CHAPTER XXII
UNDER THE RIDGE
At day's end, some forty-eight hours after parting with Johnny Ramsayand Chuck Morgan, Loudon and Laguerre rode up to the Bar S line-camp onPack-saddle Creek. Hockling and Red Kane were unsaddling.
"Hello, rustler!" bawled Red Kane. "Don't yuh know no better'n to comefussin' round me when I'm broke? There's two hundred dollars rewardfor yuh."
"Howdy, Red," said Loudon, grinning. "Hello, Hock. Shake hands withmy friend, Mr. Laguerre. Telescope, these here bandits are Mr.Hockling an' Mr. Kane--Red for short. Boys, did I hear yuh say twohundred? Well, that shore makes me plumb ashamed. A thousand ain'tnone too much for a road-agent like me."
"Yo're right it ain't," laughed Hockling. "But say, Tom, no jokin',yesterday Red an' me cut the trail o' six deputies--yeah, some o' thatFarewell crowd--an' they was a-huntin' for yuh. It was them told usabout the reward."
"Where'd yuh meet 'em?" questioned Loudon.
"Down on the Lazy. They was ridin' east."
"Headin' for the Cross-in-a-box likely."
"Dunno as they'll go that far. From what they said I guess now theythink yo're either on this range or holin' out in the Fryin' Pans. Redasked 'em didn't they need some more men--said six gents didn't seemnone too plenteous for the job. They got kind o' mad, but they managedto hawg-tie their tempers. I dunno why."
"No, yuh don't!" chuckled Red Kane. "Why, gents, Hock had hisWinchester across his horn an' was a-coverin' 'em the whole time.Quarrelsome feller, that Hock. Just as soon shoot yuh as say howdy."
"I never did like that Farewell gang," Hockling explained,shamefacedly. "They always remind me o' kyotes, rattlers, an' such.Anyway, Tom, the outfit's with yuh. If them fellers jump yuh, Farewellwill see some fun. Speakin' o' fun, Farewell ain't knucklin' to Blockany too much lately. Mike Flynn an' Buck Simpson had words the otherday, an' Buck got fourteen buckshot in his leg. He was lucky he didn'tlose his foot. Buck bein' a plumb favouryte o' the sheriff, Block comebulgin' down to arrest Mike, an' Mike he stood off the sheriff with aWinchester, an' cussed him to hellenback, an' the sheriff didn't arresthim. Now Mike's friends take turns livin' with him, an' keepin' guardwhile he sleeps. Dunno how it'll end. Be a blowoff mighty soon, Iguess."
"You bet," concurred Loudon. "Seen anythin' o' Marvin or Rudd lately?"
"Seen Rudd down near Box Hill two days ago. He was over on our sidethe creek. Said he was huntin' strays. I knowed he was lyin', an' Iwatched him from the top o' Box Hill till he went back."
"Yeah," cried Red Kane, busy at the cooking-fire, "Hock come in thatnight a-cussin' an' a-swearin' 'cause Rudd hadn't given him a chance tofinish what Cap'n Burr started. Talked real brutal 'bout Rudd, Hockdid. Me, I like the 88 outfit. They're real gentle little woollylambs, an' some day when I ain't got nothin' else to do I'm goin' overthere with a rifle an' make 'em a heap gentler."
"Yuh'll have the chance before a great while," Loudon said, seriously.
"Is it them cows we lost?" inquired Hockling, eagerly.
"I can't tell yuh yet awhile," replied Loudon. "Just keep yore mouthsshut an' be ready."
"Them's the pleasantest words I've heard in years," stated Red Kane."Grub pile, folks. Come an' get it."
Loudon and Laguerre spent the night at the line-camp. In the morningthey recrossed the creek. They rode with Winchesters across theirlaps, and they took advantage of every bit of cover the broken countryafforded. Occasionally they halted, and one or the other went forwardon foot and spied out from ridge-crest or knoll-top the line of advance.
