Sawtooth Ranch Read online

  CHAPTER XXIII

  "I COULDA LOVED THIS LITTLE GIRL"

  A chill wind that hurried over Bear Top ahead of the dawn brought Swanand Jack clattering up the trail that dipped into Spirit Canyon.Warfield rose stiffly from the one-sided warmth of the fire and walkeda few paces to meet him, shrugging his wide shoulders at the cold andrubbing his thigh muscles that protested against movement. Much ridingupon upholstered cushions had not helped Senator Warfield to retain thetough muscles of hard-riding Bill Warfield. The Senator wassaddle-sore as well as hungry, and his temper showed in his blood-shoteyes. He would have quarrelled with his best-loved woman that morning,and he began on Swan.

  Why hadn't he come back down the gulch yesterday and helped track thegirl, as he was told to do? (The senator had quite unpleasant opinionsof Swedes, and crazy women, and dogs that were never around when theywere wanted, and he expressed them fluently.)

  Swan explained with a great deal of labour that he had not thought hewas wanted, and that he had to sleep on his claim sometimes or the lawwould take it from him, maybe. Also he virtuously pointed out that hehad come with Yack before daylight to the canyon to see if they hadfound Miss Hunter and gone home, or if they were still hunting for her.

  "If you like to find that jong lady, I put Yack on the trail quick," heoffered placatingly. "I bet you Yack finds her in one-half an hour."

  With much unnecessary language, Senator Warfield told him to get towork, and the three tightened cinches, mounted their horses andprepared to follow Swan's lead. Swan watched his chance and gave Lonea chunk of bannock as a substitute for breakfast, and Lone, I may add,dropped behind his companions and ate every crumb of it, in spite ofhis worry over Lorraine.

  Indeed, Swan eased that worry too, when they were climbing the pineslope where Al had killed the grouse. Lone had forged ahead on JohnDoe, and Swan stopped suddenly, pointing to the spot where a few bloodyfeathers and a boot-print showed. The other evidence Jack had eaten inthe night.

  "Raine's all right, Lone. Got men coming. Keep your gun handy," hemurmured and turned away as the others rode up, eager for whatever newsSwan had to offer.

  "Something killed a bird," Swan explained politely, planting one of hisown big feet over the track, which did not in the least resembleLorraine's. "Yack! you find that jong lady quick!"

  From there on Swan walked carefully, putting his foot wherever a printof Al's boot was visible. Since he was much bigger than Al, with acorrespondingly longer stride, his gait puzzled Lone until he saw justwhat Swan was doing. Then his eyes lightened with amused appreciationof the Swede's cunning.

  "We ought to have some hot drink, or whisky when we find that girl,"Hawkins muttered unexpectedly, riding up beside Lone as they crossed anopen space. "She'll be half-dead with cold--if we find her alive."

  Before Lone could answer, Swan looked back at the two and raised hishand for them to stop.

  "Better if you leave the horses here," he suggested. "From Yack I knowwe get close pretty quick. That jong lady's horse maybe smells thesehorse and makes a noise, and crazy folks run from noise."

  Without objection the three dismounted and tied their horses securelyto trees. Then, with Swan and Jack leading the way, they climbed overthe ridge and descended into the hollow by way of the ledge whichSkinner had negotiated so carefully the night before. Without the dogthey never would have guessed that any one had passed this way, but asit was they made good progress and reached the nearest edge of thespruce thicket just as the sun was making ready to push up over theskyline.

  Jack stopped and looked up at his master inquiringly, lifting his lipat the sides and showing his teeth. But he made no sound; nor didSwan, when he dropped his fingers to the dog's head and patted himapprovingly.

  They heard a horse sneeze, beyond the spruce grove, and Warfieldstepped forward authoritatively, waving Swan back. This, his mannersaid plainly, was first and foremost his affair, and from now on hewould take charge of the situation. At his heels went Hawkins, andSwan sent an oblique glance of satisfaction toward Lone, who answeredit with his half-smile. Swan himself could not have planned theapproach more to his liking.

  The smell of bacon cooking watered their mouths and made Warfield andHawkins look at one another inquiringly. Crazy young women wouldhardly be expected to carry a camping outfit. But Swan and Lone weretreading close on their heels, and their own curiosity pulled themforward. They went carefully around the thicket, guided by the pungentodour of burning pine wood, and halted so abruptly that Swan and Lonebumped into them from behind. A man had risen up from the campfire andfaced them, his hands rising slowly, palms outward.

  "Warfield, by----!" Al blurted in his outraged astonishment. "Trailingme with a bunch, are yuh? I knew you'd double-cross your ownfather--but I never thought you had it in you to do it in the open.Damn yuh, what d'yuh want that you expect to get?"

