XXXI
Bob's absence had occasioned some speculation, but no uneasiness, atheadquarters. An officer of the Forest Service was too often called uponfor sudden excursions in unexpected emergencies to make it possible forhis chiefs to keep accurate track of all his movements. A day's trip tothe valley might easily be deflected to a week's excursion to the higherpeaks by any one of a dozen circumstances. The report of trespassingsheep, a tiny smoke above distant trees, a messenger sent out forarbitration in a cattle dispute, are samples of the calls to which Bobmust have hastened no matter on what errand he had been bound.
He arrived at headquarters late in the afternoon. Already a thin wand ofsmoke wavered up through the trees from Amy's little, open kitchen. Theopen door of the shed office trickled forth a thin clicking oftypewriters. Otherwise the camp seemed deserted.
At Bob's halloo, however, both Thorne and old California John came tothe door. In two minutes he had all three gathered about the table underthe three big firs.
"In the first place, I want to say right now," he began, "that I havethe evidence to win the land case against the Modoc Mining Company."
"How?" demanded Thorne, leaning forward eagerly.
"Baker has boasted, before two witnesses, that his mineral entries werefraudulent and made simply to get water rights and timber."
"Those witnesses will testify?"
"They will."
"Who are they?"
"Mr. Welton and myself."
"Glory be!" cried Thorne, springing to his feet and clapping Bob on theback. "We've got him!"
"So that's what you've been up to for the past week!" cried Amy. "We'vebeen wondering where you had disappeared to!"
"Well, not precisely," grinned Bob; "I've been in durance vile."
In response to their questionings he detailed a semi-humorous account ofhis abduction, detention and escape. His three auditors listened withthe deepest attention.
As the recital progressed to the point wherein Bob described hismidnight escape, Amy, unnoticed by the others, leaned back and closedher eyes. The colour left her face for a moment, but the next instanthad rushed back to her cheeks in a tide of deeper red. She thrustforward, her eyes snapping with indignation.
"They are desperate; there's no doubt of it," was Thorne's comment. "Andthey won't stop at this. I wish the trial was to-morrow. We must getyour testimony in shape before anything happens."
Amy was staring across the table at them, her lips parted with horror.
"You don't think they'll try anything worse!" she gasped.
Bob started to reassure her, but Thorne in his matter-of-fact way brokein.
"I don't doubt they'll try to get him proper, next time. We must get outpapers and the sheriff after this Saleratus Bill."
"He'll be almighty hard to locate," put in California John.
"And I think we'd better not let Bob, here, go around alone any more."
"I don't think he ought to go around at all!" Amy amended thisvigorously.
Bob shot at her an obliquely humorous glance, before which her own fell.Somehow the humour died from his.
"Bodyguard accepted with thanks," said he, recovering himself. "I'vehad enough Wild West on my own account." His words and the expression ofhis face were facetious, but his tones were instinct with a gravity thatattracted even Thorne's attention. The Supervisor glanced at the youngman curiously, wondering if he were going to lose his nerve at the last.But Bob's personal stake was furthest from his mind. Something in Amy'shalf-frightened gesture had opened a new door in his soul. The real andinsistent demands of the situation had been suddenly struck shadowywhile his forces adjusted themselves to new possibilities.
"Ware's your man," suggested California John. "He's a gun-man, and he'sgot a nerve like a saw mill man."
"Where is Ware?" Thorne asked Amy.
"He's over at Fair's shake camp. He will be back to-morrow."
"That's settled, then. How about Welton? Is he warned? You say he'lltestify?"
"If he has to," replied Bob, by a strong effort bringing himself back toa practical consideration of the matter in hand. "At least he'll neverperjure himself, if he's called. Welton's case is different. Look here;it's bound to come out, so you may as well know the whole situation."
He paused, glancing from one to another of his hearers. Thorne's keenface expressed interest of the alert official; California John's mildblue eye beamed upon him with a dawning understanding of the situation;Amy, intuitively divining a more personal trouble, looked across at himwith sympathy.
