Delphi Collected Works of Max Brand US

by Max Brand

  “Put it to them straight, Mac,” said Porky to Montgomery. “Give ’em the whole idea, just the way you talked it over with me. They’re all set to listen. I sort of prepared the way.”

  “All right,” agreed Montgomery, “I’ll tell you where I stand. I’m tired as hell of having Black Jim walk all over us. I say if we’re men we’ve got to put an end to it, savvy?”

  Another of those little ominous silences fell on the circle.

  “It appears to me, partner,” drawled Montana, “that you’re talkin’ a powerful lot, when a man might say you’re only jest come among us.”

  “He ain’t askin’ you to come in on the plan,” broke in Porky aggressively. “Neither am I. Jest listen, an’ if you don’t like the idea a mighty sight, nobody’s goin’ to hurt you for staying out.”

  “Nacherally,” agreed the Doctor, “but kick out with your hunch, Mac.”

  Jerry went cold, yet she edged a little closer for fear that a single low-pitched word might escape her.

  “I haven’t been here long,” said Montgomery, “but while I’ve been here I’ve learned enough about Black Jim for him to make me sick.”

  “He generally makes folks feel that way,” said a voice, and a chuckle followed, which broke off short, for Porky was glowering from face to face.

  “You remember what he did the day after he brought the girl into the valley?”

  “I reckon he brought you-all in about the same time,” said the man of the pale face and yellow teeth, grinning.

  Montgomery frowned black.

  “He took me from behind,” he said savagely. “I didn’t have no chance to get at my gun, or maybe the story wouldn’t be the same.”

  “Go on, Silent,” encouraged Porky. “Don’t let ’em throw you off the trail.”

  “All right. You remember he came down here and told us all he had a deadline drawn around his cabin at the edge of the trees and if any of us crossed it he was no better than dead meat?”

  A general growl rose, for the memory angered them to their hearts.

  “We all were pretty still when he spoke,” said Montgomery, “and my way of looking at it, we acted like a bunch of whipped dogs.”

  “Kind of smile when you say that, partner,” said the pale-faced man, “or pretty soon maybe you’ll be riding your idea to death!”

  “I’m telling you what it seemed to me,” said Montgomery. “I say, what right has Black Jim got to make rules up here? This valley is above the law, isn’t it?”

  “It ain’t the first thing he done,” said Porky. “He’s been makin’ laws of his own all the time, an’, by God, I ain’t the man to stand for it no longer, which I say, Black Jim is always a bluffin’ from a four-flush.”

  “Me speakin’ personal,” added the Doctor, “I got no use for a man that won’t liquor up with the boys now an’ then. It shows he ain’t got any nacheral trust for his pals.”

  “I say it’s come to a show down,” said Montgomery. “Either we’ve got to move out and leave the valley to Black Jim, or he’s got to move out and leave it to us. Am I right?”

  “All savin’ one little thing,” drawled a voice. “You-all seem to be forgettin’ that Black Jim ain’t partic’lar willin’ to move for anybody. Ef it comes to movin’ him, he’ll have to be carried out feet first, in a way of speakin’.”

  “And why not move him that way?” asked Montgomery.

  Once more the breathless silence fell. Jerry could see each man flash a glance of question at his neighbor and then each pair of eyes fell glowering upon the fire. A little gritting sound caught her, and she found that she was grinding her teeth savagely. All her wild, loyal nature revolted against this cool and secret plotting.

  “Because it ain’t no way possible,” said the Doctor, “to ride Black Jim without buckin’ straps an’ a Spanish bit.”

  “Maybe not for one man,” said Montgomery softly, “but here’s twelve men can all shoot straight and every one knows his gun. Can Black Jim stand up against us all at one time?”

  “Maybe not,” said the Doctor, “but he ain’t no gun-shy paint-pony, an’ before we’re through flashin’ guns, some of us are goin’ to start out on the long trail for the happy huntin’ grounds. You can stack your chips on that, partner!”

