Crooked Trails and Straight

  CHAPTER XI

  A COMPROMISE

  Luck lay stretched full length on a bunk, his face, to the roof, a wreathof smoke from his cigar traveling slowly toward the ceiling into a filmyblue cloud which hung above him. He looked the personification of vigorousfull-blooded manhood at ease. Experience had taught him to take theexigencies of his turbulent life as they came, nonchalantly, to the eye ofan observer indifferently, getting all the comfort the situation had tooffer.

  By the table, facing him squarely, sat Jose Dominguez, a neatly builtMexican with snapping black eyes, a manner of pleasant suavity, and anever-ready smile that displayed a double row of shining white teeth. Thatsmile did not for an instant deceive Luck. He knew that Jose had no grudgeagainst him, that he was a very respectable citizen, and that he wouldregretfully shoot him full of holes if occasion called for so drastic atermination to their acquaintanceship. For Dominguez had a third interestin the C. F. ranch, and he was the last man in the world to sacrifice hisbusiness for sentiment. Having put the savings of a lifetime into thesheep business, he did not propose to let anybody deprive him of hisprofits either legally or illegally.

  Luck was talking easily, in the most casual and amiable of voices.

  "No, Dominguez, the way I look at it you and Cass got in bad this time.Here's the point. In this little vendetta of ours both sides were tryingto keep inside the law and win out. When you elected Bolt sheriff that wasone to you. When you took out that grazing permit and cut me off thereserve that was another time you scored heavy. A third time was when youbrought 'steen thousand of Mary's little lambs baaing across the desert.Well, I come back at you by deeding the Circle C to my girl and taking upthe Del Oro homestead. You contest and lose. Good enough. It's up to youto try another move."

  "_Si, Senor_, and we move immediate. We persuade you to visit us at oursummer mountain home where we can talk at leisure. We suggest acompromise."

  Luck grinned. "Your notion of a compromise and mine don't tally, Jose.Your idea is for me to give you the apple and stand by while you eat it.Trouble is that both parties to this quarrel are grabbers."

  "True, but Senor Cullison must remember his hands are tied behind him. Hewill perhaps not find the grabbing good," his opponent suggestedpolitely.

  "Come to that, your hands are tied too, my friend. You can't hold me hereforever. Put me out of business and the kid will surely settle your hashby proving up on the claim. What are you going to do about it?"

  "Since you ask me, I can only say that it depends on you. Sign therelinquishment, give us your word not to prosecute, and you may leave inthree hours."

  Cullison shook his head. "That's where you get in wrong. Buck up againstthe law and you are sure to lose."

  "If we lose you lose too," Dominguez answered significantly.

  The tinkle of hoofs from the river bed in the gulch below rose through theclear air. The Mexican moved swiftly to the door and presently waved ahandkerchief.

  "What gent are you wig-wagging to now?" Luck asked from the bed. "ThoughtI knew all you bold bad bandits by this time. Or is it Cass back again?"

  "Yes, it's Cass. There's someone with him too. It is a woman," the Mexicandiscovered in apparent surprise.

  "A woman!" Luck took the cigar from his mouth in vague unease. "What is hedoing here with a woman?"

  The Mexican smiled behind his open hand. "Your question anticipates mine,Senor. I too ask the same."

  The sight of his daughter in the doorway went through the cattleman with achilling shock. She ran forward and with a pathetic cry of joy threwherself upon him where he stood. His hands were tied behind him. Only bythe turn of his head and by brushing his unshaven face against hers couldhe answer her caresses. There was a look of ineffable tenderness on hisface, for he loved her more than anything else on earth.

  "Mr. Fendrick brought me," she explained when articulate expression waspossible.

  "He brought you, did he?" Luck looked across her shoulder at his enemy,and his eyes grew hard as jade.

  "Of my own free will," she added.

  "I promised you a better argument than those I'd given you. Miss Cullisonis that argument," Fendrick said.

  The cattleman's set face had a look more deadly than words. It toldFendrick he would gladly have killed him where he stood. For Luck knew hewas cornered and must yield. Neither Dominguez nor Blackwell would consentto let her leave otherwise.

  "He brought me here to have a talk with you, Dad. You must sign any paperhe wants you to sign."

