crunch of the iron tyres as the coach resumed its journey. The fusillade ceased, to be followed by the sound of bodies moving in the brush; they were being searched for. A couple of miles of fast riding and, the noise of pursuit having died away, they pulled up to breathe their mounts. Scar was the first to speak.
'Someone musta spilt the beans; that was the sheriff leadin'.'
'Talk sense,' Squint said irritably. 'None o' us heard o' the job till this mornin'. Point is, what's to do?'
'Yu three will go back an' report,' Sudden said. 'I wanta find out what's happenin' to that gold--mebbe we'll get another chance. I'm goin' to Red Rock.'
'The hell you are,' Scar said. 'Any one of us could tackle that.'
'Any one o' yu would be clapped in the calaboose as soon as the sheriff put eyes on yu,' came the stinging retort. 'I'm not knowed.'
This being the literal truth, was unanswerable. Sullenly the three watched him ride away, and then set out on a task besides which the risky one of robbing the coach was pure enjoyment; they had to own to another failure.
Free from observation, Sudden's disappointed expression vanished in a satisfied grin. He had scored again, and though compelled to deny himself the pleasure of breaking the bad news to the bandit, he had a hunch that his visit to Red Rock would be worth while. But caution was imperative, and therefore he compassed a half-circle in order to enter the town from the west.
He found it agog with excitement. The coach had departed, but armed men were stationed near the bank, and the saloons were full. Sudden entered the largest of these, purchased liquor, and sat down at a table. Presently, as he had expected, a burly, red-haired man--after a word with the bartender--came to join him, glass in hand.
'Stranger here, I think?' he remarked genially.
'Yu don't have to think again--sheriff,' the puncher returned. 'The town seems sorta agitated.'
'Road-agents tried to hold up the coach,' the other informed, and gave details, watching keenly.
'Which is why yo're investigatin' me, huh?' Sudden smiled. 'D'yu figure any of 'em would be nervy enough to make for here?'
'Might be a good bluff--'cept for the fella downed, we didn't git a glimmer of 'em.'
'Well, yo're wastin' time on me. I'm from the north, aimin' to visit a man name o' Merry. Know him?'
'Shore I do--tall, an' that scanty he don't hardly throw a shadder. Runs the Twin Diamond ranch.'
'That's the joker,' Sudden agreed, and smiled when he saw the other's eyes harden. 'He must 'a' altered some, for when I last met up with him he was short an' his shadder made yu think the sun had gone in. Has he rebuilt that hen-roost he calls a house yet?'
The sheriff laughed. 'I lose,' he said. 'The drinks is on me. Any friend o' Mart's is welcome here.' He replenished the glasses, and went on, 'I was admirin' that black o' yores, but the brand beat me.'
'The JG stands for James Green, meanin' me,' Sudden said carelessly. 'He's a wild stallion, an' I broke an' put the the iron on him my own self.'
'I'm Sim Dealtry, sheriff o' this burg some ten years now, an' it ain't no cake-walk.'
'Pleased to know yu,' the puncher replied, and then, 'There used to be another range alongside the Twin Diamond, owned by a starchy of Southerner called Keith. He had a son--nice-appearin' lad, but a trifle mettlesome. Is he still about?'
'Ain't seen him for quite a considerable spell,' the sheriff said. 'He was a pretty constant visitor to Red Rock, an' bein', like you say, mettlesome, got in with the wrong party. Gamblin', drinkin', an' then a shootin', though that didn't amount to much for the fella was as crooked as a cow's hind leg an' pulled first, but when it comes to plain murder ...' His lips closed down on the word and his eyes were flinty. 'My own son, Dan, shot from behind in the dark,' he went on throatily. 'An' that same night, Jeff Keith, who had quarrelled with the boy, disappeared. The town pinned the crime on him right away.'
'An' yu?' the puncher asked.
Dealtry shook his head. 'I ain't shore,' he admitted. 'I know somethin' the rest don't: Keith allus carried a forty-four, the same cartridges fittin' his rifle, an' the slug taken from my boy's body was--different. O' course, he mighta used another gun.'
'Anyone else missin' 'bout that time?' Sudden asked. 'Yeah, chap named Lafe Lander that Keith was pretty partial to, but he showed up again two-three days later. Didn't stay though--said he was goin' back East, where he belonged.'
'Had he any grudge against yore son?'
'They didn't mix; it was over him that Dan an' Keith fell out. I guess my boy spoke his mind too plain.'
'Tough luck, sheriff.'
'Shore was--an' is. I'd feel easier if the sneakin' houn' hadn't got away with it.'
'What's come o' young Keith?'
'I wlsh you could tell me,' Dealtry said. 'His dad disowned him--complete. Some claim he's the masked leader of a band of outlaws pesterin' the country since soon after he was lost sight of. What d'you make o' that?'
Sudden examined the familiar red badge with well-simulated curiosity.
'Yu can search me,' he replied, inwardly amused at the thought that if the sheriff took him at his word, he would find a second. 'Where'd yu get her?'
'The dead hold-up was wearin' it, an' if rumour is right, it means he was one o' Keith's gang. Well, I gotta get along to the bank; them hombres may try again; I hope they do. See you later, p'r'aps.'
'I'm turnin' in,' Sudden told him. 'Makin' an early start.'
''Member me to Mart.'
'Shore will, but he'll be surprised yu'd forgotten what he looked like.'
The sly reminder of his little trap brought a grin to the sheriff's face. 'You ain't obliged to tell him that,' he pointed out. 'An' say, if ever you want to cash in on that hoss, let me know.'
'When he's for sale I'll be wearin' wings--mebbe,' Sudden smiled.
Dealtry nodded comprehendingly; he had felt that way about a horse himself.
Chapter XIX
The sun was no more than peeping above the purple hills on the horizon when Sudden rode out of Red Rock. The town was not yet stirring, but in front of a squat 'dobe building which he knew to be the bank, an armed man was steadily pacing to and fro; clearly the sheriff was overlooking no bets. He smiled grimly.
'We've taken the pot again, Nig, but the luck's too good to last,' he murmured. 'There's bound to come a time when I'll wanta throw in an' dasn't, an' then--mebbe yu'll have a new master.'
The animal whinnled, threw up its head, and dropped into a long lope which, save in difficult stretches, would eat up the miles. So it came about that, while the day was still young, Sudden rode again into Hell City, turned his horse into the corral, and went into the saloon. His three men were there.
'Reported? Not damn likely; that's yore affair,' Scar snorted, ln reply to a question.
Sudden smiled; they were not going to help him. 'I'm obliged,' he said. 'I'd sooner tell the story my own way.'
He read the instant look of apprehension; evidently it had not occurred to Roden that the whole blame for the nonsuccess of the expedition might be put upon himself and his companions.
'Guess I'd better come along,' he suggested.
'All the same to me,' Sudden said indifferently.
He went out. Scar followed, sullenly enough, for he now saw that in trying to be clever he had been merely stupid; he should have made his own tale good.
'There ain't no call to tell him we come back ahead o' you,' he suggested.
'Are yu expectin' he won't know?'
Scar was not, he had only hopes, and these died the moment his chief set eyes on him.
'You arrived eight hours ago, Roden,' he said. 'Why haven't I seen you?'
The man had an inspiration; he jerked a thumb at his companion. 'Best ask him; he's the doc, an' a pretty mess he's made of it.'
Satan looked savagely from one to the other. 'Where's the gold?' he snapped.
