The man whispered something and Stark went with him to the door. In a few moments he returned.
'Just had word that Jacob was beaten up an' his cabin ransacked the night after the hold-up,' he informed them. 'What d'you make o' that?'
'Suppose he was concerned in the robbery, Green returns, and they quarrel,' Paul surmised.
'Why should Green come back?' Eddy asked. 'If he wanted to double-cross Jacob, he'd on'y to stay away-- he's got the goods. No, gents, we won't see that fella any more, I'll betcha.'
'What will you wager, Mister Eddy?' Lora laughed.
He followed the direction of her eyes and started to his feet, staring in ludicrous amazement.
'Holy Smoke!' he breathed. 'There's the man hisself.' Sudden and his friend had just entered the saloon. Despite the precautions to secure secrecy, someone had chattered, and it was generally known that the stage had been waylaid and that the cowboys were the culprits. All heads were turned towards them and a hush fell over the assembly as they stepped unconcernedly to the bar; the music stopped, the dancers stood still, the gamblers paused in their games, and even the gayest of the girls ceased her prattle.
'Well you gotta hand it to him for nerve,' one whispered. 'Mebbe he thinks it ain't knowed,' his neighbour said. 'He's liable to git a surprise. Would you look at Reub's face?' In fact, the saloon-keeper, pop-eyed and purple, appeared to be on the verge of an apoplectic seizure as he glared at the man he expected never to see again. On Lesurge the cowboy's advent produced the numbing effect of a blow. What was his game? Why had he not come to him first? Surely he could not be hoping to get away with such a colossal bluff? The fool was walking to his own funeral. Paul shrugged his shoulders; provided he could get from him where the plunder was hidden ...
Apparently indifferent to the interest his arrival was arousing, Sudden, nodding to men he knew, made his way to Stark's table. His eyes narrowed when he saw the women, but he swept his hat off, and spoke to their host.
'Can I have a word with yu, seh?'
'You can--right now,' Stark snapped. 'An' don't try any funny business or you'll git too much lead in yore system.' The puncher glanced around; a dozen of the men sitting near were covering him with their pistols. With a smile of contempt, he folded his arms.
'The funny business 'pears to be comin' from yu,' he said. 'Cut it short,' Stark bawled. 'Why are you here?'
'You hired us to go with the stage,' was the reply. 'I'm here to report.'
'We're listenin',' Stark growled.
'They were layin' for us a piece along the trail,' Sudden began. 'They downed the lead hosses, shot the driver an' messenger.' He did not say whose work this was; he believed he had killed Lem and he had an account to settle with Hank. 'We stood 'em off, harnessed our own broncs in the lead, an'got away. Later, we patched Joe up an' he sat on the box an' sorta kept cases on my drivin'.'
'But where's the dust?' Lider asked impatiently.
'Did yu expect me to bring it back?' was the sardonic query. 'Far as I know it's on the way East. The express company's fella took charge of it at Laramie.' Master as he was in the art of cloaking his emotions, Lesurge found it difficult to listen unmoved. Was Green lying? he asked himself, or had he really played this trick upon him? He was soon to learn.
Stark's expression was incredulous. 'You think we'd fall for that?' he sneered. 'We've heard a different story, my man.' Sudden bent forward and spoke quietly. 'Stark, when yu call me a liar yo're standin' on the lip o' hell, an' all that ars'nal back o' me couldn't save yu.' The saloon-keeper was no coward, but those ice-cold, implacable eyes made him shiver. He was about to stammer some excuse, but the other saved him the trouble:
'I knowed yu wouldn't believe me, so I fetched--this.' Stark picked up the paper the cowboy had thrown on the table. One glance and his face changed with startling abruptness.
'Boys, we're all right,' he cried. 'It's a receipt for the gold from the company's agent at Laramie. Hello, what's this?' His brows met in a puzzled frown. ''One box, stated to contain ten thousand dollars' worth of dust, was filled with lead. It was consigned in the name of Paul Lesurge'.' He looked at Sudden. 'Can you explain that?'
'When I turned the stuff over I made the agent open the boxes an' weigh it up.'
'Any reason for thinkin' there was somethin' wrong?' Eddy inquired.
'No, but I warn't takin' chances.'
'Someone must have made the substitution,' Lesurge put in, with an accusing glance at the puncher.
'The agent says the seals were untouched,' Stark pointed out.
'Ah, then I know where to look for the thief,' Paul rejoined carelessly. '1 left the packing to one of my men.' It was well done, and for the time, it served. Lora smothered a smile; she was not deceived. What a clever devil he was, but this black-haired, firm-jawed young cowboy had bested, though not beaten him; she knew Paul.
Stark was speaking again. 'Well, Green, it seems we've been blamin' when we oughta be thankin' you. I'm takin' it back.
Set down an' help yoreself.' The knowledge that his money was safe had put him in great good humour and he was disposed to be generous. 'Tell us what we can do for you.'
'The dead messenger has mebbe a family an' Injun Joe won't drive for quite a while,' Sudden said.
'We'll see to that,' Lider promised. 'What about yourself?'
'Me an' Gerry took this on to oblige Jacob, an' we ain't needin' anythin'.'
'That's very well put, Green, but for myself--though by a mischance I don't benefit by what you have done--I feel in your debt,' Lesurge said. 'I shall look forward to squaring the account.' Sudden sensed the underlying threat and smiled. 'When I start anythin' I like to finish it,' was his apparently inconsequent reply.
'We've had bad news of the old man,' Eddy said, and told it. The puncher rose instantly. 'I must get along to him--he'll be by himself,' he excused. He was about to call Gerry, but that young man was by Mary's side, and appeared to be enjoying himself. So he went alone.
Gerry, however, was having anything but a good time. As soon as he realized that it really was Mary, he had forgotten all about their business with Stark and promptly proceeded to where she was sitting, a little apart from the others. Conscious that the sight of him had made her heart beat faster, she did not speak. Gerry was too angry to notice the omission.
'What are yu doin' in this place?' he asked bluntly.
The low, brusque tone offended her. 'I came with my friends,' she replied coolly.
'They'd no right to bring yu, it ain't--decent.'
'There are other women here.'
'Yeah, an' just because o' that yu shouldn't be,' he retorted bitterly.
She knew it; these painted, scantily clad creatures who danced and drank with any man who invited them could be no warrant for her presence. But, being a woman, the fact that he was right only increased her resentment. This boy must be taught that she was not to be bullied.
'How dare you presume to dictate to me?' she said haughtily, quite, as she believed, in the best Lora Lesurge manner. But when she saw the dawning smile in Gerry's eyes she knew she had failed, and sought furiously for a way to punish him. 'I am here with the man I expect to marry,' she added.
'Shore yu are, but yu didn't know I was comin',' he grinned.
His amusement, anger at the false position in which he found her, and disgust with the surroundings made her reckless. 'I was referring to--Paul,' she said icily.
The moment she had spoken the words she regretted them, but it was too late. The mirth faded from Mason's face and it became hard, unyouthful.
'I'm wishin' yu joy,' he said, and rising, stalked out of the saloon.
With hot, miserable eyes she watched him elbow his way unceremoniously through the clamorous crowd and vanish. Lora, who had noticed his abrupt departure, leant over and whispered, 'What have you been doing to that boy?'
'Putting him in his place,' Mary replied. A few yards away, a girl scarcely older than herself, had clasped her bare arms round the neck of her escort and dragged him shouting to the bar. 'Are all the saloons as horrible as this?'
'Don't let Stark hear you--it would break his heart,' Lora laughed. 'The Monte is the best-conducted in Deadwood.'
