Laramie Holds the Range

  CHAPTER XXXII

  A MESSAGE FROM TENISON

  Speeding in a panic from what she feared might happen behind her at anymoment; soon out of sight of the scene, but with ears pitched for thesound of a shot, and a volley of shots; her head swimming withexcitement and her heart beating a roll in her breast, Kate urged herhorse down the road.

  And Belle's silence, her enigmatic face as she listened later to thestory only convinced Kate that her own apprehensions of trouble werewell founded. "It's coming," was all she could get Belle to mutter, asBelle hobbled on a lame foot at meal time between the table and thestove, "but nobody can say when or where." Both the women could telleven earlier than this, from McAlpin's intimations, from watchinggroups of men in the street and from the way in which those who couldhave no direct interest in the affairs of the Falling Wall country werehurrying to and fro, that Laramie had reached town with his prisonersand was busy getting them jailed.

  Kate, stunned by her father's utter coldness in casting her out, didnot want to talk about it. She had left home resolved to tell Belleeverything, despite the humiliating shame of the recital. But theexcitement of the ride and the stir in the town were excuses enough toput off explaining. It was possible that her father might become asashamed of himself as she was of him--in which event, nothing saidwould be best.

  But when Bradley stopped the ranch wagon before Belle's cottage doorwith Kate's suitcase and trunk, something was needed to satisfy Belle.Kate's intimation that she should spend a few days in town, and mightbe called East was somewhat disjointed, but at the moment, enough.Bradley, however, after unloading the trunk and while Belle stoodwondering, reappeared at the door with two rifles.

  "Lord A'mighty, man!" cried Belle, already stirred, "what're you doingwith them rifles?"

  Bradley tried to placate his nervous questioner: "I'm just leavin' 'emhere, Belle, while I go down 'n' get a load o' feed," he explained withdignity.

  "Don't you believe you're leavin' any rifles here, Bill Bradley. Thisis nobody's arsenal, I want you to know."

  "Why, Belle, they belong t' the ranch," remonstrated Bradley.

  "What's that got to do with it?" she exclaimed, turning from the doorand shutting it vigorously in Bradley's face as he stood discomfited."I wonder if everybody's going crazy in this country."

  On this point Kate entertained convictions that she did not express.She was only glad that Belle's curiosity, usually robust enoughconcerning ranch happenings, was now under more engrossing pressure.

  Concerning what was setting the town ablaze that day, only confusedechoes reached the secluded women; and chiefly through the butcher,between whom and Belle a tacit armistice was soon in effect. Chopswere slashed ruthlessly as he revealed details of what was going on,and the patent block shook under the savage blows of the cleaver whilethe butcher hinted at things more momentous to come. From him, Bellelearned that Van Horn and Stone had been held somewhere up at Tenison'sincommunicado, by Lefever and Sawdy, while Laramie, opposed by thecattlemen's lawyer, was demanding from Justice Druel warrants for hisprisoners; and that after they had reluctantly been issued, SheriffDruel had pigeon-holed them until Tenison, backing Laramie, had toldDruel after a big row, he would run him out of town if he didn't takehis prisoners to jail.

  It was five o'clock when the butcher, instead of sending over the boy,brought the meat for supper himself: "They're locked up," he said in aterse undertone, as he handed his package to Belle. "There was a bigbunch up there when they was put in. Some of 'em talked pretty loudabout a jail delivery. Laramie stood right there to see they went intotheir cells and they went."

  "Were you there?" demanded Belle.

  "I was."

  "What did Laramie say?"

  "All he said to Druel was: 'If you don't keep 'em locked up, Druel, Itake no responsibility for what happens.' I come all the way from thejail with Laramie myself," recited the butcher; "walked right alongsidehim and Harry Tenison down t' the hotel."

  "Well, if you walked so far with him, is he coming here for supper?"

  The butcher was taken aback: "How in thunder should I know?" he blurtedout.

  "There you go, slamming away with your blasphemy again. Couldn't youask him?"

  "Why, yes, Belle, I reckon I could. Maybe I can. Say!" he returnedafter starting down the steps, to point to the package in her hand,"there's a mess o' sweetbreads in there for you."

  "Shucks! I can't use sweetbreads tonight, Heinie."

  "Throw 'em away then. A present, ain't they? Nobody in town eats 'embut you."

  Kate unfortunately suggested braizing the sweetbreads for Sawdy andLefever.

  "What?" exclaimed Belle. "Men don't eat sweetbreads, don't you knowthat? You've got to give 'em steak--round steak and the tougher thebetter--tough as cowhide and fried to tears. They'd be insulted.Lefever and Sawdy won't be here tonight, anyway. They're in MedicineBend on an Indian case. All I'm wondering is, whether Jim's coming."