  “Then, by God!” cried Porky, starting to his feet with such suddenness that the others shrank a little, “if you’re goin’ to quit cold, me an’ Silent Mac’ll take on the game by ourselves, and we split the loot between us. There’ll be a lot of it. He don’t never spend it any ways I can see — no liquor, no gamblin’, no nothin’. Boys, the stuff must be piled up to the roof!”

  Without hardly knowing what she did Jerry drew out the revolver from her holster and drew a deadly bead on Porky’s breast. She checked herself with horror at the thought that a single pressure of her finger would bring a man to his death. Three or four other men rose around the circle.

  “If it comes to a show down, Porky,” said one of them, “we’ll stack our chips with yours. I’m ag’in’ Black Jim, an’ I’d jest as soon tell him so from the talkin’ end of a gun.”

  “Me, too,” said another, and a clamor of voices rose in affirmation.

  Jerry began to draw back, her head whirling.

  “Then there’s no time like tonight,” called Montgomery, “and I tell you how we can work best.”

  He lowered his tone as he spoke, and as Jerry drew back behind the jutting angle of the rock, she heard only a confused murmur of sounds. There she crouched a long moment, thinking as she had never thought before.

  The way out of the valley lay clear before her. If she rose and walked on she would be free within ten minutes and in fifteen escape beyond the reach of pursuit.

  The other alternative was to turn back to the cabin of Black Jim and warn him of the danger which threatened. If she did this, it meant that she would be involved in the same ruin which was soon to involve the solitary bandit.

  Thirteen men that night would attack him. When he fell, she would be the prize of the victors. Jerry moaned aloud.

  Then she rose, still crouching, and hurried off among the trees towards the gap of the valley. Terror drove her faster and faster. When she reached the last rise of ground up to the gap, she broke into a stumbling run. In another moment she stood at the farther end of a narrow pass, and paused an instant to take her breath. Below her the ground pitched steeply down, down to freedom. On that outward trail she would be started again for happiness, for the applause of the gay hundreds, for the shimmer of the footlights, which had been to her like signal fires which led on finally to fame, She looked back to the valley. It was black as death. She looked up, and there were the cold, white stars very near. One of them seemed to burn in the top of a tall pine, a lordly tree.

  A great weakness mastered Jerry, and she dropped to her knees, her shoulder pressing against the cliff which fenced the gap. Perhaps the thirteen were even then prowling toward the cabin of Black Jim. Perhaps Jim was stooped over the hearth, kindling the fire. Perhaps he even thought of her, at least to wonder carelessly where she had gone. Big tears formed in her eyes and ran hotly down her cheeks. She threw her arms up toward the pallid Stars, and her hands were fiercely clenched.

  “O God,” she said, whispering the words, “tell me what’s the big-time thing to do! How’m I going to put over this act right? I’ve been on the small-time so long I don’t know what to do! I don’t know what to do!”

  Surely there was an answer to that prayer, for her tears ceased at once. She rose and looked once more longingly down the slope that led to liberty. Then she turned and went back into the double night of the valley.

  She went on at a swinging step and hope came to her as she walked. Surely the crew of Porky and Montgomery would deliberate some time longer, laying their plans for the attack. She had heard enough to know that they feared Black Jim worse than death and they would not be the men to take greater chances than necessary. If that were so she might reach the cabin in time.
Once or twice she started to run, but she stopped and swung into the walk again for she must not exhaust her strength. There might be need for it all, before the night was done.

  CHAPTER X. A STRAIGHT GAME WITH A FIXED DECK

  SHE GREW MORE and more cautious as she approached the farther end of the valley, and for a time she hesitated at the edge of the circle of trees around the cabin, watching and listening. She found nothing suspicious. When she moved a little to one side she saw a shaft of light fall from a window of the house. It was a golden promise to Jerry, and her heart beat strongly again with hope. Once with Black Jim she felt at that moment as if they could fight off the whole world between them.

