CHAPTER XVIII
IN THE SHADOWS
Allen was acting in two capacities at this time--that of lawyer and thatof private detective. He probably would not have taken this role foranybody but Betty and her family, but in order to serve them he waswilling to do pretty nearly anything.
So he had taken to scouting around the northern end of the ranch afterdark, in the hope that he might possibly discover something that wouldhelp him in his theory that there was really gold on the ranch and,also, that Peter Levine and his cronies, whoever they were, knew of it.
However, as the days passed, bringing no new developments, the youngfellow began to think that he had let his imagination run away with him.He even began to formulate plans by which he could lure the unsuspectingPeter Levine into telling what he knew.
And then--just when he was beginning to despair of being any help at allto Betty and her family--fate or luck, or whatever one wishes to callit, chose to smile upon him once more.
He was prowling around when quite unexpectedly he found himselfconfronted by Andy Rawlinson. He had struck up quite a liking for thehead cowboy, and the two walked along together.
Gradually they neared a patch of timber near the northern boundary ofthe ranch. The cowboy said he was looking for two calves that hadstrayed away.
"And it ain't no use to follow 'em into the woods on hossback," heexplained.
"I have an object in coming here," declared Allen, at last. "I amwatching out for Peter Levine." He felt he could trust Rawlinson.
"I thought as much," replied the head cowboy, with a chuckle. "Believeme, I wouldn't trust Levine out o' my sight, if I was the boss. I'veseen him prowlin' around here several times."
"Then you think he has some secret motive in getting hold of the ranch?"
"Sure as shootin'. That feller is a bad one--take it from me."
"Please don't make too much noise around here," went on Allen. "I wasthinking he might come again in the dark some night--to do a littleprospecting, or something like that."
"I get you. It would be just like him. Quiet it is." And after that thepair spoke only in whispers.
Nothing was seen of the calves, and presently Rawlinson was on the pointof going back, when, all at once, something occurred to make him remain.
The night was intensely dark; not a star twinkled through the stormclouds that scudded across the sky. Allen had just stubbed his toe on aprojecting root and had muttered something uncomplimentary to thedarkness of the night when an unusual sound caught the ears of the twoyoung men and stopped them dead in their tracks.
Some one was coming through the brush. Some one, like Allen, hadstumbled and was muttering under his breath.
"Shut up, can't you?" a second voice growled, and Allen's handinstinctively went to Rawlinson's arm to quiet him.
"Two of them," he thought exultantly, as he held himself and the cowboyagainst the trunk of a tree. "There may be some action after all."
The two strangers passed close enough to Allen and Rawlinson to havetouched them. But they did not notice the young men.
Allen and the cowboy, their blood tingling with excitement, followed thepair, and when, some hundred yards on, the strangers stopped, theystopped too, keeping within the shadow of the trees.
The strangers were bending over some sort of paper which they wereexamining by the light of an electric torch.
"Here's the place, Jim," one of the men said, pointing first to thepaper and then into the shadow of the woods. "There's gold running wildaround here, man. I've tested the bed of the creek that runs down there,and it's chock full of yellow men. Why, if we can get hold of this ranchwe're rich men--rich over night, I tell you!"
"Huh!" grunted the other, noncommittally. "How are you goin' to get holdof this ranch? Ain't done it yet, so's any one could notice it."
"No, that's where you come in, Jim," replied the other, and as he turnedeagerly to his companion Allen and Rawlinson recognized the features ofPeter Levine. "This woman, this Mrs. Nelson who owns the place, won'tsell. I'm afraid she may have an idea that there's gold here. And shesuspects me, for some reason."
The other man laughed unpleasantly.
"'Tain't hard for most of us to guess the reason for that, Pete." Andat the sneer Levine gave a grunt.
"You must have your little joke, Jim," he said. "But now let's get downto business. The woman distrusts me and she has sent for this insolentcub lawyer--Washburn, his name is. He's been to see me already, theunwhipped pup," he went on, while in the shadows Allen's hands grippedthemselves into fists, "trying to find out more about my client and JohnJosephs. Say, that's a good joke, Jim. Here they are after thatimaginary ranchman, John Josephs, and my client who they think arecrooks, when all the time little Peter Levine is their meat and theydon't know it."
"You didn't let on you wuz the one that wanted the place?" questionedJim, who was evidently able to appreciate this joke. "You wuz just thelawyer, and so nowise interested except jest in the fee?"
"Righto!" chuckled the other. "And a good-sized fee it will be if once Ican get my hands on it."
"Which you ain't--yet," the other reminded him. "Get busy, Pete, andtell us your scheme. I don't want to be standin' around here all night."He gave an uneasy glance over his shoulder, and Allen and Rawlinsonshrank still further into the shadows. They were not yet ready to maketheir presence known.
"All right," said Peter Levine, speaking hurriedly. "If you'll agree tomy suggestion, you're in for easy money, Jim. All you have to do is toapproach this Mrs. Nelson and make her an offer for the ranch--foryourself, you understand. She doesn't know you, and she may have becometired of mooning around here by now, and there's just a chance thatshe'll take you--that is, if you handle the cards right. No eagerness,you understand--just sort of offhand and careless, as if you didn't caremuch whether she took you or not."
"Huh!" said the other, with his noncommittal grunt. "Sounds easy, don'tit? But what do I get out of it, ef I pull this deal off, eh?"
