CHAPTER IV.
IN THE OLD HUT.
In a valley amid the hills that lay at the base of the barren mountainsstood an old hut. Who had built it there? It seemed that it had, beyonddoubt, been erected by some prospector. What fate had befallen thebuilder no man knew. The hut remained, weather-worn and falling topieces.
The coming of another day found Frank Merriwell a captive in that hut,closely guarded. The ruffians had stopped there, for in the vicinitycould be found wood and water, and feed for the horses.
Some time during the night they had been joined by Big Monte and theothers who had turned back to secure the horses beyond the barrier inthe ravine.
In the morning the men lay about in the vicinity of the hut. Two fireshad been built, and breakfast was preparing.
Inside the hut an armed man kept guard over the captive. At intervalsthe guard was changed, but always a man was near with a pistol ready toshoot Merry down if he offered to make a break for freedom.
But Frank seemed strangely contented. After the ride through the night,he asked for a blanket to make himself comfortable, suggested in apleasant way that it would be agreeable to have the cords about hiswrists loosened a little, as they were chafing him and his wrists wereswollen, and, when the ropes were entirely removed, then lay down on theblanket and went calmly to sleep.
Merry slept until one of the men brought him some breakfast. This fellowkicked him to awaken him, whereupon Frank looked up and observed:
"Gently, partner--gently! You don't have to kick in a rib in order toget my eyes open."
"Ef it wasn't fer ther boss," said the fellow, "I'd take a heap o'satisfaction in kickin' ev'ry dern rib outer ye!"
"Then I am thankful for the boss."
"Hush! Mebbe ye thinks so now; but wait till he gits round ter deal withye. I opines he'll disterb ye some."
"Well, don't lead me into worriment before it is necessary," entreatedFrank, with a smile. "As long as I'm comfortable, I see no reason todisturb myself over what may happen--for there is always a chance thatit may not happen."
"Waal, not in this case. Ye've robbed us outer a clean two hundreddollars apiece by sendin' off them papers."
"Only that? Why, you seem to be cheap men! I should fancy it would takeat least five hundred each to hire men to go out to commit robbery andmurder."
"Thar ain't no robbery about it."
"Now, you don't tell me? Perhaps you are right, but the object wasrobbery, all right enough."
"Nary robbery! Ther papers belongs to ther gents what wants to git 'eman' what engaged Bill to do the job."
"Possibly I might convince you to the contrary if I had time; but justnow I will admit that I'm remarkably hungry. Put down the feed righthere on the floor, and I'll turn to directly."
As the man stooped to put down the stuff, as directed, he brought hishead quite close to Frank's lips. In the fellow's ear Merry whispered:
"I'll make it one thousand dollars in your fist if you find a way tohelp me out of this scrape."
The man started a little, gave Frank a look, then glanced toward thearmed guard, who had heard nothing.
Merry touched a finger to his lips, thus enjoining silence.
"Ha!" he exclaimed. "Thank Bill for me! This coffee smells mostsatisfactory. It will serve finely to wash down the hard bread and beef.To a healthy appetite, like mine, this will be a feast fit for anepicurean."
The ruffian looked at him in apparent wonderment.
"Fer a cool galoot, you sure are the limit!" he exclaimed.
Then he went out.
Frank wondered if his proposal to the fellow would bear fruit. He knewwell enough that these men stood in great awe of Cimarron Bill; butwould the greed of this one overcome his fears of the chief and lead himto attempt to set Frank at liberty?
That was a serious question.
Having eaten heartily, Merry once more made himself comfortable andslept.
When next he was awakened, Cimarron Bill himself was sitting near,smoking a Spanish cigarette.
"Good morning," said Frank.
"It's a long distance past morning," said the leader of the ruffians."You've slept away the whole morning. You seem to be takin' it a heapeasy and comfortable like."
"Just bottling up a little sleep in case of need," said Merry, sittingup and placing his back against the wall. "There's no telling when I mayhave to keep awake a whole lot, you know."
"Instead of keeping awake," said Bill, in a sinister manner, "you're aheap more likely to fall asleep some of these yere times an' never wakeup."
"In that case, it will be of no consequence, so I am not losing anythingby sleeping while I may."
The man surveyed Merry long and intently, as if trying to probe thenature of this cool youth. At last, he turned to the sentinel anddismissed him.
The sentinel went out, closing the door.
Bill lighted a fresh cigarette.
"Young man," he said, "I want to inform you right yere and now that itwill do you no good whatever to try to bribe any of my men."
