CHAPTER II.
IN THE HANDS OF CIMARRON BILL.
A shout quickly brought an answer.
"Gentlemen," said Frank, "I'm for a parley. What say you?"
"We're willing. Parley away."
"If you were to get those papers I suppose you would feel yourselvesperfectly well satisfied?"
"I reckon you've hit it good an' fair."
"Such being the case, if I come forth with hands up and empty, I take ityou won't take the trouble to shoot me up any?"
"None at all," was the assurance promptly given. "If you comes out likethat, you has our promise not to do any shooting whatever."
"And how about the gentlemen below?"
"They'll do no shootin' unless you goes that way."
"Is this all on the square?"
"You bet! Bring out that old redskin with ye, an' let him keep his handsup, too."
"I think you've made a mistake, gentlemen; there is no redskin with me.I am quite alone."
"We knows better! Ye can't play any tricks on us!"
"I am willing to convince you. Just keep your fingers off yourtriggers. Watch me as close as you like. I'm coming!"
Having said this, he left his rifle lying on the ground and rose to hisfeet with his hands held open above his head.
It must be confessed that he did not do this without some doubtconcerning the result, for he knew those ruffians were very treacherous;but somehow he was satisfied that they had been instructed to obtain thepapers, if possible, without killing him, and that belief led him to runthe risk that he now faced.
He was ready to drop instantly if they fired as he arose into view. Amoment he stood quite still, and then, as no shot rang out, he steppedthrough amid the boulders and walked boldly up the ravine.
In this manner, Frank walked straight into the midst of a party of ninethoroughbred frontier desperadoes, who were waiting for him, with theirweapons in their hands.
The leader was a thin, dark-faced, fierce-looking man, who covered Merrywith a revolver.
"I rather 'lowed you'd come to it," he said, in satisfaction. "But Itold ye to bring that old Injun along."
"And I told you there was no Indian with me. I spoke the truth."
"Say, youngster, did you ever hear of Cimarron Bill?"
Frank looked the fellow over with his calm eyes. He saw a cruel,straight slit of a mouth, a thin black mustache, with traces of gray,and sharp, cruel eyes, set altogether too near together. He had heardof Cimarron Bill as the most dangerous "man-killer" in all theSouthwest.
"Yes," he said quietly, "I have heard of him."
"Well, you're lookin' at him. I'm Cimarron Bill. The butts of my gunshave seventeen notches in 'em. You may make the eighteenth."
Merriwell knew what the ruffian meant, yet he showed no signs of fear.
"I have heard," he said, "that Cimarron Bill has never yet shot a man incold blood or one who was unarmed."
"I opine that's right, young man; but this case is a leetle different.It's not healthy to irk me up under any conditions, and so I advise youto go slow."
Frank smiled.
"I have no desire or intention of irking you up, sir," he said. "I amgiving you straight goods. There is no Indian with me."
"There was last night."
"Yes."
"Well, I don't opine he's melted into the air or sunk into the ground,an' tharfore he has to be yander behind them rocks."
"I give you my word, sir, that he is not there, and has not been theresince last night."
The ruffians had gathered about and were listening to this talk.Picturesque scoundrels they were, armed to the teeth and looking fit forany job of bloodshed or murder. They glared at the cool youth standingso quietly in their midst; but he seemed perfectly at his ease.
"Sam," said the leader, turning to one of them, "go out yander to themthar rocks an' look round for that redskin."
Sam, a squat, red-headed desperado, seemed to hesitate.
"What ef the Injun is waitin' thar to shoot me up some as I comesamblin' along?" he asked.
"Go!" said Cimarron Bill, in a tone cold as ice. "If the Injun shootsyou, we'll riddle this here young gent with bullets."
"Which won't do me good none whatever," muttered Sam; but he knew betterthan to disobey or hesitate longer, and so, dropping his rifle into thehollow of his left arm, he stepped out and advanced toward the spotwhere Merriwell had been ensconced behind the boulders.
The brutal band watched and waited. Cimarron Bill surveyed the face ofFrank Merriwell, more than half-expecting the youth would call for Samto come back, knowing the fate that would befall him in case the Indianbegan to shoot.
But Sam walked straight up to the boulders, clambered onto them, andlooked over into the hiding-place that had served Frank so well.
"Derned ef thar's ary livin' critter hyer!" he shouted back.
"Make sure," called the leader, in that metallic voice of his, whichwas so hard on the nerves. "Don't make no mistake."
Sam sprang down behind the boulders. They saw his head moving about,but, very soon, he clambered back over them and came walking rapidlyaway.
"The varmint is sartin gone," he averred.
Immediately Cimarron Bill thrust his cocked revolver against FrankMerriwell's temple.
"Tell us where the Injun is!" he commanded. "Speak quick and straight,or I'll blow the top of your head off!"
"I am unable to tell you just where he is at present," said Frank, withthat perfect coolness that so astonished the desperadoes. "He left melast night."
"Left you?"
"Yes."
