CHAPTER IV
We prepare to fight the Robbers and I make a little Trip out to BillMountain's House: after I come back I show what a great Fool I can be.
The next minute I was back in the depot reading this letter to theothers. When I had finished they all looked pretty blank. At last JimStackhouse said:
"Well, I'd like to know what we're going to do about it?"
Tom Carr laughed. "If they come it will be the duty of the streetcommissioner to remove 'em for obstructing the car lines," he said.
I don't think Andrew understood this joke, though the rest of uslaughed, partly, I guess, to keep up our courage.
"Well," went on Carr, "there's one thing sure--we can't send them fivethousand dollars even if we wanted to; and we don't want to very much.I don't believe there is a hundred dollars in the whole town outsideof Clerkinwell's safe."
"What do you suppose there is in that?" asked Baker.
"There might be a good deal and there might not be so much," saidCarr. "I heard that he saved $20,000 out of the failure of hisbusiness back east and brought it out here to start new with. Hecertainly didn't take any of it away with him, nor use much of ithere. He might have sent it back some time ago, but it hasn't gonethrough the express office if he did."
"Nor it hasn't gone through the post-office," said Frank Valentine. "Iguess it's in the safe yet, most of it."
"Very likely," answered Carr. "But even if it is I don't believe Pikeand those fellows would know enough to get it out unless they had allday to work at it; and what would we be doing all that time?"
"Shooting," said Jim Stackhouse; but I thought he said it as if hewould rather be doing anything else. I didn't know so much about menthen as I do now, but I could see that Tom Carr was the only man inthe lot that could be depended on in case of trouble.
"Well, how are we fixed for things to shoot with?" went on Carr.
"I've got a repeating rifle," answered Valentine. "So have you, and sohas Cy. I guess Sours left some shooting-irons behind, too, didn't he,Jud?"
"Yes; a Winchester and a shot-gun," I replied.
"There are some other shot-guns in town, too," continued Valentine."But I guess the best show for us is in Taggart's hardware store. Whenhe went away he left the key with me, and there's a lot of stuff boxedup there."
"Go and see about it and let's pull ourselves together and find outwhat we're doing," said Carr. "I think we can stand off those fellowsall right if we keep our eyes open. I suppose they are up at theheadquarters of the old Middleton gang on Cattail Creek, the otherside of the Missouri. The men that went through here with that ponyherd last fall were some of them, and the ponies were all stolen, sothat Billings sheriff said. I guess Pike has joined them, and I shouldthink they would suit each other pretty well."
In a little while Valentine came back and said he had found a dozenrepeating rifles, and that he thought there were more in some of theother boxes. There was also plenty of cartridges and some revolversand shot-guns.
"That fixes us all right for arms," said Carr. "Before night we mustorganize and get ready to defend the town against an attack if itshould come; but I think the next thing is to send a letter out toMountain's house and put it where they will look for the money,warning them to keep away if they don't want to be shot."
"Yes," answered Valentine, "that will be best. Write 'em a letter andmake it good and stiff."
Tom went into the back room and soon came out with a letter which readas follows:
TRACK'S END, _December_ 16.
TO D. PIKE AND FELLOW-THIEVES,--You will never get one cent out ofthis town. If any of you come within range you will be shot on sight.We are well armed, and can carry out our share of this offer.
COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.
"I guess that will do," said Tom. "There isn't any poetry in it, but Ireckon they'll understand it. Now, Jud, what do you say to taking itout and leaving it on Mountain's door?"
"All right," I answered; "I'll do it."
"Probably Jim had better go along with you," said Carr. "I don't thinkany of them are there, but you can take my field-glass and have a lookat the place when you get out to Johnson's."
We all went to dinner, and by the time Jim and I were ready to startthe sky had clouded over and threatened snow. I said nothing, butslipped back into the hotel and filled my pockets with bread and coldmeat. I thought it might come handy. It was so cold and the snow wasso deep that we had decided to go on foot instead of horseback, but wefound it slow work getting along. Where the crust held us we made goodtime, but most of the way we had to flounder along through softdrifts.
At Johnson's we took a long look at Mountain's with the glass, butcould see no signs of life. It began to snow soon after leaving here,and several times we lost sight of the place we were trying to reach,but we kept on and got there at last. The snow was coming downfaster, and it seemed as if it were already growing dark.
"It isn't going to be very safe trying to find our way back to-night,"said Jim. "Let's see what the prospect for staying here is."