"Possibly not," said Frank noncommittally.
"You bet your life it won't!" said Bill emphatically. "Thar ain't one ofthem but what knows me, an', knowin' me, thar ain't one what would dareplay me crooked. Savvy?"
"It's quite plain."
"It's straight goods, Merriwell. A while ago you offered one of 'em athousan' dollars if he would find a way to get you out of this."
"Correct," admitted Merry immediately. "And had he accepted the offerand accomplished the job, I should have congratulated myself on gettingoff very cheap."
He had seen at once that it was useless to try deception or denial withBill, and so he spoke frankly.
"That's right," nodded Bill. "A thousan' would be small money fer such ajob; but it ain't no use, for none of them will take the job at that orfive times as much. 'Cause why? 'Cause they knows me, Cimarron Bill,right well. They know I'd sure settle up with 'em if they done anycrooked work. They have seen the notches in my guns. Some of 'em hasseen me shoot."
"Well, my dear sir," smiled Merry, "I don't presume you fancied I wouldremain here like a man in a trance without trying to get away in somefashion?"
"I hardly opined that would be your style. But I has to warn ye that youhas about one chance in fourteen million of gettin' off with a hullhide. I keep a guard inside and outside, besides another over thehosses. I don't want to shoot ye--now--but it sure will be done if youbreaks an' runs fer it."
"Of course I'd have to take chances on that."
"Don't! But your offer to Jake has set me thinkin'. Somehow I kindertake to your style."
"Thanks!" laughed Merriwell.
"You has a heap of nerve for a youngster."
"Thanks again!"
"And I opine we'd make a pretty strong team together. Such bein' thecase, I has a propersition to make to ye, whereby, in case you accepts,you gits outer this scrape in a hurry an' none the worse for wear."
"Let it drive," said Frank. "I'm listening."
"Like 'most ev'rybody," said Bill, "I'm out fer the dust. That's whatbrought me up against you. I opined you'd be easy meat. I've sorterchanged my mind. You look an' talk like a tenderfoot, but I take it thatyou has your eye-teeth cut, an' this yere ain't the first time you'veseen Arizona."
"I have been in Arizona before. I have likewise been in various parts ofthe West."
"I knowed it," nodded Bill. "I likewise opine you has a whole lot offight in ye."
"Well, I rather enjoy the strenuous life."
"But you're certain up against a right powerful combination in this yeregang what means to have your mines."
"Without doubt."
"You needs assistance to hold them there mines. Such bein' the case,suppose we strikes a partnership, you an' I, an' stan's by each other.You'll find me a right handy partner when it comes to fightin', an' Ikin back ye up with a gang what will wade through gore fer me. Underthem circumstances, I reckons we kin give this yere minin' trust a runfer
its money."
"Your offer is very interesting, not to say fascinating," confessedFrank. "But there is something behind it. Come out with the wholematter."
"There's nothing to come out with, save that I'm to be taken in ahalf-partner in your mines."
"Only that?" smiled Merry scornfully.
Bill did not like the manner in which the youth spoke those two words.
"I 'lows," he said, "that you'll be gettin' off a heap cheap at that. Ifyou fails to accept, it's almost certain your friends never hears of youno more. You'll be planted somewhere yereabouts. Arter that, the minin'trust will have easy goin'."
"Well," said Merry, "I presume you will give me time to think thismatter over?"
"Certainly. I gives ye till to-morrer mornin'."
"All right."
Again Bill lighted a fresh cigarette.
"But, without 'pearin' to press ye too hard, which might cause yeonpleasant rememberances in the futer, I hints that I'll be a heap riledup if you fails to accept my offer."
Then Bill called the guard and sauntered out.
Frank had no thought of permitting the desperado to force him into sucha partnership, but he believed that it would be well to appear to taketime to consider it.
That afternoon, toward nightfall, he was permitted to go outside in theopen air, with two armed guards watching over him.
Frank inhaled the open air with a sense of gratitude, for the hut hadbecome stuffy and oppressive. He looked around, noting the surroundings,without betraying any great interest in the location. He saw that allabout the hills rose to enclose the valley, but conjectured that theparty had entered from the south or southeast.
By this time the men were interested in him, and they looked him overcuriously. Four of them were playing cards, and Merry sat down on theground where he could watch the game.
"You don't want to be makin' no remarks about what keerds ye sees inanybody's hand, young man," growled one of them, whose cards Merry couldsee.
Frank smiled.
"I'm not quite that fresh," he said. "I have played the gameoccasionally myself. If I had a chance to sit in, I might give you somepoints."
