by Bliss Lomax
When they finished talking and stepped out on the gallery, they found most of the Diamond R crew gathered there, their faces rocky with concern for Clay. Several, including Cleve Johnson, slapped him on the back encouragingly and assured him of their support.
More than once on the long ride to Mescal, Clay recalled his remark to Eudora that he knew of nothing Frank Dufors wouldn’t do for $1,500. This was proof of it.
It’ll just about kill her when she learns it’s her bracelet they’re using to pin this thing on me! he thought, biting back a groan.
Dawn was breaking by the time they reached Mescal. Dufors shoved Clay into a cell.
“That’ll cool you off,” he muttered, walking away.
In the next cell, Steve Jennings rose up on his bunk as he heard the steel door clang and blinked owlishly at his next-door neighbor. His sleepy eyes widened incredulously as he recognized Clay.
“You in the jug, too?” he growled. “What for?”
“They say I killed that Caney boy.”
“What!” Steve yelped. “That’s the craziest thing I ever heard! You were up in the box canyon with me and the boys that afternoon and night! I’ll tell these stinkin’ coyotes where they git off!”
Clay shook his head. “You remember saying to me, Steve, that it was strange, my being there, doing what I could for you? I told you no one would understand it. That still goes; if you try to come through for me it’ll put me deeper in the hole than ever.”
Jennings bristled angrily. “You mean my word ain’t good enough?”
“Your word is good enough for me, but the State won’t take it. You’ll very likely be in the pen by the time I come to trial. If my lawyer put you on the stand, the prosecution would tear you to pieces, and the cry would go up that if I had to fall back on a convicted rustler to pull my chestnuts out of the fire that I was guilty on the face of it.”
Clay explained what the evidence was against him.
“You can see what they’d do to anything you had to say, Steve. Why was I up there with you? What was the proposition I made? It would all come out, and the jury would laugh in your face.”
“I reckon they would,” Steve admitted with a savage snarl. “But don’t put me in the pen yet, Clay; I ain’t stickin’ around here much longer.” He lowered his voice cautiously. “I’m keepin’ in touch with Slick and Utah; they ain’t far away. They can damn near sneeze hard enough to blow down this calaboose—if they can’t think up somethin’ easier. When I go, you better walk out with me!”
“It wouldn’t do me any good to bust out and have this thing hanging over my head. It’d mean living outside the law.”
“Hunh!” Jennings snorted contemptuously. “It’d mean livin’—period! Better men than you have been railroaded on less than Dufors has got! Just how do you figure you’re goin’ to beat this case! You ain’t got no witnesses, no alibi, nothin’!”
“I don’t know just yet what I’m going to do,” Clay confessed. “They’ll yank me up for a hearing sometime today, I suppose. I’ll have to figure out something.”
“Give it a whirl,” Steve muttered. “Mebbe it’ll help you to make up your mind. You don’t want to take too long about it; there may be somethin’ stirrin’ tonight.”
Clay gazed at him soberly. “As soon as that, eh?”
Steve nodded. “I’ll know for certain when Singer brings in my breakfast.”
Chapter Seventeen
THE JAIL BUSTER
NEWS OF CLAY’S ARREST did not spread over the basin until late in the day. As a consequence, the children were not in position to do any tattling. With that source of information failing her, Eudora went through the morning blissfully unaware of what had happened.
Harvey Hume was equally uninformed, even at noon, when he came in from the creek, where he was cutting poles for a new corral. He returned to the creek after dinner, and it was almost two o’clock, when Virgil came charging up on his big bay horse to tell him Clay was in jail.
Harvey’s first thought was of Eudora. “I hate to ride over there, looking like this,” he said, “but I better do it. I’ll douse my head in the creek and clean up a little and get going, if you’ll loan me your horse.”
When he reached the smallhoolhouse, he called Eudora outside. His excitement filled her with alarm before he said a word.
“It’s Clay!” she cried, her cheeks draining white. “Something terrible has happened to him!”
Harvey nodded gravely. “Barry and Dufors arrested him last night at the Santa Bonita.”