"John, here, will remember the circumstance," said Bob. "It happenedabout the time I first came out here with Mr. Welton. It seems thatPlant had assured him that everything was all arranged so our works androads could cross the Forest, so we went ahead and built them. In thosedays it was all a matter of form, anyway. Then when we were ready to goahead with our first season's work, up steps Plant and asks to see ourpermission, threatening to shut us down! Of course, all he wanted wasmoney."
"And Welton gave it to him?" cried Amy.
"It wasn't a case of buy a privilege," explained Bob, "but of lifeitself. We were operating on borrowed money, and just beginning ourfirst year's operations. The season is short in these mountains, as youknow, and we were under heavy obligations to fulfil a contract for sawedlumber. A delay of even a week meant absolute ruin to a largeenterprise. Mr. Welton held off to the edge of danger, I remember,exhausting every means possible here and at Washington to rush throughthe necessary permission."
"Why didn't he tell the truth--expose Plant? Surely no department wouldendorse that," put in Amy, a trifle subdued in manner.
"That takes time," Bob pointed out. "There was no time."
"So Welton came through," said Thorne drily. "What has that got to dowith it?"
"Baker paid the money for him," said Bob.
"Well, they're both in the same boat," remarked Thorne tranquilly. "Idon't see that that gives him any hold on Welton."
"He threatens to turn state's evidence in the matter, and seemsconfident of immunity on that account."
"He can't mean it!" cried Amy.
"Sheer bluff," said Thorne.
"I thought so, and went to see him. Now I am sure not. He means it; andhe'll do it when this case against the Modoc Company is pushed."
"I thought you said Welton would testify?" observed Thorne.
"He will. But naturally only if he is summoned."
"Then what----"
"Oh, I see. Baker never thought he could keep Welton from telling thetruth, but knew perfectly well he would not volunteer the evidence. Heused his hold over Welton to try to keep me from bringing forward thistestimony. Sort of relied on our intimacy and friendship."
"But you will testify?"
"I think I see my duty that way," said Bob in a troubled voice.
"Quite right," said Thorne, dispassionately; "I'm sorry." He arose fromthe table. "This is most important. I don't often issue positiveprohibitions in my capacity of superior officer; but in this instance Imust. I am going to request you not to leave camp on any errand unlessaccompanied by Ranger Ware."
Bob nodded a little impatiently. California John paused before followinghis chief into the office.
"It's good sense, boy," said he, "and nobody gives a darn for yourworthless skin, you know. It's just the information you got inside it."
"Right," laughed Bob, his brow clearing. "I forgot."
California John nodded at him, and disappeared into the office.
Bob turned to Amy with a laughing comment that died on his lips. Thegirl was standing very straight on the other side of the table. Onelittle brown hand grasped and crushed the edge of her starched apron;her black brows were drawn in a straight line of indignation beneathwhich her splendid eyes flashed; her rounded bosom, half-defined by theloose, soft blue of her simple gown, rose and fell rapidly.
"And you're going to do it?" she threw across at him.
Bob, bewildered, stared at her.
"Hold on!" cried Bob, recovering from the first shock, and beginning toenjoy the situation. "You don't understand. If I don't give mytestimony, think what the Service will lose in the Basin."
"Lose!" she cried indignantly. "What of it? Do you think if I had afriend who was near and dear to me I'd sacrifice him for all the treesin the mountains? How can you!"
"_Et tu Brute_!" said Bob a little wearily. "Where is all theno-compromise talk I've heard at various times, and the high ideals, andthe loyalty to the Service at any cost, and all the rest of it? You'renot consistent."
Amy eyed him a little disdainfully.
"You've got to save that poor old man," she stated. "It's all very easyfor you to talk of duty and the rest of it, but the fact remains thatyou're sending that poor old man to prison for something that isn't hisfault, and it'll break his heart."
"He isn't there yet," Bob pointed out. "The case isn't decided."
"It's all very well for you to talk that way," said Amy, "for all youhave to do is to satisfy your conscience and bear your testimony. But iftestifying would land you in danger of prison, you might feeldifferently about it."