By ten o'clock they had worked south to the foot of a plateau-likeridge opposite Box Hill and about a mile from the creek. For the tenthtime that morning Loudon dismounted. He sweated up the incline, pantedacross the broad flat top of the ridge, and plumped himself down behindan outcrop on the edge of the reverse slope. He took off his hat,poked his head past the ragged corner of the rock, and peered down intoa wide-bottomed draw.
What he saw was sufficiently amazing. Halfway down the reverse slope,where a stunted pine grew beside a boulder, a man lay on his stomach.Loudon could see only his legs. The branches of the pine concealed theupper half of his body. At the bottom of the slope, outlined against athicket of red sumac, Kate Saltoun, mounted on a black horse, wastalking to the puncher Rudd.
The duplicity of woman! Loudon's first thought was that Kate was ather old-time tricks--flirting again. His second was that she wasaiding the 88 in their nefarious practices.
What did it mean? Loudon, his eyes hard as gray flint, edgednoiselessly backward, and sat up behind the outcrop. He signalledLaguerre by placing two fingers on his lips, pointing over hisshoulder, and holding up one finger twice.
Then Loudon flattened his body at the corner of the outcrop, shoved hisrule forward, and covered Rudd. Forefinger on trigger, thumb ready tocock the hammer, he waited.
He could not hear what the two by the sumac bushes were saying. Theywere fully a hundred yards distant. But it was evident by the way Kateleaned forward and tapped her saddle-horn that she was very much inearnest. Frequently Rudd shook his head.
Loudon heard a faint rustle at his side. He turned his head. Laguerrewas crawling into position.
"Dunno who that sport under the pine is," whispered Loudon. "You takehim anyhow, an' I'll take Rudd. Get 'em both without a shot. It's acinch."
Suddenly, after a decidedly emphatic shake of Rudd's head, Kate'sfigure straightened, and she struck her saddle-horn a sharp blow withthe flat of her hand. It was an action characteristic of Kate. Shealways employed it when annoyed.
Loudon smiled grimly. With an impatient tug Kate pulled a white objectfrom her saddle-pocket and flung it at Rudd. Then she wheeled herhorse on his hindlegs, jumped him ahead, and set off at a tearing run.
Rudd stooped to pick up the fallen white object, and Loudon opened hismouth to bawl a command when he was forestalled by the watcher underthe pine.
"Hands up!" came in the unmistakable bellow of Marvin, the 88range-boss.
Rudd stood up, his hands above his head. The white object lay at hisfeet. Kate had halted her horse at Marvin's shout. She turned in hersaddle and looked back.
"Keep a-goin', lady!" yelled Marvin. "You've done enough, you have!Now you wander, an' be quick about it!"
"Shut up, Marvin!" called Loudon. "You always did talk too much! Keepyore paws up, Rudd! This ain't nothin' like a rescue for yuh!"
"You know dat feller under de tree?" demanded Laguerre.
"Not the way you mean, Telescope," replied Loudon, without removing hiseyes from Rudd. "He's one o' Blakely's gang--their range-boss."
"Geet up on you han's un knees, you feller," instantly orderedLaguerre, "un move back slow."
Loudon and Laguerre, covering their men, moved down the slope. The 88puncher took his defeat well. The light-blue eyes above the snub nosemet Loudon's stare serenely.
"Yo're a whizzer," observed Rudd. "I wouldn't play poker with yuh fora clay farm in Arkinsaw. Yo're too lucky."
"It's a habit I've got," said Loudon. "Now if I was you, Rudd, I'dlower my left hand nice an' easy, an' I'd sort o' work my gun-belt downtill it slid over my knees, an' I could step out of it."
Rudd complied with this suggestion, and obeyed Loudon's request that hestep rearward a few feet and turn his back. Loudon laid down his rifleand drew his six-shooter. With his left hand he scooped the belt toone side and picked up the white object. His eyes told him that it wasa lady's knotted handkerchief, and his fingers that three twenty-dollargold pieces were contained therein. Loudon could not have been moreastounded if Rudd had suddenly sprouted two horns and a tail.
"Good-bye one small drunk an' a new saddle," remarked Rudd, hearing theclinking of the gold.
