David Lannarck, Midget

by George S. Harney

  17

  A veteran cow hand or a frequenter of the modern rodeo would havewalked out on the roundup of the scattered kine of the Bar-O ranch onthis gray October day. There was scarcely a thrill in the entireperformance.

  At Welborn's insistence, Davy invited young Byron Goff to help out inthe work to be done. "I may not be here always," explained Welborn,"and Landy won't be here forever. Young Goff is your bet. He's asquare shooter, a good worker, and his sheep and your cattle are toofew to awaken the old-time cattle and sheep wars. Tie in with Goff."

  And Goff came to look the place over and make a tentative contract. Aday or two before the general roundup Landy and Flinthead had turnedout the gentle cattle that stayed around the barns and sheds to minglewith nervous yearlings that headquartered at the Cliffs. On themorning of the roundup young Goff and Flinthead made a wide detour toappear at the easternmost side. The startled kine moved west, and keptmoving west as they found scattered riders on either side. At thegate, where trouble was expected, a few "yip-yips" and a hurried pushsent the entire herd through the gates to a safe enclosure.

  To David Lannarck, this was the climax of his varied career. He had aphotographer present to take many successful shots, although the daywas raw and gray. His circus friends may not have been impressed asthey viewed the pictures but Davy spent happy hours in looking themover, especially the one where he, mounted on Peaches, was heading offan obstinate calf.

  The hay hauling from the B-line was interrupted by a snow storm thatpersisted for several days. Davy had to stay at home to train Peachesin many fancy tricks and to keep a path open to the Gillis home.Welborn, however, took no part in these activities. He continued hiswork at the ravine and expressed joy that a heavy snow would prevent adeep freeze of the gravel. In fact, much of his time was consumed ininsulating the pumps, the waterpipes and the area where he was towork. He was often delayed by the severity of the weather but as thedreary weeks passed the heap of little sacks that contained hisgleanings grew to a considerable pile.

  And in these monotonous months of near-solitude Davy Lannarck foundthe satisfaction and contentment of his former dreams. In five monthshe saw less than a half score of people. In his waking hours his timewas spent in training Peaches and playing with the Gillis dogs. Mostof the time he kept the way open to the Gillis demesne, but on twooccasions at least, he was denied that privilege; the heavy, swirlingsnows that swept over this mountain region were too much for a midgetman and a midget horse. It was Landy Spencer and the larger horsesthat conquered the big drifts and made a passable thoroughfare betweenthe Point and the Gillis home. But spring came as is its wont; thegreat snowdrifts yielded to the demands of the sun and southern windsand the returning flights of birds heralded the change of seasons.

  But the big change in conduct and occupation was in Sam Welborn. Inthe short, dark, snowy days he labored in the recesses of the canyonfrom early dawn to nightfall, but as the days lengthened andbrightened, he puttered about the house sorting and packing some ofhis personal effects, pressing his limited supply of clothing,constructing a strong box to contain his gleanings, and losing nochance to learn of the conditions of the roads to Cheyenne and pointsbeyond. It was apparent to his few acquaintances that he was nowprepared to overcome some past adversities that had hindered hisprogress in other fields.

  One evening after supper at the Gillis home Welborn made a limiteddisclosure of his future plans. "As soon as the roads are fit, I wantto go to the assay office in Denver and cash up on past efforts," washis opening statement. "I hope Jim can take time out to drive me thereand bring the car back, for I want to make a trip back East to be gonefor a week or two. After I have finished up my business in that area Iwant to come back here and loaf around a spell and get acquainted withmy neighbors and benefactors. As Davy has often said, 'The gold up inthe ravine will keep.' The claims are registered in our names, and wecan, from time to time, work 'em to keep 'em alive.

  "At the assay office," Welborn continued, "I will cash in the littledab that I had accumulated before Davy advanced the money to buy thepump and accessories; the rest is partnership funds to be divided anddepos--"

  "Hold on!" interrupted Davy. "You've sheltered me, fed me--"

  "--with grub bought with your money," interposed Welborn. "You can'tavoid past contributions by present-day denials, Laddie. Without yourhelp it would have taken me ten years to do what I've now done in sixmonths. And speed was and is the important requirement. In addition toall you've done in the past months I've still got another problem foryou to work on."

  Welborn paused, seemingly embarrassed as to how to proceed. His littleaudience waited breathlessly. "Folks, I am not a criminal!" he saidafter a prolonged pause. "But I did get involved with gangsters.Although I made a temporary clean-up on some of them, domestic affairsand financial disasters made it impossible to stay on. It seemedcowardly to quit but there was no other way. I had no plans, no trade,no profession. I simply stumbled in on this method of financialrecovery, and thanks to your kindly indulgence I am prepared to goback and make good some financial matters that were not of my making.

  "But in going back," Welborn continued, "I would like to knowsomething about conditions there before they know who I am. Thereseems to be two ways to do this. One would be to camp nearby and sendsomeone to investigate and report back as to conditions; the otherwould be for me to disguise myself and loaf around as a laborer,unemployed and looking for work.

  "You know something about make-up and disguises, Laddie; could I bemade up as a laborer or a village loafer so I could sit around andlisten in?"