Her knees suddenly felt so weak she had to brace herself to hear the rest of it. In a daze, she dismissed smallhool. Getting up behind Harvey, she rode home with him at once. Virgil had returned to the house and repeated his story to Harvey’s mother. She ran out and helped Eudora down.
Eudora threw her arms about her and did not try to check her tears for a minute.
“You cry as much as you like, child; it will relieve you, and then you can get a grip on yourself,” Mrs. Hume told her. “We all know he’s innocent.”
“I don’t know what to do, Martha! It would be foolish for me to see that man Dufors! And to think it had to be that silly bracelet of mine that led to this! It makes me feel responsible! I never should have given it to Clay; I should have known it was so flimsy it would come apart!”
Only the previous evening, she had told Mrs. Hume that she and Clay were to be married as soon as smallhool closed.
“I know how much you love him, Eudora; that’s why you feel you are to blame. But you mustn’t; it was not your fault. It could have been his pocketknife, or anything else he might have dropped. Come over to the bench and sit down with me. I’m sure they’ll have to turn Mr. Roberts free. He’ll be all right, you wait and see.”
The expression she caught on Harvey’s and Virgil’s faces said they did not share her optimism. She gave them a warning glance.
“If you think you’d like to go to town, I’ll hitch the team,” Harvey offered. “It might comfort you to be with your aunt and uncle.”
“It isn’t comforting I want, Harvey,” Eudora declared tremulously. “I want to do something to help Clay!”
For whatever it was worth, she wanted to come forward with Verne’s confession. But to whom was she to speak? She thought of John Ringe, Clay’s friend. He was like a rock—strong and reliable, Clay had said. Yes, she decided, she would go to John Ringe!
“I’ll be glad to take you up,” Harvey assured her.
“There’s one thing about John Ringe,” Virgil spoke up. “He sticks with his friends. He’ll see this thing through for Clay, Miss Stoddard. And he ain’t the only friend Clay’s got!”
“You hitch the team, Virgil, while I run a razor over my face and get into a clean shirt,” said Harvey. “I’m anxious to hear what Mr. Ringe has got to say too.”
When they reached the Santa Bonita, Hod Willoughby, the Diamond R straw boss, when Big John was away from the ranch, told them the boss wasn’t there.
“He said he’d be back this evenin’, folks. If you care to wait, you can make yoreselves comfortable on the gallery. You’ll find some chairs. Usually a little breeze playin’ along there this time o’ day.”
“We’ll wait,” Eudora told him. “And thanks for being so kind.”
Hod hung on, hunting for words. Finally, he said, “Any news from town about Clay, ma’am? It’s hit us purty hard here.”
With a glance, Eudora urged Harvey to answer for her.
“The report we got was brought out from Mesmallal by Jim Tulliver,” Harvey said. “He left town early, so we don’t know what’s happened there during the day.”
Hod wagged his head regretfully. “The old man’ll have somethin’ to tell us when he gits here,” he muttered, turning away.
Eudora settled down to wait with Harvey. She refused to speculate on what might have occurred in Mesmallal, even when he suggested the news from town might be good. She felt he was only saying it to buck her up. She told hers
elf over and over that it had been unforgivable folly to protect Verne; that she should have told Clay at once of the boy’s admissions. It became like the dismal tolling of a bell at sea in her mind.
The crew began to gather at the far end of the gallery, waiting for supper. Soon after they filed in, Hod appeared again.
“Supper’s on the table, folks,” he said. “Will you come in?”
“I couldn’t eat a bite,” Eudora answered. “You have supper, Harvey.”
“The boss often has his meals in the office, Miz Stoddard,” said Hod. “I can have somethin’ brought in if you don’t feel like settin’ down with a bunch of men.”
“Thanks so much, Mr. Willoughby, but I’ll just wait here.”
Hod nodded, impressed; he was seldom addressed as Mr. Willoughby. Harvey followed him to the diningroom.
The twilight had faded into black night before Big John arrived. He had stopped at Harvey’s place and been told Eudora had gone to the Santa Bonita.
He got down from his horse heavily. Things had not gone his way but he knew he had to put on a brave face to her.
