CHAPTER XV
STEVE WINS A HAM SANDWICH
Yeager was roused from sleep next morning by a knock at the door. Hisvisitor was Fleming Lennox, leading man of the company.
"Say, Steve, what about Threewit and Farrar? I just telephoned to theLazy B Ranch and the foreman says his boys did not run across them. Youknow what that means. They've reached old Pasquale's camp."
Yeager sat up in bed and whistled softly to himself. This was acontingency he had not foreseen. What would the Mexican chief do to twoof the range-rider's friends who delivered themselves into his hands soopportunely? Steve did not think he would kill them offhand, but he wasvery sure they would not be at liberty to return home. Moreover,Harrison would be on the ground, eager for revenge. The prizefighternever had liked Farrar. He had sworn to get even with Threewit. An addedincentive to this course was the fact that he knew them both to be onvery good terms with his chief enemy. Without doubt Chad would do hisbest to stimulate the insurgent leader to impulsive violence.
The man in bed concealed his apprehension under a comical grin. "Thislife's just one damned thing after another, looks like," he commented."I didn't figure on that. I thought sure the boys would bump intoThreewit. That slip-up surely spills the beans."
"You don't think even Pasquale would dare hurt them, do you?" askedLennox anxiously.
"Search me. Pasquale's boiled in p'ison, especially when he is drunk.He'd do whatever he had a mind to do."
"What's the matter with us sending a messenger down there with a fakewire from the old man to Threewit telling him to hustle up and get busyright away on a feature film? Pasquale would have to show his hand,anyhow. We'd know where we were at."
Yeager assented. "He'd have to turn them loose or hold them. But even ifhe turned them loose, he might arrange to have them accidentally killedby bandits before they reached home. Still, it would put one thing rightup to him--that their friends know where they are and are ready to sickUncle Sam on him if he don't act proper."
Manderson, Miss Winters, and Daisy Ellington were called into councilafter breakfast. The situation was canvassed from all sides, but in theend they stood where they had been at the beginning. Nobody felt surewhat Pasquale would do or knew whether the visitors at his camp wouldbe detained as prisoners. The original suggestion of Lennox seemed thebest under the circumstances.
Old Juan Yuste was brought in from the stables and given the telegram.He was told nothing except that it was urgent that Threewit get themessage as soon as possible. The five-dollar gold-piece which Lennoxtossed to the Mexican drew a grin that exposed a mouth half empty ofteeth.
In the absence of both Threewit and Farrar the business of producingfilms was at a standstill. The members of the company took an enforcedholiday. Manderson read a novel. Daisy wrote letters. Lennox and MissWinters went for a long stroll. Steve helped Baldy Cummings mend brokensaddles and other property stuff. The extras played poker.
Juan returned late in the evening on the second day. He brought with hima letter addressed to Lennox. It was from Pasquale. The message waswritten in English. It said:--
Greetings, senor. Your friends are the guests of General Pasquale. They came to Noche Buena to find one Senor Yeager. They are resolved to stay here until he is found by them, even though they remain till the day of their death.
The note was signed, "Siempre, Gabriel Pasquale."
After reading, it, Yeager handed the note back to Lennox and spokequietly.
"Pasquale passes the buck up to me. I've been thinking he might dothat."
"You mean--?"
"--That he serves notice he's going to kill our friends if I don't givemyself up to him."
"But would he? Dare he?"
Yeager shrugged. "It will happen in the usual Mexican way--killed byaccident while trying to escape, or else ambushed by Federals on thedesert while coming home, according to the story that will be dished upto the papers. He will be full of regrets and apologies to ourGovernment, but that won't help Threewit or Frank any."
"Don't you think he's bluffing? Pasquale hasn't a thing against eitherof them. He surely wouldn't murder them in cold blood."
"I don't know whether he is or not. But it's up to me to sit in and takecards. They went down to Noche Buena on my account. I'm going down ontheirs."
Lennox stared incredulously at him. "You don't mean you're going to giveyourself up. Pasquale would hang up your hide to dry."
"That's just what he would do, after he had boiled me in oil or given mesome other pleasant diversion. No, I reckon I'll not give myself up.I'll join his army again."
