Part 3

“Howdy, gentlemen,” nodded Nelson. “I’m sure glad to see somebody. I stopped at the Half-Wheel, but there wasn’t nobody at home. Me and Sam Herd was takin’ that girl to the Two Bar X and we got held up. Sam tried to draw a gun, and they killed him. And they put the girl on a horse and took her away. Sam’s in the back of the wagon.”

Rowdy spurred his horse around the wagon and looked in.

“He’s here all right, Buck,” he said.

“Where’d this all happen?”

“Near the mouth of Trapper. Down in them willers, jist before yuh reach the ford. Two men, Priest. They had sacks over their heads.”

Priest backed his horse off the road and motioned for Nelson to drive on.

“Ain’t we goin’?” asked Rowdy.

Buck Priest watched the wagon disappear up the road.

“I don’t know what to make of it,” he said. “Sam Herd was one of Park Reber’s trusted men. And they stole that girl, eh? That’s funny. We’re goin’ back home, boys. No use goin’ off half-cocked, I reckon. We’ll pack up some grub and blankets and swing in on the Porcupine. It must have been kinda late when O’Steen was shot, and the rustlers can’t move cattle much after dark.”

They turned and rode back to the ranch.

* * * * *

In the meantime Nelson lost no time in driving his jaded horses to Tomahawk town. It was dark when he arrived, and he went straight to Reber’s house, where he found Reber with the old doctor. Nelson blurted out his story as quickly as possible. He helped the doctor carry Herd’s body into the house, and the doctor found that Herd had been killed almost instantly.

Reber, still weak from his wound, sat down in a chair and swore impotently.

“Just for that I’ll wipe Buck Priest and Jack Silver off the map,” he declared bitterly. “You say you met Priest and his men? They circled back to see if you got help at the Half-Wheel. Oh, I know Buck Priest!”

“Only one of ’em looked in at the body,” said Nelson.

“They knew it was there. Oh, I’ll make Priest pay. It was either Priest or Silver--perhaps both. They work together. Nelson, go to the Tomahawk and see if any of my men are in from the ranches. Bring them here to me. Wait! Send them here. You get a horse and ride for the Half-Wheel. Don’t spare the horse. Tell Slim Patterson what happened. Then you go to the Circle S and tell Jim Carlin to bring his outfit to the Half-Wheel and to send a man to the Lightnin’ for Jackson and his crew. We’ll all meet at the Half-Wheel.”

Nelson ran from the house, and the old doctor turned to Reber.

“You’ll not ride tonight,” he said firmly.

“You try to stop me, Doc.”

“Hm-m-m-m! You’re a fool, Park. That wound isn’t healed up. You’ll wreck your health, I tell you.”

“Bah! Wreck my health! I’m goin’ out to find that girl and to whip all this scum out of the valley. I’ve stood all I’ll ever stand from Priest and Silver.”

“It was a foolish thing, that sending of a woman,” said the old doctor. He had known Park Reber for years, and felt privileged to speak his mind.

“Mebbe,” said Reber shortly. “Mebbe not. She’s smart, Doc. I wish she was my daughter. If things had turned out different I might have had a girl or a boy of about her age.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“And she spoiled Buck Priest’s shot,” said Reber. “He’s got no love for her. I wonder where these men would take her? Not to any known place, that’s a cinch. She’s their ace in the hole. I’d like to get my two hands around Buck Priest’s throat and choke the truth from him. Oh, he hates me, Doc!

“When he looks at me with his lop-sided grin, I feel that he’s gloating over somethin’.”

“Be calm,” advised the doctor. “You’ll work yourself into a fever. Did any doctor ever have such a patient to contend with? That meeting almost ruined everything; and now you insist on getting excited and riding helter-skelter over the hills in the dark! I ought to tie you down.”

“Here come some of my men,” said Reber. “Now you keep your tongue out of it, Doc. I’m goin’, if I have to go on a stretcher.”

* * * * *

It was almost dark when Jack Silver led the way to the Two Bar X. There were no lights in the ranchhouse. June dismounted and forced Jack to knock on the door. But there was no answer to his knock. The door was unlocked. Without any orders from June, Jack lighted the big lamp in the main room.

“Where is everybody?” wondered June. “Is this the Two Bar X?”

“It’s the Two Bar X all right,” said Jack.

His heels were sore from the long walk in high-heeled boots and he limped painfully.

June pointed at a door across the room.

“Open that,” she ordered.