  "And did he promise to take you back home after our talk?"

  "Miss Cullison would not want to leave as long as her father was here,"Fendrick answered for her glibly with a smile that said more than thewords.

  "I'm going to hold you responsible for bringing her here."

  Fendrick could not face steadily the eyes of his foe. They bored into himlike gimlets.

  "And responsible for getting her back home just as soon as I say theword," Luck added, the taut muscles standing out in his clenched jaw.

  "I expect your say-so won't be final in this matter, Luck. But I'll takethe responsibility. Miss Cullison will get home at the proper time."

  "I'm not going home till you do," the girl broke in. "Oh, Dad, we've beenso worried. You can't think."

  "You've played a rotten trick on me, Fendrick. I wouldn't have thought iteven of a sheepman."

  "No use you getting crazy with the heat, Cullison. Your daughter asked meto bring her here, and I brought her. Of course I'm not going to break myneck getting her home where she can 'phone Bolt or Bucky O'Connor and haveus rounded up. That ain't reasonable to expect. But I aim to do what'sright. We'll all have supper together like sensible folks. Then Jose and Iwill give you the cabin for the night if you'll promise not to attempt toescape. In the morning maybe you'll see things different."

  Fendrick calculated not without reason that the best thing to do would beto give Kate a chance for a long private talk with her father. Herinfluence would be more potent than any he could bring to bear.

  After supper the door of the cabin was locked and a sentry posted. Theprisoners were on parole, but Cass did not on that account relax hisvigilance. For long he and his partner could hear a low murmur of voicesfrom within the cabin. At length the lights went out and presently thevoices died. But all through the night one or the other of the sheepmenpatroled a beat that circled around and around the house.

  Fendrick did not broach the subject at issue next morning till afterbreakfast.

  "Well, what have you decided?" he asked at last.

  "Let's hear about that compromise. What is it you offer?" Luck demandedgruffly.

  "You sign the relinquishment and agree not to make us any trouble becausewe brought you here, and you may go by two o'clock."

  "You want to reach Saguache with the relinquishment in time to file itbefore I could get to a 'phone. You don't trust me."

  Fendrick smiled. "When we let you go we're trusting you a heap more thanwe would most men. But of course you're going to be sore about this and wedon't want to put temptation in your way."

  "I see. Well, I accept your terms. I'll make you no _legal_ trouble. But Itell you straight this thing ain't ended. It's only just begun. I'm goingto run you out of this country before I'm through with you."

  "Go to it. We'll see whether you make good."

  "Where is that paper you want me to sign?"

  Luck dashed off his signature and pushed the document from him. He hatedthe necessity that forced him to surrender. For himself he would have diedrather than give way, but he had to think of his daughter and of his boySam who was engaged in a plot to hold up a train.

  His stony eyes met those of the man across the table. "No need for me totell you what I think of this. A white man wouldn't have done such atrick. It takes sheepherders and greasers to put across a thing sodamnable as dragging a woman into a feud."

  Fendrick flushed angrily. "It's not my fault; you're a pigheaded obstinatechump. I used the only weapon
left me."

  Kate, standing straight and tall behind her father's chair, looked attheir common foe with uncompromising scorn. "He is not to blame, Dad. Hecan't help it because he doesn't see how despicable a thing he has done."

  Again the blood rushed to the face of the sheepman. "I reckon that willhold me hitched for the present, Miss Cullison. In the meantime I'll gofile that homestead entry of mine. Nothing like living up to the opinionyour friends have of you."

  He wheeled away abruptly, but as he went out of the door one word came tohim.

  "Friends!" Kate had repeated, and her voice told fully the contempt shefelt.

  At exactly two o'clock Dominguez set the Cullisons on the homeward road.He fairly dripped apologies for the trouble to which he and his friendshad been compelled to put them.

  Blackwell, who had arrived to take his turn as guard, stood in the doorwayand sulkily watched them go.

  SHE WAS THANKING GOD THE AFFAIR WAS ENDED]

  From the river bed below the departing guests looked up at the cabinhidden in the pines. The daughter was thanking God in her heart that theaffair was ended. Her father was vowing to himself that it had justbegun.