CHAPTER XXI
THE PLOTTERS
After Curly had been dumped unceremoniously beyond the Golden Crest,and sternly ordered never to return, he had sped hurriedly forward. Hewas careless whither his steps led, so long as he was away from GlenWest and that frowning mountain ridge. Fear still possessed his soul,and he believed that he had escaped death as if by a miracle. He wasso frightened that he did not realise how tired and hungry he was untilhe had done a considerable distance, stumbling at every step, and attimes falling prone upon the ground. His bruises he hardly felt untilhe had almost reached the foot of the long slope down which he wasspeeding. Then a great weakness came upon him, and his body trembled.Then he knew that he was very hungry and a long way from Big Draw.What should he do? How could he drag his tired body any fartherthrough the night, with no trail to guide him? In fact, he did notknow where he was. Then the terrible truth flashed upon his mind thathe was lost. This brought him to his senses, and his terror vanished.In its stead, a burning rage swept upon him, filled his heart, and madehim once more a brute thirsting for revenge. Before his distortedvision rose the mocking face of Jim Weston, and a deep growling cursespued from his lips. Then he saw Glen standing with Reynolds by theside of the street, and turning swiftly around he faced the GoldenCrest, and lifting his dirty bleeding right hand, he shook his clenchedfist, and hurled forth a stream of terrible imprecations. But everyword sent forth came back with a startling clearness from themysterious depths of the brooding forest. Nature could not containsuch language within her unsullied bosom, but returned it immediatelyto the vile source from whence it came.
When Curly's rage had somewhat spent itself, he began to meditate uponswift and dire revenge. But first of all he needed food, andassistance from someone as base as himself. Big Draw could supply himwith the former, but he had no idea where he could find the latter. Hethought of Slim Fales, his recent companion. Him, however, he soondismissed from his mind as unsuitable. Slim had not suffered as hehad, and would not enter heartily into any proposal he might make.And, besides, Slim had fled and left him to his fate. No, he must findsomeone as desperate as himself upon whom he could thoroughly depend.
This feeling of revenge gave Curly new strength. He must reach BigDraw, obtain food, and make whatever plans would be necessary. Oncemore he headed for the valley, lying dark and sullen below. Byfollowing this, he expected to reach the big creek on which the miningcamp was situated.
Arriving ere long at the bottom of the hill, he moved as fast aspossible down the creek. There was no trail to guide him, and it waswith much difficulty that he made his way through the forest, which washere thick and scrubby. So painful did this at last become, that hewas forced to follow the little brook which flowed down the valley.This, too, was rough, and at times he was compelled to walk in thewater. But there were no trees to bother him, so he accordingly madebetter progress.
He had thus gone some distance when, rounding a bend in the creek, hewas surprised to see directly before him the light of a camp fire.Hope at first leaped into his heart. Then he became cautious, for hecould not tell whether it was the stopping place of friend or foe.Carefully now he advanced, and when near enough to recognize the faceof a man sitting before the blaze, he emitted a whoop, and rushedforward.
At this startling sound from the grimness of the forest, the lonecamper started, seized his rifle, and leaped to his feet.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "Stop, or I'll shoot."
"It's only me," Curly hastened to reply, as he stepped forth, into thecircle of light. "Ye wouldn't shoot a friend, would ye, Dan?"
The latter lowered his rifle, and stared with undisguised surprise uponhis visitor.
"Well, fer the love of heaven!" he exclaimed, scanning closely thewretched creature who had so unexpectedly appeared. "Where did youdrop from? and what has happened?"
"Give me something to eat," Curly gasped, "an' then I'll tell ye. I'malmost dead."
Laying aside his rifle, the other opened a bag nearby and producedseveral hard-tack biscuits. Like a ravenous beast Curly seized anddevoured them.
"More, more," he begged.
"I'm short myself," Dan informed him, as he again thrust his hand intothe bag. "There, take them," and he tossed over two more biscuits.
When Curly had eaten the last crumb, he searched into a hole in hisjacket and brought forth an old blackened pipe.
"Got any tobacco, Dan? Mine's all gone."
Without a word the latter passed him part of a plug.
"A match," was the next request.
"What d'ye think I am?" was the curt reply; "a store? Get a light feryourself," and Dan motioned to the fire. "I can't spare any matches."