Jack limped over and opened it.

It was a windowless inside room, evidently used as a bedroom by some one who cared little for ventilation. There was a small lamp on the table, and June ordered Jack to light it. She told him to remove the rope, and then she backed into the main room, closing the door behind her.

At some time the room must have been used for storage purposes, because there was a hasp and staple fastener. June quickly locked the door, after which she sat down in a chair and drew the first calm breath she had taken since Jack Silver had entered the deserted cabin. There was no way for him to get out of that room. She took a small lamp and went on a tour of investigation. The kitchen was fairly clean and there was plenty of food.

She cooked a meal for herself, but was afraid to take any of it to Silver. She had him under lock and intended keeping him. She felt sure that the men of the Two Bar X would be coming back soon. Perhaps, she thought, they heard of what happened to her and were searching for her.

And what a surprize it would be for them to come back and find her there, and to find Jack Silver a prisoner. She washed the dishes and went back to the main room. It was very quiet. A new moon was peeping over the crest of the Tomahawk range, and she heard the distant howling of a coyote.

She put Jack Silver’s gun on the table beside her and sat down to look at some old magazines. Suddenly she heard the muffled tread of horses walking and thought it was the boys of the ranch coming home. She ran to a front window and looked out, but could see no one.

For several minutes she stood at the window, but the half-light was baffling. She went back and sat down, after deciding that it had been some loose horses. But something made her feel that she was being watched. Perhaps it was sort of sixth sense.

She found herself unable to read. The two dull, uncurtained windows seemed to stare at her like a pair of eyes. Why didn’t they curtain their windows, she wondered? There were noises, too--queer noises.

Suddenly there came the scrape of leather sole on the porch, and the door was flung open. June jerked forward, her hand on the big gun.

Two men stepped inside, looking queerly at her. It was McLeese, the deposed foreman, and Chuck Bell, a big, raw-boned, square-faced cowboy who worked for the Two Bar X. McLeese glanced at the hand and gun on the table.

“Yuh got here, eh?” he said easily. “That’s fine. I was kinda late gettin’ here for my stuff. Where’s all the boys?”

“I don’t know,” said June. “I haven’t been here long.”

“Uh-huh,” nodded McLeese. “I suppose they’re late gettin’ in. Well, I’ll gather up my stuff and head back for town. Did yuh come out alone?”

“Two men brought me,” said June.

She didn’t want to tell McLeese anything, because she didn’t trust him.

“And went back and left yuh alone, eh? Dirty trick. This is a lonesome place for a girl, Miss Meline. If yuh want us to, we’ll stay until the boys come back.”

“No, I’m all right,” said June. “I’m not afraid.”

“Uh-huh.”

McLeese went past her and entered the kitchen, where she heard him working around. Chuck Bell came over near the table and sat down in a chair. He began rolling a smoke. June was entirely disarmed. She took her hand away from the gun and picked up a magazine.

As quick as a flash Bell jerked sidewise out of his chair and secured the gun. He leered at June as he shoved the gun inside the waist-band of his overalls.

“All set, Mac,” he called. McLeese came from the kitchen, glanced quickly toward the table and laughed throatily.

“That’s better than knockin’ her on the head,” he said. “By golly, she had me worried for a minute. I don’t _sabe_ it yet, but that don’t worry me much. Get a rope, Bell.”

Bell walked back to the front door and went out, while McLeese leaned against the table and leered at June.

“Smart little lady, eh? Made a awful hit with Old Man Reber, didn’t yuh? Came out here to catch Jack Silver!”

McLeese laughed scornfully. Bell came in with the rope and gave it to McLeese, who lost no time in tying June’s hands and feet securely.

“Find me a handkerchief or a rag,” he said. “We’d better gag her. Yuh never can tell who might come along. The road is guarded and all that, but we’ll jist play safe.”

Bell produced a dirty bandanna handkerchief.

“Why don’tcha find out how much she knows, Mac?” he asked.

“Whatsa use? Anyway, we’ve got to get goin’, Chuck. Old Man Reber won’t stop to ask many questions.”

McLeese twisted the handkerchief, forced June’s teeth apart and tied the gag. As he was finishing the job, Bell examined the gun he had taken from her. Suddenly he cried out:

“This is Jack Silver’s gun!”

“What’re yuh talkin’ about?” asked McLeese.

“I tell yuh it is, Mac! There’s the S carved on the bottom of the handle. I’ve seen it lots of times. Where do you suppose she got it?”

