Chapter XIV
Personally Escorted
Before they reached the mouth of the canon, Dave was supporting theslack body of his friend. When the party came to the aspens, Beulahhurried forward, and by the time the two men emerged she was waitingfor them with Blacky.
Roy protested at taking the horse, but the girl cut short hisobjections imperiously.
"Do you think we've only your silly pride to consider? I want you outof the park--where my people can't reach you. I'm going to see you getout. After that I don't care what you do."
Moonlight fell upon the sardonic smile on the pitifully white face ofthe young man. "I'm to be personally conducted by the Queen ofHuerfano. That's great. I certainly appreciate the honor."
With the help of Dingwell he pulled himself to the saddle. Theexertion started a spurt of warm blood at the shoulder, but Royclenched his teeth and clung to the pommel to steady himself. Thecattleman led the horse and Beulah walked beside him.
"I can get another pony for you at Cameron's," she explained. "Justabove there is a short cut by way of Dolores Sinks. You ought to beacross the divide before morning. I'll show you the trail."
What story she told to get the horse from Cameron her companions didnot know, but from where they waited in the pines they saw theflickering light of a lantern cross to the stable. Presently Beulahrode up to them on the hillside above the ranch.
By devious paths she led them through chaparral and woodland.Sometimes they followed her over hills and again into gulches. Thegirl "spelled" Dingwell at riding the second horse, but whether in thesaddle or on foot her movements showed such swift certainty that Davewas satisfied she knew where she was going.
Twice she stopped to rest the wounded man, who was now clinging withboth hands to the saddle-horn. But the hard gleam of her dark eyesserved notice that she was moved by expediency and not sympathy.
It was midnight when at last she stopped near the entrance to the pass.
"The road lies straight before you over the divide. You can't miss it.Once on the other side keep going till you get into the foothills. Alltrails will take you down," she told Dingwell.
"We're a heap obliged to you, Miss Rutherford," answered Dingwell. "Ireckon neither one of us is liable to forget what you've done for us."
She flamed. "I've nothing against you, Mr. Dingwell, but you might aswell know that what I've done was for my people. I don't want them toget into trouble. If it hadn't been for that--"
"You'd 'a' done it just the same," the cattleman finished for her witha smile. "You can't make me mad to-night after going the limit for usthe way you have."
Beaudry, sagging over the horn of the saddle, added his word timidly,but the Rutherford girl would have none of his thanks.
"You don't owe me anything, I tell you. How many times have I got tosay that it is nothing to me what becomes of you?" she replied,flushing angrily. "All I ask is that you don't cross my path again.Next time I'll let Jess Tighe have his way."
"I didn't go into the park to spy on your people, Miss Rutherford. Iwent to--"
"I care nothing about why you came." The girl turned to Dingwell, herchin in the air. "Better let him rest every mile or two. I don't wanthim breaking down in our country after all the trouble I've taken."
"You may leave him to me. I'll look out for him," Dave promised.
"Just so that you don't let him get caught again," she added.
Her manner was cavalier, her tone almost savage. Without another wordshe turned and left them.
Dingwell watched her slim form disappear into the night.
"Did you ever see such a little thoroughbred?" he asked admiringly. "Itake off my hat to her. She's the gamest kid I ever met--and pretty asthey grow. Just think of her pulling off this getaway to-night. Itwas a man-size job, and that little girl never turned a hair from startto finish. And loyal! By Gad! Hal Rutherford hasn't earned fidelitylike that, even if he has been father and mother to her since she was ayear old. He'd ought to send her away from that hell-hole and give hera chance."
"What will they do to her when she gets back?"
Dave chuckled. "They can't do a thing. That's the beauty of it.There'll be a lot of tall cussing in Huerfano for a while, but afterHal has onloaded what's on his chest he'll stand between her and therest."
"Sure of that?"
"It's a cinch." The cattleman laughed softly. "But ain't she thelittle spitfire? I reckon she sure hates you thorough."
Roy did not answer. He was sliding from the back of his horse in afaint.
When Beaudry opened his eyes again, Dingwell was pouring water into hismouth from a canteen that had been hanging to the pommel of MissRutherford's saddle.
"Was I unconscious?" asked the young man in disgust.
"That's whatever. Just you lie there, son, whilst I fix these bandagesup for you again."
