CHAPTER XIII
THE LONE RIDERS ENTERTAIN
When Lee Haines rode into Silent's camp that evening no questions wereasked. Questions were not popular among the long riders. He did notknow more than the names of half the men who sat around the smokyfire. They were eager to forget the past, and the only allusionsto former times came in chance phrases which they let fall at rareintervals. When they told an anecdote they erased all names byinstinct. They would begin: "I heard about a feller over to the CircleY outfit that was once ridin'--" etc. As a rule they themselves were"that feller over to the Circle Y outfit." Accordingly only a fewgrunts greeted Haines and yet he was far and away the most popular manin the group. Even solemn-eyed Jim Silent was partial to the handsomefellow.
"Heard the whistling today?" he asked.
Purvis shook his head and Terry Jordan allowed "as how it was mostuncommon fortunate that this Barry feller didn't start his noise."After this Haines ate his supper in silence, his ear ready to catchthe first sound of Kate's horse as it crashed through the willows andshrubs. Nevertheless it was Shorty Rhinehart who sprang to his feetfirst.
"They's a hoss there comin' among the willows!" he announced.
"Maybe it's Silent," remarked Haines casually.
"The chief don't make no such a noise. He picks his goin'," answeredHal Purvis.
The sound was quite audible now.
"They's been some crooked work," said Rhinehart excitedly. "Somebody'stipped off the marshals about where we're lyin'."
"All right," said Haines quietly, "you and I will investigate."
They started through the willows. Rhinehart was cursing beneath hisbreath.
"Don't be too fast with your six-gun," warned Haines.
"I'd rather be too early than too late."
"Maybe it isn't a marshal. If a man were looking for us he'd be a foolto come smashing along like that."
He had scarcely spoken when Kate came into view.
"A girl, by God!" said Rhinehart, with mingled relief and disgust.
"Sure thing," agreed Haines.
"Let's beat it back to the camp."
"Not a hope. She's headed straight for the camp. We'll take her in andtell her we're a bunch from the Y Circle X outfit headed north. She'llnever know the difference."
"Good idea," said Rhinehart, and he added with a chuckle, "it's beennigh three months since I've talked to a piece of calico."
"Hey, there!" called Haines, and he stepped out with Rhinehart beforeher horse.
"Oh!" cried Kate, reining up her horse sharply. "Who are you?"
"A beaut!" muttered Rhinehart in devout admiration.
"We're from the Y Circle X outfit," said Haines glibly, "camping overhere for the night. Are you lost, lady?"
"I guess I am. I thought I could get across the willows before thenight fell. I'm trying to find a man who rode in this direction."
"Come on into the camp," said Haines easily. "Maybe some of the boyscan put you on his track. What sort of a looking fellow is he?"
"Rides a black horse and whistles a good deal. His name is Barry. Theycall him Whistling Dan."
"By God!" whispered Rhinehart in the ear of Haines.
"Shut up!" answered Haines in the same tone. "Are you afraid of agirl?"
"I've trailed him south this far," went on Kate, "and a few miles awayfrom here I lost track of him. I think he may have gone on across thewillows."
"Haven't seen him," said Rhinehart amiably. "But come on to the camp,lady. Maybe one of the boys has spotted him on the way. What's yourname?"
"Kate Cumberland," she answered.
He removed his hat with a broad grin and reached up a hand to her.
"I'm most certainly glad to meet you, an' my name's Shorty. This hereis Lee. Want to come along with us?"
"Thank you. I'm a little worried."
"'S all right. Don't get worried. We'll show you the way out. Justfollow us."
They started back through the willows, Kate following half a dozenyards behind.
"Listen here, Shorty," said Haines in a cautious voice. "You heard hername?"
"Sure."
"Well, that's the daughter of the man that raised Whistling Dan. Isaw her at Morgan's place. She's probably been tipped off that he'sfollowing Silent, but she has no idea who we are."
"Sure she hasn't. She's a great looker, eh, Lee?"
"She'll do, I guess. Now get this: The girl is after Whistling Dan,and if she meets him she'll persuade him to come back to her father'splace. She'll take him off our trail, and I guess none of us'll besorry to know that he's gone, eh?"
"I begin to follow you, Lee. You've always had the head!"
"All right. Now we'll get Purvis to tell the girl that he's heard apeculiar whistling around here this evening. We'll advise her to stickaround and go out when she hears the whistling again. That way she'llmeet him and head him off, savvy?"
"Right," said Rhinehart.
"Then beat it ahead as fast as you can and wise up the boys."
"That's me--specially about their bein' Y Circle X fellers, eh?"
He chuckled and made ahead as fast as his long legs could carry him.Haines dropped back beside Kate.
"Everything goes finely," he assured her. "I told Rhinehart what todo. He's gone ahead to the camp. Now all you have to do is to keepyour head. One of the boys will tell you that we've heard somewhistling near the camp this evening. Then I'll ask you to stay aroundfor a while in case the whistling should sound again, do you see?Remember, never ask a question!"
It was even more simple than Haines had hoped. Silent's men suspectednothing. After all, Kate's deception was a small affair, and herfrankness, her laughter, and her beauty carried all before her.
The long riders became quickly familiar with her, but through theirrough talk, the Westerners' reverence for a woman ran like a thread ofgold over a dark cloth. Her fear lessened and almost passed away whileshe listened to their talk and watched their faces. The kindly humannature which had lain unexpressed in most of them for months togetherburst out torrent-like and flooded about her with a sense of securityand power. These were conquerors of men, fighters by instinct andhabit, but here they sat laughing and chattering with a helpless girl,and not a one of them but would have cut the others' throats ratherthan see her come to harm. The roughness of their past and the dreadof their future they laid aside like an ugly cloak while they showedher what lies in the worst man's heart--a certain awe of woman. Theirmanners underwent a sudden change. Polite words, rusted by longdisuse, were resurrected in her honour. Tremendous phrases camelabouring forth. There was a general though covert rearranging ofbandanas, and an interchange of self-conscious glances. Haines aloneseemed impervious to her charm.
The red died slowly along the west. There was no light save theflicker of the fire, which played on Kate's smile and the rich gold ofher hair, or caught out of the dark one of the lean, hard faces whichcircled her. Now and then it fell on the ghastly grin of Terry Jordanand Kate had to clench her hand to keep up her nerve.
It was deep night when Jim Silent rode into the clearing. ShortyRhinehart and Hal Purvis went to him quickly to explain the presenceof the girl and the fact that they were all members of the Y CircleX outfit. He responded with nods while his gloomy eyes held fast onKate. When they presented him as the boss, Jim, he replied to hergood-natured greeting in a voice that was half grunt and half growl.