Curly did as he was ordered, lighted his pipe with a small burningstick, and then stretched himself out before the fire. He was a sorrylooking spectacle, and Dan watched him curiously.
"What's the matter, Curly?" he asked. "Where have you been?"
"Where d'ye think I've been?" was the surly reply. "Where do I look asif I'd been? To a Garden Party?"
"Well, no, judging by your appearance. Haven't been mauled by agrizzly, have you?"
"No, worse than a grizzly. I've been in the hands of devils, that'swhere I've been. And his Satanic majesty was there, too."
"H'm, it's rather early, isn't it, Curly?" and Dan grinned.
"Early! What d'ye mean?"
"Nothing, except that ye didn't expect to meet the devil an' his bunchuntil ye cashed in, did ye?"
"Oh, I see. But we'll be pardners, then, Dan, never fear. But if thedevil an' his gang are any worse than the ones at Glen West, then theoutlook isn't very bright for either of us."
"So you've been in Jim Weston's hands, eh?" Dan queried, while his eyesclosed to a narrow squint.
"Should say I have, an' just barely escaped. It was terrible!"Curly's hands trembled, and into his eyes came a look of fear as heglanced apprehensively around. "Ye don't suppose they've followed me,do you?"
"Don't be a fool," Dan chided. "D'ye want me to tell ye something?"
"Sure. Go ahead."
"Jim Weston and his Indian gang were only bluffing."
"Bluffing!"
"That's what I said. Look here, Curly, they did the same thing to me,and scared me nearly to death when I was prowling around Glen West. Ithought fer certain that I had escaped just by the skin of me teeth.But since I've talked with several others who were treated in the sameway, I know that the whole thing is a bluff, an' nothin' more."
Curly's eyes were big with amazement, and slowly he comprehended themeaning of it all.
"An' ye think they wouldn't burn a man alive?" he gasped.
"No. Take my word fer it, they have never done such a thing yet, an'never will. Jim Weston wants to keep all white men away from GlenWest, an' so he puts up that bluff. It's on account of his daughter.He knows that more than you an' me have their eyes on her. That's whattook you there, wasn't it?"
"Sure. D'ye think it'd be anything else than a woman that would put meinto such a scrape?"
"An' didn't get her after all. That's too bad."
"But I will get her," Curly declared with an oath. "That slickgentleman sucker isn't going to have her."
"Who d'ye mean?"
"Oh, you know, don't ye? It's that guy who knocked off the bottles.He's at Glen West now, an' very chummy with Jim Weston's daughter."
"How in h---- did he get there?"
"Search me. But he's there, all right, an' from all appearance he'sgoing to stay, for a while at least, until I show me hand."
"What can you do? It seems to me that you've had enough of that placealready."
"So I have, but not of the girl. My, she's worth riskin' one's neckfor. But, say, Dan, what are you doing out here?"
"Prospectin', of course. What else would I be doin'?"
"Strike anything?"
"Not yet, though I've good prospects in sight, 'specially since you'vearrived."
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Seeing the look of surprise in Curly's eyes, Dan laughed.
"Yes," he continued, "I'm prospectin' in the same way that you are.I'm after Jim Weston's gal."
"You are!" Curly's face brightened. "How long have you been at it?"
"Oh, fer about a week. Ye see, I got into the same scrape that youdid, an' was pitched this side of Golden Crest, with strict orders tohead fer Big Draw at once."
"An' did ye?"
"Sure. I did as I was told. But I returned, built a shack in thehills, an' have been prowlin' around ever since waitin' me chance. JimWeston's daughter sometimes rides alone on this side of the Crest, butso far I've missed meetin' her. But I'll get her one of these days,an' then her devil of a father will know that Dan Hivers has some ofthe Old Nick in him as well as he has. It's a mighty poor game, to myway of thinkin', at which two can't play."
"Yes, and more than two," Curly eagerly replied. "You're just the manI need. Let's work together, Dan, an' we'll be company fer each other.Have you any grub?"
"Lots of it in me shack. I brought a good supply from Big Draw, an'fresh meat is plentiful in the hills. I've an extra rifle, too, if yeneed it."
"What's your plan?" Curly asked. "You know this region better'n I do."
Dan did not at once reply, but sat looking thoughtfully into the fire.
"An' ye say that guy's got the cinch on the gal?" he at length queried.
"Seems so. He was with her when I was led past, an' they seemed mightyhappy together."
