The Coyote

by James Roberts

  CHAPTER XXXV

  GUNS IN THE NIGHT

  When Joe Price returned, leading Rathburn's horse which he had fed andwatered, and turned over the reins, he spoke swiftly in a low voice:

  "They'll be watchin' hard for you down the canyon, boy. Bob Long's sureto mean business this 'ere time."

  "Well, I know it," said Rathburn with a low, mirthless laugh. "Ilocked him in his own jail this mornin' to get a clean chance todecide to give myself up. Then, when the chance came--well, he surelythinks now that I put him away to cover my tracks. I expect the boyshave got their shootin' orders."

  "Listen!" whispered Price excitedly. "Wait till I get my own horse,an' I'll strike east across the hump. That'll start 'em after memaybe--sure it will, Rathburn! They'll think I'm you, see, an' lightright out after me."

  Rathburn laid one hand on the old man's shoulder and put the otherover Joe's mouth.

  "Joe, you're all excited--plumb unreasonable excited. You know Iwouldn't let you do that. Now don't hand me more worries than I'vegot. Be good, Joe." He patted Price's shoulder, then swung into thesaddle.

  The old miner looked up at him, his face showing strangely white inthe dim starlight, pierced by the fire on the peak.

  "I didn't tell 'em you'd been here, Roger; don't forget that!"

  "I knew that, Joe," Rathburn chuckled. "So long."

  Swiftly he rode down the little meadow below the spring into the deepshadows of the canyon which led down a steep trail to the desert.Presently he checked his pace until he was walking the gallant dun. Hewished to avoid as much noise as possible, and to save the horse for afinal spurt down nine miles of desert to the Mallory ranch from themouth of the canyon--providing he got out.

  For two reasons he had deliberately chosen this route: it wasshortest, and it offered the best going. He must save the dun'sstrength. Rathburn knew the limits of his splendid mount; knew theyhad almost been reached; knew there was just enough left in the horseto make the ranch without killing him. The Coyote would surrenderbefore he would kill his horse to effect his escape or gain anobjective!

  Thus they slipped down the narrow canyon, with the desert starsgleaming white above the lava hills of Imagination Range, while thefire glowed on the peak above Joe Price's cabin. Rathburn's face waspale under his tan; his thoughts were in a turmoil, but his lips werepressed into a fine line that denoted an unwavering determination. HadSheriff Bob Long seen his face at this time he might have glimpsedanother angle of Rathburn's many-sided character--an angle which wouldhave given him pause.

  Rathburn looked behind, and his eyes narrowed. Two fires were burningon the peak.

  Already the watchers were cognizant of his latest move and weresignaling to those who might be below. He wondered vaguely why theyhad not surrounded Joe Price's cabin while he had been there. Then herealized he had been there hardly long enough for his pursuers to getthere in any number. Suddenly his thoughts were broken into by astreak of red in the canyon depths below him. He swerved close againstthe rock wall, drew his gun, and, speaking to the dun, drove in hisspurs.

  A short distance below he could see the faint glow of the starlightnight and knew he was near the canyon's mouth. There were more streaksof red, and bullets whistled past him. Then Rathburn raised his gunand sent half its deadly contents crashing down into the trail ahead.

  There followed a few moments of quiet, broken only by the harsh,ringing pound of his mount's hoofs. Rathburn could see open countryjust ahead. Then a flash of fire came from almost under him, and thebig dun lunged into the air, half twisting, and came down upon someobject under its hoofs. The dun bounded on in great leaps, literallyflying through the air, as Rathburn thrilled with the knowledge thatthe horse had knocked down the man who had sought to kill him.

  From above came sharp reports, and the blackness of the high canyonwalls was streaked with spurts of flame. Leaden death hurled itselfinto the rock trail behind him. Then he was out of the canyon, ridinglike mad through the white desert night toward his goal--the Malloryranch!

  * * * * *

  Laura Mallory stood on the porch of the little ranch house, staringout across the dimly lit spaces of desert. A worried look appeared inher eyes. The front door was open, and in the small sitting room herfather was reading under a shaded lamp at the table. At times theworried look in the girl's eyes would change to one of wistfulness,and twice the tears welled.

  Presently she straightened and listened intently, looking into thesouth instead of northwest. Her ears, keen as are those of the desertborn, had caught a sound--a succession of faint sounds--in the stillnight air. Gradually the sound became more and more distinct, and theworried expression of her face increased. She hurried into the sittingroom.

  "Father, Fred Doane is coming out from town," she said breathlessly."Do you suppose they've got him?"

  "Maybe so, girlie," said the old man. "It was a bold business, an'what could you expect?"

  "Oh, I don't know. I can't seem to understand. All this trouble iscoming so suddenly. Father, are you sure you heard Roger refuse to aidthat man Eagen in some shady scheme last night?"

  "Ab-so-lutely," declared Mallory. "I've been wondering, daughter, ifhe didn't turn Eagen down because he had this scheme of his own."

