Chapter Twelve
_The Strange Bargain_
Ronicky drew his gun and waited. "Good," said the man of the sneer."Go ahead."
"It was down in the cellar that we found the first tracks. He came inthrough the side window and closed it after him."
"That dropped him into the coal bin. Did he get coal dust on hisshoes?"
"Right; and he didn't have sense enough to wipe it off."
"An amateur--a rank amateur! I told you!" said the man of the sneer,with satisfaction. "You followed his trail?"
"Up the stairs to the kitchen and down the hall and up to Harry'sroom."
"We already knew he'd gone there."
"But he left that room again and came down the hall."
"Yes. The coal dust was pretty well wiped off by that time, but weheld a light close to the carpet and got the signs of it."
"And where did it lead?"
"Right to this room!"
Ronicky stepped from among the smooth silks and pressed close to thedoor of the closet, his hand on the knob. The time had almost come forone desperate attempt to escape, and he was ready to shoot to kill.
A moment of pause had come, a pause which, in the imagination ofRonicky, was filled with the approach of both the men toward the doorof the closet.
Then the man of the sneer said: "That's a likely story!"
"I can show you the tracks."
"H'm! You fool, they simply grew dim when they got to this door. I'vebeen here for some time. Go back and tell them to hunt some more. Goup to the attic and search there. That's the place an amateur wouldmost likely hide."
The man growled some retort and left, closing the door heavily behindhim, while Ronicky Doone breathed freely again for the first time.
"Now," said the man of the sneer, "tell me the whole of it, Ruth."
Ronicky set his teeth. Had the clever devil guessed at the truth soeasily? Had he sent his follower away, merely to avoid having it knownthat a man had taken shelter in the room of the girl he loved?
"Go on," the leader was repeating. "Let me hear the whole truth."
"I--I--" stammered the girl, and she could say no more.
The man of the sneer laughed unpleasantly. "Let me help you. It wassomebody you met somewhere--on the train, perhaps, and you couldn'thelp smiling at him, eh? You smiled so much, in fact, that he followedyou and found that you had come here. The only way he could get inwas by stealth. Is that right? So he came in exactly that way, like arobber, but really only to keep a tryst with his lady love? A prettystory, a true romance! I begin to see why you find me such a dullfellow, my dear girl."
"John--" began Ruth Tolliver, her voice shaking.
"Tush," he broke in as smoothly as ever. "Let me tell the story foryou and spare your blushes. When I sent you for Harry Morgan you foundLochinvar in the very act of slugging the poor fellow. You helped himtie Morgan; then you took him here to your room; although you wereglad to see him, you warned him that it was dangerous to play withfire--fire being me. Do I gather the drift of the story fairly well?Finally you have him worked up to the right pitch. He is convincedthat a retreat would be advantageous, if possible. You show him thatit is possible. You point out the ledge under your window and the easyway of working to the ground. Eh?"
"Yes," said the girl unevenly. "That is--"
"Ah!" murmured the man of the sneer. "You seem rather relieved that Ihave guessed he left the house. In that case--"
Ronicky Doone had held the latch of the door turned back for sometime. Now he pushed it open and stepped out. He was only barely intime, for the man of the sneer was turning quickly in his direction,since there was only one hiding place in the room.
He was brought up with a shock by the sight of Ronicky's big Colt,held at the hip and covering him with absolute certainty. RuthTolliver did not cry out, but every muscle in her face and body seemedto contract, as if she were preparing herself for the explosion.
"You don't have to put up your hands," said Ronicky Doone, wonderingat the familiarity of the face of the man of the sneer. He had broodedon it so often in the past few days that it was like the face of anold acquaintance. He knew every line in that sharp profile.
"Thank you," responded the leader, and, turning to the girl, he saidcoldly: "I congratulate you on your good taste. A regular Apollo, mydear Ruth."
He turned back to Ronicky Doone. "And I suppose you have overhead ourentire conversation?"
"The whole lot of it," said Ronicky, "though I wasn't playing my handat eavesdropping. I couldn't help hearing you, partner."
The man of the sneer looked him over leisurely. "Western," he said atlast, "decidedly Western.
"Are you staying long in the East, my friend?"
"I dunno," said Ronicky Doone, smiling faintly at the coolness of theother. "What do you think about it?"
"Meaning that I'm liable to put an end to your stay?"
"Maybe!"
"Tush, tush! I suppose Ruth has filled your head with a lot of rotabout what a terrible fellow I am. But I don't use poison, and Idon't kill with mysterious X-rays. I am, as you see, a very quiet andordinary sort."
Ronicky Doone smiled again. "You just oblige me, partner," hereplied in his own soft voice. "Just stay away from the walls of theroom--don't even sit down. Stand right where you are."