  But Laramie did not come--greatly to Kate's relief. He spent the nightat the hotel and left town early. Next morning when Belle heard thenews of the street she was thankful he had gone, for it was said thatVan Horn and Stone were out of jail. Barb had been summoned in thenight by the lawyers, and next day the prisoners were out on bail.

  Laramie had made no secret of his riding north, except that, in thecircumstances, he preferred to ride the night trail rather than the daytrail. He wanted to look up his cattle and see Simeral and he thoughthe knew Barb well enough to be sure the stock would be sent back verypromptly in as bad condition as possible.

  He got to his ranch in good time. There were no signs of lifeanywhere. Riding about noon over to Simeral's he found his shackempty. But he hunted up food and cooked himself a breakfast.

  While he was eating peacefully at Simeral's, Van Horn was with Stoneand Doubleday, the three breakfasting in the back room of a Main Streetsaloon. Just what took place at that breakfast was not figured out fora long time afterward, if it really ever was. But the street heardthat Van Horn and Doubleday had had a quarrel at breakfast and thatDoubleday in a rage had turned the prisoners over to the sheriff andasked to be released from his bail bond.

  No news more exciting could have reached Belle Shockley. She heard thestory up street and ran halfway home to tell Kate, who remained inseclusion. Kate herself was not less excited; the news meant so muchif it were true, and the butcher confirmed it beyond a doubt. Bynightfall everybody knew that Van Horn and Stone were locked up again.

  One man in town was not altogether at ease over the day's developments.Tenison spent much time that afternoon in the hotel billiard room, itbeing the best clearing house for the street gossip.

  He tried more than once during the afternoon to get hold of Kitchen orCarpy--neither was in town--and with the day drawing to a close,Tenison's restlessness increased. He was standing late in the eveningnear a favorite corner at the upper end of the bar and above thebilliard tables, when among the crowd drifting in and out of the roomhe caught sight of Ben Simeral. Tenison lost no time. Without moving,he asked the nearest bartender to take a message to the old rancher.And when Simeral passed through the door leading into the hotel,Tenison was behind him. He followed Simeral into the office and backpast the wash room, through the hallway leading to the sample rooms.Opening the door of the first of these, Tenison pressed a light button,and motioning Simeral to enter, followed him into the room, closed thedoor, locked it, and sat down facing the rancher: "I want to get amessage to Jim Laramie, Ben," he began at once. "You know what's beengoing on here today?"

  The old rancher nodded silently.

  "Can you ride to the Falling Wall for me right away with a word forLaramie?"

  Simeral said nothing, but his heavy eyes closed as he nodded again.

  "Laramie's gone home. He thinks Van Horn is in jail. The story is,"continued Tenison, "that Van Horn and old Barb quarreled, that theycame to blows and that Barb turned Stone and him over to Druel again tolock up.
" Tenison spoke slowly and impressively: "Tell Laramie," hesaid, "I copper all that stuff--every bit of it. Tell him to look out.I don't know what them fellows have got in their heads; but it'ssomething. Van Horn won't be in jail long."

  "He's out again now."

  Tenison eyed his messenger steadily: "What do you mean?"

  "I just come from Hinchcliffe's saloon. They've been out an hour."

  Hard as the blow struck home, Tenison did not bat a lash: "We may betoo late," he said. "It's worth trying. Warn Jim if you can."

  "I can."

  "There'll be a good horse for you at Kitchen's. Ask McAlpin for it.Tell him I couldn't get hold of a man any quicker. Will Jim sleep atyour place tonight?"

  Simeral shook his head: "No tellin'."

  Tenison rose. Drawing from a trousers pocket a roll of bills, heslipped off several and passed them to Simeral.

  "What's this f'r?" asked Simeral, looking at the money as it lay acrosshis hand and then at Tenison.

  The gambler regarded him evenly: "You're getting old, Ben."

  "Not when it comes to doin' a turn f'r Jim."

  Tenison literally swore the money on him. "Ride hard," he said. "Anhour may make the difference."

  Simeral listened to the injunction but he was putting the money away asslowly and carefully as if he never expected to see money again. Thisdone, he hitched his trousers, shifted his quid, pushed his hat andfollowed Tenison across the room. He was so slow that Tenison wasforced inwardly to smile at his own exasperation: "Never get nervous,do you, Ben?" he asked imperturbably.

  "Nervous?"

  Tenison, unlocking the street door of the long room, only stood by withhis hand outstretched to speed his laggard messenger. The old manstepped out into the night. Tenison, looking after him, shook his headdoubtfully. But he was doing what he could and he knew that though theold fellow walked slow, once in a saddle, he could ride fast; and thatfor Laramie, he would do it.