  She went tiptoeing across the open space like a child that is stealing up to catch a playmate by surprise. At the open door she stood a moment, peeking around the corner and into the interior. The shock of the discovery unnerved her, even more than the plot which she had overheard, scarcely an hour before.

  By the lantern light she saw Black Jim standing with folded arms beside her bunk. He stared down at an array of woman’s clothes which was spread out on the blankets. She saw a long, rose-colored scarf, a dress of blue silk that shimmered faintly in the dim light, light shoes on the floor, a small round hat, and there were other articles at which she could only guess, for they were not all exposed.

  “Jim!” she called softly, and then stepped into the door.

  He whirled with a clutching hand on the butt of his revolver. He was pale but a deep color poured into his face and his eyes wavered to the floor under her shining glance.

  “I thought you were gone,” he said. “I thought—”

  He raised his head and went to her with outstretched hand.

  “Jerry,” he said, as she met his grasp, “I was thinkin’ awhile ago that I didn’t care for anything livin’ except the roan. But I reckon I’d have missed you!”

  The confession came stammeringly forth. Jerry pressed his hand in both of hers.

  “You’re just — you’re just a dear,” she cried, and in a moment she was on her knees, turning over the finery, article by article. Tears brimmed her eyes again.

  “I thought you never noticed me,” she said, turning to him. “I thought I was no more than the blank wall to you, Jim!”

  “Which a man would be blind that didn’t see your clothes was getting some worn, Jerry,” he said, and she saw that his eyes were traveling slowly over her from head to foot, as if to make sure that she had really come back to him. It thrilled her with a happiness different from any she had ever known in her life. She forgot the danger! of the thirteen gangsters and the warning which she had come back to tell Black Jim at such a peril to herself. She leaned over the clothes to conceal the hot color in her face and to fight against a sudden sense of self-consciousness. It was more like stage fright than anything else, yet it was different. It was not the fear of many critical eyes. It was an awful knowledge that her own searching vision was turned back upon her soul and every corner of her heart lay exposed. And still that quivering, foolish, childish happiness sang in her like the murmur of a harp-string.

  She left a slight touch at her side. Black Jim had opened the canvas bag and glanced at the contents. He stepped back, a frown and a smile fighting on his face.

  “You did start on the out-trail, Jerry?” he asked.

  She remembered now with horrible suddenness all that she had come back to tell him. It brought her slowly to her feet, white, tense.

  “I did start,” she answered. “You were gone so long — I thought you were hurt — killed — and that I was left here at the mercy of—”

  She stopped, and then hurried on.

  “I started to go down the valley and on the way I came to the same crowd of men who were in this room the night you brought me here. They were around a fire. I hid beside the rock and listened to their talk. They were threatening you, Jim! They planned to come up here tonight and attack you — because of the gold you have — and me! They were all there. They hadn’t even left a man to guard the gap!”

  “Which left you plumb free to go on out of the valley,” said Jim, half to himself, and entirely disregarding the rest of her speech.

  “We must leave at once!” she cried. “We must try to sneak off down the valley before they arrive to make their attack—”

  “But you come back here to tell me,” he went on, musing, “when you might have got away.”

  She caught him by the arm and shook it savagely.

  “Wake up!” she called. “Listen to me! Don’t you understand what is going to happen?”

  “I didn’t think there was no man would do that,” he said; “leastwise, not up here, above the law. But now a woman has done it — for me!”

  For the wonder of it he shook his head slowly.

  “Jerry, I’ve been consider’ble of a fool!”

  “Yea, Jim!” called a voice from the night.

  “Git down!” whispered Black Jim, and dragged her to the floor. “Keep low when the bullets start comin’, an’ stay down. Hell is just startin’ around here!”

  “Don’t go!” she pleaded, clutching him. “They want you to go out and then they’ll shoot at you from the shelter of the trees.”

  His faint chuckle answered her.

  “After all, Jerry, I’m not a plumb fool!”

  He ran softly to the open door and swung it to.

  “Who’s there?” he called.