"How? We had this side guarded, an' ther boys below kept close watch."
"All the same, I think Joe Crowfoot passed you. How he did it I do notknow. He told me he could."
The leader of the ruffians looked as if he was not yet willing tobelieve such a thing had happened; but there no longer seemed muchchance for doubt.
"Then it must have been that red whelp who stole one of our hosses!" hesaid.
"I think it was," nodded Merry. "Something like two hours after he leftme I heard a commotion this way, followed by some shooting and the soundof a galloping horse, which died out in the distance."
Some of the men began to swear, but Bill silenced them with one swiftlook from his evil eyes.
"Well, that sure is the limit!" he observed, trying to hide some of hisdisgust. "We didn't opine a kitten could sneak past us without beingseen an' shot up."
"A kitten might not," said Frank. "But old Joe Crowfoot should becompared with a serpent. He has all the wisdom and craft of one. Idepended on him, and he did not fail me."
"Where has he gone? State it--state it almighty sudden!"
"If he followed instructions, he has gone to Holbrook."
"For what?"
"To send a message for me to my brother."
"A message? What sort of a message?"
"A letter and some papers."
"Papers?" said Cimarron Bill, in a low, threatening tone. "What papers?"
"Certain papers referring to the Queen Mystery and San Pablo Mines,which I own."
A look of disappointed rage contorted the cruel face of the murderousruffian. The lips were pressed together until they appeared to make onestraight line no wider than the thin blade of a knife. The eyelidsclosed to narrow slits, while that dark face turned to a bluish tinge.
Many times had Frank Merriwell stood in deadly peril of his life; but,looking at that man then, he well knew that never had his danger beengreater. Still, if he regretted his act in walking forth andsurrendering himself into the hands of such a creature he effectuallyconcealed it. He betrayed not a whit of trepidation or alarm, which wasa masterly display of nerve.
The ruffians began to murmur fiercely, like the growling of so manywolves. Perhaps it was to this outbreak that Merry owed his life, forthe leader suddenly bade them be silent, and the sounds ceased.
"So you sent those papers off by that old redskin, did you?" asked Bi
ll.
"I did."
"And you have the nerve to come out here and tell me that! If you hadknown me better, you would have stayed, and choked and starved, or evenshot yourself behind those rocks, before doing such a thing!"
Merriwell made no retort, for he felt that too many words would beindiscreet. This man was capable of any atrocity, and another strawmight break the camel's back.
"Mr. Merriwell," said the ruffian, "I came here for them papers, and I'mgoin' to have them!"
"You may take my life," said Merry; "but that will not give you thepapers. In fact, it will utterly defeat the object of those men who haveemployed you to obtain them."
"How do you figger that out? With you out of the way, they'll have lesstrouble in takin' your mines."
"On the contrary, if I am murdered, the fact will react against them. Ihave written a full account of the facts concerning my position andfight with the syndicate to my brother, to be used in case anythingserious happens to me. With that, and with the papers I have sent him, Ifancy he can so arouse public indignation against the syndicate that themen who are pushing this thing will be glad enough to pull in theirhorns and quit the battle. So you can see that by killing me you willdefeat the object of the syndicate and disgust it with your method ofprocedure."
Frank spoke those words convincingly, and certain it is that he made animpression on Cimarron Bill. The other ruffians, however, who failed toreason clearly, were fierce enough to shoot the captive where he stood.
Bill stood still and looked the young man over, beginning to realizethat he was dealing with a youth of more than ordinary courage, resourceand sagacity. His respect for Merriwell was beginning to developamazingly.
Frank could read the man well enough to feel that the danger-point hadbeen successfully passed, and he breathed more freely, although therewas no outward change in his manner.
"I'm not yet satisfied that you're not lying to me," said the chief ofthe ruffians; whereupon he ordered his satellites to search the captive.
The closest search, which was supervised by Bill, failed to bring tolight the package of coveted papers.
Bill seemed to pass a few moments in thought. Then he said:
"We'll all go over yander and have a look round among the boulders."
With Frank in their midst, they proceeded to the spot where he hadsuccessfully held them off. As they went forward, they called to the mendown the ravine, and soon those ruffians came hastening to join them.
"Have ye got the papers?" demanded one called Big Monte, a strappingruffian, who was the leader of the party.
When he learned what had happened the giant swore in angrydisappointment.
"However did you all happen to let the Injun slip ye that way?" hedemanded scornfully.
Bill looked him over.
"I opines you're not castin' reflections any whatever?" he said, in adeadly manner.
Big Monte looked large enough to eat the thin, dark-faced chap, but hehastened to disclaim any intention of "casting reflections," whereuponBill gave him no further heed.
The chief set them to searching amid the boulders, overseeing it all andtaking care that no possible place of concealment was neglected. But allthis search came to nothing, and the baffled wretches were finallyforced to confess that they were outwitted.
But Merriwell was a captive in their hands, and in their disappointmentthey might be led to revenging themselves upon him.