CHAPTER VI

STANDING OFF THE JAYHAWKERS

While Jack and I stowed away the sack of corn and waited for Tom's reply to my question, he stood watching the disappearing riders till an intervening rise of ground hid them and then began to unfold his plans.

"It's earlier in the day than we generally camp," said Tom thoughtfully, "but under the circumstances we must select a camp not far from here an' hang up till we see what they're going to do. Ef we try to go on farther they'll think we're running from 'em. We must camp in open ground where they can't get in shooting distance of us without showing themselves in open prairie.

"I asked the storekeeper about the lay of the land on the other side of the creek, an' he told me of a good place to camp about a half mile beyond the ford, where there's an abandoned house out in the prairie an' a good well. The family who owned the place got scared out and moved into Topeka to stay till times get better. There's where we'll camp; so let's get there an' get prepared for action in case this outfit gives us a call. They won't let us go by without trying some bluff game on us an' maybe a fight.

"I don't think there's any need of it here," added Tom as he looked toward the timber at the crossing of the creek ahead of us, "but, to be on the safe side, while I drive the team, Jack, you an' Peck may take your guns and form a skirmish line ahead of me as we go through the timber."

We did so, but, finding no sign of an enemy, as we again came out on the prairie we joined the wagon and rode up to the abandoned house and camped in a good, defensible position. There was no grass close to the house whereon to picket our team, but some hay that had been left in the barn made a good substitute.

Finding the inside of the house littered with waste and rubbish left by the recent occupants, we pitched our tent near the wagon, as usual, camping by the house merely to secure a defensible location in open ground with wood and water convenient.

We were confident that we would receive a call from the jayhawkers and hurried our dinner, keeping an anxious lookout back along the road toward the store, which was now hidden from us by the timber.

After we had cleared away the dishes Tom ordered:

"Now, men, see that everything is prepared for action. See that all arms are in good working order, an' have a good supply of ca'tridges handy."

Such orders were hardly necessary, for we made it a rule at all times to keep our arms in good shape and cartridges convenient.

"Here they come!" exclaimed Jack in great glee, and, looking toward the store, we could see a party of mounted men just coming out of the timber at the creek crossing. As soon as the announcement was made Tom brought the field-glass to bear on them and began counting:

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven--all told." Then he added: "They would likely leave only one man back to take care of camp; so eight is about the full strength of the gang, just as we heard."

Passing the glass to me, he added:

"As soon as they get in hailing distance I'll halt 'em, an' you men will be ready to enforce my commands. Ef they don't halt at the first command I'll halt 'em again, an' maybe the third time, but not more. An' when I give the command, 'Fire!' remember your old training--aim about the saddles an' let em' have it, an' don't waste your ca'tridges. Let each one of us try to see how many saddles he can empty."

To me this sounded serious, but the veteran was as cool about it as if giving instructions to a squad of soldiers on skirmish drill. Jack always seemed happy when there was a good prospect of a fight before him. I must admit that I began to feel a little squeamish as the jayhawkers drew near us, but I was somewhat reassured by the firm and fearless demeanor of my comrades.

As the jayhawkers approached it was seen that all except the leader, "Cap" Tucker, carried rifles, carbines, or shotguns in addition to their pistols. All seemed to be well mounted, but Tucker was particularly conspicuous by his fine black horse. They followed the main road till opposite the house where we were and then turned and rode toward us at a walk.

As soon as they had approached within easy hail Tom took a few steps toward them and, bringing his Sharp's rifle to a ready, sung out:

"_Halt!_"

Jack and I moved up in his rear and came to the same position.

The jayhawkers did not seem to be expecting such a manoeuvre on our part and did not promptly obey Tom's first command; but by the time he had repeated "_Halt!_" in a louder tone they took the hint, and Tucker quickly ordered his men to stop. Turning to us, he called out in a tone of indignant surprise:

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I say," replied Tom. "Ef you men have any business with us, one of you--and only one--can advance an' make it known. The rest'll stand where they are."

