The Ridin' Kid from Powder River
Page 29
CHAPTER XXIX
QUERY
Far out across the starlit gloom the two thoroughbreds raced side byside. They seemed to know what was required of them. A mile, twomiles, three miles, and the night-fire of Arguilla's men was aflickering dot against the black wall of the night.
Brevoort pulled his horse to a walk. "We done left 'em looking at eachother," he drawled.
"Two of 'em ain't," said Pete succinctly.
Brevoort chuckled. "I was tryin' that hard not to laugh when yousmelled them aigs, that I come nigh missin' my chanct. You sure aresome play-actor."
"Play-actor nothin'! I was doggone near sick. I kin smell 'em yet.Say, I'd like to know what'll happen to them two Cholas."
"Ain't you satisfied with what we done to 'em?"
"Yep. But Arguilla won't be. I'd hate to be in their boots--" Fromthe south came the faint, sinister "pop! pop!" of rifle shots. Peteturned quickly toward his companion. "Right now," he concluded,shrugging his shoulders.
"We got trouble of our own," said Brevoort. "Brent tried to run hisiron on us--but he got hold of the wrong iron. Now the deal will haveto go through like The Spider figured. Mebby Brent knows thatArguilla's men are at the Ortez--and mebby he don't. But we don't say.We ride in and repo't that Ortez says O.K.--that his vaqueros arecomin' for the cattle and that he is comin' with the cash. Brent won'tbat an eye. I know him. He'll jest tell you to take the dough andride to Sanborn and take the train for El Paso. Then he'll vamose."
"How's that?"
"'Cause he knows that this is the finish. When he was handlin' stockfrom south of the line,--in small bunches, and pushin' it throughfast,--we was all right. The Mexican punchers was doin' the stealin',sellin' the stuff to Brent. And Brent was sellin' to Arguilla'sagent--which is Ortez. All Ortez did was pay for it and turn it overto Arguilla. Mexicans was stealin' from Mexicans and sellin' to Brentcheap, 'cause he paid cash, and Brent was sellin' it to Mexicans. Thefellas that stole the stuff knew better 'n to try to sell to Arguilla.All they would 'a' got would 'a' been a promise. So they sells toBrent, who bought mighty cheap, but paid real money. That worked fine.But when Brent starts stealin' from white men on his side of theline--why, he knows that it is the finish--so he figures on a bighaul--or The Spider does--kind of takes them ranchers up north bysurprise and gets away with a couple of hundred head. But he knows, assure's he's a foot high, that they'll trail him--so he forgets that TheSpider said you was to collect from Ortez and bank the dough--andfigures on collectin' it himself."
"Kind of a cold deal, eh, Ed?"
"All crooked deals is cold."
"But I wonder why Brent didn't send me down to the Ortez alone. Whatdid he ring you in for?"
"Brent figured that I'd get wise to his scheme. You see, theunderstandin' with The Spider is, that I'm fo'man of the Olla, caseBrent gets bumped off. Mebby The Spider thinks I'm square. Mebby hejest plays me against Brent to keep us watchin' each other. I dunno."
"You figure Arguilla will send old man Ortez over the line with thecash?"
"Yes. He will now. We done spoiled his game by gittin' loose. But Idon't say that Arguilla won't try to raid the Olla and get that moneyback, after he's got the cattle movin' south. You see thehigh-steppers that are backin' Arguilla ain't trustin' him with a wholelot of cash, personal. 'Course, what he loots is his. But their moneyis goin' for grub and ammunition. They figure if he gets enough cash,he'll quit. And they don't want him to quit. He thinks he's the bigsmoke--but all he is is hired man to big money."
"He's been played, right along--same as us, eh?"
"Same as us."
"Well, Ed, I don't mind takin' a long chanct--but I sure don't aim tolet any man make a monkey of me."
"Then you want to quit this game," said Brevoort. "Why don't you kindof change hosses and take a fresh start? You ain't been in the game solong but what you can pull out."
"I was thinkin' of that. But what's a fella goin' to do? Here we be,ridin' straight for the Olla. Right soon the sun'll be shinin' and thehosses millin' round in the corral and gittin' warmed up, and Brent'llbe tellin' us he can use us helpin' push them cattle through to thesouth end: and I reckon we'll change our saddles and git right to work,thinkin' all the time of quittin', but keepin' along with the job jestthe same. A fella kind of hates to quit any job till it's done. And Ifigure this here deal ain't even started to make trouble--yet. Waittill the T-Bar-T outfit gits a-goin'; and mebby the Concho, and theBlue Range boys."
"Hand over your canteen a minute," said Brevoort. "I lost mine in theget-away."
Dawn found them inside the south line fence. In an hour they were atthe 'dobe and clamoring for breakfast. The cook told them that Brentwas at the north line camp, and had left no word for them.
Brevoort glanced quickly at Pete. Evidently Brent had not expectedthem to return so soon, if at all.
After breakfast they sauntered to the bunk-house, and pulled off theirboots and lay down.
It was about noon when the cook called them. "The bunch is back," hesaid. "Harper just rode in. He says the old man is sore aboutsomethin'."
"The Spider?" queried Brevoort.
"Nope, Sam."
"Goin' to ride over?" asked Pete, after the cook had left.
"No. But I'm goin' to throw a saddle on one of the never-sweats andI'm goin' to pick a good one."
"I reckon Blue Smoke'll do for me. You goin' to pull your freight, Ed?"
"We got our runnin' orders. The minute old man Ortez hands over thatcash, there'll be a hole in the scenery where we was."
"That's my idee. But suppose we make it through to El Paso all right.What do we do next?"
"That's kind of like jumpin' off the aidge of the Grand Canon andaskin' yourself what you're goin' to do while you're in the air. Weain't lit yet."