One man only in the whole world did he fear and this man was before him; a quick death was the most mercy he could expect. In sudden desperation he swept the candle from the table and jumped aside. Outofthe dark came Snap's jeering voice:
'Panicky, eh, Shady? Well, it gives yu a better chance but it won't save yu. Tell me where the girl is an' mebbe I'll let yu go--this time.'
'I'll see yu in hell,' came the answer.
'Yeah, but yu'll have to wait for me.' Lunt laughed.
The outlaw did not reply, fearing his voice might betray his location, and for a few moments the silence was unbroken. There, in the utter blackness, the two men waited, each intenton the other's life. Both were experienced gun-fighters, and both knew that the slightest slip would mean death. Shadwell stood motionless, half-crouching, his gun levelled from the hip, waiting, listening. Presently he heard a faint sound asofa boot-heel crushing a fragmentofrock and strained his ears in the endeavour to place it. Again it reached him and the thought that his enemy was creeping up made him shiver. Certain that he knew the direction, he fired. The flash showed that he had guessed wrongly--the grinning, vengeful face of the cowboy was well to the leftofthe spot he had aimed at. Ere he could pull the trigger again a spurtofflame stabbed the darkness and his left arm dropped, numbed and useless to his side. The pain of the wound wrenched a groan from his lips.
'Got yore left wing, eh, Shady?' came the mocking voice. 'It'll be yore right next, and then--'
The wounded man fired wildly at the sound and flung himself sideways, but no answering bullet came. Had he made a lucky hit? Breathlessly he waited, cowering against the wallofthe cave. His damaged arm throbbed with pain and he could feel the warm blood trickling down. There was a shufflingoffeet outside the door, and a voice called :
'Hey, stranger, yu in there?'
'Yeah. Go away--I'm busy,' Lunt replied, and Shadwell shivered, for the tones were not thoseofa stricken man. He heard the departing footsteps of the man outside and they sounded like a death knell; Lunt must be very sure. Again the nerve-wracking silence endured and was becoming unbearable when the cowboy spoke :
'Listen, Shady, I'm agoin' to give yu a chance, which is more'n yu gave Rafe Sanders,' he said. 'I've found the candle; when I've lighted it, we both go for our guns. What yu say?'
'Good 'nuff,' croaked the other, trying to keep the exultation outofhis voice.
He heard Lunt fumbling about, saw the splutter of the match, and forthwith fired. But the match did not waver, a streakofflame spouted from the gunman's right hip, and the bandit crashed forward with a bullet in his brain. For Shad-well's cunning had not been equal to thatofhis opponent. Prepared to cheat, he had reasoned that Snap would strike the match with his right hand, so he aimed to the leftofthe flame. But Lunt had guarded against treachery by snapping the match alight with his left thumbnail well away from his body, the gun in his right ready to shoot. Shadwell had been outplayed and he had paid the penalty. The little gunman lighted the candle and looked contemptuously at the man he had slain.
'Crooked to the end, like I knowed he'd be,' he commented. 'Well, it's been comin' to yu a long time, Shady.'
Having made sure that the man was dead, Snap went in searchofhis companions. He found Severn and the ownerofthe XT at the entrance to the Cavern interrogating the man who had been stunned. He was a surly-looking ruffian and sullenly refused to give any information.
Severn turned away. 'If he won't talk, string him up, Ridge,' he said shortly. 'We got no time to waste on fools.'
The possibilityofanything but death had apparently not occurred to nhe captive, but at the foreman's words he looked up. 'What was yu askin'?' he growled.
'Where is Miss Masters?' Severn said. 'An' come clean, or yu'll die so quick hell won't be ready for yu.'
'There was a gal here but they took her on to the other cache,' the fellow replied.
'Where's that?' snapped the foreman.
'I dunno--never bin there,' the prisoner returned. 'I ain't throwed in with this crush long an' wish I'd never seen 'em.'
'Who was the boss o' this outfit?' was the next question.
'Can't say. We took orders from a square-set chap by name o' Shadwell,' the man answered. 'Noneofus knew the others well 'cause mostly we had our mugs draped.'
Somehow Severn believed that the outlaw was telling the truth. 'Yu can take a hoss an' some grub an' beat it outa the country,' he told him. 'An' if yu got any regard for yore health, don't dawdle.' The man slouched away and Severn turned to Ridge just as Lunt came up. 'Someof'em musta got clear---there's a passage out to a ledge higher up the rock face. I'm thinkin' that hombre gave us the straight goods--the girl ain't here.'
'Pity we missed that fella Shadwell,' Ridge regretted. 'We didn't,' Snap said grimly, and passed on.
Ridge's glance followed him. 'Don't waste no words, does he?' was his remark.
Severn smiled. 'Point is, what we goin' to do now?'
'Leave a couple o' chaps to search out this other cache an' hike home,' Ridge replied. 'Nothin' else to do-- yet.'
Severn agreed. One cowboy from each outfit remained behind with instructions to comb the country and send word immediately they hit upon the second hide-out. The rest returned to their respective ranches.
Chapter XVI
THE daylight raid on the Lazy M ranch and the carrying offofits young mistress, coming so soon after the impudent despoilingofthe bank, aroused a wave of indignation in Hope, the universal opinion being that it was quite time the bandits were vigorously dealt with. But when the news came that this had been attempted, someofthe inhabitants found offence in that. This singular pointofview originated with the sheriff and was carefully fostered by him. He affected to regard the joint actionofthe two ranches as a direct slight, not only to himself and his office, but to the whole settlement.
Thus vindicated his face wore a smug, satisfied expression when he called at the Bar B the following morning. The big man's welcome was not flattering; he had a wholesome contempt for men who allowed him to use them, and did not always trouble to hide it.
'Yo're lookin' pretty pleased with yoreself this mornin',' he sneered. 'What's the glad tidin's?'
'I put a crimp in Mister Severn,' the sheriff gloated. 'If he's expectin' a pat on the back for tacklin' them outlaws he's due for a disappointment, yu betcha.'
'Fine,' gibed the other. 'That'll scare him most to death, o' course. What do yu reckon he'll do--leave the country?'
The complacency vanished from Tyler's face as though wiped away with a sponge. He wriggled uncomfortably in his seat and did not reply. Having thus reduced him to the stateofmind he required, Bartholomew delivered the next blow.
'Yo're a middlin' pore sheriff, ain't yu?' he began. 'How long d'yu reckon yu'd keep yore job if I wasn't back o' yu?'
The visitor's puffy, crimson face took on a purplish tint at this home question.
'I know yu bin a good friend, Bart,' he quavered. 'I never forget it.'
'Yu better not,' Bart told him grimly. 'I'm about the on'y one yu got. When yu goin' to arrest Severn?'
'Arrest him?' goggled Tyler. 'Whaffor?'
'Pickin' flowers outa yore front garden, o' course,' the big man said with savage irony. 'For the murder o' Philip Masters, to begin with.'
'But I ain't got a shred o' evidence,' the officer protested.
'No, bein' sheriff, yu wouldn't have--others has to do yore job for yu,' Bart retorted. 'But yu needn't to worry about that; I've got a-plenty.'
'Yu can prove he bumped off Masters?' gasped the astounded sheriff.
Bart nodded triumphantly. 'He's as good as hanged,' he said. 'Climb yore cayuse an' I'll show yu.'
Half an hour later they rode into The Sink and turned up the little gully where Bartholomew had happened upon the clothesofthe missing rancher. When they reached the bush which concealed the hiding-place, the Bar B man pointed to it, and said :
'Take a peep for yoreself.'