  Warfield stared at him, slack-jawed. He glanced furtively behind himat Swan, and found that guileless youth ready to poke him in the backwith the muzzle of a gun. Lone, he observed, had another. He lookedback at Al, whose eyes were ablaze with resentment. With an effort hesmiled his disarming, senatorial smile, but Al's next words froze it onhis face.

  "I think I know the play you're making, but it won't get you anything,Bill Warfield. You think I slipped up--and you told me not to let myfoot slip; said you'd hate to lose me. Well, you're the one thatslipped, you damned, rotten coward. I was watching out for leaks. Istopped two, and this one----"

  He glanced down at Lorraine, who sat beside the fire, a blanket tiedtightly around her waist and her ankles, so that, while comfortablyfree, she could make no move to escape.

  "I was fixing to stop _her_ from telling all she knew," he addedharshly. "By to-night I'd have had her married to me, you damned fool.And here you've blocked everything for me, afraid I was falling down onmy job!

  "Now folks, lemme just tell you a few little things. I know mylimit--you've got me dead to rights. I ain't complaining about that; aman in my game expects to get his, some day. But I ain't going to letthe man go that paid me my wages and a bonus of five hundred dollarsfor every man I killed that he wanted outa the way.

  "Hawkins knows that's a fact. He's foreman of the Sawtooth, and heknows the agreement. I've got to say for Hawkins that aside fromstealing cattle off the nesters and helping make evidence against somethat's in jail, Hawkins never done any dirty work. He didn't have to.They paid _me_ for that end of the business.

  "I killed Fred Thurman--this girl, here, saw me shoot him. And it waswhen I told Warfield I was afraid she might set folks talking that hebegan to get cold feet. Up to then everything was lovely, but Warfieldbegan to crawfish a little. We figured--_we_ figured, emphasise the_we_, folks,--that the Quirt would have to be put outa business. Weknew if the girl told Brit and Frank, they'd maybe get the nerve to tryand pin something on us. We've stole 'em blind for years, and theywouldn't cry if we got hung. Besides, they was friendly with Fred.

  "The girl and the Swede got in the way when I tried to bump Brit off.I'd have gone into the canyon and finished him with a rock, but theybeat me to it. The girl herself I couldn't get at very well and makeit look accidental--and anyway, I never did kill a woman, and I'd hateit like hell. I figured if her dad got killed, she'd leave.

  "And let me tell you, folks, Warfield raised hell with me because BritHunter wasn't killed when he pitched over the grade. He held out on mefor that job--so I'm collecting five hundred dollars' worth of funright now. He did say he'd pay me after Brit was dead, but it lookslike he's going to pull through, so I ain't counting much on getting mymoney outa Warfield.

  "Frank I got, and made a clean job of it. And yesterday morning thegirl played into my hands. She rode over to the Sawtooth, and I gother at Thurman's place, on her way home, and figured I'd marry her andtake a chance on keeping her quiet afterwards. I'd have been down thePass in another two hours and heading for the nearest county seat.She'd have married me, to
o. She knows I'd have killed her if shedidn't--which I would. I've been square with her--she'll tell youthat. I told her, when I took her, just what I was going to do withher. So that's all straight. She's been scared, I guess, but sheain't gone hungry, and she ain't suffered, except in her mind. I don'tfight women, and I'll say right now, to her and to you, that I've gotall the respect in the world for this little girl, and if I'd marriedher I'd have been as good to her as I know how, and as she'd let me be.

  "Now I want to tell you folks a few more things about Bill Warfield.If you want to stop the damnest steal in the country, tie a can ontothat irrigation scheme of his. He's out to hold up the State for allhe can get, and bleed the poor devils of farmers white, that buys landunder that canal. It may look good, but it ain't good--not by a damnsight.

  "Yuh know what he's figuring on doing? Get water in the canal, sellland under a contract that lets him out if the ditch breaks, orsomething so he _can't_ supply water at any time. And when them poorsuckers gets their crops all in, and at the point where they've got tohave water or lose out, something'll happen to the supply. Folks, I_know_! I'm a reliable man, and I've rode with a rope around my neckfor over five years, and Warfield offered me the same old five hundredevery time I monkeyed with the water supply as ordered. He'd have doneit slick; don't worry none about that. The biggest band of thieves hecould get together is that company. So if you folks have got anysense, you'll bust it up right now.