"I give it up, Steve. Tell me the answer."
"As a private this time."
"Fat chance you'll have, with Friend Harrison there to spot you, not tomention the old boy himself and Culvera."
"It won't be Steve Yeager that joins. It will be a poor peon from thehills named Pedro or Juan or Pablo."
"You're going to rig up as a Mexican?"
"Some guesser, Lennox."
"You can't put it over, not with your face looking like a poundedbeefsteak. I judge you don't know what an Exhibit A you are at present.The first time Chad looked at you, he would recognize the result of hisuppercuts and swings."
"So he would. I'll have to wait a week or so. Send Juan back to Pasqualeand tell him you hear I'm in the Lone Star country where I used topunch. Say you've sent for me with an offer to take Harrison's place inthe company, and that if I come you'll arrange with him to have me takenby his men while we're doing a set near the line. He'll fall for thatbecause he'll be so keen to get me that any chance will look good tohim. You'll have to give Juan a tip not to let it out I'm here."
"What can you do if you get into Pasquale's camp as one of his men?"
"I don't know. Something will turn up."
"You're taking a big chance, Steve."
"Not because I want to. But I've got to do what I can for the boys. Thisain't just the time for a 'watchful waiting' policy, seems to me. Ifyou've got anything better to offer, I'm agreeable to listen."
"The only thing I can think of is to appeal to Uncle Sam."
"That won't get us much. But there's no harm in trying. Have the old manstir up a big dust at Washington. After plenty of red tape an officialrepresentation will be made to Pasquale. He will lie himself black inthe face. More correspondence. More explanations. Finally, if theprisoners are still alive, they will start home. Mebbe they'll get here.Mebbe they won't."
"Then you don't think it's worth trying?"
"Sure I do. Every little helps. It might make Pasquale sit steady in theboat till I get a chance to pull off something."
When Daisy Ellington heard of the plan she went straight to Yeager.
"What's this I hear about you committing suicide?" she demanded.
"News to me, compadre," smiled the puncher.
"You're not really going down there to shove your head into that den ofwolves, are you?" Without waiting for an answer she pushed on to aprediction. "Because if you do, they'll surely snap it off."
"Wish you'd change your brand of prophecy, nina. You see, this is theonly head I've got. I'm some partial to it."
"Then you had better keep away from that old Pasquale and Chad Harrison.Don't be foolish, Steve." She caught the lapels of his coat and shookhim fondly. "If you don't know when you're well off, your friends do.We're not going to let you go."
"Threewit and Farrar," he reminded her.
"They'll have to take their chance. Besides, Pasquale isn't going tohurt them. There wouldn't be any sense in it. So there's no use usgetting panicky."
"I don't reckon I'm exactly panicky, Daisy. But it won't do to forgetthat Pasquale is one bad hombre. Harrison is another, and he's got it infor the boys. We can't lie down and quit on them, can we? I notice theydidn't do that with me."
"What good will it do for you to go and get trapped too? It's differentwith you. They've got it in for you down there. It's just foolhardinessfor you to go
back," she told him sharply.
"You're sure some little boss," he laughed. "I'm willing to bereasonable. If I can prove to you that I stand a good chance to pull itoff down at Noche Buena, will you feel different about it?"
"Yes, if you can--but you can't," she agreed, flashing at him theprovocative little smile that was one of her charms.
"Bet you a box of chocolates against a ham sandwich I can."
"You're on," she nodded airily.
"Better order that ham sandwich," he advised, mocking her lazily withhis friendly eyes.
"Oh, I don't know. You're not so much, Cactus Center. I expect to beeating chocolates soon."
Her gay audacity always pleased him. He settled himself for explanationssoberly, but back of his gravity lay laughter.
"You've got the wrong hunch on me. I ain't any uneducated sheepherder.Don't run away with that notion. Me, I went through the first year ofthe High School at Tucson. I know all about _amo, amas, amat_, and howto make a flying tackle. Course oncet in a while I slip up in grammar.There's heap too much grammar in the world, anyhow. It plumb chokes up aman's language."
"All right, Steve. Show me. I'm from Joplin, Missouri. When are yougoing to do all this proving?"
