'you ain't believin' it?'
'No, I suspect a trap--to get me outa town.''What for?'
'I wish yu could tell me. Dave is sore, he reckons I'm playin' it low down on yu.'
'Rubbish ! ' the rancher said. 'You ain't paid to safeguard the Bar O; that's up to us an' I guess we can do it, but any suggestion will be welcome.'
'Have four or five men, spaced out, watching yore western line to give warnin'--they'll come in from that side. The rest o' yu can wait here. Keep a man with a fast hoss ready to head for Welcome. I expect yu can stand 'em off till we make it. Got plenty gun-fodder?'
'you bet, an' the ranch-house is loop-holed,' Owen replied. 'That's a good plan, Jim; I'll fix it so. I'm obliged.'
'Shucks ! If yu do get a visit, I'll feel pretty mean. By the way, I wouldn't pick Pinto as a sentry.'
'Still suspectin' him?'
'I got nothin' to go on, but there it is.'
'Seen any more o' Sark?' Owen asked.
'He was in yestiddy, an' didn't add any to his popularity.' The rancher listened with an expression of growing disgust to the eating-house incident. 'Good for Dave,' he commented. 'But he'll have to watch out; Jesse ain't particular how he pays debts.'
'He'd better settle mine first,' Sudden said, with a wintry smile, and, inconsequently, 'Was Amos raisin' cattle around here before yu?'
'Some years earlier, but there was plenty range, an' we never had any differences.'
'Yu chose a nice convenient brand--for him, didn't yu?'
'How so?'
'Lengthen yore bar, put an O at the near end, an' yu have a passable Dumb-bell.'
'That's so,' Owen admitted. 'Now I'll tell you some-thin'. Amos Sark's brand was Circle S, but when Jesse took over he made the change. I didn't give it a thought, we've never suffered from brand-blottin' in these parts.'
'Mebbe, but you're losin' cattle, an' it's worth bearin' in mind.'
'I'll warn the boys to keep their eyes open.'
'Some of 'em,' Sudden advised. 'There ain't allus safety in numbers.'
'I'll respect yore prejudices, marshal,' the rancher replied. 'I allow Pinto ain't a young gal's dream o' manly beauty, but hard looks don't mean much.'
'Yu didn't see the one he gave me,' Sudden smiled.
Satisfied that he had done all he could, he set out for home. With but a mile to go, he noticed horse-tracks branching away to the left of the trail he was travelling. Few in number, they showed that a rider had come and gone several times. Was this the way Dutch slipped into the settlement? He had no means of knowing, but decided to find out where they led to.
This was simple enough in the open, for the unknown had made no attempt to conceal his passage, but presently the tracker found himself amongst dense brush, and the task became harder. But Sudden could read signs like an Indian; a faint indentation, a dislodged stone, or a bruised leaf were plain as print to his keen eye. The sun told that he was travelling south-west and must, in time, arrive near the spot where they had encountered the rustlers. So he was not surprised when, after an hour of painstaking labour, he emerged from a shallow ravine to hear the roar of tumbling water. Two hundred yards distant was a double line of willows, and in front an arid stretch of gravel on which the tracks were utterly lost. He waded the creek and searched the far bank, but without success. Then he rode south along The Step, noting how the wall of rock dwindled in height until it was possible to cross.
'If they come, it'll likely be this way,' he mused. 'Well, Nig, what we want now is a shorter trail to Welcome.' The afternoon was well advanced when he returned; he had found his trail and memorized every salient feature.
Tired and hungry, he found his deputy in a fractious mood. 'What's John Owen thinkin' of us?' he inquired.
'He said I was doin' the right thing.'
'Seems to 'a' taken yu a long time to convince him.'
'Oh, we had to make arrangements, an' on the way back I had a look around.'
'See any doubtful characters?' Dave asked sarcastically.
'Not till I got here,' his friend grinned, and then, 'Let's go an' lift a few honest dollars from Nippert--he's got too many, but first, we'll saddle the hosses.'
'Whyfor?'
'To keep their backs warm, o' course,' Sudden laughed. 'Also, if anythin' breaks loose to-night we might need 'em in a hurry. Owen may send word.' At the Red Light, Sudden told the saloon-keeper what he had done and certain citizens were warned to be ready for instant action. When, after an evening of modest poker, the marshal and his deputy retired to their quarters, they did not undress.
Two hours after midnight found Welcome asleep. There was no moon, and the indifferent light of the stars showed the buildings only as deeper blobs in the general darkness. Then, into this silent stillness, entering from the eastern end of the town, came the shadows of mounted men, moving slowly, cautiously, one behind the other. Eight in number, they rode noiselessly along the street, the soft sand deadening the footfalls of their steeds. Each had a bandana, slitted for the eyes, covering his features. When they reached the bank, four of them got down and stepped swiftly to the side door. The others took charge of the horses, and sat waiting, rifles across their knees. The leader rapped softly. After a pause, a voice from inside asked :
'Who is it?'
'Open up, Bob,' the stranger replied gruffly. 'I'm from Nippert.' Apparently the answer was satisfactory; bolts were withdrawn and through the slightly-opened door came the light of a flickering candle; behind it, the peering face of the banker. At the sight of the masked man, he made a desperate attempt to close the door again, but the other had flung his weight upon it, levelling his revolver at the same moment.
'One yap'll be yore last,' he warned. 'Stan' back, or ...' Morley knew that he was helpless; his nearest neighbours were thirty yards distant, and would be asleep. He obeyed, and watched the four bandits file in, closing the door behind them. Then the leader turned to him.
'Unlock yore safe,' he said. 'An' be spry about it.' This was too much. The banker was an old man, but an obstinate one, with a sense of duty to those who had trusted him; these scoundrels might rob him, but he was not going to make it easier.
'you'll get no help from me,' he replied, and when the ruffian gripped him by the throat, forced him to his knees, and swung his pistol aloft, added, 'Shoot, damn you, and rouse the place.' The threatened shot did not come. Instead, the barrel of the weapon dropped, with savage, merciless venom on the bent grey head, toppling the victim to the floor with a gashed, bleeding skull. The striker snatched up the still-lighted candle and surveyed the senseless man with malignant satisfaction.
'Guess we can help ourselves,' he snarled. 'That pays a score anyway. Last time we did business together it was yore turn; now it's mine. I'll trouble you for yore keys, friend.' On his knees beside the stricken man, he was searching the pockets when a gasp of horror made him glance up; the banker's wife, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, was staring at the scene.
'Gag her--quick,' he ordered.
One of them clapped a hand over her lips, choking the cry in her throat, while another whipped the shawl from her shoulders, muffled her head with it, and then bound her wrists and ankles.
'Lucky I fetched along these piggin strings,' he chuckled, as he completed the brutal task. 'She won't bother us.' Jake stood up. 'Here's the keys,' he said. 'C'mon, we gotta work fast.' They followed him into the business part of the premises and soon the safe was at their mercy. A leathern satchel lay near it.
'That's just what we want,' Jake grinned. 'Thoughtful o' Bob to provide it.' With coarse jests they packed bags of coin and packets of currency into the receptacle, and having cleared the safe of all that was of any use to them, were about to rummage the drawers and desks when two rapid pistol-shots rang out.
'What th' hell's that mean?' Jake asked.
'A signal from the boys,' Javert suggested.
