CHAPTER XVII
THE WOLF FILLS THE JAIL
Jim-twin Allen sat hunched on the bench in his cell and watched thebars of the window slowly fade, blending into the darkening skyoutside. For a long while he sat without moving, then, like a cagedanimal, he commenced to pace back and forth, back and forth, across thefloor. His bitterest thought was--that he had failed! Jack had refusedto listen to him when he had attempted to explain while returning totown. He gave no heed to his own fate, though he knew what that wouldbe! His only thought was of Jack, stubborn Jack, who was blinded by asense of duty.
Joe Elston, the jailer, came with a light and looked at Jim through thebars.
"They tell me they is goin' to ship yuh down to Santa Fe to be hanged,"he jeered.
Jim Allen stopped his restless pacing and thrust his face between thebars. Elston backed away, for there was something about Allen's facethat brought fear to him.
"I was only goin' to tell yuh that there's a lady wants to see yuh!" hemuttered aggrievedly.
There was no use in antagonizing the man.
"Yuh was talkin' of me gettin' hanged--not seein' a lady!" said Allen,grinning.
"It's different, ain't it?" the jailer asked good-humoredly.
"Yuh betcha!" Allen agreed and wondered who could be calling on him.Could it be some woman Slivers Hart had sent? If it were, that mightmean that Slivers was planning a rescue. In the minute the jailer wasgone his hope grew, sprang to life. When Elston returned with Mrs.Howes, Allen had a sense of bitter disappointment. Tears were streamingdown her face.
"Oh, Jim--Jim! I know you did this tryin' to help us," she cried.
"Aw, shucks, you're talkin' large," Jim cried with acute embarrassment.He glanced at the jailer, who was smirking.
"Jim, I've brought you a pie," said the woman, still sobbing.
"Thanks, ma'am. Yuh go on home now an' don't worry none," Allen begged.
She refused to go home, but leaned against the bars and wept. Jim Allenpatted her head and otherwise showed acute embarrassment of a man whois being cried over publicly. The jailer stood close by and seemed toenjoy the spectacle.
From somewhere outside the jail there came the report of two gunshots.The jailer turned and entered the office. The moment he was gone Mrs.Howes took a package from the fold of her skirt and passed it intoJim's hand.
"Slivers is waiting with your horses in the lot back of the liverystable," she said in a cool, collected, voice. Then suddenly she beganto cry again. "Oh, Jim--Jim Allen!" The jailer had returned. He placeda hand on her shoulder.
"Come on out of here, ma'am," he ordered. "Yuh go on back to Pop.'Tain't fit for you to take on like that!"
Mrs. Howes allowed herself to be led from the cell door, stillpretending to weep. The moment the two disappeared Jim Allen unrolledthe package. It contained a Colt .45. He grinned to himself.
"Who would have thought the ol' gal had that much spunk? Gee, she surecan act!"
He threw himself on the bench in an attitude of abject despair. Minutespassed, precious minutes. At last Joe Elston returned. Jim's eyessearched the man, as he stood by the bars jeering at him.
"Wolf, hell! You're a hell of a wolf--cryin' with old ladies!"
Then his mouth dropped open and he took a step backward.
"Yep, the 'Killer Wolf'!" Jim Allen snapped. "An' I'll sure drill yuhif yuh don't open that door pronto!"
The jailer was only two steps from the door opening into the marshal'soffice. He had but to take one backward leap and he would be free. Buthe never took that leap--for there was a deadly warning in Jim Allen'seyes. And he knew the Wolf never missed.
With hands that trembled so that he could scarcely find the keyhole,Joe Elston hastily unlocked the door.
"She gave you--that gun?" he stammered.
"Mebbe so. But if yuh ever say it, I'll come back an' cut your throat,"said Allen quietly, as he forced the jailer into the cell. The veryflatness of his voice convinced Elston that he would keep his promise.Allen locked the cell door, entered the office, and secured some rope.Then he returned and securely tied and gagged the jailer.
"You stay put!" he warned. "I'm comin' back, an' if you've moved aninch, I'll sure fix yuh so yuh won't move no more."