"We won't set a date. Some time before I leave."
Yeager walked from the studio to his rooming-place. Ruth Seymour met himon the porch and stopped him. It was the first time he had seen hersince their return.
"Is it true--what Mr. Manderson says--that you are going back to NocheBuena?" she flung at him.
"I'm certainly getting on the society page," he laughed. "Manderson hasa pretty good reputation. I shouldn't wonder if what he says is true."
The face beneath the crown of soft black hair was colorless except forthe trembling lips.
"Why? Why must you go? You've just escaped from there with your life.Are you mad?"
"Look here, Miss Ruth. I've just had a roundup with Miss Ellington aboutthis. I'm going to take a whirl at rescuing our friends. Pasquale can'tput over such a raw deal without getting a run for his money from me.I'm going back there because it's up to me to go. There are some thingsa man can't do. He can't quit when his friends need him."
She was standing in the doorway, her head leaning against the jamb sothat the fine curve of the throat line showed a beating pulse. Somethingin the pose of the slim, graceful figure told him of repressed emotion.
"That is absurd, Mr. Yeager. You can't do anything for them if you go."
"Everybody sizes me up for a buzzard-head," he complained whimsically.
The gravity did not lift from her young, quick eyes.
"If you go they'll kill you," she said in a voice as dry as a whisper.
"Sho! Nothing to that. I'm going down disguised. I'll be safe enough."
"I suppose ... nothing can keep you from going." A sob choked up in herthroat as she spoke.
"No. I've got to go."
"You think you have a right to play at dice with your life! Don't yourfriends count with you at all?"
"It's because they do that I'm going," he answered gently.
Her troubled eyes rested on his. The protest in her heart was stillurgent, but she dared go no further. Some instinct of maidenly reticencecurbed the passionate rebellion against his decision. If she said more,she might say too much. With a swift, sinuous turn of the slender bodyshe ran into the house and left him standing there.
* * * * *
Daisy sat at one end of the pergola mending a glove. It was in thepleasant cool of the evening just as dusk was beginning to fall. A lightbreeze rustled the rose-leaves and played with the tendrils of her soft,wavy hair. The coolness was grateful after the heat of an Arizona day.
The front gate creaked. A man was coming in, a Mexican of the peonclass. He moved up the walk toward her with a slight limp. As he drewcloser, she observed negligently that he was of early middle age,ragged, and of course dirty. Age and lack of soap had so dyed his serapethat the original color was quite gone.
He bowed to her with the native courtesy that belongs to even the peonsof his race. A swift patter of Spanish fell from his lips.
Miss Ellington shook her head. "No sabe Espanol."
The man gushed into a second eruption of liquid vowels, accompanied thistime by gestures which indicated that he wanted food.
The young woman nodded, went into the house, and secured from Mrs.Seymour a plate of broken fragments left over from supper. With this anda cup of coffee she returned to the pergola.
"Gracias, senorita." The shining black poll of the man bowed over thedonation as he accepted it.
He sat cross-legged among the roses and ate what had been given him.Daisy observed critically that his habit of eating was not at all nice.He discarded the fork she had brought, using only the knife and hisfingers. The meat he tore apart and devoured ravenously, cramming itwolfishly into his mouth as fast as he could. A few days before she hadfallen into an argument with Steve Yeager about the civilization of theMexicans. She wished he could see this specimen.
The man spoke, after he had cleaned the plate, licked up the gravy, andgulped down the coffee. His words fell in a slow drawl, not in Spanish,but in English.
"Don't you reckon mebbe I could get a ham sandwich too?"
The actress jumped. "Steve, you fraud!" she screamed, and flew at him.
"Do I win?" he asked, protecting himself as he backed away.
"Of course you do. Why haven't we been using you up stage in the Mexicansets? You're perfect. How did you ever get your hair so slick andblack?"
"I've been studying make-ups since I joined the Lunar Company," he toldher.
"How about your Spanish? Is it good enough to pass muster?"
"I learned to jabber it when I was a year old before I did English."
"Then you'll do. I defy even Harrison to recognize you."
He gave her his Mexican bow. "Gracias, senorita."