"You ---- sneak!" snarled Marvin, approaching under convoy of Laguerre."I wondered what yuh wanted yore money for this mornin'. I've beenwatchin' yuh for the last two weeks. I seen yuh a-comin' back from theBar S range thr
ee days ago. Tryin' to sell us out, huh?"
"Yo're a liar," retorted Rudd, calmly. "I ain't tellin' nothin' Iknow. Not that I know nothin' nohow."
"By ----, gents!" exclaimed Marvin. "I ask yuh as a favour to justgimme ten minutes barehanded with that tin-horn! Yuh can do what youlike with me after."
"We will anyway," said Loudon.
"What is this--a sewin' circle?" Rudd inquired, contemptuously. "I'das soon die o' snakebite as be talked to death."
"Well, if I was you, Tom Loudon," sneered Marvin, "I'd try to find outjust what Rudd means by meetin' Old Salt's girl. There may be more toit than----"
"Come round in front here, Marvin," commanded Loudon. "Come all theway round. That's it. Telescope, will yuh kindly keep an eye on theother party? Now, Marvin, get down on yore knees. Down, yuh yellowpup! Yo're a-crowdin' the Gates Ajar so close yuh can hear 'em creak.Marvin, say, 'I'm ashamed o' myself, an' I take it back, an' I didn'tmean nothin' nohow.' Say it out real loud."
Slowly, his face a mask of venomous hate, Marvin repeated the words.
"Get up, an' face round," continued Loudon. "No, not so close to Rudd.About five yards to his right, so yuh won't be tempted."
For the past two minutes Loudon had been aware of Kate's approach. Buthe did not turn his head even when she halted her horse almost besidehim.
"What do you intend doing with these men, Tom?" she inquired, aperceptible pause between the last two words of the sentence.
"Take 'em to the Cross-in-a-box," replied Loudon, without looking ather. "They'll hang--in time."
"May I have a few words alone with you?"
"Shore, ma'am, shore. I guess two won't be too many to watch,Telescope."
He walked at Kate's stirrup till they were out of earshot. Then heturned and looked up into her face in silence. She gazed at him with acurious, questioning look in her black eyes.
She had become thinner since their last meeting. But her lips were asred as ever. She had lost none of her beauty. Loudon raised his hand.In the open palm was the knotted bit of linen containing the goldpieces.
"Here's yore handkerchief," said he.
Kate made no move to take it. Instead, she continued to look at him, acrooked little smile on her lips. Loudon was the first to lower hisgaze. His arm dropped to his side.
"You are trying to be disagreeable," said Kate, "and you succeed inbeing foolish. The money belongs to that man. He earned it, and it'shis."
"It won't do him any good," muttered Loudon.
"That depends on how he spends it."
"He'll never live to spend it."
"You're mistaken. You will let him go."
"That's likely, that is!"
"It's quite likely. In fact, it's a certainty. You will let Rudd go."
"Djuh know he's a hoss thief? Do yuh? I've got proof. He's one o'the bunch stole Scotty's hosses. An' yuh want me to let him go?"
"I want you to let him go."
"Well, I won't."
"Listen, Tom, listen to me, please. And take off that horrid, stubbornexpression. You look exactly like a sulky child. There, that's muchbetter. Don't smile if it hurts you, grumpy. There, I knew it wouldcome. Oh, it's gone again. Well, anyhow, you haven't forgotten how tosmile, and that's a blessing."
"I hate to hurry yuh, but----"
"I know what a bore it is to be compelled to listen to me, but you'llhave to endure the ordeal. Listen, if it hadn't been for me Ruddwouldn't have been here to-day, and you wouldn't have caught him."
"We'd have caught him later."
"Perhaps you wouldn't. At any rate, he'd probably have had a chance tomake a fight. As it is, he was caught like a rat in a trap. And if itwasn't for me he wouldn't be in the trap."
"Marvin would 'a' got him if we didn't."
"Marvin has nothing to do with it. The fact remains that I am to blamefor the capture of Rudd."
"We're much obliged to yuh."
"That isn't worthy of you, Tom."
