“We could keep our eye on Sun Dog Mesa,”offered Stretch, “but not from here.” As Larry wheeled his mount,he asked, “Where to now?”
“Back along the creek,” muttered Larry,“and through the timber to the flats beyond.”
“We better be sure we don’t run into nopatrols,” said Stretch.
“Wrong,” grunted Larry. “This time, wellbe lookin’ for a patrol.”
“How’d you like,”Stretch plaintivelyenquired, “to make up your doggone mind? I thought we wanted toride clear of them patrols.”
“With those army outfits buried, we shouldfret?” challenged Larry. “I didn’t relish gettin’ jumped by anyNinth Cavalry jaspers, not with Boyle’s duds hitched to my saddle.But it’s different now.”
They again rode through the timber and, asthey crossed the flats in the gathering twilight, spotted a columnof riders moving south. Simultaneously, the leader of that groupturned in his saddle and sighted them. The column halted.
“If it’s Boyle,” fretted Stretch, “allwe’ll get is back-talk.”
“It isn’t Boyle,” Larry was grateful toobserve. “Look—he’s wavin’ to us.”
“Kerwin, huh?” frowned Stretch.
“Kerwin for sure,” nodded Larry. “I’d aslief parley with him than any other blue-britches.”
“Well,” shrugged Stretch, “at least he’sfriendly.”
Eight
The Challenge
After the exchange of greetings, Kerwinshoved his hat back off his brows, folded his hands over hissaddlehorn and showed the drifters a bland grin.
“You’ve disappointed the Colonel,” heconfided.
“How come?” demanded Larry.
“He had plans for you,” said Kerwin. “Thestockade. Hard rations. Leg-irons. Everything except a firingsquad. Of course, he was counting on my catching youred-handed—with the stolen equipment in yourpossession.”
“Well,” said Larry, “we sure hate todisappoint old Vinegar-Face.”
“Speakin’ for myself,” growled Stretch, “Igot no sympathy for a hombre that don’t have no faith in his fellowmen—like the Colonel, f’rinstance. The way he always suspicions usTexans—it’s plumb uncharitable.” With great self-righteousness, heappealed to the captain. “I ask you fair and square—do we look likethe kind of hombres that’d steal a couple soldier suits? Well, dowe?”
“I refuse to answer that question,Emerson.” grinned Kerwin. “Rumor has it that life becomes hecticfor any official incurring the wrath of the Lone Star Hellions.Let’s just say I prefer to remain neutral—in a friendlyway.”
“Your patrols makin’ any progress, Captain?”asked Larry.
“We’re following orders,” frowned Kerwin.“Keeping the entire area under surveillance—or at least trying to.It’s a big country, Valentine. I wish I could take an oath thatnone of those repeaters have reached Gayatero. I’d feel a loteasier.”
“But, like you say, it’s a big country,”nodded Larry, “and you’re feared the shipment might get sneakedpast your patrols.”
“I’m afraid it could be done,” said Kerwin.“Naturally, the Ninth will do its damnedest to prevent it.”
“We sure wish you luck,” offeredStretch.
“How about yourselves?” prodded Kerwin.“Just what are you doing in this territory?”
“Snoopin’.” Larry said it withouthesitation. “Scoutin’. Checkin’ around.”
“For what?” demanded Kerwin.
“Couldn’t you guess” challenged Larry.“Look, Captain, this ruckus is apt to touch a whole lot of people.Ordinary townfolks, as well as the army. When me and my pardnerheard about those hijacked repeaters, I got curious.”
Kerwin digested that slowly, thencommented,
“I suppose any law-abiding citizen isentitled to conduct an investigation—independently.” He eyed Larryintently. “Is that what you’re doing?”
“Kind of,” shrugged Larry. “And I don’treckon Stone’d appreciate it. He’d likely claim we were tryin’ tosteal his thunder.”
“He’d say,” opined Stretch, “it’s none ofour business.”
“It’ll be everybody’s business-like it ornot,” sighed Kerwin, “if Gayatero starts another war.”
“Meantime,” suggested Larry, “what Stonedon’t know won’t hurt him.”
“I believe I understand you, Valentine.” Thecaptain grinned wryly. “And what of your investigation? Anyresults?”
“Not yet,” said Larry. “We’re stillsnoopin’.” He jerked a thumb toward the mountains. “How about thehigh country? Did your search parties travel clear up to thepeaks?”
“All the way,” Kerwin assured him. “And, ofcourse, the Lucky Dutchman was included in that operation. One ofour patrols was assigned to that section as soon as the ambush wasreported.”
“Lucky Dutchman?” prodded Larry.
“That’s a gold mine,” said Kerwin. “Not apaying proposition, from what I hear. But a half-dozen optimistsare working it. The Sunday outfit.”
“Sunday?” Larry darted a quick glance atStretch.
“That’s a name we’ve heard before,” frownedStretch.
“I guess he’d be the same hardcase wetangled with yesterday.”
“As I recall it,” said Kerwin, “SergeantGrisson was in charge of that particular detail.”
“And he checked Sunday’s camp real careful,huh, Captain,” mused Larry.
“Naturally,” nodded Kerwin. “The tunnels.The cabin. The whole operation. Routine procedure, Valentine.Results negative.” He checked his watch. “It’s time for me to takethis patrol back to headquarters.”
“We’ll be seein’ you,” grunted Larry.
The Texans refrained from further commentuntil Kerwin was out of earshot. Slumped in their saddles, withtheir right legs hooked about their pommels, they watched thepatrol resuming its journey southward. Stretch, though his talentfor intrigue was somewhat less than his partner’s, was adding twoand two, and coming up with a dark suspicion.
“We figured Sunday for a real hard case,didn’t we? And we didn’t take kindly to that tinhorn—and now welearn Sunday bosses a claim up in the mountains—and ...”
“And it’s likely,” opined Larry, “thatCollier was up there visitin’ with Sunday, just before I spottedhim.” He nodded pensively. “Sunday and Collier are tied in,maybe.”
“Quite a combination,” scowledStretch. “I wouldn’t trust neither of ’em no further’n I could kicka buffalo—with my feet tied.”
“The Lucky Dutchman,” reflected Larry, “wassearched by a patrol.”
“Which didn’t find no stolen repeaters,”Stretch reminded him. “Well—what now?”
Larry made his decision quickly.
“What I need,” he declared, “is astake-out. Someplace between the foothills and the reservation. Andsomeplace high. You know what I mean? High enough for me to see asizeable chunk of this territory through the fieldglasses.”
“It’s gettin’ dark,” said Stretch. “We’dbetter find it fast. What’s more, I’m hungry.”
“We’ll eat,” Larry promised. “But it has tobe cold chow, on account of we ain’t lightin’ no give-awayfire.”
The shadows of dusk were lengthening intoevening, when Larry next called a halt. He had found what appearedto be an ideal location. The clearing was deep in the heart of amesquite clump, and the mesquite was less than thirty yards from alone pine, a tree of uncommon height. To the south was a dried-outarroyo of which they were unaware, thanks to the