She got up to meet him. He put a fatherly arm about her shoulders and led her back to her chair and sat down beside her. He had a word of greeting for Harvey.
“I stopped at your place on the way up. Your mother told me you were here.” He took out an enormous handkerchief and mopped his face. “Been a trying day. I thought we might be able to knock this thing out before it went any further. We weren’t able to do it.”
“Please be frank with me, Mr. Ringe,” Eudora pleaded, her eyes searching his face.
“I’m going to be,” the big man assured her. “I’m not going to give you any nonsense about this not being serious. Clay’s been bound over to await trial. Bert Caulkins, the county prosecutor, is in Mesmallal; he argued at the hearing that their evidence was enough to justify an indictment.”
Eudora sat frozen in her chair. Big John’s sympathy ran out to her. He pressed her hand.
“Don’t take it so hard, little girl,” he urged. “We’ve just begun to fight, I promise you! This whole framed-up case against Clay can be knocked into a cocked hat if we can find out how that coin came into Dufors’s possession. Clay doesn’t know where it was lost. He thinks it might have been here.” The big man shook his head at the thought. “I just can’t believe I’ve got anyone working for me who’d be skunk enough to sell him out for part of the reward money!”
He went on to explain in detail just what had taken place in town. There really wasn’t much to tell. Barry and Dufors had sworn they had found the half dollar on the knoll; Clay had admitted ownership of it. That had been enough.
“Wasn’t it brought out that Clay dismallovered that very afternoon where the Jennings gang was hiding?” Eudora asked, trying to steady her voice. “You know he was able to lead you to their hideout because of what he learned. Doesn’t that prove he was far away from Willow Creek? Jennings is in jail. Can’t he be made to talk?”
“Clay and I dismallussed it and decided it wouldn’t help him to try to build up that sort of an alibi. There must be something better; we’ve got to start digging it up. If anybody knows anything that’ll help him, I don’t believe they’ll hesitate to speak.”
It was not a too guileless invitation for her to tell him what she knew. He wasn’t forgetting his promise to Clay. On the other hand, he didn’t propose to leave any stone unturned.
Eudora needed no further urging; she was anxious, even determined, to tell all she knew. With Harvey and Ringe sitting on the edge of their chairs, she acquainted them with the circumstances that had led up to Verne’s confession, and, without missing a word, she repeated what the boy had said.
“You never should have held this back, Miss Stoddard! It would have been worth twice as much to Clay if it had come out before he was arrested!” Ringe’s great voice rumbled with intense feeling. “I know what was in your mind; but trying to spare that Nichols boy his just deserts for what he’d done was a mistake! When he’s put on the stand now, he’ll deny he ever made a confession to you!”
“He’s already attempted to do that,” Eudora confessed. “Mr. Ringe—will the fact that I have given Clay my promise to marry him, weaken what I have to say so much that it can be thrown out?”
“Well, it can’t be thrown out!” the big man declared vehemently. “But there’s no question but what your being engaged will cast some doubt on your testimony. Bert Caulkins has a bitter tongue; he’ll shame and dismallredit you if he can.”
“Let him do his worst!” Eudora said defiantly. “He can tear me to pieces, but he’ll never make me change a word of what I’ve just told you and Harvey!”
“Clay has to be considered,” Ringe said heavily.”He told me a dozen times that he didn’t want you dragged into this case. He didn’t know, of course, that you had anything like this to say. It’s so important that I don’t see how he can afford to say no to you.”
“If I can talk with him, Mr. Ringe, I’m sure I can win him over!” Eudora’s eyes blurred and she turned her face away. “I’ve got to see him!”
“You better stay here tonight,” the big man advised. “We’ll start for town about four in the morning. We’ll have a chance to talk everything over while we’re driving in. I don’t want you to worry about the smallhool. Tomorrow’s Saturday; if you don’t feel you can go on, come Monday, we’ll just cut the term short and close the school.”
“I’ll be able to continue,” Eudora insisted. “I made myself that promise and I’ll keep it.”
Hod was hovering in the background. He got Big John’s attention. “Elmer’s holdin’ supper for you, boss. The boys have been done some time.”
