by Hal Dunning
CHAPTER XV
THE TRAP
The sun had rushed behind the distant mountains, and the dusk wasgathering in the gulch when Pop Howes rode up to the American Beautyand dismounted. His face was worried and haggard. He had had a longtalk with his friend, Hard-rock Hogan, but neither of them could thinkof any way by which they could raise sufficient money to save theAmerican Beauty from the clutches of the Black Rock Bank. Another weekand the bank would automatically take possession, unless Pop couldraise the necessary cash to pay the interest and part of the loan.
Jim Allen was waiting for him, and before Pop entered the house, thelittle outlaw drew him aside and talked rapidly for several minutes.
"That would be a fool thing to do!" Pop complained. "What you got inyour head now?"
"Yuh do like I say; yuh trot down to the post office an' pretend to getthat letter; then yuh tell two or three people on the quiet what I justtol' yuh to. Yuh act happy an' glad--make believe you're a littledrunk--an' then tell a coupla more folks. Then yuh come back here, getyour ol' lady, an' sneak over to Hard-rock's place an' lay low. I'll dothe rest, an' don't yuh worry none. I ain't sure she works, but if shedoes, mebbe yuh won't lose your mine!" Jim spoke confidently andgrinned one of his broad, likable grins.
Pop grumbled and complained about being left in the dark as to justwhat Allen intended to do, but at length he consented to do what Allenasked. He told his wife that he had to go to town with Jim Allen. Andas Jim saw the look of worry that crossed her face, he realized shemust have known all the while that the Mexican boy had been killed bymistake for her husband.
"Don't worry none, ma'am. I stick close to him an' he won't get hurtnone!" Allen reassured her.
The woman watched them, as the famous outlaw walked down the pathbeside her husband, whose tall, gaunt form made Allen seem smaller thanever. Behind them trotted Allen's two gray horses. One was saddled andthe other carried a small pack. Mrs. Howes felt no fear now for herhusband; those two low-hung guns that Allen wore brought her a feelingof confidence that her man would return safely.
Dusk had given way to night by the time the two arrived in Goldville.The miners were streaming into town, and the saloons were rapidlyfilling. Most of the miners were Mexicans, but there were a few husky,broad-shouldered Americans among them.
Allen left his grays at the hitching rack before the Ace High andfollowed Pop Howes through the milling crowd toward the post office.Pop entered and then reappeared a moment later with a letter in hishand. Allen watched him as he ripped it open and read it by the lightcast from the office window.
"Huh! It's supposed to be good news, an' Pop acts like it was aninvitation to a funeral," Jim grumbled. "He's sure a bum actor!"
After Pop had consumed a few drinks, an optimistic conviction came tohim that this plan of Allen's, although he did not know just what itwas, would work and the little outlaw would save his mine. So he nolonger _acted_ the part of a man who has just been saved from disaster,but in reality _felt_ like one.
"Hello, Pop!" Bill Tucker greeted him. "Yuh look like the cat what justswallered the canary!"
"I sure feel all set up. Have a drink. I'm sorta celebrating."
The two drained their glasses, and Pop ostentatiously drew the letterfrom his pocket, glanced at it, and then returned it, with aself-satisfied smile. The ruse worked perfectly.
"Did yuh get good news in the mail to-night?" the marshal asked.
"You betcha!" Pop hesitated and then added in a whisper: "I ain'tsupposed to say nothin'--for some reason the gent wants me to keep itunder my shirt--but he's goin' to buy a quarter interest in theAmerican Beauty for five thousan' dollars!"
"Who is he? Who's the darn fool?" Bill Tucker's genial manner droppedfrom him like a cloak, and he snapped out the question.
"He ain't no darn fool! He's connected with the bank an' knows that theyoungster what examined the American Beauty reported I'm due to hit theEl Dorado lode!" Pop said aggrievedly and convincingly.
"What's this gent's name?" Tucker asked.
"I ain't tellin' that!" Pop shook his head.
"Reckon I better have a look aroun'," the marshal said as he swungaround and headed toward the door. Then, as an afterthought, he calledback over his shoulder: "I'm darn glad yuh got the money."