The cattleman moistened the hot cloths with cold water and rearrangedthem.
"We ought to be hurrying on," Roy suggested, glancing anxiously downthe steep ascent up which they had ridden.
"No rush a-tall," Dave assured him cheerfully. "We got all the timethere is. Best thing to do is to loaf along and take it easy."
"But they'll be on our trail as soon as they know we've gone. They'llforce Miss Rutherford to tell which way we came."
Dingwell grinned. "Son, did you ever look into that girl's eyes? Theylook right at you, straight and unafraid. The Huerfano Park outfitwill have a real merry time getting her to tell anything she doesn'twant to. When she gets her neck bowed, I'll bet she's some sot. Mightas well argue with a government mule. She'd make a right interestingwife for some man, but he'd have to be a humdinger to hold his endup--six foot of man, lots of patience, and sense enough to know he'dmarried a woman out of 'steen thousand."
Young Beaudry was not contemplating matrimony. His interest just nowwas centered in getting as far from the young woman and her relativesas possible.
"When young Rutherford finds he has been sold, there will be the deuceto pay," urged Roy.
"Will there? I dunno. Old man Rutherford ain't going to be so awfullykeen to get us back on his hands. We worried him a heap. Miss Beulahlifted two heavy weights off'n his mind. I'm one and you're the other.O' course, he'll start the boys out after us to square himself withTighe and Meldrum. He's got to do that. They're sure going to be busybees down in the Huerfano hive. The Rutherford boys are going to do alot of night-riding for quite some time. But I expect Hal won't givethem orders to bring us in dead or alive. There is no premium on ourpelts."
Roy spent a nervous half-hour before his friend would let him mountagain--and he showed it. The shrewd eyes of the old cattlemanappraised him. Already he guessed some of the secrets of this youngman's heart.
Dave swung to the left into the hills so as to get away from the beatentrails after they had crossed the pass. He rode slowly, with a carefuleye upon his companion. Frequently he stopped to rest in spite ofRoy's protests.
Late in the afternoon they came to a little mountain ranch owned by anester who had punched cattle for Dave in the old days. Now he wasdoing a profitable business himself in other men's calves. He hadstarted with a branding-iron and a flexible conscience. He still hadboth of them, together with a nice little bunch of cows that beat theworld's records for fecundity.
It was not exactly the place Dingwell would have chosen to go intohiding, but he had to take what he could get. Roy, completelyexhausted, was already showing a fever. He could not possibly travelfarther.
With the casual confidence that was one of his assets Dave swung fromhis horse and greeted the ranchman.
"'Lo, Hart! Can we roost here to-night? My friend got thrown and hurthis shoulder. He's all in."
The suspicious eyes of the nester passed over Beaudry and came back toDingwell.
"I reckon so," he said, not very graciously. "We're not fixed forcompany, but if you'll put up with what we've got--"
br /> "Suits us fine. My friend's name is Beaudry. I'll get him right tobed."
Roy stayed in bed for forty-eight hours. His wound was only a slightone and the fever soon subsided. The third day he was sunning himselfon the porch. Dave had gone on a little jaunt to a water-hole to shoothooters for supper. Mrs. Hart was baking bread inside. Her husbandhad left before daybreak and was not yet back. He was looking forstrays, his wife said.
In the family rocking-chair Roy was reading a torn copy of "MartinChuzzlewit." How it had reached this haven was a question, since itwas the only book in the house except a Big Creek bible, as thecatalogue of a mail-order house is called in that country. Beaudryresented the frank, insolent observations of Dickens on the manners ofAmericans. In the first place, the types were not true to life. Inthe second place--
The young man heard footsteps coming around the corner of the house.He glanced up carelessly--and his heart seemed to stop beating.
He was looking into the barrel of a revolver pointed straight at him.Back of the weapon was the brutal, triumphant face of Meldrum. It wasset in a cruel grin that showed two rows of broken, tobacco-stainedteeth.
"By God! I've got you. Git down on yore knees and beg, Mr. Spy. I'mgoing to blow yore head off in just thirty seconds."
Not in his most unbridled moments had Dickens painted a bully soappalling as this one. This man was a notorious "killer" and the lustof murder was just now on him. Young Beaudry's brain reeled. It wasonly by an effort that he pulled himself back from the unconsciousnessinto which he was swimming.