“Upshaw,” corrected Lansing.
“Upshaw,” nodded Telliger. “Location ofthe county seat—a half day’s ride to the south of the Sierra SantaRosa. And due west is Sun Dog Mesa, the Apache reservation. As Irecall it, leadership of the Sun Dog Apaches was assumed by oldGayatero, after he last treaty was signed. Or has that sly oldbuzzard departed for the happy hunting grounds?”
“Gayatero,” said Lansing, “is still verymuch alive, and as tricky as ever. Trust him? We’d be delighted totrust him, but how can we? Do you trust a cougar—after locking himin a cage made of wood?”
“Neatly put, sir,” smiled Telliger.
“The Bosworth County population demandedarmy protection,” Lansing continued, “and it’s easy to understandwhy. They fear Gayatero’s braves will break the treaty and comea’raiding at the drop of a hat. The county seat could be wiped out.I say could be—but for the Ninth Cavalry.”
“So Bosworth,” prodded Telliger, “is undermartial law?”
“Not officially,” said Lansing. “But theNinth is camped at the town’s northern outskirts, and the areaseast of the mesa are being patrolled constantly. The civilians feelsafe for the time being.” His brow darkened and his eyesflashed.
“But they wouldn’t feel so almighty smug,if they realized the full significance, the potential danger behindlast week’s incident.”
“You have,” Telliger solemnly assured him,“my undivided attention.”
“Rifles, Max,” breathed Lansing. “The verylatest models. Repeaters—capable of rapid fire. The Ninth was to bere-equipped, you see. A shipment was on its way to Bosworth,consigned to the garrison commandant. I believe you’ve heard ofhim?”
“The officer commanding the Ninth Cavalry...” Telliger pursed his lips and thought a moment, “is ColonelMortimer Stone.”
“That shipment was dispatched from FortGale,” said Lansing. “Enough of those new forty-four-forties togive the Ninth a tremendous advantage, should they ever have to gointo action against the Apaches. The entire consignment was loadedinto freight-wagons and proceeded to Bosworth under armyescort.”
“Civilian freighters,” prodded Telliger.
“It seemed the best idea at the time,”nodded Lansing. “Headquarters was reluctant to use armyvehicles.”
“Advertising,” mused Telliger.
“Yes.” Lansing shrugged helplessly. “Theyhad the idea that an army wagon train would appear conspicuousand—uh—arouse too much interest. The entire operation, needless tosay, was supposed to be a tight secret.”
“And what happened to the consignment?”demanded Telliger.
“The rifles have disappeared,” mutteredLansing. “In some remote corner of Bosworth County, the wholeshipment was hijacked. Lieutenant Grierson was killed, along withthe five troopers under his command. The wagon-drivers too. Theirnames were Lowell and Taft. They were partners, running a freightservice operating out of Bosworth.”
“An Indian attack?” suggested Telliger.
“That was the obvious assumption, at thestart,” said Lansing. “However, the Camp Stone M.O.—a MajorVaughan—performed postmortems and established that all eight menhad been killed by regular rifle bullets of—uh—varying caliber. Theonly Indians in that region are the Apaches of the Sun Dog Mesareservation. They’re allowed to own firearms for hunting, but nomodern weapons, Max. Old stuff.”
“Sure,” grunted Telliger. “Old modelcarbines—for which they have to make their own loads. No cartridgeweapons.”
“There was a full investigation, of course,”Lansing went on. “Unfortunately, Major Vaughan’s findings revealedthe drivers and escort had been dead several hours. The hijackershad time to obliterate their back-trail while carrying the shipmentaway.”
“You fear these rifles will be transferredto Gayatero—is that it?” challenged Telliger.
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Lansingpointed out, “that renegade whites have armed a whole tribe ofhostiles. And, treaty or no treaty, Gayatero must still be regardedas a hostile. Yes, that’s what we’re afraid of.”
“Any chance he already has the rifles?”frowned Telliger.
“It’s possible,” said Lansing, “but Idon’t think so. As soon as the news reached him, Colonel Stonealerted all his men. Every approach to the mesa is being patrolled.I don’t see how the shipment could be transferred unbeknownst tothe army. On the other hand, it’s a big country, and thesehijackers have proved themselves to be a highly organizedgroup.”
“No tracks to be followed,” reflectedTelliger. “A bloodthirsty old white-hater like Gayatero would givehis last squaw to get his hands on those new repeaters. And,somewhere in Bosworth County, the hijackers are planning ways andmeans of getting the shipment past Stone’s patrols. That does seeman obvious assumption.”
“Who else would the rifles be intended for?”shrugged Lansing. “What does one do with a shipment of stolenweapons? Negotiate with the nearest general store? Hardly. Sellthem one by one to drifting cowhands? Hardly.”
“Hardly,” agreed Telliger.
“So there you have it,” said Lansing. “Theentire county has been combed by civilian posses organized bySheriff Upshaw, in cooperation with Stone’s own scouting parties.Six days of intense effort, and never a clue to the identity of thehijackers—or the location of the stolen shipment. An uglysituation, Max.”
“Jethro,” Telliger abruptly abandoned theformalities, “you’re in a fix.”
“You always did have a talent,” sighedLansing, “for understatement. The whole damn problem has beendropped into my lap—which shouldn’t surprise you.”
“Yes—yes—naturally,” noddedTelliger. “Theft of army equipment, on such a large scale. Intelligencecouldn’t be kept out of it. Our pigeon, Jethro.”
“It might have been kinder,” Lansing chidedhimself, “if I’d told you nothing about the case.”
“I’m glad you did, Jethro,” mutteredTelliger.
“You’ll resent every minute of yourconvalescence,” Lansing predicted, “and probably give Catherinemerry hell—because it promises to be a longconvalescence.”
“Too long,” growled Telliger. “By the timeI’m fit to sit a saddle, it’ll all be over. Gayatero will have therifles. Gayatero—or the Ninth Cavalry—depending on who actsfastest, Jethro ...” He raised himself higher on his pillows,squinted thoughtfully at the tip of his cigar, “would you beprepared to take a chance, in a case of such magnitude? I mean, theimplications are worse than frightening. Armed with those newrepeaters, Gayatero’s braves would be the greatest threat the armyhas had to face since the days of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. Thepotential danger is almost too harrowing to contemplate and,against all that, my suggestion may seem—well—downrightridiculous.”
“I’m desperate,” frowned Lansing, “andwilling to listen to anything.”
Telliger paused to rehearse his speechwith care. Then, “Don’t explode,” he begged, “until you’ve heard meout.”
“Proceed,” begged Lansing.
“Would you agree,” challenged Telliger,“to enlisting the aid of a couple of civilians, persuading them toinvestigate the theft of those repeaters in an entirely unofficialcapacity ...” He raised a placating hand, as Lansing opened hismouth for an automatic protest, “if you were assured that thosecivilians were men of uncommon ability, with a fantasticrecord—success after success ...?”
“Who in blue blazes,”