Bob thought of George Pollock, and smiled a trifle bitterly. Weltonmight get off with a fine, or even suspended sentence. There was but onepunishment for those accessory before the fact to a murder. Amy waseyeing him reflectively. The appearance of anger had died. It wasevident that she was thinking deeply.
"Why doesn't Mr. Welton protect himself?" she inquired at length. "If heturned state's evidence before that man Baker did, wouldn't it work thatway around?"
"I don't believe it would," said Bob. "Baker was not the real principalin the offence, only an accessory. Besides, even if it were possible,Mr. Welton would not do such a thing. You don't know Welton."
Amy sank again to reflection, her eyes losing themselves in a gazebeyond the visible world. Suddenly she threw up her head with a joyouschuckle.
"I believe I have it!" she cried. She nodded her head several times asthough to corroborate with herself certain points in her plan."Listen!" she said at last. "As I understand it, Baker is really liableon this charge of bribing Plant as much as Mr. Welton is."
"Yes; he paid the money."
"So that if it were not for the fact that he intends to gain immunity bytelling what he knows, he would get into as much trouble as Mr. Welton."
"Of course."
"Well, don't you know enough about it all to testify? Weren't youthere?"
Bob reflected.
"Yes, I believe I was present at all the interviews."
"Then," cried Amy triumphantly, "you can issue complaint against _both_Baker and Mr. Welton on a charge of bribery, and Baker can't possiblywriggle out by turning state's evidence, because your evidence will beenough."
"Do you expect me to have Mr. Welton arrested on this charge?" criedBob.
"No, silly! But you can go to Baker, can't you, and say to him: 'Seehere, if you try to bring up this old bribery charge against Welton,I'll get in ahead of you and have you _both_ up. I haven't any desire toraise a fuss, nor start any trouble; but if you are bound to get Mr.Welton in on this, I might as well get you both in.' He'd back out, yousee!"
"I believe he would!" cried Bob. "It's a good bluff to make."
"It mustn't be a bluff," warned Amy. "You must mean it. I don't believehe wants to face a criminal charge just to get Mr. Welton in trouble, ifhe realizes that you are both going to testify anyway. But if he thinksyou're bluffing, he'll carry it through."
"You're right," said Bob slowly. "If necessary, we must carry it throughourselves."
Amy nodded.
"I'll take down a letter for you to Baker," she said, "and type it outthis evening. We'll say nothing to anybody."
"I must tell Welton of our plan," said Bob; "I wouldn't for the worldhave to spring this on him unprepared. What would he think of me?"
"We'll see him to-morrow--no, next day; we have to wait for Ware, youknow."
"Am I forgiven for doing my plain duty?" asked Bob a triflemischievously.
"Only if our scheme works," declared Amy. Her manner changed to one ofgreat seriousness. "I know your way is brave and true, believe me I do.And I know what it costs you to follow it. I respect and admire thequality in men that leads them so straightly along the path. But I couldnot do it. Ideas and things are inspiring and great and to be worked forwith enthusiasm and devotion, I know. No one loves the Service more thanI, nor would make more personal sacrifices for her. But people are warmand living, and their hearts beat with human life, and they can be sorryand glad, happy and brokenhearted. I can't tell you quite what I mean,for I cannot even tell myself. I only feel it. I could turn my thumbsdown on whole cohorts of senators and lawyers and demagogues that areattacking us in Washington and read calmly in next day's paper how theyhad been beheaded recanting all their sins against us. But I couldn'tget any nearer home. Why, the other day Ashley told me to send a finaland peremptory notice of dispossession to the Main family, over nearBald Knob, and I couldn't do it. I tried all day. I knew old Main had nobusiness there, and is worthless and lazy and shiftless. But I keptremembering how his poor old back was bent over. Finally I made Ashleydictate it, and tried to keep thinking all the time that I was nothingbut a machine for the transmission of his ideas. When it comes to suchthings I'm useless, and I know I fall short of all higher ideals ofhonour and duty and everything else."
"Thank God you do," said Bob gravely.
The Rules of the Game Page 89