CHAPTER XVI
SHERIFF ALLEN TAKES A HAND
The sheriff's posse--three men whom he had deputized in Lazette andhimself--had ridden hard over the twenty miles of rough trail fromLazette, for Duncan had assured Allen that he would have to get intoaction before Dakota could discover that there had been a witness to hisdeed, and therefore when they arrived at the edge of the clearing nearDakota's cabin at midnight, they were glad of an opportunity to dismountand stretch themselves.
There was no light in Dakota's cabin, no sign that the man the sheriff wasafter was anywhere about, and the latter consulted gravely with his men.
"This ain't going to be any picnic, boys," he said. "We've got to take ourtime and keep our eyes open. Dakota ain't no spring chicken, and if hedon't want to come with us peaceable, he'll make things plumb lively."
A careful examination of the horses in the corral resulted in thediscovery of one which had evidently been ridden hard and unsaddled but afew minutes before, for its flanks were in a lather and steam rose fromits sides.
However, the discovery of the pony told the sheriff nothing beyond thefact that Dakota had ridden to the cabin from somewhere, some time before.Whether he was asleep, or watching the posse from some vantage pointwithin or outside of the cabin was not quite clear. Therefore Allen, thesheriff, a man of much experience, advised caution. After another carefulreconnoiter, which settled beyond all reasonable doubt the fact thatDakota was not secreted in the timber in the vicinity of the cabin, Allentold his deputies to remain concealed on the edge of the clearing, whilehe proceeded boldly to the door of the cabin and knocked loudly. He andDakota had always been very friendly.
At the sound of the knock, Dakota's voice came from within the cabin,burdened with mockery.
"Sorry, Allen," it said, "but I'm locked up for the night. Can't take anychances on leaving my door unbarred--can't tell who's prowling around. Ifyou'd sent word, now, so I would have had time to dress decently, I mighthave let you in, seeing it's you. I'm sure some sorry."
"Sorry, too." Allen grinned at the door. "I told the boys you'd bewatching. Well, it can't be helped, I reckon. Only, I'd like mighty wellto see you. Coming out in the morning?"
"Maybe. Missed my beauty sleep already." His voice was dryly sarcastic."It's too bad you rode this far for nothing; can't even get a look at me.But it's no time to visit a man, anyway. You and your boys flop outside.We'll swap palaver in the morning. Good night."
"Good night."
Allen returned to the edge of the clearing, where he communicated to hismen the result of the conference.
"He ain't allowing that he wants to be disturbed just now," he told them."And he's too damned polite to monkey with. We'll wait. Likely he'llchange his mind over-night."
"Wait nothing," growled Duncan. "Bust the door in!"
Allen grinned mildly. "Good advice," he said quietly. "Me and my men willset here while you do the busting. Don't imagine that we'll be sorebecause you take the lead in such a little matter as that."
"If I was the sheriff----" began Duncan.
"Sure," interrupted Allen with a dry laugh; "if you was the sheriff.There's a lot of things we'd do if we was somebody else. Maybe breakingdown Dakota's door is one of them. But we don't want anyone killed if wecan help it, and it's a dead sure thing that some one would cash in if wetried any monkey business with that door. If you're wanting to dosomething that amounts to something to help this game along, swap yourcayuse for one of Dakota's and hit the breeze to the Double R for grub.We'll be needing it by the time you get back."
Duncan had already ridden over sixty miles within the past twenty-fourhours, and he made a grumbling rejoinder. But in the end he roped one ofDakota's horses, saddled it, and presently vanished in the darkness. Allenand his men built a fire near the edge of the clearing and rolled intotheir blankets.
At eight o'clock the following morning, Langford appeared on the rivertrail, leading a pack horse loaded with provisions and cooking utensilsfor the sheriff and his men. Duncan, Langford told Allen while theybreakfasted, had sought his bunk, being tired from the day's activities.
"You're the owner of the Double R?" questioned Allen.
"You and Dakota friendly?" he questioned again, noting Langford's nod.
"We've been quite friendly," smiled Langford.
"But you ain't now?"
"Not since this has happened. We must have law and order, even at theprice of friendship."
Allen squinted a mildly hostile eye at Langford. "That's a good principleto get back of--for a weak-kneed friendship. But most men who have gotfriends wouldn't let a little thing like law and order interfere betweenthem."
Langford reddened. "I haven't known Dakota long of course," he defended."Perhaps I erred in saying we were friends. Acquaintances would betterdescribe it I think."
Allen's eye narrowed again with an emotion that Langford could not fathom."I always had a heap of faith in Dakota's judgment," he said. And then,when Langford's face flushed with a realization of the subtle insult,Allen said gruffly:
"You say Doubler's dead?"
"I don't remember to have said that to you," returned Langford, his voicesnapping with rage. "What I did say was that Duncan saw him killed andcame to me with the news. I sent him for you. Since then my daughter hasbeen over to Doubler's cabin. He is quite dead, she reported," he lied."There can be no doubt of his guilt, if that is what bothers you," hecontinued. "Duncan saw him shoot Doubler in the back with Doubler's ownrifle, and my daughter heard the shot and met Dakota coming from Doubler'scabin, immediately after. It's a clear case, it seems to me."