"I beg yore pardon. I was too quick."
"Granted. You were. Since I am to blame, I can do no less than seethat he goes free."
"It's no use a-talkin'. He don't go free."
"He will--if I have to keep you here till doomsday. Listen, did youremark the sublime manner in which Marvin jumped at conclusions? Youdid. Exactly."
"I knowed he was wrong, o' course."
"Oh, you did. How did you know?"
"Well--I--knowed you."
To Loudon's astonishment Kate burst into shrill laughter.
"For this certificate of good character I thank you," said she, wipingher eyes. "Heavens, if you hadn't made me laugh I'd have gone off intohysterics! What odd minds you men have. Upon my word, I--but nomatter. Marvin has no grounds for saying that Rudd tried to sell outthe 88. I ought to know. I did my best to pump him, but I couldn'tget a word out of him. He is a clam. I worked so hard, too. It mademe frightfully angry."
"So that was it! I know yuh was mad about somethin' when yuh bangedyore horn thataway an' throwed that handkerchief at him.But--but--say, what was the money for, anyhow?"
"That I cannot tell you. I am endeavouring at the present moment topoint out the difference between Marvin and Rudd. Marvinthought--various things, while Rudd, with good reason for believingthat I had betrayed him--it really had a suspicious look about it, youknow--uttered no word of reproach."
"Well, just 'cause he acts like a white man, is that any reason forlettin' him go?"
"It is my reason for standing by him."
"Well, you've stood by him. Yuh can't do more. An' it ain't done abit of good."
"If you knew what he did you'd let him go."
"I do know. That's why I'm freezin' to him."
"If you knew what he did for--for me," patiently persisted Kate, "you'dlet him go."
"What did he do for you?"
"I can't tell you. Take my word for it, can't you?"
"How can I? He's a hoss thief."
"Listen, he was leaving this country. He's quitting the 88 for good.If he had gotten away he'd never have troubled again the Lazy orDogsoldier ranches. What, then, will you gain by hanging him?"
"It's the law, Kate--the law of the range. You know that."
"Law! Piecrust! If I told you that Rudd had saved my life at the riskof his own would you let him go?"
"An' he took money for that?" Disgust was rampant in Loudon's tone.
"The taking part is neither here nor there. Remains the fact of hissaving my life--at the risk of his own, remember. Now will you let himgo? Oh, it's no use asking him," she added, quickly, as Loudon halfturned. "He'd probably deny it."
"Oh, what's the use, Kate?" exclaimed Loudon, impatiently. "If Ruddhad stolen my hoss or done somethin' special to me I'd let him go tooblige yuh, but it's Scotty has the say. His hosses was stole. An'I'm workin' for Scotty. Can't yuh see how it is?"
"I see that you intend to deny my request," Kate said, her black eyesfixed unwaveringly on Loudon's gray ones.
"I've got to."
"Very well. But suppose we have Rudd come here a moment. I'd like youto hear what he has to say. Oh, I'll make him talk."
"But----"
"Good heavens! You're not going to refuse me this little favour, areyou? Rudd's a prisoner. He can't get away. Call him over, andafterward if you intend to hold him there's nothing to prevent you."
Loudon shouted to Laguerre. Rudd, his arms still elevated, walkedtoward them slowly. Loudon kept him covered. Kate dismounted, leavingthe reins on her horse's neck.
"Tom," said she, "give me that money, please. I'd like to give it tohim myself."
Loudon handed her the handkerchief. Kate took it and leaned againsther horse's shoulder. One arm was flung across the saddle. Ruddhalted in front of Loudon. Kate, holding the horse by the bit, steppedforward and stood beside Loudon.
"Here he is," said Loudon. "What----"
With surprising agility Ka
te whirled, seized Loudon's gun hand in adesperate grip and jammed her thumb down between the hammer and thefiring-pin. Her left arm encircled his waist, and her head was twistedsidewise under his chin.
"Run!" she panted. "My horse! The money's in the saddle-pocket!"
