Chapter XXVIII
Pat Ryan Evens an Old Score
Dingwell, the coffee-pot in one hand and a tin cup in the other, hailedhis partner cheerfully. "Come over here, son, and tell me who youtraded yore boots to."
"You and Brad been taking a mud bath, Mr. Beaudry?" asked one of theLazy Double D riders.
Roy told them, with reservations, the story of the past twenty-fourhours. Dave listened, an indifferent manner covering a quick interest.His young friend had done for himself a good stroke of business. Therecould no longer be any question of the attitude of the Rutherfordstoward him, since he had been of so great service to Beulah. Charltonhad renounced his enmity, the ground cut from beneath his feet. Wordhad reached camp only an hour before of the death of Tighe. This leftof Beaudry's foes only Hart, who did not really count, and Dan Meldrum,at the present moment facing starvation in a prospect hole. On thewhole, it had been a surprisingly good twenty-four hours for Roy. Hispartner saw this, though he did not know the best thing Roy had won outof it.
"Listens fine," the old-timer commented when the young man had finished.
"Can you rustle me a pair of boots from one of the boys, Dave? Sizenumber eight. I've got to run back up Del Oro to-day."
"Better let me go, son," Dave proposed casually.
"No. It's my job to turn the fellow loose."
"Well, see he doesn't get the drop on you. I wouldn't trust him far asI could throw a bull by the tail."
Dingwell departed to borrow the boots and young Rutherford came over toBeaudry. Out of the corner of his eye Roy observed that Beulah wastalking with the little Irish puncher, Pat Ryan.
Rutherford plunged awkwardly into his thanks. His sister had made onlya partial confidant of him, but he knew that she was under obligationsto Beaudry for the rescue from Meldrum. The girl had not dared tellher brother that the outlaw was still within his reach. She knew howimpulsively his anger would move to swift action.
"We Rutherfords ain't liable to forget this, Mr. Beaudry. Dad has been'most crazy since Boots disappeared. He'll sure want to thank youhimself soon as he gets a chance," blurted Ned.
"I happened to be the lucky one to find her; that's all," Roydepreciated.
"Sure. I understand. But you did find her. That's the point. Dadwon't rest easy till he's seen you. I'm going to take sis right homewith me. Can't you come along?"
Roy wished he could, but it happened that he had other fish to fry. Heshook his head reluctantly.
Dingwell returned with a pair of high-heeled cowpuncher's boots. "Trythese on, son. They belong to Dusty. The lazy hobo wasn't up yet. Ifthey fit you, he'll ride back to the ranch in his socks."
After stamping about in the boots to test them, Roy decided that theywould do. "They fit like a coat of paint," he said.
"Say, son, I'm going to hit the trail with you on that little jaunt youmentioned," his partner announced definitely.
Roy was glad. He had of late been fed to repletion with adventure. Hedid not want any more, and with Dingwell along he was not likely tomeet it. Already he had observed that adventures generally do not cometo the adventurous, but to the ignorant and the incompetent. Davemoved with a smiling confidence along rough trails that would haveworried his inexperienced partner. To the old-timer these difficultieswere not dangers at all, because he knew how to meet them easily.
They rode up Del Oro by the same route Roy and Beulah had followed theprevious night. Before noon they were close to the prospect hole whereRoy had left the rustler. The sound of voices brought them up in theirtracks.
They listened. A whine was in one voice; in the other was crispcommand.
"Looks like some one done beat us to it," drawled Dingwell. "We'llmove on and see what's doing."
They topped the brow of a hill.
A bow-legged little man with his back to them was facing Dan Meldrum.
"I'm going along with yez as far as the border. You'll keep movinglively till ye hit the hacienda of old Porf. Diaz. And you'll staythere. Mind that now, Dan. Don't--"
The ex-convict broke in with the howl of a trapped wolf. "You've liedto me. You brought yore friends to kill me."
The six-gun of the bad man blazed once--twice. In answer the revolverof the bandy-legged puncher barked out, fired from the hip. Meldrumstaggered, stumbled, pitched forward into the pit. The man who hadkilled him walked slowly forward to the edge and looked down. He stoodpoised for another shot if one should prove necessary.