"Half of all the gold we find, Jim," said the other, waving his handlargely. "You'll never regret it if you put this thing through. You'llbe a rich man."
"All right, I'm on," said Jim.
"Then I guess it's about time we got back," returned Peter Levine, andthe two men moved as if to leave that vicinity.
"We don't want them to get away," Allen whispered excitedly toRawlinson. "I want to get hold of that paper if possible."
"I reckon that will be easy, Washburn," returned the head cowboy. "I'marmed, you know, and I'll take my chances against those two rascals anytime. Just follow me."
Without waiting for Allen to reply to this, Andy Rawlinson ran forwardswiftly and silently, and in a few seconds had confronted the rascallypair. He had drawn his pistol, but he did not raise the weapon.
"Halt, both of you!" he cried, sharply. "Hands up there!"
"Hi! what's the meaning of this?" cried Levine, in astonishment. "Whoare you?"
"It's Rawlinson, the head man here," muttered the man called Jim.
"Right!" answered the cowboy. "And here is a particular friend of yours,Levine," he added, as Allen stepped closer.
"Washburn!" muttered the rascally lawyer from Gold Run. And then headded quickly: "Have you been spying on us?"
"If we have, that's our affair," answered Allen coolly. "You'd betterkeep those hands up," he went on quickly, as he saw the two rascalsmaking a move as if to start something.
"They'll keep 'em up all right enough," broke in Rawlinson. "I reckonyou know me," he went on sternly. "And I'll stand for no foolin'."
"We haven't been doing anything wrong," came from Levine, lamely.
"Oh, no! Of course not!" said Allen sarcastically. "Only trying to gethold of a bonanza for next to nothing!"
"Wait a minute, Washburn," came from the head cowboy. "Just relieve 'emof their weapons first. Then maybe we'll be able to talk with moresatisfaction."
With Rawlinson confronting them, Levine and his companion did not dareoff
er any resistance, and quickly Allen took their weapons from them andhanded the firearms to Rawlinson.
"Now I'll thank you, Levine, for that paper you were examining socarefully just a few minutes ago," went on the young lawyer.
"This is robbery!" fumed Peter Levine. "I'll have you before the courtsfor this."
Allen eyed him steadily.
"Do you represent the law in this place?" he asked. "If so, I am sorryfor the inhabitants. But there is no use in prolonging this discussion,Levine. I want that paper. Hand it over at once."
The rascally lawyer from Gold Run attempted to argue, but the sight ofRawlinson's weapon subdued him, and presently he handed over thecrumpled sheet, which Allen seized with much satisfaction. During thistransaction Jim remained sullenly silent.
"Now I guess that's about all," said Allen to the cowboy.
"If that's the case I guess we can bid you skunks good-evening," camequickly from Rawlinson. "Both of you beat it. And don't ever let meketch you around here again."
"What about my gun?" came feebly from Jim.
"I'll send the guns over to Levine's office to-morrow," answered thehead cowboy. "Now clear out, and be quick about it." And a moment laterthe two rascals stumbled away through the darkness.
"This is certainly what I call luck," cried Allen excitedly, as he gazedat the scrap of paper Levine had passed over. "Rawlinson, you havecertainly helped me do a good night's work. If what that scoundrel saidis true, this will mean a fortune for Betty and her mother."
"I'm glad I chanced along, Washburn," answered the head cowboy. "Afterthis I think I'll set a guard. If it leaks out that there is gold onthis ranch there will be all sorts of fellows beside those skunks tryingto locate claims around here."
"Will you go up to the house with me?"
"No. I'll stick around here a while and see if those fellows come back.Besides, I want to see if I can get any trace of those strayed-awaycalves. You go ahead. You can tell me about it later. You can take theirguns with you if you will."
Half running, half stumbling, in his eagerness, Allen reached the house,took the steps of the porch three at a time, and burst into the bighomelike kitchen, where he found the family assembled.
"We've got 'em, folks!" he cried, waving the scrap of paper over hishead, while they stared at him as though they thought he had gone mad."I've been out hunting and brought home a prize. Come look at it."
He went over to the table beside which Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were sittingand laid the two captured pistols upon the table. Infected by hisexcitement, the girls crowded around, demanding an explanation.
THE GIRLS CROWDED AROUND, DEMANDING AN EXPLANATION.
_The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle._ _Page 163_]
"Pistols!" cried Betty, her eyes wide with dislike of the things. "Wheredid you get them, Allen?"
"Oh, just picked them off the trees by the roadside," said Allen airily.Then, suddenly becoming serious, he laid the scrap of paper beside theweapons on the table. "There," he said, dramatically, "is the key thatmay open your door to a fortune."
"A map," said Mrs. Nelson, her eyes glistening. "Oh, Allen, you've foundout something wonderful. Tell us about it, please."
And so Allen recounted what had taken place during that fruitful halfhour in the shadows of the trees. His audience listened breathlessly.
"Then this thing," said Mr. Nelson, taking the bit of paper which wascrossed and criss-crossed with a number of lines and dotted with numbersuntil it seemed more like a jig-saw puzzle than a map, "is supposedly amap which will point out the probable location of gold."
"Yes, sir," said Allen.
"Then," said Mr. Nelson, feeling the thrill of adventure in his ownblood, "we'll begin to look for this gold to-morrow. That is--" Hepaused and looked quizzically about at the group of tense young faces."If everybody is willing."
"Oh-h," was all that they could say--just then.