Turning and speaking a few words to his men, Tucker then rode up to us.

As the big captain halted a few feet from us he demanded angrily:

"What do you men mean by drawing your guns on us an' halting us this way?"

"In these doubtful times," replied Tom, "we don't propose to allow a party of armed men to enter our camp without first finding out who they are an' what's their business with us. Will you please tell us what yours is?"

"Why, certainly," returned the big ruffian. "We are free rangers looking up stray an' stolen stock an' also gathering in good hosses an' mules fer the government. Have you any objections to that?"

"Not in the least," said Tom, "but we have no stray or stolen stock an' no horses or mules for sale, an' I don't see as you have any further business with this outfit."

"The reason why we've made this call on you is this," answered Tucker. "A short time ago one of my men had a fine pair of mules stole from him an' trailed 'em down nigh to Leavenworth where he lost track of 'em. I learned from the old storekeeper over the crick yonder that you men had lately bought your mules in Leavenworth, an' when I went back to camp an' mentioned this matter to Bill Sawyer he got to thinkin' about it, an' he thought that possibly you might of bought his mules without knowin' they was stole; an' so I jes' brung him an' a few more of the boys over to look at your mules."

While the captain was making his little speech Jack gave me an occasional wink, which seemed to say: "Listen to what's comin'."

"Now, pardner," continued the jayhawker, "we ain't in the habit of spending much time arguing about a matter of this kind, an', as I tol' you before, we're a-gatherin' up mules an' hosses fer the government, an' whenever we find any that suits we just take 'em, givin' an order on Uncle Sam, an' he foots the bill. But to show you that we're dealing on the square with you men about these mules, ef they ain't ours we don't want 'em. Now, I'll make you a fair proposition. The man that lost the mules I'm talking about is out yonder, an' he's never seen your mules yet. He's got the brands marked down on a piece of paper. Now, ef you're honorable men an' willing to do what's right I don't see how you can help accepting my proposition, which is this: I'll call Bill Sawyer up here an' let him show his brands as they're marked down on that paper afore he's ever had a chance to see the brands on your mules, an' ef the brands he's got marked down is the same as what's on them mules, why, it's a plain case that they must be his mules. Now, what do you say to that?"

Tom gave no sign that he was "onto their game," but merely said:

"Call your man up, but only him--no more."

Tucker rode out a few steps toward his gang and called:

"Bill Sawyer, come here!" and then returned to us, while William Sawyer, who seemed to have been rehearsed in his part, came trotting up with alacrity, feeling in his inside pocket for the paper that he seemed to know--although he had been out of hearing distance of us--was to be called for at this stage of the game. As Sawyer left his chums they all gathered about Joe--he of the old cavalry jacket--and seemed to be holding an earnest consultation.

As Sawyer reached us I had time to notice that he wore a green patch over his left eye--or the place where the eye had been; a villainous grin added devilishness to his sinister countenance. In his hand he held the same old yellow envelope that Jack and I had seen Joe using to copy the mules' brands on.

Taking the old envelope triumphantly from his man, Tucker passed it to Tom with a confident air as he demanded.

"Now, let's compare the brands marked on that paper with the brands on them mules." And he turned his horse as if to ride around on the other side of our wagon, where the mules were tied.

"'Twon't be necessary--wait a minute," returned Tom as he passed the old envelope to Jack and me with the query: "Do you men recognize that paper?"

"Yes, we've seen it before," we both answered.

"What do you mean?" demanded Tucker in assumed astonishment.

"Just this," replied Tom, looking sternly at the jayhawkers' captain. "This little joke of your'n has gone about far enough. These two men," pointing to Jack and me, "stood an' watched that feller you call Joe--that sneaking coyote out yonder who wears the old cavalry jacket--take this ol' yellow envelope out of his pocket an' copy on it the brands of our mules while the team was standin' in front of the store, when Joe had no idea he was bein' watched. Now, I don't want to hear any more of this foolishness. Mr. Jayhawker, ef you've any other business with us please state it. Ef not this meeting stands adjourned."