Dave joined him.
"He's dead as a stuck shote, Pat," the cattleman said gravely.
Ryan nodded. "You saw he fired first, Dave."
"Yes." After a moment he added: "You've saved the hangman a job, Pat.I don't know anybody Washington County could spare better. There'll beno complaint, I reckon."
The little Irishman shook his head. "That would go fine if you hadshot him, Dave, or if Mr. Beaudry here had. But with me it'sdifferent. I've been sivinteen years living down a reputation as ahellion. This ain't going to do me any good. Folks will say it was acase of one bad man wiping out another. They'll say I've gone back tobeing a gunman. I'll be in bad sure as taxes."
Dingwell looked at him, an idea dawning in his mind. Why not keep fromthe public the name of the man who had shot Meldrum? The position ofthe wound and the revolver clenched in the dead man's hand would showhe had come to his end in fair fight. The three of them might sign astatement to the effect that one of them had killed the fellow in openbattle. The doubt as to which one would stimulate general interest.No doubt the gossips would settle on Beaudry as the one who had doneit. This would still further enhance his reputation as a good man withwhom not to pick trouble.
"Suits me if it does Roy," the cattleman said, speaking his thoughtsaloud. "How about it, son? Pat is right. This will hurt him, but itwouldn't hurt you or me a bit. Say the word and all three of us willrefuse to tell which one shot Meldrum."
"I'm willing," Roy agreed. "And I've been looking up ancient history,Mr. Ryan. I don't think you were as bad as you painted yourself to meonce. I'm ready to shake hands with you whenever you like."
The little Irishman flushed. He shook hands with shining eyes.
"That's why I was tickled when Miss Beulah asked me to come up and turnloose that coyote. It's a God's truth that I hoped he'd fight. Iwanted to do you a good bit of wolf-killing if I could. And I've doneit . . . and I'm not sorry. He had it coming if iver a man had."
"Did you say that Beulah Rutherford sent you up here?" asked Roy.
"She asked me to come. Yis."
"Why?"
"I can only guess her reasons. She didn't want you to come and shecouldn't ask Ned for fear he would gun the fellow. So she just pickedon a red-headed runt of an Irishman."
"While we're so close, let's ride across to Huerfano Park," suggestedDave. "I haven't been there in twenty years."
That suited Roy exactly. As they rode across the hills his mind wasfull of Beulah. She had sent Ryan up so that he could get Meldrum awaybefore her lover arrived. Was it because she was afraid Roy might showthe white feather? Or was it because she feared for his safety? Hewished he knew.
Chapter XXIX
A New Leaf
Hal Rutherford himself met the three riders as they drew up at thehorse ranch. He asked no verbal questions, but his eyes rangedcuriously from one to another.
"'Light, gentlemen. I been wanting to see you especially, Mr.Beaudry," he said.
"I reckon you know where we've been, Hal," answered Dave after he haddismounted.
"I reckon."
"We got a little news for public circulation. You can pass the wordamong the boys. Dan Meldrum was shot three hours ago beside the pitwhere Miss Beulah was imprisoned. His body is in the prospect holenow. You might send some lads with spades to bury him."
"One of you shot him."
"You done guessed it, Hal. One of us helped him out of that pitintending to see he hit the
dust to Mexico. Dan was loaded to theguards with suspicions. He chose to make it a gun-play. Fired twice.The one of us that took him out of the pit fired back and dropped himfirst crack. All of us saw the affair. It happened just as I've toldyou."
"But which of you--?"
"That's the only point we can't remember. It was one of us, but we'veforgotten which one."
"Suits me if it does you. I'll thank all three of you, then."Rutherford cleared his throat and plunged on. "Boys, to-day kindermakes an epoch in Huerfano Park. Jess Tighe died yesterday and DanMeldrum to-day. They were both bad citizens. There were others of usthat were bad citizens, too. Well, it's right-about face for us. Wetravel broad trails from now on. Right now the park starts in to makea new record for itself."
Dave offered his hand, and with it went the warm smile that made himthe most popular man in Washington County. "Listens fine, Hal. I suream glad to hear you say so."