"You'd murder me if I took another step?" asked the man of the sneer,and a contemptuous and sardonic expression flitted across his face forthe first time.
"I'd sure blow you full of lead," said Ronicky fervently. "I'd killyou like a snake, stranger, which I mostly think you are. So steplight, and step quick when I talk."
"Certainly," said the other, bowing. "I am entirely at your service."He turned a little to Ruth. "I see that you have a most determinedcavalier. I suppose he'll instantly abduct you and sweep you away frombeneath my eyes?"
She made a vague gesture of denial.
"Go ahead," said the leader. "By the way, my name is John Mark."
"I'm Doone--some call me Ronicky Doone."
"I'm glad to know you, Ronicky Doone. I imagine that name fits you.Now tell me the story of why you came to this house; of course itwasn't to see a girl!"
"You're wrong! It was."
"Ah?" In spite of himself the face of John Mark wrinkled with pain andsuspicious rage.
"I came to see a girl, and her name, I figure, is Caroline Smith."
Relief, wonder, and even a gleam of outright happiness shot into theeyes of John Mark. "Caroline? You came for that?" Suddenly he laughedheartily, but there was a tremor of emotion in that laughter. Theperfect torture, which had been wringing the soul of the man of thesneer, projected through the laughter.
"I ask your pardon, my dear," said John Mark to Ruth. "I should haveguessed. You found him; he confessed why he was here; you took pity onhim--and--" He brushed a hand across his forehead and was instantlyhimself, calm and cool.
"Very well, then. It seems I've made an ass of myself, but I'll tryto make up for it. Now what about Caroline? There seems to be a wholehost of you Westerners annoying her."
"Only one: I'm acting as his agent."
"And what do you expect?"
"I expect that you will send for her and tell her that she is free togo down with me--leave this house--and take a ride or a walk with me."
"As much as that? If you have to talk to her, why not do the talkinghere?"
"I dunno," replied Ronicky Doone. "I figure she'd think too much aboutyou all the time."
"The basilisk, eh?" asked John Mark. "Well, you are going to persuadeher to go to Bill Gregg?"
"You know the name, eh?"
"Yes, I have a curious stock of useless information."
"Well, you're right; I'm going to try to get her back for Bill."
"But you can't expect me to assent to that?"
"I sure do."
"And why? This Caroline Smith may be a person of great value to me."
"I have no doubt she is, but I got a good argument."
/> "What is it?"
"The gun, partner."
"And, if you couldn't get the girl--but see how absurd the whole thingis, Ronicky Doone! I send for the girl; I request her to go down withyou to the street and take a walk, because you wish to talk to her.Heavens, man, I can't persuade her to go with a stranger at night!Surely you see that!"
"I'll do that persuading," said Ronicky Doone calmly.
"And, when you're on the streets with the girl, do you suppose I'llrest idle and let you walk away with her?"
"Once we're outside of the house, Mark," said Ronicky Doone, "I don'task no favors. Let your men come on. All I got to say is that I comefrom a county where every man wears a gun and has to learn how to useit. I ain't terrible backward with the trigger finger, John Mark. Notthat I figure on bragging, but I want you to pick good men for mytrail and tell 'em to step soft. Is that square?"
"Aside from certain idiosyncrasies, such as your manner of paying acall by way of a cellar window, I think you are the soul of honor,Ronicky Doone. Now may I sit down?"
"Suppose we shake hands to bind the bargain," said Ronicky. "You sendfor Caroline Smith; I'm to do the persuading to get her out of thehouse. We're safe to the doors of the house; the minute we step intothe street, you're free to do anything you want to get either of us.Will you shake on that?"
For a moment the leader hesitated, then his fingers closed over theextended hand of Ronicky Doone and clamped down on them like so manysteel wires contracting. At the same time a flush of excitement andfierceness passed over the face of John Mark. Ronicky Doone, takenutterly by surprise, was at a great disadvantage. Then he put thewhole power of his own hand into the grip, and it was like ironmeeting iron. A great rage came in the eyes of John Mark; a greatwonder came in the eyes of the Westerner. Where did John Mark get hissudden strength?
"Well," said Ronicky, "we've shaken hands, and now you can do what youplease! Sit down, leave the room--anything." He shoved his gun awayin his clothes. That brought a start from John Mark and a flash ofeagerness, but he repressed the idea, after a single glance at thegirl.
"We've shaken hands," he admitted slowly, as though just realizing thefull extent of the meaning of that act. "Very well, Ronicky, I'll sendfor Caroline Smith, and more power to your tongue, but you'll neverget her away from this house without force."