Seeing that his deception was detected and that the scheme failed, Tucker apparently concluded to try a bluff on us.

"If you won't listen to reason," said he, "we'll show you what we can do in another line. I'm satisfied that them's Sawyer's mules an' we're going to have 'em. It'll leave you fellows in a bad fix to break up your team by taking the mules, but I'm willin' to do what's right. You give the mules up peaceably and I've got a pair of good, old chunky ponies down to camp that I'll sell you cheap. You may have 'em fer a hundred dollars. I'll just call the boys up an' we'll take the mules along with us now, an'----"

"Oh, no you won't," interrupted Tom in a quiet but firm tone as he began fingering the lock of his rifle.

"Why, pardner," exclaimed Tucker in apparent astonishment, "you don't mean to say you'd be so foolish as to compel us to use force? I've got some forty odd men over to camp. Ef you don't give up them mules peaceably I'll go an' bring the whole company, an' then--well, you'll have to pay fer the trouble you've put us to, in course."

A smile of contempt spread over Tom's visage as he replied:

"Trot out your company an' try to take them mules an' we'll show you what we'll do for you."

Jack and I were keenly alive to all that was going on and, while watching the five ruffians out on the prairie, were prepared to meet any threatening move any of them might make.

Being out of hearing of the argument, the squad on the prairie seemed to be growing restless. One of them called out to Tucker as though soliciting an order to charge on us:

"_Cap, don't you want us up there to settle that matter? Ef you do, jes' say the word!_"

Tucker hesitated before answering and looked about our camp as though calculating the chances. The notion--if he entertained it--was quickly dispelled by Tom, who growled out:

"You give 'em the order to advance an' it'll be the last one you'll ever give. We've got the deadwood on you two fellers an' we'll give a good account of them others, too, ef they attempt to come on."

Tucker acknowledged the situation by shouting to his men in the offing:

"_No! No! Stay where you are!_" Then, turning to Tom, he continued: "Now, pardner, I've got one more last proposition to make you, to save you trouble, an' that is this: We'll take them mules over to our camp an'----"

"That'll do," interrupted Tom. "I've heard enough of that. You'll never take them mules to your camp, or anywhere else, while I'm alive. You know that neither you nor this other feller has any more right to them mules than I have to the horses you're ridin'. I don't want to hear any more of your nonsense. The best thing you two can do is to git away from here. If I see one of you in range of our rifles again he's liable to git a hole in his hide. Five minutes to get out of range! Now, git!"

Tucker turned his horse and, calling, "Come on, Bill," they started to join their waiting comrades. After a few steps the captain turned in his saddle and, with a threatening nod to Tom, said: "I'll see you later."

"Ef you do it won't be good for you," retorted Tom.

Tucker and Sawyer joined the others, and without further demonstration they moved off sullenly back along the road toward the store and soon disappeared in the timber.

"They ain't done with us yet," said Tom musingly. "'Tain't likely that they'll make an open attack on us while we're in this camp because they can't well get the drop on us here. The most natural thing would be fer 'em to slip past us to-night, or go 'round an' get ahead of us, an' lay for us in the timber at the crossing of some creek on the road ahead. I think that one of you men might as well slip over into the timber yonder, near the store, an' by keeping out of sight an' watchin' them you may be able to guess what they're going to do. They'll be certain to stop awhile at the store an' fire up on the ol' man's whiskey, an' then's the time they'll be apt to be careless about talking their plans over, an' after they've settled on what they intend to do they'll go on to camp to get their suppers. After they go on to camp, ef you'd slip into the store an' have a talk with the old man maybe he could tell you what they're up to."

"That's just to my notion, Tom," said Jack. "I was just a-thinkin' of goin' on a little spying expedition after them fellers. I think I can find out what their game is, an' by all that's good an' bad, I'll not come back till I do."

So saying, taking his revolvers and shotgun, Jack struck out down a ravine that led to the creek and was soon out of sight, while Tom and I busied ourselves attending to the stock and other camp duties.