McLeese looked at June, who was none too comfortable with the gag between her teeth.

“Take that rag out and let her talk,” suggested Bell, but McLeese shook his head.

“She’d lie about it, anyway.”

He indicated the closed door, where June had locked Silver.

“We’ll put her in there, Chuck. Grab her feet.”

McLeese grasping her by the shoulders and Chuck Bell taking her feet, they carried her over to the door.

McLeese did not seem to think it strange that the hasp was fastened in place. He held June with one arm while he unfastened it. He grasped her again with both hands and kicked the door open.

And as the door flew open, something in the nature of a cyclone seemed to strike them. Jack Silver sprang from inside the room, striking Chuck Bell with his shoulder.

June’s feet struck the floor heavily, and McLeese jerked away, letting her fall to the floor as Chuck Bell went spinning across the room. Jack went to his hands and knees, but was up like a flash and into the startled McLeese before he could draw a gun.

He swung a right hand at McLeese’s jaw, but the blow was too high. It caught McLeese on the bridge of the nose and knocked him to his haunches against the wall. Silver turned quickly to meet the rush of Chuck Bell, and they grappled. It was evident that Bell was so dizzy from his spinning that he forgot to draw a gun; but not so McLeese. He sagged back, his broken nose painting his face with gore, and whipped out his gun and fired upward at Silver.

The report of the gun was echoed by a crash of glass, and the room was plunged in darkness. McLeese’s bullet had smashed the lamp, missing Jack Silver’s ear by a fraction of an inch.

Silver whirled Bell around, broke his hold and flung him toward McLeese. It was evident that Bell went down on top of McLeese, and Silver feared for the safety of June, who was only a few feet from McLeese.

He stepped in and tried to drag her out of the mélée, but at that moment one of the men crashed into him, knocking him off his feet. He went rolling against the table, and a man fell over him. Silver struggled to his feet and met the rush of one of them.

In that darkness it was impossible for him to see which one it was. They crashed to the floor, fighting like a pair of animals, but Jack managed to tear himself away and slid along the floor.

The front door opened, and for a moment he could see the silhouette of a man, etched blackly against the moonlight.

Came the crashing report of a revolver in the room, and the silhouette sagged down heavily.

The flash of the gun had blinded Silver, and the powder smoke choked him. One of these men had shot the other, thinking it was Jack Silver. He heard this man crawling across the floor, but did not try to stop him. Then he heard him run through the kitchen, slam the door shut and go running across the yard.

Silver ran to the front door. The man who had left the house mounted his horse and spurred toward the gate. Silver turned the man over in the doorway, and the white face and staring eyes of McLeese looked up at him. He found McLeese’s gun where he had dropped it on the porch, and went back in the house. He secured the lamp in the kitchen, lighted it and went into the main room.

June was still lying where they had dropped her. Silver closed the front door and came back to her. It was a simple task for him to take the gag and ropes off her and help her to a chair, where she sagged wearily. The gag had cut her lips, and there was blood on her wrists, cut by the ropes.

Silver said nothing. His face was bruised and one sleeve of his shirt was almost torn off. June stared at him, panting nervously, as he calmly rolled a cigaret with steady fingers.

“Why don’t you say something?” she asked, almost hysterically.

He looked at her, a half-smile on his lips.

“I dunno,” he said simply. “Don’t seem to be much to say.”

“Well, what is it all about? Oh, why don’t you get excited? You sit there and roll a cigaret just as though nothing had happened. Who--which one did you shoot?”

“I didn’t shoot,” he said slowly. “Bell shot McLeese. Mebbe he thought it was me. He didn’t have any cause to shoot Mac, that I know about. The door over there was too thick for me to hear much that was said, and I’m wonderin’ why they had you tied up.”

June shook her head. She didn’t know.

“Didn’t they tell yuh why?”

“Oh, I don’t know what they talked about. Everything is so mixed up.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

He lighted his cigaret and inhaled deeply.

“It seems to me,” he said smiling quietly, “that you’ve kinda had a hard time gettin’ started on yore new job.”

“Why did you have me kidnaped?” she asked.

“Me? Lord love yuh, I never did.”

“I’d like to believe you, but--”

“Why should I?”

“Well, I--I--you hate Park Reber.”

“Yo’re not Park Reber.”

“I--I work for him.”

“Lotsa folks work for him, ma’am, and I never kidnaped any of them.”

June bit her lip and studied Jack Silver, who looked at her frankly. He did not look like a man who would kidnap a woman. There was nothing of the sneak about him.