The diminutive outlaw secured his guns and holsters from a hook in theoffice, then slipped out of the jail and stood in the shadow while heglanced down the street. He took the precaution of locking the outerdoor and then trotted toward the livery stable. Slivers Hart waswaiting for him in the rear.
"So yuh made it?"
"Good kid, sendin' the old lady," Jim praised.
"Figgered she'd get to yuh, if anybody could. She tol' me she alwaysgot her way with Pop by cryin' real tears!"
Slivers grinned.
Allen told him briefly where he could find the letters, and Sliversslid through the darkness toward the door that led to the saddle roomof the livery stable. He was back again, five minutes later, with theletters.
"Come on, kid," said Allen. "We'll go over to the jail to read 'em. Ifigger we'll have a minute alone there."
When they reached the jail he ripped open the letters and at last foundthe one he sought. He read it eagerly and then looked up at Slivers.Allen's face was split in one of his broadcast grins. Young Hart waswalking about impatiently. He thought it a crazy act to return to thejail one has just succeeded in breaking. Yet Jim's expression was thatof a delighted schoolboy who had no other thought in the world but thathe had won a prize.
"Read that," Jim said.
Slivers hastily read the letter. When he had finished, he said: "Thatsure puts Bill Tucker an' Steve Brandon in plenty bad." A sound outsidecaused him to whisper: "Some one's comin'!"
"Yeh, I heard 'em," grunted Allen. "When they knocks, yuh open the dooran' stand behind it."
A knock came. Steve Brandon entered and found himself staring into aheavy .45 held by Jim Allen. Slivers again closed and locked the door.Quickly and deftly the stupefied Brandon was tied, gagged, and rolledinto a cell.
"Where's Jack?" Allen asked.
"Last I see of him he was eatin' in the chink joint an' talkin' toHard-rock," Slivers replied.
"We got to find him," Allen said, as they slipped out of the jail again.
Slivers chuckled to himself, as he realized that escape was the lastthought in Jim Allen's mind. Allen himself laughed recklessly, as theycrept down the street, hugging the shadows.
"There goes Bill Tucker," Slivers whispered and pointed across thedarkened street.
"We'll lock him up for Jack," Jim decided and swung about after thetown marshal.
Bill Tucker was trying the outer door of the jail when something hardwas poked against his ribs and some one cried warningly:
"Don't move!"
After a moment Allen added: "All right, open the door."
Too paralyzed from fear and surprise to think, Tucker staggered intothe jail and stared open mouthed at Jim and Slivers. They disarmed himquickly. While Slivers was binding and gagging him, Allen spoke.
"Yuh skunk, I know why yuh brought Jack down here. Yuh was scared ofBaldy Kane an' wanted Jack to rub him out. I got the letter yuh wroteto the gent in Black Rock, an' when I gives it to the miners, I reckonthey'll come an' hang you an' Steve Brandon. It's darn lucky for youthat your little double cross on Jack hasn't worked, 'cause I'd sureenough string yuh up, if it had. I'm goin' now an' tell Jack somethin'.What yuh lookin' at me like that for? Yuh got somethin' on your mind?"
Jim Allen looked down at the trembling, pale-faced man. Then suddenly afear flashed through his mind. Jack! Was he too late? Allen's facechanged, grew old. His eyes were smoldering sparks of yellow flame, ashe stooped to stare into the marshal's glassy ones.
"Yuh set a trap for Jack? Yuh skunk--tell me where he is! I'm tellin'yuh true--if he's downed this night--I'll sure cut your throat."
Allen's voice was lifeless, flat, again. His soft tones gave greaterforce to his threat.
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Bill Tucker shuddered. When first he attempted to speak, no sound camefrom his lips; then a flood of disjointed words poured forth:
"Ace High--Baldy Kane--to get him--men he warned toleave--hurry--hurry!"
The words were still pouring forth when Jim Allen bounded out of thejail and ran toward the Ace High Saloon. He had heard enough to knowthat the trap was set and that Jack had walked into it. Slivers cameafter him and cursed at the cans that caught his feet. Fast as Sliversran, Allen had reached the Ace High and was pushing through the crowdabout the entrance before his companion had covered half the distancefrom the jail.
