Bar-20 Days

  Johnny Nelson was always late, and on this occasion he was later thanusual. He was to have joined Hopalong and Red, if Red had arrived, atDent's at noon the day before, and now it was after nine o'clock atnight as he rode through San Felippe without pausing and struck eastfor the canyon. The dropping trail down the canyon was serious enoughin broad daylight, but at night to attempt its passage was foolhardy,unless one knew every turn and slant by heart, which Johnny did not. Hewas thirty-three hours late now, and he was determined to make up whathe could in the next three.

  When Johnny left Hopalong at Dent's he had given his word to be back ontime and not to keep his companions waiting, for Red might be on timeand he would chafe if he were delayed. But, alas for Johnny's goodintentions, his course took him through a small Mexican hamlet in whichlived a senorita of remarkable beauty and rebellious eyes; and Johnnytarried in the town most of the day, riding up and down the streets,practising the nice things he would say if he met her. She watchedhim from the heavily draped window, and sighed as she wondered if herdashing Americano would storm the house and carry her off like theknights of old. Finally he had to turn away with heavy and reluctantheart, promising himself that he would return when no petulant andsarcastic companions were waiting for him. Then--ah! what dreams youthknows.

  Half an hour ahead of him on another trail rode Juan, smiling withsatisfaction. He had come to San Felippe to get a look at the canyon onFriday nights, and Martin had given him an excuse entirely unexpected.For this he was truly grateful, even while he knew that the Americanhad tried to pick a quarrel with him and thus rid the border of a manentirely too clever for the good of customs receipts; and failing inthat, had hoped the treacherous canyon trail would gain that end inanother manner. Old Jim Lane's fingers touched wires not one whit moresensitive than those which had sent Juan Alvarez to look over the SanMiguel--and Lane's wires had been slow this time. When Juan had left thesaloon the night before and had seen Manuel slip away from the group andride off into the north, he had known that the ghost would show itselfthe following night.

  But Juan was to be disappointed. He was still some distance from thecanyon when a snarling bulk landed on the haunches of his horse. Hejerked loose his gun and fired twice and then knew nothing. When heopened his eyes he lay quietly, trying to figure it out with a headthrobbing with pain from his fall. The cougar must have been desperatefor food to attack a man. He moved his foot and struck something softand heavy. His shots had been lucky, but they had not saved him hishorse and a sprained arm and leg. There would be no gauntlet found atthe Big Bend at daylight.

  When Johnny Nelson reached the twin boulders marking the beginning ofthe sloping run where the trail pitched down, he grinned happily atsight of the moon rising over the low hills and then grabbed at hisholster, while every hair in his head stood up curiously. A wild,haunting, feminine scream arose to a quavering soprano and sobbed awayinto silence. No words can adequately describe the unearthly wail inthat cry and it took a full half-minute for Johnny to become himselfagain and to understand what it was. Once more it arose, nearer, andJohnny peered into the shadows along a rough backbone of rock, his Coltbalanced in his half-raised hand.

  "You come 'round me an' you'll get hurt," he muttered, straining hiseyes to peer into the blackness of the shadows. "Come on out, Soft-foot;the moon's yore finish. You an' me will have it out right here an'now--I don't want no cougar trailing me through that ink-black canyon ona two-foot ledge--" he thought he saw a shadow glide across a dim patchof moonlight, but when his smoke rifted he knew he had missed. "Damnit! You've got a mate 'round here somewhere," he complained. "Well,I'll have to chance it, anyhow. Come on, bronc! Yo're shaking like aleaf--get out of this!"

  When he began to descend into the canyon he allowed his horse to pickits own way without any guidance from him, and gave all of his attentionto the trail behind him. The horse could get along better by itself inthe dark, and it was more than possible that one or two lithe cougarsmight be slinking behind him on velvet paws. The horse scraped alonggingerly, feeling its way step by step, and sending stones rattling andclattering down the precipice at his left to tinkle into the stream atthe bottom.

  "Gee, but I wish I'd not wasted so much time," muttered the rideruneasily. "This here canyon-cougar combination is the worst _I_ everbutted up against. I'll never be late again, not never; not for all thegirls in the world. Easy, bronc," he cautioned, as he felt the animalslip and quiver. "Won't this trail ever start going up again?" hegrowled petulantly, taking his eyes off the black back trail, where noamount of scrutiny showed him anything, and turned in the saddle to peerahead--and a yell of surprise and fear burst from him, while chills ranup and down his spine. An unearthly, piercing shriek suddenly rang outand filled the canyon with ear-splitting uproar and a glowing, sheetedhalf-figure of a man floated and danced twenty feet from him and overthe chasm. He jerked his gun and fired, but only once, for his mount hadits own ideas about some things and this particular one easily headedthe list. The startled rider grabbed reins and pommel, his bloodcongealed with fear of the precipice less than a foot from his side, andhe gave all his attention to the horse. But scared as he was he heard,or thought that he heard, a peculiar sound when he fired, and he wouldhave sworn that he hit the mark--the striking of the bullet was notdrowned in the uproar and he would never forget the sound of thatimpact. He rounded Big Bend as if he were coming up to the judge'sstand, and when he struck the upslant of the emerging trail he had madea record. Cold sweat beaded his forehead and he was trembling from headto foot when he again rode into the moonlight on the level plain, wherehe tried to break another record.