The Last Straw

  CHAPTER XIX

  CONCERNING SAM MCKEE

  Webb was building biscuits and Hepburn was slicing a steak from thehind quarter of a carcass that a few days before had been an HC steer.McKee entered with an armful of wood. He dropped it into the box besidethe stove with a clatter and went out again. He was whistling a dolefullittle tune, as a preoccupied man will whistle. His gray eyes werepeculiarly grim and when he stopped whistling, his mouth set intodetermined lines.

  "What's got into him?" Webb asked.

  The other shrugged his shoulders.

  "He's changed in the last day or two. Wouldn't think he was the sameman," Webb went on. "Do you think there's a chance...."

  It was unnecessary to finish the question for there was only onesubject that these men discussed which called for the cautious tonewhich Webb had adopted. Hepburn chuckled scornfully.

  "Hell, no!" he said. "Sam's the last one to double-cross us, 'speciallywhen Beck's on th' other side.

  "Somethin's got into him all right, but it ain't anything to hurt us.He's changed."

  "You know how he used to be, Dad, kind of a bully, always lookin' fortrouble. Well, it wasn't that he was quarrelsome like most mean menare. It was because he was afraid to be any other way. That was whatmade him abuse his horse that time; the pony had put a crimp in Sam an'th' only way Sam could work up his nerve to get aboard was to work himover unmerciful.

  "That give Beck his chance, an' he sure did comb poor Sam! It took allth' starch out of him, but that wasn't th' worst. It give everybodythat didn't like him a chance to rub it in, an' they sure done it!Sam's been a standin' joke ever since. They seem to look for chances toride him. Two-Bits ain't let him alone a minute when they was neartogether.

  "Sam used to swear he'd get both Two-Bits an' Beck, but he won't. Heain't that kind, I guess. Beck knocked what little sand he had left allout of him.

  "Somethin's changed him again, though ..."

  "You've rubbed it into him pretty strong yourself, Webb," Hepburnreminded.

  "Different reason." Webb waxed philosophical. "When a man's enemiesbother him it only drives him down; that is, a man like Sam. But whenhis friends ride him it's likely to put a little color in his liver.That's why I keep after him. I never did figure he'd try to get Beck inan open fight, but I used to think he might do it some other way.That's what I'd like to see him do!"--darkly.

  "Maybe he will. Somethin's changed him again, Webb. I tell you he'sbeen goin' around today like a man whose done somethin' big! It's asort of ... of confidence, you'd call it."

  "Mebby Hilton's got under his skin. He don't like Sam but he talks alot to him about Beck, quiet-like, as if it wasn't of much importance.Still, he keeps dingin' away at it."

  "Like he does to us about things, eh? Always sort of suggestin' untilyou go do somethin' that seems like a good play an' then, after awhile, wake up to realize that he was the one who started you on yourway!"

  Hilton came in and the four--the other riders were on the range--atetheir meal and talked lowly of the war they waged. That is, Hepburn andWebb talked. McKee listened; neither of the others bothered to addresshim or even consciously include him as an auditor.... And Hiltonlistened and watched McKee, his eyes speculative.

  "With th' tank gone that cuts down just so much on their range," Webbsaid, "an' it's plain they don't figure on usin' the Hole or they'd lettheir stuff drift in there as they've always done."

  "You don't want to be too sure that their stuff won't get into theHole," put in McKee with a nodding of his head.

  "I s'pose they put a man in the Gap to go to sleep, did they?" Webbreturned. "It was a good move on Beck's part. I wish to hell they wouldget by and perish of thirst. We'd keep 'em out of Cole's water, youbet! Beck's too wise to give us a chance, though."

  "Mebby he ain't so wise as he thinks," McKee insisted in that queer,lofty manner. "He put a man there all right, all right, but everybodyain't been asleep."

  Hepburn started to say something to Webb but was arrested by this.

  "What you got in your head, Sam?" he asked, with more intent than hehad used in questioning McKee in months.

  Sam felt himself assuming a sudden importance at this; his manner ofmystery and confidence had caught their interest and it was the firsttime he had so succeeded for long, the first time he had really been aninsider in the game they played. It was gratifying to know facts whichthey did not know; he cherished this superiority, so he said:

  "Never you mind what's in Sam's head. You've been figurin' I'm ahelpless sort of waddie for a long time but I guess you'll thinkdifferent when you find out some things I know!"

  Hepburn urged again but McKee was no more responsive so the older manput McKee's secretiveness down as pique, concealing nothing of value,and went on with the talk.

  Later in the evening Webb said:

  "Sure you didn't leave anything by the tank that'd give us away?"

  "Think I'm simple minded?" Hepburn countered.

  "It's a damn good thing not to be. That's th' first place they'll ridewhen th' round-up starts an' as soon as Beck hears the Tank's gonehe'll go over that place himself with a fine tooth comb. If he couldhang that on us it'd be all he'd need."

  "He can go over it with a microscope but he'll find nothin'!"

  "You sure he will?" McKee asked, rather breathlessly, his eyes lightedwith a peculiar glow.

  "Will what?"

  "Go there to look it over?"

  Hepburn snorted.

  "That's one thing you can be sure about Beck: he watches details an'don't let nothin' get away from him. He's always pryin' into thingshimself; he ain't satisfied to get his information second hand. A thinglike this, which has meant a lot to them ... why, he'll investigate ituntil he's found somethin' or hell freezes!"

  McKee sat back, staring at the floor, his hands limp in his lap. Stillthat strange light showed in his eyes and occasionally his lips movedas though he rehearsed a declaration to himself.... And Hilton,stretched on his bed, watched McKee.

  After a time Sam roused and rolled a cigarette with fingers that werenot just steady and sat smoking as he planned, already triumphing inanticipation. His eyes changed, and the lines of his face wereremoulded ... and Hilton watched.

  Late that evening McKee went out into the dooryard to be alone with thememory of the one stroke he had made and to continue his plans for themaster blow he was to make. But he was not alone. Hilton followed andspoke quietly over his shoulder, saying:

  "Yes, Sam, the chances are that he'll go to the tank alone."

  Whereupon the other started and whispered savagely:

  "How'd you know I was thinkin' _that?_"

  Hilton laughed lowly and put an arm across Sam's shoulders and theywalked at length in the darkness, talking, talking.... The Easternerlooked close into McKee's face and flattered and suggested andencouraged....