Pop Howes had another drink, then wandered across the street to the AceHigh. Here he found Hard-rock Hogan and confided his good news to himin a whisper which was clearly audible to several men standing near. Bythe time Pop had had another two drinks and had repeated the storyseveral more times, always in confidence, he began to believe ithimself and gave it a real ring of truth.
Jim-twin Allen followed him about and watched him. Several times hechuckled to himself.
"Darn me, if Pop ain't turnin' into a real fancy liar!"
Presently Allen wandered out and started a search of the varioussaloons. He found the man he sought playing stud poker in the back roomof the Red Blood Saloon at the far edge of town. Allen whispered to himand went out again; he walked out of town a short distance, seatedhimself on a rock, and started whistling.
"Slivers" Hart, the young card player, waited several minutes and thencashed in his chips and left the bar. He was very slender and but a fewinches taller than Allen. He had straw-colored hair and laughing,reckless eyes, but his mouth was hard and bitter.
"Hello, Slivers! I want yuh to do me a favor," Allen greeted him a fewmoments later.
"Yuh saved me from wearin' a necktie once, so shoot," the other saidquietly.
"'Tain't much. I want yuh to go to the other end of the town an' sortawatch an' see if any one leaves in a hurry," directed Allen. "Then, ifsome one comes a-runnin' back, an' if he's a plumb important person,sorta foller him an' see where he goes."
"Is that all?"
"Yep, for now."
Allen suddenly remembered he had not eaten that evening. After Sliversleft him, he went into a Chinese restaurant, hastily devoured a steak,and then wandered back to the Ace High. He saw Pop sitting with severalfriends at a table in the rear. As Jim neared a group of men standingat the bar they grew silent, and he knew they had been discussing JackAllen. He ordered a drink.
"Yuh driftin' to-night? I see yuh got your grays all packed," thebartender said genially.
"Reckon so. I hears tell that brother of mine is goin' to post his listto-morrow, so I figgers on gettin' out of town afore he tells me toget." Allen grinned.
He waited and consumed another drink before going outside. At thehitching rail he swung onto the back of his saddled horse and waved hishand toward a group of loafers.
"S'long, fellers! To hell with this town, I say!" he called back with alaugh.
And, riding slowly, Jim-twin Allen passed down the street and out ofthe town. A mile farther on he climbed the banks of the gulch and hidhis grays in a clump of trees. Then he hurried back toward town, hisrifle under one arm. He skirted Goldville and cautiously approached thetrail that led to the American Beauty. Here he found Slivers Hartwaiting for him.
"About an hour ago a feller went by so fast I couldn't tell who itwas," Slivers informed him.
"I'm bettin' my hunch is plumb correct," said Allen, grinning, "an', ifI ain't mistaken, another gent will come a-runnin' pronto."
The two men waited. Minutes passed; several hours elapsed. DrunkenMexicans singing ribald songs staggered up the trail toward the mines.At last Allen heard what he was waiting for--the drumming of ahard-ridden horse's hoofs.
"When he comes, follow him an' see who he talks to, then beat it to theAmerican Beauty, an' don't let no one see yuh arrivin' there," Allenwarned.
Slivers nodded, and the moment the horseman passed he started inpursuit. The rider had pulled his mount down to a slow trot, andSlivers was able to keep him in sight.
A short time later, Jim Allen heard Pop Howes and Hard-rock Hogancoming from the direction of town. Pop was talking loudly and joyously.Allen waited until they were a shor
t distance away and then glided likea shadow up the trail before them. He did not expect there would be anyattempt on Pop's life until later, but he dared not take chances, so hesearched the trail carefully for a possible ambush.
The three arrived at the American Beauty, where Allen told Mrs. Howesthat she and her husband were to spend the night with Hard-rock. Popgrumbled at not being allowed to stay to see the fun, but Alleninsisted the whole scheme might fall through unless Pop obeyed orders.So the old couple departed.
It was an hour before Allen was joined by Slivers Hart, whose eyes weresnapping from excitement.