"I niver had any kick against the Rutherfords. They were open andaboveboard, anyhow, in all their diviltry," contributed Ryan to thepact of peace.
Nobody looked at Roy, but he felt the weight of their thoughts. Allfour of them bore in mind the death of John Beaudry. His son spokequietly.
"Mr. Rutherford, I've been thinking of my father a good deal these lastfew days. I want to do as he would have me do about this thing. I'mnot going to chop my words. He gave his life to bring law and orderinto this country, The men who killed him were guilty of murder.That's an ugly word, but it's the true one."
The grim face of the big hillman did not twitch. "I'll take the wordfrom you. Go on."
"But I've been thinking more and more that he would want me to forgetthat. Tighe and Meldrum are gone. Sheriff Beaudry worked for the goodof the community. That is all he asked. It is for the best interestof Washington County that we bury the past. If you say so, I'll shakehands on that and we'll all face to the future. Just as you say."
Dingwell grinned. "Hooray! Big Chief Dave will now make oration.You've got the right idea, son. I knew Jack Beaudry. There wasn't anatom of revenge in his game body. His advice would have been to shakehands. That's mine, too."
The hillman and Roy followed it.
Upon the porch a young woman appeared.
"I've written those letters for you, dad," she called.
Roy deserted the peace conference at once and joined her.
"Oh! I didn't know it was you," she cried. "I'm so glad you came thisway. Was it . . . all right?"
"Right as the wheat. Why did you send Pat up Del Oro?"
She looked at him with eyes incredibly kind and shy. "Because I . . .didn't want to run any chance of losing my new beau."
"Are you sure that was your only reason?"
"Certain sure. I didn't trust Meldrum, and . . . I thought you hadtaken chances enough with him. So I gave Mr. Ryan an opportunity."
"He took it," her lover answered gravely.
She glanced at him quickly. "You mean--?"
"Never mind what I mean now. We've more important things to talkabout. I haven't seen you for eight hours, and thirty-three minutes."
Rutherford turned his guests over to Ned, who led the way to thestable. The ranchman joined the lovers. He put an arm around Beulah.
"Boots has done told me about you two, Mr. Beaudry. I'm eternallygrateful to you for bringing back my little girl to me, and if you allfeel right sure you care for each other I've got nothing to say but'God bless you.' You're a white man. You're decent. I believe you'llbe kind to her."
"I'm going to try to the best I know, Mr. Rutherford."
"You'd better, young man." The big rancher swallowed a lump in histhroat and passed to another phase of the subject. "Boots was tellingme about how it kinder stuck in yore craw to marry the daughter of HalRutherford, seeing as how things happened the way they did. Well, I'mgoing to relieve yore mind. She's the one that has got the forgivingto do, not you. She knew it all the time, too, but she didn't tell it.Beulah is the daughter of my brother Anse. I took her from the arms ofher dying mother when she was a little trick that couldn't crawl.She's not the daughter of the man that shot yore father. She's thedaughter of the man yore father shot."
"Oh!" gasped Roy.
Beulah went to her lover arrow-swift.
"My dear . . . my dear! What does it matter now? Dad says my fatherwas killed in fair fight. He had set himself against the law. It tookhis life. Your father didn't."
"But--"
"Oh, his was the hand. But he was sheriff. He did only his duty.That's true, isn't it, dad?"
"I reckon."
Her strong young hands gripped tightly those of her lover. She lookedproudly into his eyes with that little flare of feminine ferocity inhers.
"I won't have it any other way, Roy Beaudry. You're the man I'm goingto marry, the man who is going to be the father of my children if Godgives me any. No blood stands between us--nothing but the memory ofbrave men who misunderstood each other and were hurt because of it.Our marriage puts an end forever to even the memory of the wrong theydid each other. That is the way it is to me--and that's the way it hasgot to be to you, too."
Roy laughed softly, tears in his eyes. As he looked at her eager youngbeauty the hot life in his pulses throbbed. He snatched her to himwith an ardor as savage as her own.
THE END
OF THE BEGINNING
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