  He whispered to Jerry: “I can see four of them among the trees, an’ Silent Mac an’ Porky are standin’ by the dead line waiting for me to come out. Watch them from the other side of the cabin. They might try to rush from that side.”

  “Come out!” answered the voice of Montgomery from without. “We got to see you, Jim, or let us come across your deadline.”

  Jerry ran to the narrow window on the farther side of the room and peered cautiously out. The new-risen moon shed so faint a light that she could see nothing at first.

  “What d’you want with me?” she heard Black Jim say.

  Now as she strained her eyes she made out one, two, three dim figures moving behind the trees. The cabin was surrounded on all sides.

  “We need you, Jim,” answered Porky’s voice. “They’s a passel of men camped in the gap. When day comes they’ll start cleanin’ out our valley.”

  Black Jim chuckled.

  “Jest a minute, boys,” he called. “Wait there, an’ I’ll be with you,”

  He crossed hurriedly to Jerry.

  “They are out on this side, too, Jim,” she breathed. “They have us surrounded! It’s death to us both, Jim! There’s no escape!”

  “Remember this!” he whispered, and his hand closed on her shoulder, “Whatever happens, keep close to the floor. They got us trapped. Maybe there ain’t any hope. Anyway, it’ll be a fight they’ll remember—”

  “I will! I will!” she answered, and her voice trembled, for he seemed to have caught at her whole soul with his hand, “but before it begins — I’ve got to say — I’ve got to tell you—”

  She stopped, then went on with a great effort: “Jim, before we die—”

  “Hush!” he said. “There ain’t goin’ to be no death for you’”

  “Before we die,” she pressed on, “remember that I love you with all my heart and soul, Jim!”

  “Jerry, you’re talkin’ loco!”

  “It isn’t much to be loved by a smalltime actress, and I’ve never once been behind the lights on the real big time. But, oh, Jim! I wish I was keen in the bean like Cissy Loftus, because then—”

  Slowly, fumbling, his arms went around her and tightened.

  “Jerry!” he whispered.

  “Yes?” she answered in the same tone.

  “It seems to me—”

  “Dear Jim’”

  “It won’t be so partic’lar hard—”

  “Dear — dear old Jim!”

  “To pass out now. But it’s too late to ask for a new deal. This deck’s already shuffled and
stacked. Jerry, we’ll play a straight game even with a fixed deck. An’, an’ I love you, honey, more ‘n the roan an’ my six-gun put together!”

  He gathered her close with powerful arms, but the kiss which touched her eyes and then her lips, was gentle and reverent.

  “Are you sleepin’, Jim?” called a voice.

  He turned and went with drawn revolver o the door, still slightly ajar. From behind him, Jerry could see Montgomery and Porky standing in the moonlight.

  “I ain’t sleepin’,” replied Black Jim, “but I’m figurin’ why I ain’t shot such hounds as you two, without warnin’!”

  As if he had pressed a spring which set automata in motion, they whirled and leaped behind trees.

  “Take warning!” called Black Jim, “I could have bagged you both with my eyes shut, an’ the next man of you that I see I’ll let him have it’”

  For reply a revolver barked and a bullet thudded into the heavy door. Black Jim slammed it and dropped the heavy latch. A series of wild yells sounded from the trees on all sides and a dozen shots rang in quick succession. After this first venting of their disappointed spleen, the bandits were silent again. Jerry poised her revolver and searched the trees carefully. A hand dropped on her arm and another hand took away the revolver.

  “If there’s shootin’ to be done,” said Black Jim, “I’ll do it, The blood of a man don’t wash off so easy, even from soft white hands like yours, Jerry!”

  “Then when you shoot, shoot to kill!” she said fiercely. “They are trying for your life like bloodhounds, Jim’”

  “Kill?” he repeated, taking up his place at the small window with his revolver raised. “Jerry, I’ve never killed a man yet, no matter what people say, an’ I’m not goin’ to begin now. While a bullet in the leg or the shoulder puts a man out of the way jest as well as if it went through the heart. Git down closer to the floor!”