Kate hardly needed to speak. Rudd had leaped the instant Loudon'ssix-shooter was deflected. Before the word "saddle-pocket" had passedKate's lips Rudd was in the black's saddle, and the animal wasthundering away at a furious gallop.
Loudon, straining to break the girl's hold without hurting her, failedlamentably. The two struggling figures swayed to and fro, Kate, herteeth set, hanging on like a bulldog. Loudon's muscles suddenlyrelaxed.
"All right," he said, "he's out o' range."
Kate loosened her hold on his waist and endeavoured to draw back. Buther right hand was fast.
"You pulled the trigger, Tom," said she, calmly. "My thumb's caught."
Loudon raised the hammer, and the hand fell away. The tender flesh ofthe thumb was cruelly torn. The blood dripped on the grass. Loudonholstered his six-shooter.
"Gimme yore hand," ordered Loudon, roughly.
He lifted her hand, placed her thumb to his lips, and sucked the woundclean. Kate watched him in silence. When the edges of the torn fleshwere white and puckery Loudon cut away part of Kate's sleeve and made abandage of the fabric.
"Guess yuh'll be all right now," he said. "But yuh hadn't ought to 'a'done a fool trick like that. Yuh might 'a' got lockjaw."
"Thank you," Kate said, white-lipped. "Why--why don't you give me fitsfor--for helping him to escape?"
"It's done," Loudon replied, simply. "Yuh had yore reasons, I guess."
"Yes, I had my reasons." Kate's tone was lifeless.
Without another word they walked back to where Laguerre stood besidethe sumac bushes. The half-breed's face was impassive, but there was aslight twinkle in his eye as he threw a quick look at Kate.
"You'll be leavin' us now, Miss Saltoun," observed Loudon, coldly."I'll get yuh Rudd's pony."
Silently he led forward Rudd's rawboned cayuse and held him while Katemounted. She settled her feet in the stirrups and picked up the reins.She met Loudon's gaze bravely, but her eyes were shining with unshedtears. Kate slid her tongue across the edges of her dry lips. Shetried to speak, but could not. She bowed her head and touched herhorse with the spur.
"Where's yore hoss, Marvin?" inquired Loudon.
"Over behind the ridge in a gully," replied Marvin. "What yuh goin' todo with me?"
"Hang yuh--in time."
"What for?"
"For bein' too active, Marvin, an' for pickin' the wrong friends. Yuhsee, Marvin, we've caught Bill Archer an' the Maxson boys, an' thehosses are waitin' for Scotty in Cram an' Docket's corrals in PieganCity. Shorty Simms has cashed. Rudd's wandered, an' now we've caughtyou. We're sort o' whittlin' yuh down like. When Scotty comes we'llget the rest o' yuh. Yuh see, Marvin, yuh hadn't ought to 'a' usedBill Archer. He talks when he's drunk."
To this statement Marvin immediately attributed the most sinistermeaning even as Loudon intended he should. Wherein he had failed withArcher, Loudon hoped to succeed with Marvin. The latter, given time toconsider impending death might, if promised immunity, talk freely.
"Where we goin' now?" Marvin inquired, uneasily.
"To the Cross-in-a-box," replied Loudon, strapping on Rudd'scartridge-belt--Laguerre was wearing Marvin's. "I want Jack Richie tosee yuh. An' don't get talkative about how Rudd got away. I tell yuhflat if yuh open yore mouth about that lady yuh'll be committin'suicide."
"Dat ees right," declared Laguerre, staring fixedly at the range-boss."Only you un Rudd was here. I see nobody else."
"You hear, Marvin," Loudon said, grimly. "Now stick yore hands behindyore back. I'm goin' to tie 'em up."
Marvin swore--and obeyed.
"Don't tie 'em so tight," he entreated.
"Yo're too slippery to take chances on," retorted Loudon. "Seen thesheriff lately?"
"Ain't seen him for a month."
"Yo're a cheerful liar. Still it don't matter much. He'll be gatheredin with the rest o' you murderers when the time comes. They sayhangin's an easy death--like drownin'. Djever think of it, Marvin?"
That luckless wight swore again. Black gloom rode his soul.