  "Bill Warfield, what I've got to say to you won't take long. Youthought you'd make a grand-stand play with the law, and at the sametime put me outa the way. You figured I'd resist arrest, and you'dhave a chance to shoot me down. I know your rotten mind better thanyou do. You wanted to bump me off, but you wanted to do it in a waythat'd put you in right with the public. Killing me for kidnappingthis girl would sound damn romantic in the newspapers, and it wouldn'thave a thing to do with Thurman or Frank Johnson, or any of the restthat I've sent over the trail for you.

  "Right now you're figuring how you'll get around this bawling-out I'mgiving you. There's nobody to take down what I say, and I'm just amean, ornery outlaw and killer, talking for spite. With your pull youexpect to get this smoothed over and hushed up, and have me at ahanging bee, and everything all right for Bill! Well----"

  His eyes left Warfield's face and went beyond the staring group. Hisface darkened, a sneer twisted his lips.

  "Who're them others?" he cried harshly. "Was you afraid four wouldn'tbe enough to take me?"

  The four turned heads to look. Bill Warfield never looked back, forAl's gun spoke, and Warfield sagged at the knees and the shoulders, andhe slumped to the ground at the instant when Al's gun spoke again.

  "That's for you, Lone Morgan," Al cried, as he fired again. "Shetalked about you in her sleep last night. She called you Loney, andshe wanted you to come and get her. I was going to kill you firstchance I got. I coulda loved this little girl. I--could----"

  He was down, bleeding and coughing and trying to talk. Swan had shothim, and two of the deputies who had been there through half of Al'sbitter talk. Lorraine, unable to get up and run, too sturdy of soul tofaint, had rolled over and away from him, her lips held tightlytogether, her eyes wide with horror. Al crawled after her, his eyespleading.

  "Little Spitfire--I shot your Loney--but I'd have been good to you,girl. I watched yuh all night--and I couldn't help loving yuh.I--couldn't----" That was all. Within three feet of her, his facetoward her and his eyes agonising to meet hers, he died.

  CHAPTER XXIV

  ANOTHER STORY BEGINS

  This chapter is very much like a preface: it is not absolutelynecessary, although many persons will read it and a few will be gladthat it was written.

  The story itself is ended. To go on would be to begin another story;to tell of the building up of the Quirt outfit, with Lone and Lone'ssavings playing a very important part, and with Brit a semi-invalided,retired stockman who smoked his pipe and told the young couple whatthey should do and how they should do it.

  Frank he mourned for and seldom mentioned. The Sawtooth, under themanagement of a greatly chastened young Bob Warfield, was slowlywinning its way back to the respect of its neighbours.

  For certain personal reasons there was no real neighbourliness betweenthe Quirt and the Sawtooth. There could not be, so long as Brit'smemory remained clear, and Bob was every day reminded of the crimes hisfather had paid a man to commit. Moreover, Southerners are jealous oftheir women,--it is their especial prerogative. And Lone suspectedthat, given the opportunity, Bob Warfield would have fallen in lovewith Lorraine. Indeed, he suspected that any man in the country wouldhave done that. Al Woodruff had, and he was noted for his indifferenceto women and his implacable hardness toward men.

  But you are not to accuse Lone of being a jealous husband. He was not,and I am merely pointing out the fact that he might have been, had hebeen given any cause.

  Oh, by the way, Swan "proved up" as soon as possible on his homesteadand sold out to the Quirt. Lone managed to buy the Thurman ranch also,and the TJ up-and-down is on its feet again as a cattle ranch. Sorryand Jim will ride for the Quirt, I suppose, as long as they can crawlinto a saddle, but there are younger men now to ride the Skyline Meadowrange.

  Some one asked about Yellowjacket, having, I suppose, a sneaking regardfor his infirmities. He hasn't been peeled yet--or he hadn't, the lastI heard of him. Lone and Lorraine told me they were trying to save himfor the "Little Feller" to practise on when he is able to sit upwithout a cushion behind his back, and to hold something besides arubber rattle. And--oh, do you know how Lone is teaching the LittleFeller to sit up on the floor? He took a horse collar and scrubbed ituntil he nearly wore out the leather. Then he brought it to the cabin,put it on the floor and set the Little Feller inside it.

  They sent me a snap-shot of the event, but it is not very good. Thefilm was under-exposed, and nothing was to be seen of the Little Fellerexcept a hazy spot which I judged was a hand, holding a black object Iguessed was the ridgy, rubber rattle with the whistle gone out of theend,--down the Little Feller's throat, they are afraid. And there washis smile, and a glimpse of his eyes.

  Aren't you envious as sin, and glad they're so happy?

  Thank you for reading books on Archive.BookFrom.Net
Share this book with friends