"That gent on the horse was Steve Brandon!" he cried.
"Steve Brandon! Hadn't expected that!" Allen grew thoughtful. "But, ofcourse, that's it. He would know that the El Dorado vein would be foundagain on this side!"
Young Hart related what he had seen. "Steve hits the steps of the AceHigh two at a time. He is in a plumb big hurry. He grabs Bill Tucker,an' they goes to a corner an' whispers. I slide up, but can't hearmuch, only somethin' about 'double-crossin' sneak; he'll go to jail ifhe tries it. Things don't pan out to-night. Time to sick Jack Allenon----' I couldn't ketch the name. Then I hears Bill whisper clear: 'Ifthings don't pan out to-night, yuh got to write to Ed to put the screwson Thornton----' Then they sees me an' sorta glares, an' I walks offinnocent-like!" Slivers declared triumphantly.
Allen smiled with satisfaction.
"I figger that part about things pannin' out to-night means gun play,an' I hereby declare myself in!" Slivers said positively.
"Don't worry none. You're playin' decoy, an' decoys sometimes getsplugged plenty!" Allen assured him cheerfully.
All was still within the house an hour later. A low-turned lamp burnedin the living room, and a man sat in a chair asleep. Outside, twoshadows glided up the trail and carefully picked their way toward thehouse. A foot snapped a twig, and both shadows sank to the ground. Apause, and they again crept toward the house. They hugged the wall andslowly turned the corner and approached the lighted sitting-room window.
Behind them came another shadow, a strange thing that looked as if itwere part animal and part man. A hunched beast. Yellow eyes glowed inthe darkness.
The first two shadows peered through the window, and one whispered:"Yuh knock, an' I'll watch."
While one shadow remained by the window, the other knocked loudly onthe door. The shadow by the window glided forward and joined the one bythe door, while the third shadow moved closely behind them.
"He's comin'," came in a hoarse whisper.
"Who's there?" called a voice from inside the house.
"This is Hard-rock. Open up, Pop," the answer came.
A sound of a door being unbolted, a creak of hinges, and a shadowyfigure appeared in the doorway. Two streams of red fire, the boom oftwo shotguns split the night. Then a long streak of jagged red flamecoming from the crouching third shadow. A scream of agony, of surprise,of terror! A sound of falling bodies, and then silence.
"Come on out, Slivers! I got 'em both," Allen called, as hestraightened up.
Slivers appeared at the doorway and cautiously peered down at the twosprawled figures.
"Hell! I thought I was goin' to get in on the gun play," he grumbled.Then he added: "Hey! Them fellas must have used cannon, 'cause theysure peppered ol' Pop's overcoat an' hat!"
Allen glanced at the straw-stuffed overcoat lying on the floor. It wasriddled by buckshot.
"Pop would sure be in kingdom come if he had been in that coat. Take alook at them fellers, Slivers," Allen directed.
Slivers stooped and examined the two bodies by the light of a match.
"One of 'em is Ben Jones what works for Steve Brandon, an' tother isBig Anderson who works for the Blue Sky," Slivers announced.
"Anderson will know better the next time not to mix with the Allens."Jim Allen grinned at his joke, and Slivers chuckled.
"Take a look at Anderson's hands an' see if they looks like a miner'shands," suggested the little man.
"Naw, not a callous on 'em," Slivers announced a moment later. "Thatgent never worked none with a drill."
"Thought so. Reckon I knows now where Baldy Kane gets that there goldhe is so proud about."
"Yuh mean he steals it an' then pertends to mine it?" Slivers asked. "Iget you. Quartz is plumb heavy to move an' hard to market, if yuh don'thave a mine."
"Correct! An' I figgers I knows why certain gents got Jack down here!"
"They're double crossin' Baldy an' plannin' to have Jack drop him,'cause they is scared to do it themselves!" Slivers whistled softly.
"Correct again," Allen said dryly. "Darn it! I knows everythin', butJack won't believe me, 'cause I ain't got legal proof! That's the worstof tryin' to do things lawfully. Reckon I'll have to stick to outlaws'law," he grumbled.