"All set," announced Loudon. "C'mon."
The three plodded up the slope of the ridge. When Loudon's head roseabove the crest he saw to his intense disgust that six horsemen werepicturesquely grouped about Brown Jug and the gray. The six werestaring in various directions. Two were gazing directly at the threeon the ridge. Loudon and Laguerre, forgetting their charge for themoment, flung themselves down.
Promptly the six men tumbled out of their saddles and began to worktheir Winchesters. Loudon, aiming with care, sent an accurate bulletthrough a man's leg. Laguerre dropped a horse.
Then Loudon, mindful of the prisoner, looked over his shoulder.Marvin, running like a frightened goat, was half-way to the shelter ofthe sumacs.
"Blow ---- out of 'em, Telescope!" cried Loudon. "I got to get Marvin!"
He rolled a few yards down the slope and knelt on one knee. He droppedtwo bullets in quick succession in front of Marvin's flying feet.
"C'mon back!" he shouted. "The next one goes plumb centre!"
Marvin halted. He returned slowly. Loudon, watching him, became awarethat Laguerre's rifle was silent. He glanced quickly around.Laguerre, with his skinning-knife, was picking frantically at a jammedcartridge. At his feet lay Marvin's rifle, the lever half down, andthe bullet end of a cartridge protruding from the breech. Both rifleshad jammed at the crucial moment.
"Take mine," said Loudon, and tossed his rifle to Laguerre. "'Tsallright, Marvin," he continued in a shout, "Keep a-comin'. I can reachyuh with a Colt! What yuh cussin' about, Telescope? Mine jam, too?"
"Dem feller pull out," growled Laguerre. "While I was try for feex myWinchestair dey spleet un go two way. Dey behin' de nex' heel now.Dey tak' our pony too, ---- 'em."
"Set us afoot, huh? That's nice. Couldn't have a better place tosurround us in, neither. No cover this side. Let's cross the draw.There's somethin' that looks like rocks over there."
Driving Marvin ahead of them they crossed the draw at a brisk trot andclimbed the opposite slope. Loudon had not been mistaken. There wererocks on the ground beyond. From the edge of the draw the land fellaway in a three-mile sweep to the foot of a low hill. Loudon grinned.
"They can't Injun up on us from this side," he said. "We'll stand 'emoff all right."
Swiftly they filled in with rocks the space between two fair-sizedboulders. Then they tied the wretched Marvin's ankles and rolled himover on his face behind their tiny breastwork.
"I don't think any lead'll come through," said Loudon, cheerfully. "Itlooks pretty solid. But it would shore be a joke if one o' yorefriend's bullets should sift through yuh, Marvin, now wouldn't it?"
Leaving Marvin to discover, if Providence so willed, the point of thejoke, Loudon picked up his rifle and lay down behind the smallestboulder. Laguerre, lying on his side, was working at his jammed breechaction. He worried the shell out at last, and took his place.
Loudon saw Laguerre put a small pebble in his mouth, and he frowned.Not till then had he realized that he was thirsty. He followedLaguerre's example. Pack-saddle Creek was close by, and it might aswell have been distant a hundred miles. The thought made Loudon twiceas thirsty, in spite of the pebble rolling under his tongue. Far downthe draw, on Loudon's side of the breastwork, two riders appeared.
"Two of 'em in sight, Telescope," said Loudon. "See any?"
"Me, no. What dey do, dem two?"
"They're crossin' the draw. Now they're climbin' up. They think we'restill where we was. Hope they come right along."
The two riders galloped toward the boulders. Loudon and Laguerre,flattening their bodies, squeezed close to the rock. When thegalloping pair we
re three quarters of a mile distant they halted.
"They don't just like the looks o' these rocks," observed Loudon."Well, they give us credit o' havin' sense, anyway."
The two horsemen began to circle. Loudon settled himself and squintedalong his sights. His finger dragged on the trigger. It was a longshot, and he missed. The two men immediately separated. One rode backover the way they had come. The other galloped out a mile and a half,then turned and rode parallel to the draw. Opposite the rear of thebreastwork he halted.
