Part 10

As swiftly as possible, Tex sketched out what had happened, while McHague nodded dismally.

“That’s all true, I reckon,” he agreed. “Big Jim got the job for me at the penitentiary, and he made me hold up Tex’s mail. He said there was a movement on foot to get Tex pardoned, and he wanted me to fix it so that Tex would never come out. And like a ---- fool, I tried it. Old Hump Sherrill ruined the game.”

“I knew that Big Jim was a crook; but I didn’t know he was as bad as this. When I had that trouble with Tex the other day, I had a feelin’ that he--well, I didn’t think he was Tex; but I felt that somethin’ was wrong.”

“I know him,” grinned Pablo. “I’m Injun.”

Lohman jerked his head toward Alice Spotted Horse--

“What about her, Tex?”

“Big Jim killed her sweetheart, Lohman. She only made him pay. I knew that Big Jim was a crook. McHague gave the snap away that night I made my getaway. Big Jim was the only one who could have had that much influence. We’ll consider that Pablo turned State’s evidence, Lohman, and let the law go as easy as possible.”

“But he shot Rory McPherson and kidnapped Miss Marsh.”

“Rory will get well,” said Biddy. “He’s tough.”

“And Pablo didn’t hurt me,” added Della. “He told me that he was just taking me to a place where only Big Jim knew, and that I had nothing to fear. He wanted to trap Big Jim. He thought I was Big Jim’s girl.”

“I think Tex no want her,” explained Pablo quickly. “I’m ---- fool, I t’ink.”

“Yuh sure are, Pablo,” smiled Tex, throwing his arm around Della’s shoulders. “You’re a smart Injun; but there’s some things yuh don’t know much about. I’m goin’ to marry her, Pablo. I’m goin’ to do my dangest to get you out of trouble and then I’m goin’ to hire Alice Spotted Horse to cook for us.”

“Another thing,” offered McHague hoarsely. “I happen to know that Big Jim palmed that thousand dollars and only left fifteen hundred in that envelope, Miss. When Crane failed to count it in the bank, it kinda soured his game. He had no way of provin’ that Crane didn’t take it. You can be crooked for a while, but you’re crazy when yuh think that you can get away with it forever.”

Alice Spotted Horse moved in closer to Tex, squinting at him curiously.

“You hire me for cook?” she asked. “I put much sody in biscuit and I kill Big Jim. I plenty bad Injun.”

“I’ll hide the soda and the rifle,” said Tex seriously.

“Um-m-m!”

Alice Spotted Horse looked around at the grinning faces, squinting at each one. Then she rubbed her moccasined toe on the dirt floor and heaved a mighty sigh of relief--

“I be ----!”

Slim limped up to Tex and held out his good hand. For several moments they looked at each other seriously. Then a grin came to their faces and Slim said slowly:

“You know how I felt about it, pardner. Me and Bill Smith will kinda side-step and let old Tex have what belongs to him.”

* * * * *

Their hands gripped tightly for a moment and Slim limped away. Della was looking at him as if she understood, and the other cowpunchers turned away to assist the sheriff in his work. Old Pancho nuzzled Tex’s hand and walked stiffly to the door, where he turned and looked at Tex and Della, as much as to say--

“There’s too many folks looking on.”

“Yuh can take the two pinto horses,” offered Slim. “I’ll use one of the extra ones.”

Tex nodded and they walked out of the door, going down the rocky slope, while ahead of them stalked old Pancho, the dog who was not fooled by a strange face. In the doorway of the cabin stood Pablo, the crippled half-breed, who, like the dog, recognized more than a face. He was grinning in spite of his wounds and what he must face in the future.

Alice Spotted Horse moved in beside him, squinting down the trail. Pablo looked at her closely and touched her on the arm with his uninjured hand.

“You all right,” he said softly. “Bimeby I come to see you, Alice. Sheriff say I no get hung--mebbe. You no got Tucson Charley--I got nobody. You _sabe_?”

The big Indian woman turned her eyes from the trail and looked intently at the little half-breed. She did not understand at first. She was not very quick to grasp things. Then the ghost of a smile crossed her lips and she half-nodded an affirmative.

“I be ----,” she said.

[Transcriber’s Note: This story appeared in the April 30, 1924 issue of Adventure magazine.]