  The purr of a motor came to them from outside, and Laura, hastilywiping her eyes with a small handkerchief, went slowly out.

  "Laura!" cried Fred Doane, as he came up the steps, holding out hishands.

  "What--what is it, Fred?" she faltered. "Have they caught----"

  "Not yet," said Doane briskly, as Mallory appeared in the door. "An'they probably won't get him. He's clever, that fellow."

  The bank cashier indulged in a frown, but he was plainly nervous.

  "Then what news do you bring here?" Mallory demanded. "Did you come totell us he'd got away clean?"

  "Why, not--not exactly," said Doane. "I meant to tell you that, ofcourse, but I also want to have a little talk with Laura. Can I seeyou alone, Laura, for a few minutes?"

  "Oh, _that's_ it," snorted Mallory, as he stamped back into thehouse.

  "You have something to tell me you don't want father to hear?" askedthe girl in a worried voice.

  "Laura, there's something I must tell you right away," said Doanenervously, leading her to the shadow of the far end of the porch.There he turned and faced her, taking her hands.

  "Laura, you must have seen it for a long time. You could hardly helpbut see it. I love you, Laura--I love you with all my heart, and Iwant you to be my wife."

  The girl drew back in astonishment.

  "But why do you have to tell me this so suddenly?" she asked, hercolor coming and going.

  "Because I want you to marry me, Laura, to-night!" he said.

  Again he reached for her hands. "Please, Laura," he pleaded. "It meansso much to me. Don't you care for me, sweetheart? I've been led tothink you did, and I intended to tell you soon, but all thistrouble--this terrible trouble to-day--has nearly driven me mad. I'mafraid I'll go mad, Laura, if I don't have something else to thinkabout. Oh, Laura, marry me and help me out of this big trouble."

  "Fred!" exclaimed the girl, startled by his passion of pleading."Fred, I've never tried to make you think I cared for you. Andnow--well, I'd have to have a long time to think it over. How would ithelp you out of trouble, Fred? Tell me that."

  "By helping me forget--by helping me forget that our bank is ruined!By saving my mind! By keeping me from going mad! By----"

  "Fred you must not talk so. That robbery has unnerved you for the timebeing, that's all. You're excited and so----"

  "I'm more than excited," he declared, trying to put his hands on hershoulders. "I'm about--about--_gone_! Laura, marry me to-night, andwe'll go somewhere--we'll go somewhere right from here, from thisranch--go a long way and get married in the morning. Then we can stayaway for a short time till I get to be myself again."

  "No, Fred," replied the girl in convincing tones, "I can't. It wouldbe
asking too much even if I loved you. Come inside, and I'll make yousome strong tea. You can talk to father and me and regain control ofyourself."

  There was a moment of silence. Mallory with the lamp had come to thedoor at the sound of Doane's loud voice. He was looking at them. Thenout of the night came the pound of hoofs. There was no mistaking thesound.

  Doane whirled around, as a rider came out of the sea of mesquite andgreasewood and flung himself from the saddle in front of the porch.The bank cashier turned toward Mallory. His face was haggard. Heseemed to sway, as the rider came stamping up the steps. He darted forthe door, but had hardly got inside before the rider caught him andmade him face about. Mallory hurried in with the lamp, followed by thegirl.

  Doane was quailing before the new arrival. Both cried out, as they sawit was Eagen who had broken out so suddenly. Eagen towered above theshrinking Doane.

  "So you thought you'd double cross me, did you, eh?" came Eagen'sharsh voice, and he slapped Doane in the face.

  Doane went red, then white. For a moment intense hatred and angerflashed in his eyes, but he made no move to avenge the insult. Slowlythe light in his eyes died again to fear, as he realized hisinability to cope with this man of strength.

  "Here, Eagen, you can't come into my house and act like that," saidMallory stoutly, putting the lamp on the table.

  Laura still stood in the doorway, stunned by the rapid and extraordinaryturn of events. Eagen turned on Mallory with a snarl.

  "Shut up, you old fool! Don't butt in where you ain't wanted, an' onsomething you don't know anything about."

  "I know you're in my house!" Mallory retorted sternly.

  "I'll only be here a minute," said Eagen with a sneer. "I'm goin' outof your house, an' I'm goin' to drag this sneaking cur out withme--out on the solid ground an' give him what's comin' to him. An'then," he added in a terrible voice; "I'm goin' to go out an' get hispardner--Rathburn, The Coyote--get him when the others can't comewithin a mile of him!"

  "You can't take this man out of my house when he is my guest!"thundered Mallory.

  "No?" asked Eagen contemptuously. "Well, you watch an' see! If you tryto stop me you'll stop lead!"

  He leaped forward and grasped Doane by the shoulder, jerked himforward, and stepped backward himself. He turned, dragging his victim,then stopped dead in his tracks with a hissing intake of breath.Rathburn was standing quietly in the doorway.