We pushed open the door. It was a board shanty with only one room, andthat half full of snow. But there was a sheet-iron hay stove in oneend and a stack of hay outside. I told Jim of the food which I hadbrought.
"Then we'll stay right here," he said. "It's ten to one that we missthe town if we try to go back to-night. Our tracks are filled inbefore this."
We set to work with an old shovel and a piece of board and cleaned outthe snow, and then we built a fire in the stove. We soon had the roomfairly comfortable. The stove took twisted hay so fast that the workdid more to keep us warm than the fire.
We divided the food for supper, leaving half of it for breakfast. Itmade a pretty light meal, but we didn't complain. I wondered what weshould do if the storm kept up the next day, and I suppose Jim thoughtof the same thing; but neither of us said anything about that. I satup the first half of the night and fed the fire, while Jim slept on abig dry-goods box behind the stove, and he did as much for me duringthe last half.
It was still snowing in the morning. We divided the food again,leaving half of it for dinner, which left a breakfast lighter than thesupper had been. We were a good deal discouraged. But soon after noonit stopped snowing and began to lighten up. It was still blowing anddrifting, but we thought we might as well be lost as to starve; so weleft the letter behind the board on the door and started out.
We got along better than we expected. The wind had shifted to thenorthwest, so it was at our backs. We passed Johnson's deserted houseand finally came within sight of the town through the flying snow. Wewere not twenty rods from the station when suddenly Jim exclaimed:
"Why, there's a train!"
Sure enough, just beyond the station was an engine with a bigsnow-plow on it, with one freight-car and a passenger-car. A dozenmen with shovels stood beside it stamping their feet and swingingtheir arms to keep from freezing. There were faces at the car-windows,and Burrdock and Tom Carr were walking up and down the depot platform.We came up to them looking pretty well astonished, I guess.
"When I got to the Junction yesterday I got orders to take anothertrain and come back here and get you folks," said Burrdock in answerto our looks. "Just got here after shoveling all night, and want toleave as soon as we can, before it gets to drifting any worse. Thisbranch is to be abandoned for the winter and the station closed. Hurryup and get aboard!"
Jim and I were both too astonished to speak.
"Yes," said Tom Carr, "we were just starting after you when we saw youcoming. We're going to take Sours's horses and the cow in the box-car.I just sent Andrew over after them--and the chickens, too, if he cancatch them."
I don't know how it was, but my face flushed up as hot as if it hadbeen on fire. I felt the tears coming into my eyes, I was in thatstate of passion.
"Tom," I said, "who was left in charge of Sours's things?"
"Why--why, you we
re," answered Tom, almost as much astonished as I hadbeen a moment before.
"Who gave you authority to meddle with them?" I said.
"Nobody. But I knew you wouldn't want to leave them here to starve,and I did it to save time."
"They're not going to starve here," I said, getting better control ofmy voice. "Call Andrew back this minute. You've neither of you theright to touch a thing that's there."
"But surely you're going with the rest of us?" said Tom.
"No, I'm not," I answered.
Tom turned and started toward the town.
"Now, don't make a fool of yourself, young man," said Burrdock. "Thishere town is closed up for the winter. You won't see the train hereagain before next March."
"The train won't see me, then, before next March," I said. "Jim, areyou going with the rest of them?"
"Well, I'm not the fellow to do much staying," he answered.
I turned and started for the hotel; Burrdock muttered something whichI didn't catch. I saw Andrew going toward the train, but without anyof the animals. Tom came down the street and met me. He held out hishand and said:
"Jud, I admire you. I'd stay with you if I could, but the company hasordered me to come, and I've got to go. But it's a crazy thing for youto do, and you'd better come along with us, after all."
"No," I said, "I'm going to stay." (It was a foolish pride andstubbornness that made me say it; I wanted to go already.)
"Well, good-by, Jud."
"Good-by, Tom," I said.
He walked away, then turned and said:
"Now, Jud, for the last time: Will you come?"
"No, I won't!"
In another minute the train rolled away, with Tom standing on the backplatform with his hand on the bell-rope ready to pull it if I signaledhim to stop.
But I didn't. I went on over to the Headquarters House. It wasbeginning to get dark; and the snow was falling again. The door wasstuck fast, but I set my shoulder against it and pushed it open. Thesnow had blown in the crack and made a drift halfway across the floor.I put my hand on the stove. It was cold, and the fire was out.
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