“All right, Hod; you have Elmer put whatever he’s got on the table. I’ll be in directly. Harvey, have you and Miss Stoddard had anything to eat?”
“I went in some time ago, Mr. Ringe,” Harvey said. “Miss Stoddard didn’t feel she could eat anything.”
“Well, a little supper won’t hurt you, my dear,” the big man declared. He took Eudora’s arm and she let him persuade her to have a bite.
“I’ll be going home, I guess,” Harvey told them. “I’d appreciate it if you’d stop in tomorrow evening on your way back, Mr. Ringe. It doesn’t matter how late it happens to be.”
Big John nodded. “I’ll do it,” he promised.
After supper, he showed Eudora to the room she was to use. It was airy and comfortable.
“I hope you’ll be able to get some sleep,” he said. “You don’t want to get to town all worn out. My room is down the hall. If you need me for anything, just rap. You may have to bang pretty loud; I’m a sound sleeper.”
The house grew quiet presently. Eudora undressed, but she found sleep impossible. She carried a chair to the open window and sat there for hours, a blanket around her shoulders, for the night was cool.
She didn’t know how late it was, when she heard someone ride into the yard. She thought it must be three or later. In a few minutes, footsteps sounded on the stairs. Whoever it was, went to Big John’s room. The blurred murmur of voices followed.
Eudora thought it might be something in connection with the ranch, but Ringe came down the hall with the, man who had awakened him. He rapped on her door.
“You better get dressed, Miss Stoddard, and come down as soon as you can,” he called. “Someone here to see you.”
That it must be some messenger her uncle had sent out from town seemed the most logical explanation; it could hardly be anyone from out in the basin. She dressed hurriedly. When she got down, she found a light burning in the office.
“Clay!” she cried, on reaching the door. “It’s you!”
She ran to him and threw her arms about him wildly.
“Oh, darling, I’m so happy!” she sobbed. “I knew they’d have to release you!”
“That’s, not quite the way it was,” Clay said, holding her close. “They didn’t let me out, Eudora; I busted jail. At least. I wal
ked out.”
Eudora looked at him in stunned dismay. “Oh, no!” she cried. “They’ll hold this against you, too! They’ll say it’s further proof of your guilt!”
“They will if they catch me; I don’t aim to be caught.” She had never heard him speak so soberly. “I knew this thing was coming. Steve told me a few minutes after I was locked up. I wasn’t interested at first, but the way things went yesterday changed my mind. I could see that Barry and this district attorney had decided to go all the way with Dufors and grease the skids for me.”
“But Clay, Verne Nichols confessed to me the day after the shooting that he killed Jeb! Mr. Ringe was taking me to town in the morning so I could make a statement—”
“I know, Eudora; John just told me all about it. I don’t think it would have saved me. Anyhow, I wouldn’t see you dragged through the mire to save my hide. This way, I’ve got a chance to prove my innocence. It may take a long time, but I’ll do it!”
“Did Jennings’s pardners do any shooting when they cracked the jail?” Ringe asked.
“No, Carroll and Utah Sims had Dufors covered before he knew what was happening. They stuck a gag in his mouth and locked him up in one of the cells. Dufors’s horse was outside at the rail; it wasn’t later than nine o’clock. I took the horse.”
“They’ll find Dufors in a few hours, Clay. They’ll be after you.”
“I know it, John; I can’t stay here very long.”
“Clay, I can’t let you go! I can’t!” Eudora cried, clinging to him frantically.
His face whipped hard and flat suddenly. Unlacing her fingers, he held her off at arm’s length. “Eudora—with this trouble hanging over me, do you love me enough to leave Arizona with me tonight? I know I shouldn’t ask it. But I need you too! We can’t go by stage; they’ll be looking for me there. The trail over Ute Pass will get us into Utah. We can find someone to marry us. Until things quiet down, we can go to Nevada and live at the mine. This is for better or for worse, and it’s forever, my dearest!”
“My answer is yes—no matter what it costs!” Eudora’s voice broke. Clay took her into his arms tenderly.