“What do you do for a living?” she asked bluntly.

“Trappin’, mostly. I had a small herd of cattle a few years ago, but Park Reber’s men killed ’em off. He didn’t want me to get a start. In the winter I trap from here over into the Clear Valley side of the range. I make a good livin’.”

“What do you do with the cattle you steal from Park Reber?”

It was a very blunt question. Jack Silver’s eyes did not shift, but narrowed slightly, and for several moments he did not speak. Then--

“I’ve never stolen a cow from Park Reber.”

“That doesn’t check up with what I’ve heard, Mr. Silver.”

“Probably not, ma’am, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve eaten Diamond R beef. He killed off my cattle, didn’t he? When I needed a piece of beef real bad, I took it. Reber hates me. He says he hates me because I steal his cattle, but he’s a liar.”

“Is it because he wants all the valley?”

“No, it’s because I’ve got Cheyenne blood in me. You’ve heard his story?”

“About the Indians killing his wife?”

“Stealin’ her, ma’am. Nobody knows how she died--if she did die.”

“I’m sorry,” said June simply.

“About my blood?” Silver smiled bitterly. “I can’t help it.”

He got to his feet and walked to a window and he looked out. Finally he came back and sat down.

“I don’t see where your blood would make any difference,” said June.

“Don’t yuh? Yo’re a white woman; would you marry a half-breed?”

“Why, I--I never thought of that.”

“You wouldn’t. Perhaps there are white women who would, but they’d not be the kind I’d want. I don’t want to marry an Injun girl--so there yuh are. I’m only half good enough to marry a white woman, and I’ve got too much white blood to marry an Indian. Everybody hates a breed. Oh, yes they do. Even the Injuns hate a breed.

“Do yuh know what they say about a half-breed? They say he inherits the vices of both sides and the virtues of neither. Mebbe that’s right.”

“What about Buck Priest--did Reber steal his cattle?”

“I think so, ma’am. But this ain’t lettin’ us in on the secret of things. Why do yuh suppose McLeese and Bell tied you up. Who kidnapped yuh, and what was their object? I’m gettin’ kinda anxious. Bell rode away, and he might come back in force. I’d hate to have yuh penned in here with me if Reber’s men try to catch me. I’ve got my own gun and the one McLeese had. If Reber found me here with you he’d hang me--especially if he found McLeese dead on the porch.”

“Then you’d better go away,” said June. “I can get along all right, I guess.”

“I guess yuh can’t. After them fellers tied yuh up and tried to lock yuh in that room? We’ll find a horse to ride and I’ll take yuh over to my place. At least you’ll be safe over there.”

June shook her head quickly.

“No, I’ll stay here.”

“Then I’ll stay with yuh.”

“And get hung for being here?”

“Mebbe. I’d sure hate myself all the rest of my life if I left yuh here alone and anythin’ happened to yuh.”

“Why would you care?”

“I’m half white.”

“And you’d do this, even after I forced you to lead me here with a rope around your neck.”

“That wasn’t anythin’. You didn’t pull it tight,” he smiled at her and went to the front door.

“We’ve got to kinda make this place bull-tight,” he said. “Yore name’s June, ain’t it? I heard it was. I’ll call yuh June. It’s easier to say than ma’am. My name’s Jack. Prob’ly be mud before mornin’.”

“Mr. Reber will come looking for me,” said June.

“Yea-a-ah, and he’ll find me,” laughed Jack. “But I’ve got a hunch that Mr. Reber is goin’ to have a hard time gettin’ here.”

“They spoke about the road being guarded. Did they mean against Mr. Reber?”

“Might be. We’ll just wait and see what happens.”

* * * * *

Buck Priest and his men went back to the ranch and packed two horses with blankets and enough food to last them several days. It was about dark when they headed southeast toward the Porcupine hills. Priest’s idea was to travel along the Porcupine for a way and then turn south toward the Circle S.

As far as he knew there had been no misbranding of cattle. Therefore he was of the opinion that the rustlers were moving a bunch of his stock toward the West Fork pass. If Park Reber were stealing cattle, that was the pass he would take them through to Clear Valley.

There was just enough moonlight to enable them to see to travel by. Buck hoped to find the rustler’s camp, but after traveling far along the Porcupine he decided to head toward the Half-Wheel, which was almost due west of where they were now. He reasoned that if the rustlers knew that O’Steen had escaped wounded they would possibly drop the herd and head for the Half-Wheel.