"Yes, clear," said Allen. "The evidence is all against him."
Yet it was not all quite clear to Langford. To be sure, he had expected toreceive news that Dakota had accomplished the destruction of Doubler, buthe had not anticipated the fortunate appearance of Duncan at the nester'scabin during the commission of the murder, nor had he expected Sheila tobe near the scene of the crime. It had turned out better than he hadplanned, for since he had burned the agreement that he had made withDakota, the latter had no hold on him whatever, and if it were finallyproved that he had committed the crime there would come an end to bothDakota and Doubler.
Only one thing puzzled him. Dakota had been to his place, he knew that hewas charged with the murder and that the agreement had been burned. Healso knew that Duncan and Sheila would bear witness against him. And yet,though he had had an opportunity to escape, he had not done so. Why not?
He put this interrogation to Allen, carefully avoiding reference toanything which would give the sheriff any idea that he possessed anysuspicion that Dakota was not really guilty.
"That's what's bothering me!" declared the latter. "He's had time enoughto hit the breeze clear out of the Territory. Though," he added, squintingat Langford, "Dakota ain't never been much on the run. He'd a heap ratherface the music. Damn the cuss!" he exploded impatiently.
He finished his breakfast in silence, and then again approached the doorof Dakota's cabin, knocking loudly, as before.
"I'm wanting that palaver now, Dakota," he said coaxingly.
He heard Dakota laugh. "Have you viewed the corpse, Allen?" came hisvoice, burdened with mockery.
"No," said Allen.
"You're a hell of a sheriff--wanting to take a man when you don't knowwhether he's done anything."
"I reckon you ain't fooling me none," said Allen slowly. "The evidence isdead against you."
"What evidence?"
"Duncan saw you fixing Doubler, and Langford's daughter met you comingfrom his cabin."
"Who told you that?"
"Langford. He's just brought some grub over."
The silence that followed Allen's words lasted long, and the sherifffidgeted impatiently. When he again spoke there was the sharpness ofintolerance in his voice.
"If talking to you was all I had to do, I might monkey around here allsummer," he said. "I've give you about eight hours to think this thingover, and th
at's plenty long enough. I don't like to get into any gunargument with you, because I know that somebody will get hurt. Why in helldon't you surrender decently? I'm a friend of yours and you hadn't oughtto want to make any trouble for me. And them's good boys that I've gotover there and I wouldn't want to see any of them perforated. And I'd hatelike blazes to have to put you out of business. Why don't you act decentand come out like a man?"
"Go and look at the corpse," insisted Dakota.
"There'll be plenty of time to look at the corpse after you're took."
There was no answer. Allen sighed regretfully. "Well," he said presently,"I've done what I could. From now on, I'm looking for you."
"Just a minute, Allen," came Dakota's voice. To Allen's surprise he hearda fumbling at the fastenings of the door, and an instant later it swungopen and Dakota stood in the opening, one of his six-shooters in hand.
"I reckon I know you well enough to be tolerably sure that you'll get mebefore you leave here," he said, as Allen wheeled and faced him, his armsfolded over his chest as a declaration of his present peaceful intentions."But I want you to get this business straight before anything is started.And then you'll be responsible. I'm giving it to you straight. Somebody'sframed up on me. I didn't shoot Doubler. When I left him he was cleaninghis rifle. After I left him I heard shooting. I thought it was him tryinghis rifle, or I would have gone back.
"Then I met Sheila Langford on the river trail, near the cabin. She'dheard the shooting, too. She thinks I did it. You think I did it, andDuncan says he saw me do it. Doubler isn't dead. At least he wasn't deadwhen I left the doctor with him at sundown. But he wasn't far from it, andif he dies without coming to it's likely that things will look bad for me.But because I knew he wasn't dead I took a chance on staying here. I amnot allowing that I'm going to let anyone hang me for a thing I didn't do,and so if you're determined to get me without making sure that Doubler'sgoing to have mourners immediately, it's a dead sure thing that some one'sgoing to get hurt. I reckon that's all. I've given you fair warning, andafter you get back to the edge of the clearing our friendship don't countany more."
He stepped back and closed the door.
Allen walked slowly toward the clearing, thinking seriously. He saidnothing to Langford or his men concerning his conversation with Dakota,and though he covertly questioned the former he could discover nothingmore than that which the Double R owner had already told him. Severaltimes during the morning he was on the point of planning an attack on thecabin, but Dakota's voice had a ring of truth in it and he delayed action,waiting for some more favorable turn of events.
And so the hours dragged. The men lounged in the shade of the trees andtalked; Langford--though he had no further excuse for staying--remained,concealing his impatience over Allen's inaction by taking short rides, butalways returning; Allen, taciturn, morose even, paid no attention to him.
The afternoon waned; the sun descended to the peaks of the mountains, andthere was still inaction on Allen's part, still silence from the cabin.Just at sundown Allen called his men to him and told them to guard thecabin closely, not to shoot unless forced by Dakota, but to be certainthat he did not escape.
He said they might expect him to return by dawn of the following morning.Then, during Langford's absence on one of his rides, he loped his pony upthe river trail toward Ben Doubler's cabin.