  "You would have to let them shoulders down and pad a hump in yourback," replied the little man. "Appearances can be radically changedbut size is a handicap. There is a woman in Denver by the name ofWallace that can make you up to look like either an angel or a tramp.She used to be in vaudeville with costumes and makeup, now she'ssettled down in the legit--furnishes costumes for plays, charades, andthe like. She's on one of those little side streets near the businessdistrict. She'll clip your head, deck you out in scraggy iron-grayhair and whiskers until a bank clerk would turn you down, even if youwere identified. She'll tell you about your clothing; that's herspecialty. Your ragged coat ought to have a hump in the back to offseterectness and if you carry a cane, you should use it--not twirl itlike a baton.

  "But there's one of your assets, or weaknesses, that she will not beable to disguise," said Davy earnestly. "I take a chance in wrecking afine friendship, to tell you about it."

  "Go right on, Sonny Boy," said Welborn, "you couldn't wreck ourfriendship if you were to spit in my face."

  "Well, we folks here know nothing about your past. We don't want toknow until you release it, but I'll bet my interest in the Bar-Oagainst a thin dime that you've served in the army and were a toughold 'top-kick' at that. You want things done your way. You resistbeing told. You want to correct the other fellow if he's wrong; evenif disguised, you would interrupt and correct and maybe jam the wholeworks. Of course we want you to win but you've got to be careful--evenif it hurts."

  Welborn's face flushed but he laughed sheepishly as he pondered thecharges made. "You've got me dead-to-rights, Laddie; I am impatientand domineering, but I think I still have control. Just now I needinformation. I want to know if I am classed as a criminal or a citizenback in my home town. Personally, I would like to go back there, loafaround and listen in.

  "Well, it can be done," said Davy emphatically, "and I think I oughtto be an assistant. You saved my life, now I want to be a party tosaving your reputation. You are not a criminal; you couldn't be one ifyou tried. Just tell me the name of your home town and I will go thereas the advance man for Lannarck's Congress of Living Wonders. I'll beseeking a site to assemble the company and plan the rehearsals. Whilethere I will want the history of the town and the chamber of commercewill give it to me. In that history, your affair in all its detailswill be recited. Later on, you can stumble in as a laborer, seekingwork. I will be quartered at the le
ading hotel, and you at a boardinghouse out by the junction. But we will meet at the picture show or ata local poolroom and I will hire you to take care of the baggage andthe accessories as they come in. It won't take us long to get yourstatus, pay your fine, or get the judge to suspend your sentence.

  "Let's get going, podner," said Davy, as he clambered down from hischair. "We'll both go to Cheyenne; you go to Denver to cash up andfade out; I'll go to your town to pay out and horn in."

  Welborn smiled as he listened to Davy's enthusiasm and slang. Hedrummed his fingers on the table as he considered his proposals. "Ihadn't thought of involving any of our home-folks in my troubles,"said he thoughtfully, "but maybe your assistance and plan will be thething that's needed. I want information. People will stare at and talkto a midget and they will pay little attention to the badly dressedold gent with whom he associates. Anyhow, it won't hurt to try itout."

  Davy insisted that the party should start for Cheyenne the very nextmorning. James Gillis, who was to do the driving, would wait until helearned of road conditions. Welborn occupied much of the time infitting himself with old shoes, overalls, hickory shirts, and aslouch hat. On Monday, Jim learned that the nearby trails were fit fortravel to the paved highway and on Tuesday morning the party of threeloaded the little car with boxes of metal, bundles of clothing, andthe like, and started for Cheyenne.

  During the long drive, Welborn took up much of the time in instructingDavy as to his destination and duties. "Bransford, a near suburb ofChicago, is your destination," he explained, "and the man who insultedthe better element of the community by his insistence that theprevailing lawlessness was wholly due to their negligence was namedShirley Wells. And this same Wells, when he found that gangsters hadtaken over the management of the old family bank and brought disreputeto an honored name, staged a battle with these invaders that sent twoof 'em to the hospital and maybe resulted in the death of one or both.Was he indicted? Did a mob form? He did not wait to see. With thefamily estate squandered, this Wells boarded a night freight train toavoid present responsibilities and to seek a new start in life. Hislinen and underwear was marked S.W. He changed his name to SamuelWelborn. You know the rest of the story, Davy, but there is a lostchapter in the tale. What's the present-day status of Shirley Wells inhis home town?

  "In Bransford, you will headquarter at the Grand Union Hotel.Following your 'broadcast' about establishing a training ground forthe Kid Show, you must quietly go to the office of Fred Townsend forinformation. He's a lawyer. If he's alive, I've got a chance; if he'sdead, Shirley Wells is still Sam Welborn and the Silver Falls districtmust continue as his hideout.

  "In your contact with Townsend, tell him that I sent you--that you aremy A.Z.--and he will understand. What you tell him is casual; yourobjective is to find out all about the standing of Shirley Wells.Shirley is surely a bankrupt, but is he a murderer? Are indictmentspending? Can he be cleared of these charges? And what about the WellsNational Bank? And where is Carson Wells? These are the things we mustknow if I am to live as a citizen or a criminal.

  "I will be in Denver for a few days. We surely have more than sixtythousand dollars' worth of metal in those containers. Some of it maybe in bad shape. Some of it may have to be rectified, as they term it,and that will cause delay. Then, too, I am not certain if your ladyfriend in Denver can do her job effectively. I wouldn't want to becaught in a disguise. At any rate, I will be in Chicago or Bransfordsome day next week."

  At the railway station Jim Gillis maneuvered the ancient model tounload the metal and clothing at the Denver platform. Davy purchased aticket for Chicago. Welborn's read "to Denver and return."

  PART TWO