CHAPTER XXV
AMBUSHED
Red Linton had ridden eastward to examine the grass of the range in thatdirection, for it had been some days since he had sent Stroud to thesouthern range, and since the cattle had been there for some time beforethat Linton felt they should be driven to fresh grass.
And yet, perhaps, Linton's search for good grass should not have takenhim so far from the ranchhouse, for he remembered his promise to Harlanthat he would not let Barbara out of his sight. But Barbara had made noobjection to his guardianship of her, so far, and he had longed for aride.
He worried a little, though, and felt guilty of something very liketreason to Harlan; and at last, not being able to ride farther with thethoughts that fought with his desires, he wheeled his horse and sent itscampering back toward the ranchhouse.
When he reached the ranchhouse he saw none of the men, for he had setthem at tasks inside the buildings; and he rode down to the ranchhouse,resolved to have a talk with the girl.
When he rode around the near corner he saw that the _patio_ gate wasopen. His horse leaped with the stern word he spoke to it, bringing himswiftly to the gate, where he dismounted and threw open a door that ledinto the house.
He called to Barbara, and receiving no answer, he ran from room to room,not hesitating until he had explored them all.
Emerging from the house, he mounted his horse and sent him westward,while he scanned the big level around him for sight of the girl.
She had always ridden into the valley in former days, he remembered--andduring the days of his guardianship she had more than once threatened toride there. And he had no doubt she had gone there now, out ofperverseness, just to irritate him.
He held his horse to a rapid pace as he crossed the level, and he wasstill a mile distant from the covert where Barbara had met Stroud when hesaw a group of horsemen traveling rapidly up the valley.
Linton rode on, his anxiety acute, a grave suspicion afflicting him. Andwhen, after he had ridden a little farther, he saw Barbara's horsetrotting slowly toward him, the stirrups swinging and flopping emptilyagainst the saddle skirts, he drew a deep breath and brought his ownhorse to a halt, while he sat motionless in the saddle, tortured bybitter thoughts.
He had no doubt that what Harlan feared would happen, had happened--thatDeveny had come for Barbara. And Deveny had found her, through _his_dereliction. He had relaxed his vigilance for only a short time, andduring that time Deveny had come.
Linton looked back toward the Rancho Seco. The distance to the ranchhouseseemed to be interminable. He looked again up the valley, and saw thatthe horsemen were growing indistinct. Within a few minutes, so rapid wastheir pace, they would vanish altogether.
Linton thought of going back to the ranchhouse for the other men--thatwas why he had looked in that direction. But if he wished to keep thehorsemen in sight he would not have time to get the other men. Before hecould get the men and return to where he now stood Deveny would havetaken the girl to that mysterious and unknown rendezvous in the hills inwhich his band had always concealed themselves, and Barbara would belost.
Linton's lips straightened. He was to blame.
He knew the danger that would attend the action of following Deveny's menup the valley. Other men had attempted to trail them, and they had beenfound murdered, often with warnings upon them.
But Linton hesitated only momentarily. With a grim smile for his chancesof emerging unscathed from the valley, he urged his horse up the trail,riding hard.
Several miles he had traveled, keeping the horsemen in sight, and he wasbeginning to believe that he would succeed where others had failed, when,passing through a clump of timber he detected movement in some brush at alittle distance back.
Divining that Deveny had seen him and had sent a man into the timber toambush him, Linton threw himself flat on the horse's mane. He felt abullet sing past him, coming from the right, and he got his pistol outand was swinging its muzzle toward the point from which the bullet hadcome when a gun roared at his left.
He felt a hot, searing pain in his side, and he reeled in the saddle fromthe shock. Instantly another bullet struck him, coming from the right.His pistol dropped from his weakening fingers, he toppled sidewise andtumbled limply into the dust.
Shortly afterward, seemingly while he was in a state of coma, he heardhoofbeats, rapidly growing distant.
He knew they were Deveny's men and he yielded to a vague wonder as to whythey had not made sure of their work.
Doggedly, and with long and bitter effort, Linton began to turn himselfso that he could get up. The pain from his wounds was excruciating, sothat each muscular effort brought a retching groan from him. Yet he keptmoving, twisting himself around until he got on his knees. From thatposition he tried a number of times to get to his feet, but he failedeach time.
At last, though, with the help of a boulder that lay beside the trail, hegot his feet under him and stood for an instant, staggering weakly. Thenhe began to move forward to his horse. When he managed at last to clutchthe saddle skirt he was reeling, his knees bending under him. However, hemanaged to get one leg over the saddle, taking a long time to do it; andeventually he was in the seat.
He spent another long interval lashing himself to the saddle with therope that he carried at the pommel; and then headed the horse toward theRancho Seco.
He began to ride, urging the horse to what seemed to him a rapid pace.But he had not gone very far when he sagged against the pommel,lifelessly.