A group of spectators had gathered in the street before the saloon.Some had left the Ace High at the first sign of trouble. Like carrioncrows, others had gathered to witness a killing.
"The Wolf!"
Like a startled band of sheep, they opened a path to allow him to pass.Far better to try to block an avalanche than Jim-twin Allen. He was arelentless force of destruction. His face was drawn into a thousandtiny wrinkles; the corners of his lips were drawn up; his eyes weregreat pools of yellow flame. Walking stiff-legged like a wolf, yelloweyes flaring, body loose and swaying, hands hanging close to his bigguns, he stalked through the crowd into the saloon.
Jack Allen stood in a far corner, with his back to the wall. Before himstood Baldy Kane. A little to Baldy's right stood a group of fivemen--five of the ten who had been ordered out of town that day. TheWolf saw it all now. Jack had been sent there to arrest Baldy. Even ifhe got Baldy, those five men would get him.
As Jim-twin Allen stalked by the bar toward the group in the rear, thebartender called out:
"Look! The Wolf!"
Jim Allen was still thirty feet away from them when he saw a flash of ahand and knew that Baldy had gone for his gun. As his hand flew down tohis own weapons he knew that Jack had beaten Baldy to the draw. Thehands of the five were clawing at their guns when Jim Allen opened fireon them. Surprised, the nearest ones attempted to turn their guns onthe little outlaw. A continuous stream of fire came from his guns. Thereports were blended into one, and the five men melted as if caught bya machine gun.
Blue smoke swirled in rings; the glasses and bottles on the bar dancedand crashed to the floor from the heavy concussion of many Colts. Theroar of the reports was deafening. Then, as quickly as it hadcommenced, it was ended.
Then silence--complete.
Jim-twin Allen stood staring through the swirling smoke--stared. With acry he ran forward. Jack Allen lay in a crumpled heap against the wall.Swiftly Jim examined him and gave a cry of relief when he saw that hisbrother was only creased. A bullet had made a slight furrow across thetop of the sheriff's head.
Slowly the Wolf rose to his feet and faced the men who were crawlingout from behind the bar, from beneath tables. As he stood there hepressed fresh shells into his guns and then dropped them back intotheir holsters.
"Jack ain't hurt bad. When he comes to, I want you gents to tell himsomethin'. The Blue Sky Mine ain't no good--Baldy was gettin' his oreby stealin' from other mines. Steve Brandon was in it; so was BillTucker an' a gent in Black Rock, called Ed Tucker--reckon he was Bill'sbrother. Tucker an' Brandon gets scared of Baldy an' sends for Jack.They fixes things so that Jack will tackle Baldy an' rub him out. Theyhas men waitin' to get Jack, so he can't dig no deeper an' mebbe goafter them!"
Murmurs swept the crowd--a surge of resentment against such treachery.Then the murmurs died away and the men stared past Jim Allen. He turnedand saw that Jack had struggled to his feet and was leaning weaklyagainst the wall.
"These here folks will tell yuh all about it. So long, Jack!" Jim Allencried and moved slowly toward the door.
"Come back here! Yuh're goin' to jail for robbin' the United Statesmail!"
Jack was covering Jim with a big Colt. Jim stared at him and then shookhis head and laughed.
"Yuh're sure game, darn yuh! I've purty near filled your jail withcrooks, an' left the evidence on the office desk, so everythin' islegal and plumb accordin' to law!" Jim laughed and took a step backward.
"Darn yuh! Stop!" Jack ordered. Then he added: "Hell! what's the use?Yuh know my gun is empty!"
Jim Allen turned, and the crowd opened to let him pass.
Several hours later that night two riders were traveling across thedesert, headed due south. As they went they sang:
"He's neither rich nor handsome, Unlike the city dude----"
Suddenly one of them broke off and laughed. "Slivers, I'm sure glad tohave met yuh--'cause you're the first man I ever knowed what singsworse than me!"
"If I does, yuh can shoot me!"
"Kid, we'll sure fix up that mess of yours down in Texas. Yuh figgerthat gal is still waitin' for yuh?"
"Yeh."
The two rode for a while in silence.
"Yuh know Jack is sure strong for the law. Hell, I wish I knew if thatgun of his was really empty!"