They laughed derisively at that, for the idea that this smooth-facedyouth could give them points at poker seemed preposterous.
"Why, ef you got inter this game we'd skin the eye-teeth outer ye!"declared one.
"You'd be easy pluckin'," said another.
"It would be a shame to rob ye," sneered a third. "But seein's youain't got no dust we won't have that pleasure."
"If it's dust that bars me," said Merry, "I might have enough to last ahand or two. I see you're playing five dollars limit, with a two bitsedge."
"Why, you're plumb skinned dry!" said Big Monte. "You ain't got nostuff."
Whereupon Frank displayed a little thin wad of bank-bills, amounting toabout twenty-five dollars in all.
They were astounded, for no money had been found on him when he wassearched for the papers.
"How is this?" growled Monte. "Whar did ye keep it hid?"
"That's my business," said Merry. "If you're anxious to teach me thisgame let me in."
They made a place for him, assuring him that he would "last quick."
Now Merry was a most adept poker-player, although he let the gameentirely alone, not believing in gambling. He was also a clevermagician, and he could do tricks with cards to astonish far more astutemen than these ruffians.
It was Pinto Pede's deal, and the Mexican handled the cards in a slickmanner. Without pretending to watch him, Merry really kept a close eyeon the fellow's movements.
Pede looked his cards over carelessly. Big Monte chipped a dollar, thenext man raised him a dollar, and it was up to Frank, who immediatelyraised five.
Monte laughed hoarsely.
"Throwin' yer money away right off, eh?" he said.
The man after Frank dropped out.
Pinto Pede raised five dollars.
The fellow whose edge it was dropped his cards, but Monte came in, asdid the next man and Frank.
"How men' card?" asked the Mexican.
"I'll take two," said Monte.
"Better draw to the strength o' yer hand," advised the next man. "Gimmethree."
Pede looked inquiringly at Merry.
"One card," said Frank.
Pede frowned and looked annoyed. He had stacked the cards, andeverything had worked perfectly up to Merriwell, who had been giventhree jacks on the deal, and whom the Mexican had expected would drawtwo.
"You take da two card!" exclaimed Pede. "Yo' no fool anybod' with daside card."
"I'll take one!" said Frank grimly. "If I choose to hold a side card tothrees that is my business. Perhaps I have two pairs."
The Mexican had betrayed his trick by his anger at Merry's style ofdrawing. Writhing with anger, he tossed Frank one card.
"I tak' two," he said.
Merry leaned forward and watched the Mexican's fingers so closely thatPede was given no chance to perform any crooked work, if he hadcontemplated it.
"Now we're off," said Frank. "Go ahead and do your betting."
Then he glanced at his cards. He had held up a five spot with his threejacks. To his satisfaction, he found Pede had given him another fivespot.
Merry had conceived that it was the Mexican's plan to give him threesand then to fill his hand with a small pair, but to take a pair himself,having on the deal secured threes of a higher denomination than those inMerry's hand. For that very reason, Frank had decided to draw one card,instead of two, thinking to defeat Pede's object in securing a full.
By a strange chance, Frank had held up a five spot, while all the timePede had been intending to give him a pair of fives. This being thecase, the youth secured his full hand just the same, but without theknowledge of the dealer. At the same time, he spoiled Pede's draw, forthe pair the Mexican had counted on getting had been divided, he gettinginstead one of the fives intended for Merriwell. This left Pede withthree queens, a five, and a nine.
But the Mexican believed that Merriwell had secured only threes, as hedid not dream for an instant that the side card held up with the threejacks could be a five spot.
In case Frank had three jacks only, Pede's three queens were "good."
The betting began.
Monte started it with a dollar.
The next man had failed to improve his hand, and he fell out.
Frank raised five.
Pede shoved in six dollars, and added another five.
"I tak' dis pot," he said.
Monte looked his cards over. Then he looked at Pede. He knew theMexican.
"You oughter be shot!" he said. And he threw his cards down, turning toFrank.
"You ain't got a ghost of a show agin' that greaser, youngster," heaverred.
"Well, as long as my money lasts I'll stay with him," smiled Merry.
He did. Having thrust the last of his money into the pot, he finallycalled.
Pede spread out his three queens, smiling with crafty triumph.
"You no fool me," he said. "My t'ree bigger dan your t'ree. I tak' damon'."
"Wait a minute," said Merry. "I happen to have more than threes here."
And he displayed his full hand, coolly raking the money over to his sideof the blanket.