"Is that so? An' I suppose he'll be with her wherever she goes."
"Most likely. But we can fix him, can't we?"
"We'll have to find some way, but the question is, how?"
"The gun-route might be the best," and Curly motioned significantlytoward the rifle. "Accidents sometimes happen, ye know."
"But what about the old man? He might make trouble."
"Then, settle him, too. He goes alone into the hills, doesn't he?"
"Why, yes. I never thought of that. He's got a cabin over yonder. Iknow where it is. He often spends days alone there, with not a soularound, prospectin', so I understand."
"Something might happen there, too, eh?" and Curly grinned. "Then thegirl will be ours."
"But what about the Police?" Dan warned. "They'd be on our trail likegreased-lightning."
"But it will be an accident like the other, won't it?"
"But suppose the accidents don't happen?"
"The devil do I care. Let me get the girl, an' I'll look out fermyself after that. I've been in such scrapes before, an' I guess youhave, too, Dan."
For some time the two villains sat that night before the fire, anddiscussed in detail their nefarious plans. They were men in whosebosoms no feeling of pity or sympathy dwelt. To them a pure noble girlwas merely an object of their vile passions. Others had beenvictimized by these brutes, and they had now sunk so low that they werewilling to sacrifice innocent lives in order to gratify their basedesires.
Next morning found the two plotters moving steadily on their way uptoward the Golden Crest where it curved in to the lake. They kept awayas far as possible from the pass for fear of watchful Indians. Butfarther north where the land was more rugged, they would be safe. Fromthis vantage ground they could look down upon the village and observemuch that was taking place there. Curly was feeling the effects of hisexperiences the previous day and was surly and ugly. Dan had fed himand supplied him with a buck-skin jacket which made him morepresentable. But Curly's temper was bad, and he vented his spleen uponReynolds and Jim Weston in no mild language.
The high ridge of the Golden Crest was not reached until about themiddle of the morning, and here from a concealed position the two menlooked down upon Glen West lying snugly by the water's side. Theycould see the big house quite plainly, and they eagerly watched Glen asshe paddled alone upon the creek. She was beyond their reach, however,so they were helpless. But when the girl was at length joined byReynolds, and the canoe was headed upstream, Curly's eyes glowed withthe fire of hatred and jealousy, while his hands gripped hard the riflehe was holding. He was lying flat upon the ground, peering over theedge of a big boulder with Dan close by his side. As the canoe camenearer, Curly thrust his rifle impetuously forward and fired. With acurse, Dan reached out and laid a firm hand upon the weapon.
"What in h---- d'ye mean?" he demanded. "Ye've spoiled everything."
"I wanted to get that cur down there," was the snarling reply. "Imissed him that time, but I'll get him yet."
"No, ye don't," Dan declared, as Curly tried to free the rifle from hiscompanion's grasp. "If ye shoot again, we'll have a pack of Indiansafter us. There, look now!" and he pointed to the canoe which washeading down the creek. "That's what you've done. You've scared ourgame and sent them back to give the alarm. Most likely they intendedto land somewhere up the creek, an' do some private spoonin'. We couldhave crept down, knocked out the guy, an' carried off the gal. Butnow--bah! ye've spoiled the whole show!"
Curly made no reply, but lay there watching the canoe until it hadreached Sconda's landing. His heart was bitter with rage as herecalled his expulsion from Glen West, while his opponent was in fullpossession of the girl he was seeking. Several times during themorning he voiced his sentiments to his companion.
"Just wait, Curly," Dan comforted. "Our turn will come, never fear,providin' ye don't lose yer head as ye did this mornin'. I knowsomething about lovers. They generally like to get off somewhere bythemselves to do their spoonin'. They'll be wanderin' up along thattrail between here an' the water some time this afternoon, an' that'llbe our chance."
But this time Dan was mistaken. The young lovers did not come up thetrail, neither did they see them again during the remainder of the day,although they stayed there until the sun had gone down. Theyaccordingly went back to Dan's cabin a sulky and ugly pair. Lustful,and filled with the spirit of revenge, they became all the moredetermined and desperate the more they were baffled in their plans.
Early the next morning they again took up their position on the highcrest. They did not have long to wait now, for in less than an hourthey beheld something upon the trail below them which gladdened theirdevilish hearts. At once they vanished from the summit, and likepanthers stole cautiously through the forest, and cautiously began tostalk their unconscious prey.