"How they do think of everythin'," remarked Loudon. "But if they guesswe can't get away to-night they can guess again. I dunno what we'll dowith Marvin. Yo're puttin' us to a heap o' trouble, you are, MisterRange-Boss. Say, while I think of it, have yuh branded anymore CrossedDumbbell cows?"
Marvin was silent. The mocking voice continued:
"That was shore well thought of, Marvin, but yuh was whirlin' too widea loop. Instead o' tryin' to make me out a rustler yuh'd ought to 'a'shot me in the back like yuh did the Sheriff o' Sunset."
"I didn't kill him," grunted the stung Marvin.
"I know yuh didn't. When I said you I meant yore outfit. Shorty Simmspulled the trigger."
"Nothin' to do with me."
"Maybe not. We'll see."
"Yuh can't prove nothin'."
"Keep on a-thinkin' so if it helps yuh any. Yuh'd ought to know,Marvin, that in any gang o' thieves there's always one squealer,sometimes two. In this case, one's enough, but we don't object toanother."
"Oh, ----!" grunted Marvin. "Yuh give me a pain."
"I expect. Yuh see, Marvin, a while back yuh accused Rudd o' sellin'yuh out. Them words have a right innocent sound, ain't they now?Shore they have. Why, yuh blind fool, do yuh s'pose we'd be a-freezin'to yuh this way if we didn't have yuh dead to rights?"
Marvin lay very still. He almost appeared not to breathe.
"Yuh ain't got out o' this hole yet," he muttered.
"We will, don't yuh worry none about that. An' we'll take yuh withus--wherever we go. Think it all over, Marvin. I may have something'to say to yuh later."
_Crack_! A rifle spoke on the opposite ridge, and a bullet glanced offLoudon's boulder with a discordant whistle. _Crack_! _Crack_!_Crack_! Long 45-90 bullets struck the breast-work with sharpsplintering sounds, or ripped overhead, humming shrilly.
"Let's work the old game on 'em," suggested Loudon. "There's room fortwo my side."
Laguerre crawled over and lay down beside Loudon. The latter hadaligned several large rocks beside his boulder. Between these rocksthe two thrust the barrels of their rifles. One would fire. On theheels of the shot an opposing rifle would spit back. Then the otherwould fire into the gray of the smoke-cloud.
It is an old trick, well known to the Indian fighters. Loudon andLaguerre employed it for half an hour. Then the enemy bethoughtthemselves of it, and Laguerre returned to the other end of thebreastwork with a hole in his hat and his vest neatly ripped down theback.
The five deputies kept up a dropping fire. But the two behind thebreastwork replied infrequently. Ammunition must be conserved. Theyanticipated brisk work after nightfall. They waited, vigorouslychewing pebbles, and becoming thirstier by the minute. The bouldersradiated heat like ovens.
The afternoon lengthened. It was nearing five o'clock when Loudonsuddenly raised his head.
"Where was that rifle?" he inquired, sharply.
"Ovair yondair--not on de ridge," replied Laguerre.
"That's what I thought. Maybe--there she goes again. Two of 'em."
The rifles on the ridge snarled angrily. But no bullets struck thebreastwork. The barking of the deputies' rifles became irregular,drifted southward, then ceased altogether. A few minutes later fivehorsemen and a led horse crossed the draw a mile to the south.
"Two of 'em hit bad," declared Loudon.
"Yuh bet yuh," said Laguerre. "See dat! One of 'em tumble off."
"They're gettin' him aboard again. Takin' our hosses along, theskunks! There goes our friend out yonder."
The man who had been watching the rear of the breast-work galloped tomeet his friends. Five minutes later they all disappeared behind oneof the western hills.
"Hey, you fellers!" bawled a voice from the shelter of the ridge acrossthe valley. "Where are yuh, anyway?"
"That's Red Kane," laughed Loudon, and stood up. "Here we are!" heyelled. "C'mon over! We're all right. Not a scratch!"
Red Kane and Hockling, leading three horses, appeared on the crest ofthe ridge.