CHAPTER 17. RUN TO EARTH
When word came to Denver and the other punchers of the Lazy D that Reddyhad been pressed into service as a guide for the posse that was pursuingthe fugitives they gave vent to their feelings in choice profanity.
"Now, ain't that like him? Had to run around like a locoed calf tellingall he knowed and more till Burns ropes him in," commented the disgustedMissou.
"Trouble with Reddy is he sets his mouth to working and then goes awayand leaves it," mourned Jim Henson.
"I'd hate to feel as sore as Reddy will when the boys get throughplaying with him after he gets back to the ranch," Denver contributed,when he had exhausted his vocabulary.
Meanwhile Reddy, unaware of being a cause of offense, was cheerfullyhappy in the unexpected honor that had been thrust upon him. His willwas of putty, molded into the opinion of whomever he happened at themoment to be with. Just now, with the ironic eye of Sheriff Burns uponhim, he was strong for law enforcement.
"A feller hadn't ought to be so promiscuous with his hardware. Thishere thing of shooting up citizens don't do Wyoming no good these days.Capital ain't a-going to come in when such goings-on occur," he sagelyopined, unconsciously parroting the sentiment Burns had just beeninstilling into him.
"That's right, sir. If that ain't horse sense I don't know any. You gota head on you, all right," answered the admiring sheriff.
The flattered Reddy pleaded guilty to being wiser than most men. "Jestbecause I punch cows ain't any reason why I'm anybody's fool. I'll showthem smart boys at the Lazy D I don't have to take the dust of any ofthe bunch when it comes to using my think tank."
"I would," sympathized Burns. "You bet they'll all be almighty jealouswhen they learn how you was chosen out of the whole outfit on this job."
All day they rode, and that night camped a few miles from the Lazy D.Early next morning they hailed a solitary rider as he passed. The manturned out to be a cowman, with a small ranch not far from the one ownedby Miss Messiter.
"Hello, Henderson! y'u seen anything of Jim McWilliams and anotherfellow riding acrost this way?" asked Reddy.
"Nope," answered the cowman promptly. But immediately he modified hisstatement to add that he had seen two men riding toward Dry Creek acouple of hours ago. "They was going kinder slow. Looked to me sorterlike one of them was hurt and the other was helping him out," hevolunteered.
The sheriff looked significantly at one of his men and nodded.
"You didn't recognize the horses, I reckon?"
"Come to think of it, one of the ponies did look like Jim's roan. What'sup, boys? Anything doing?"
"Nothing particular. We want to see Jim, that's all. So long."
What Henderson had guessed was the truth. The continuous hard riding hadbeen too much for Bannister and his wound had opened anew. They were atthe time only a few miles from a shack on Dry Creek, where the Lazy Dpunchers sometimes put up. McWilliams had attended the wound as besthe could, and after a few hours' rest had headed for the cabin in thehills. They were compelled to travel very slowly, since the motion keptthe sheepman's wound continually bleeding. But about noon they reachedthe refuge they had been seeking and Bannister lay down on the bunkwith their saddle blankets under him. He soon fell asleep, and Mac tookadvantage of this to set out on a foraging expedition to a ranch notfar distant. Here he got some bread, bacon, milk and eggs from a man hecould trust and returned to his friend.
It was dark by the time he reached the cabin. He dismounted, and withhis arms full of provisions pushed into the hut.
"Awake, Bann?" he asked in a low voice.
The answer was unexpected. Something heavy struck his chest and flunghim back against the wall. Before he could recover his balance he waspinioned fast. Four men had hurled themselves upon him.
"We've got you, Jim. Not a mite o' use resisting," counseled thesheriff.
"Think I don't savez that? I can take a hint when a whole Methodistchurch falls on me. Who are y'u, anyhow?"
"Somebody light a lantern," ordered Burns.
By the dim light it cast Mac made them out, and saw Ned Bannister gaggedand handcuffed on the bed. He knew a moment of surprise when his eyesfell on Reddy.
"So it was y'u brought them here, Red?" he said quietly.
Contrary to his own expectations, the gentleman named was embarrassed"The sheriff, he summoned me to serve," was his lame defense.
"And so y'u threw down your friends. Good boy!"
"A man's got to back the law up, ain't he?"
Mac turned his shoulder on him rather pointedly. "There isn't any needof keeping that gag in my friend's mouth any longer," he suggested toBurns.
"That's right, too. Take it out, boys. I got to do my duty, but I don'taim to make any gentleman more uncomfortable than I can help. I wanteverything to be pleasant all round."
"I'm right glad to hear that, Burns, because my friend isn't fit totravel. Y'u can take me back and leave him out here with a guard," theforeman replied quickly.
"Sorry I can't accommodate you, Jim, but I got to take y'u both withme."
"Those are the orders of the King, are they?"
Burns flushed darkly. "It ain't going to do you any good to talk thatway. You know mighty well this here man with you is Bannister. I ain'tgoing to take no chances on losing him now I've got my hand on him."
"Y'u ce'tainly deserve a re-election, and I'll bet y'u get it all right.Any man so given over to duty, so plumb loaded down to the hocks withconscience as y'u, will surely come back with a big majority nextNovember."
"I ain't askin' for YOUR vote, Mac."
"Oh, y'u don't need votes. Just get the King to O. K. your nominationand y'u'll win in a walk."
"My friend, y'u better mind your own business. Far as I can make out y'ugot troubles enough of your own," retorted the nettled sheriff.
"Y'u don't need to tell me that, Tom Burns' Y'u ain't a man--nothing buta stuffed skin worked by a string. When that miscreant Bannister pullsthe string y'u jump. He's jerked it now, so y'u're taking us back tohim. I can prove that coyote Morgan shot at me first, but that doesn'tcut any ice with you."
"What made you light out so sudden, then?" demanded the aggrieved Burnstriumphantly.
"Because I knew you. That's a plenty good reason. I'm not askinganything for myself. All I say is that my friend isn't fit to travelyet. Let him stay here under a guard till he is."
"He was fit enough to get here. By thunder, he's fit to go back!"
"Y'u've said enough, Mac," broke in Bannister. "It's awfully good of y'uto speak for me, but I would rather see it out with you to a finish. Idon't want any favors from this yellow dog of my cousin."
The "yellow dog" set his teeth and swore vindictively behind them. Hewas already imagining an hour when these insolent prisoners of his wouldsing another tune.