Brand Blotters

by William MacLeod Raine

  CHAPTER I

  KIDNAPPED

  As a lake ripples beneath a summer breeze, so Mesa was stirred from itsusual languor by the visit of Simon West. For the little Arizona town wasdreaming dreams. Its imagination had been aroused; and it saw itself nolonger a sleepy cow camp in the unfeatured desert, but a metropolis, intouch with twentieth-century life.

  The great Simon West, pirate of finance, empire builder, molder of thedestinies of the mighty Southwestern Pacific system, was to touch theadobe village with his transforming wand and make of it a hive ofindustry. Rumors flew thick and fast.

  Mesa was to be the junction for the new spur that would run to the bigLincoln dam. The town would be a division point; the machine shops of thesystem would be located there. Its future, if still a trifle vague, waspotentially immense. Thus, with cheerful optimism, did local opinioninterpret the visit of the great man.

  Whatever Simon West may have thought of Mesa and its prospects, he keptbehind his thin, close-shut lips. He was a dry, gray little man offifty-five, with sharp, twinkling eyes that saw everything and toldnothing. Certainly he wore none of the visible signs of greatness, yet athis nod Wall Street trembled. He had done more to change the map ofindustrial America than any other man, alive or dead. Wherefore, bigBeauchamp Lee, mayor of Mesa, and the citizens on the reception committeedid their very best to impress him with the future of the country, as theymotored out to the dam.

  "Most promising spot on earth. Beats California a city block on orangesand citrons. Ever see an Arizona peach, Mr. West? It skins the world," thebig cattleman ran on easily.

  The financier's eye took in the girl sitting beside the chauffeur in thefront seat, and he nodded assent.

  Melissy Lee bloomed. She was vivid as a wild poppy on the hillsides pastwhich they went flashing. But she had, too, a daintiness, a delicacy ofcoloring and contour, that suggested the fruit named by her father.

  "You bet we raise the best here," that simple gentleman braggedpatriotically. "All we need is water, and the Lincoln dam assures us ofplenty. Yes, sir! It certainly promises to be an Eden."

  West unlocked his lips long enough to say: "Any country can promise. I'mlooking for one that will perform."

  "You're seeing it right now, seh," the mayor assured him, and launchedinto fluent statistics.

  West heard, saw the thing stripped of its enthusiasm, and made no commenteither for or against. He had plenty of imagination, or he could neverhave accomplished the things he had done. However, before any propositionappealed to him he had to see money in the deal. Whether he saw it in thisparticular instance, nobody knew; and only one person had the courage toask him point-blank what his intentions were. This was Melissy.

  Luncheon was served in the pleasant filtered sunlight, almost under theshadow of the great dam.

  On the way out Melissy had sat as demure and dovelike as it was possiblefor her to be. But now she showed herself to be another creature.

  Two or three young men hovered about her; notable among them was a youngfellow of not many words, good-humored, strong, with a look of power abouthim which the railroad king appreciated. Jack Flatray they called him. Hewas the newly-elected sheriff of the county.

  The great man watched the girl without appearing to do so. He was ratherat a loss to account for the exotic, flamelike beauty into which she hadsuddenly sparkled; but he was inclined to attribute it to the arrival ofFlatray.

  Melissy sat on a flat rock beside West, swinging her foot occasionallywith the sheer active joy of life, the while she munched sandwiches andpickles. The young men bantered her and each other, and she flashed backretorts which gave them alternately deep delight at the discomfiture ofsome other. Toward the close of luncheon, she turned her tilted chin fromFlatray, as punishment for some audacity of his, and beamed upon therailroad magnate.

  "It's very good of you to notice me at last," he said, with his drysmile.

  "I was afraid of you," she confided cheerfully.

  "Am I so awesome?"

  "It's your reputation, you know. You're quite a dragon. I'm told yougobble a new railroad every morning for breakfast."

  "'Lissie," her father warned.

  "Let her alone," the great man laughed. "Miss Lee is going to give me theprivilege of hearing the truth about myself."

  "But I'm asking. I don't know what the truth is," she protested.

  "Well, what you think is the truth."

  "It doesn't matter what we think about you. The important thing to know iswhat you think about us."

  "Am I to tell you what I think of you--with all these young men here?" hecountered.

  She was excited by her own impudence. The pink had spilled over her creamycheeks. She flashed a look of pretended disdain at her young men.Nevertheless, she made laughing protest.

  "It's not me, but Mesa, that counts," she answered ungrammatically. "Tellme that you're going to help us set orchards blossoming in these deserts,and we'll all love you."

  "You offer an inducement, Miss Lee. Come--let us walk up to the Point andsee this wonderful country of yours."

  She clapped her hands. "Oh, let's! I'm tired of boys, anyhow. They knownothing but nonsense." She made a laughing moue at Flatray, and turned tojoin the railroad builder.

  The young sheriff arose and trailed to his pony. "My marching orders, Ireckon."

  They walked up the hill together, the great man and the untutored girl. Hestill carried himself with the lightness of the spare, wiry man who hasnever felt his age. As for her, she moved as one on springs, her slender,willowy figure beautiful in motion.

  "You're loyal to Mesa. Born and brought up there?" West asked Melissy.

  "No. I was brought up on the Bar Double G ranch. Father sold it not longsince. We're interested in the Monte Cristo mine, and it has done so wellthat we moved to town," she explained.