In the meantime Park Reber had gathered a dozen riders and was also heading down the valley. Nelson had told him what the two masked men had said about the road’s being dangerous, and Reber was not the man not to heed a warning. He left the road a short distance out of Tomahawk and took to the open hills where there would be no danger of an ambush.

“We’ll head straight toward Jack Silver’s place,” he told his men. “Buck Priest is in with Silver on this deal, that’s a cinch, so there’s no use going to his place.”

“And if it’s a scheme to run a lot of cattle out of the valley they’ll use the Trapper Creek pass,” declared Nelson. “I’d like to notch my sight on the jasper that killed old Sam Herd.”

“There’ll be plenty of chances before this time tomorrow night,” said Reber. “I’ll clean this valley of every rustler or quit the cow business myself.”

The men knew the hills well, and they were able to make good time. Reber was suffering considerably with his shoulder, but he gritted his teeth and led the way.

There were no lights showing at the Half-Wheel when Buck Priest led his men down to the road past the ranch. For quite a while they sat on their horses at a little distance from the ranchhouse, debating just what to do.

“We’ll go on,” decided Buck Priest. “Before daylight we can be in the West Fork pass, and if they run those cows into that pass we’ll show the dirty thieves a merry time.”

“Jist lemme get a sight of the fellers that leaded up O’Steen,” said Rowdy. “I’m shore honin’ for a chance at ’em.”

“Daylight will tell the tale,” said Priest. “They’ll try and run ’em through early in the mornin’. I wouldn’t be surprized to find the hills around the Two Bar X full of my cows.”

They were about two miles south of the Half-Wheel, traveling along the road through a narrow defile in the heavy brush, when a rifle spat fire almost in front of them. It was so sudden and unexpected that the four riders whirled in a mass, trying to control their horses. From several places in the brush came orange-colored flashes, followed by the angry spat of rifle shots. Buck Priest’s horse went down in a heap, pinning Buck to the ground.

Ken Mader’s horse fell, but Ken flung himself free and began shooting from the ground. For several moments it was a nightmare of rearing, kicking horses and sporadic flashing of rifle and revolver shots. Mader went down on his face.

Rowdy’s horse was shot from under him, but he managed to regain his feet and mount behind Dick Leesom and spur the frightened horse into a gallop back up the road. Dick had been shot through the side and was unable to control his horse or to shoot a gun.

A flurry of rifle shots followed them, but the bullets buzzed far over their heads.

Not one of the bushwhackers came in sight. As far as they were concerned they never existed. Buck Priest had dropped flat on his back to escape the hail of lead. His leg was pinned beneath his dead horse, and it was impossible for him to extricate it. He could see the white face of Ken Mader in the moonlight, and he cursed Park Reber and his men.

He tried to draw his leg loose from beneath the horse, but the pain forced him to desist. He was sure the leg was broken. He swore bitterly, feeling sure that they had run into the rustler’s ambush.

Back in the hills, only a mile away from the road, were Park Reber and his men. They had heard the shooting, but the echoes were so confusing that none of them could tell where the shooting was taking place.

“Sounded like a battle all right,” declared Reber. “We’d better head for the road, I think. Unless I’m mistaken, that’s where the shooting came from.”

They traveled due east, striking the road a few hundred yards north of where the ambush had been laid. They did not see Leesom and Dow, who had gone past the spot, and were heading north. But they did find Dow’s hat in the road. It was a black Stetson, fairly new, but not marked with name or initial.

“Somebody goin’ plenty fast,” said one of the men. “That’s hat’s too good for a puncher to throw it away.”

“No way to tell which way he was goin’,” drawled a cowboy.

“We’ll go south and take a chance,” said Reber. And then they found Buck Priest, pinned down by his dead horse, and Ken Mader lying dead beside his dead horse. The men dismounted. Buck Priest recognized them and spat a curse at Park Reber.

“Got yuh, eh?” grunted Reber.

“Mader’s dead,” said one of the men.

Reber gave them orders to lift the horse off Priest’s leg.

“Well, you’ve got me, Reber,” said Priest. “My leg’s busted. I hope yo’re satisfied, you dirty cow thief!”

“I will be satisfied, yuh can bet on that,” said Reber. “Yo’re all through in this valley, Buck Priest--you and yore S Bar P outfit. When I get my hands on Jack Silver I’ve made a clean sweep.”

“When yuh do,” gritted Priest.