  At the first bend in the mountain road Jack had turned in his saddle tolook at her as she climbed the steep. A quarter of a mile farther up therewas another curve, which swept the trail within sight of the summit. HereFlatray pulled up and got out his field glasses. Leisurely the man and themaid came into sight from the timber on the shoulder of the hill, andtopped the last ascent. Jack could discern Melissy gesturing here andthere as she explained the lay of the land.

  Something else caught and held his glasses. Four riders had emerged from alittle gulch of dense aspens which ran up the Point toward the summit. Oneof these had with him a led horse.

  "Now, I wonder what that means?" the sheriff mused aloud.

  He was not left long in doubt. The four men rode swiftly, straight towardthe man and the girl above. One of them swung from the saddle and steppedforward. He spoke to West, who appeared to make urgent protest. Thedismounted rider answered. Melissy began to run. Very faintly there cameto Flatray her startled cry. Simultaneously he caught the flash of the sunon bright steel. The leader of the four had drawn a revolver and wascovering West with it. Instantly the girl stopped running. Plainly thelife of the railroad president had been threatened unless she stopped.

  The man behind the weapon swept a gesture in the direction of the ledhorse. Reluctantly West moved toward it, still protesting. He swung to thesaddle, and four of the horses broke into a canter. Only the man with thedrawn revolver remained on the ground with Melissy. He scabbarded his gun,took a step or two toward her, and made explanations. The girl stamped herfoot, and half turned from him.

  He laughed, stepped still closer to her, and spoke again. Melissy, withtilted chin, seemed to be unaware that he existed. Another step broughthim to her side. Once more he spoke. No stone wall could have given himless recognition. Then Jack let out a sudden fierce imprecation, and gavehis pony the spur. For the man had bent forward swiftly, had kissed thegirl on the lips once--twice--three times, had swept his hat off in a low,mocking bow, and had flung himself on his horse, and galloped off.

  Pebbles and shale went flying from the horse's hoofs as the sheriff toredown the trail toward Melissy. He cut off at an angle
and dashed throughcactus and over rain-washed gullies at breakneck speed, pounding up thestiff slope to the summit. He dragged his pony to a halt, and leaped offat the same instant.

  Melissy came to him with flashing eyes. "Why didn't you get here sooner?"she panted, as if she had been running; for the blind rage was strong inher.

  His anger burst out to meet hers. "I wish I had!" he cried, with a furiousoath.

  "He insulted me. He laughed at me, and taunted me--and kissed me!"

  Jack nodded. "I saw. If I had only had my rifle with me! Who was he?"

  "He wore a mask. But I knew him. It was Dunc Boone."

  "With the Roaring Fork gang?"

  "I don't know. Is he one of them?"

  "I've been thinking so for years."

  "They must have known about our picnic. But what do they want with Mr.West?"

  "He's one of the world's richest men."

  "But he doesn't carry his money with him."

  "He carries his life."

  "They must mean to hold him for a ransom. Is that it?"

  "You've guessed it. That's the play." Jack considered, his eyes on thefar-away hills. When he spoke again it was with sharp decision. "Hit thetrail back to town with your motor. Don't lose a minute on the way. Send adispatch to Bucky O'Connor. You'd ought to get him at Douglas. If not,some of his rangers will know where to reach him. Keep the wires hot tillyou're in touch with him. Better sign my name. I've been writing him aboutthis outfit. This job is cut out for Bucky, and we've got to get him onit."

  "And what are _you_ going to do?"

  "I can't do much--I'm not armed. First time I've been caught that waysince I've been sheriff. Came out to-day for a picnic and left my gun athome. But if they're the Roaring Fork outfit, they'll pass through theElkhorn canyon, heading for Dead Man's Cache. I'm going to cut around OldBaldy and try to beat them to it. Maybe I can recognize some of them."

  "But if they see you?"

  "I ain't aiming to let them see me."

  "Still, they may."

  His quiet eyes met hers steadily. "Yes, they may."

  They were friends again, though he had never fully forgiven her doubt ofhim. It might be on the cards that some day she would be more to him thana friend. Understanding perfectly the danger of what he proposed, she yetmade no protest. The man who would storm her heart must be one who wouldgo the limit, for her standards were those of the outdoor West. She, too,was "game" to the core; and she had never liked him better than she did atthis moment. A man must be a man, and take his fighting chance.

  "All right, Jack."

  Not for years before had she called him by his first name. His heartleaped, but he did not let even his look tell what he was feeling.

  "I reckon I'll cut right down from here, Melissy. Better not lose any timegetting to town. So-long!" And with that he had swung to the saddle andwas off.

  Melissy ran swiftly down to the picnic party and cried out her news. Itfell upon them like a bolt out of a June sky. Some exclaimed and wonderedand deplored; but she was proud to see that her father took instantcommand, without an unnecessary word.

  "They've caught us in swimming, boys! We've got to burn the wind back totown for our guns. Dick, you ride around by the Powder Horn and gather upthe boys on the ranch. Get Swain to swing around to the south and comb thelower gulches of the Roaring Fork. Tell him to get in touch with me soonas he can. I'll come through by Elkhorn."

  Lee helped his daughter into the machine, and took his place beside her.

  "Hit the high spots, Jim. I've got an engagement in the hills that won'twait, prior to which I've got to get back to town immediate," he told thechauffeur cheerfully; for he was beginning to enjoy himself as in the olddays, when he had been the hard-riding sheriff of a border county whichtook the premium for bad men.

  The motor car leaped forward, fell into its pace, and began to hum itssong of the road as it ate up swiftly the miles that lay between the damand Mesa.