John Owen turned to Masters. "I'm obliged to you, young man," he said. "We were delayed, an' if you hadn't got here when you did . . ."
"I'd be hearin' harps right now," Sudden finished. "Yo're flatterin' yoreself, ol'-timer," Dave laughed. "When did you get religion?"
"Jim's a methodis', an' he has Welcome mighty near convened," Nippen said solemnly.
"There goes some who ain't converted yet," Gowdy remarked ironically, indicating another group heading for town. "Don't you make the mistake o' thinkin' you've finished with them, marshal."
"I won't," Sudden smiled. "But I feel like forgivin' even Jake and Javert to-day." It was true; relief from the intolerable and ever-present burden of grief was so great that he could harbour no rancour against any. But someone was missing--Sloppy.
"Had to leave him in town--said his feet was wore off to the knees," Owen explained. "My idea is that he reckoned we'd be too late an' he couldn't face it."
"There's a good deal of a man hid somewhere in that fella," Sudden observed. "Welcome ain't troubled to look for it." A mount was found for the marshal and he rode with his friend, almost in silence. But each knew the other's mind, and was content; sentiment would have made both uncomfortable. At length, Dave said:
"Ain't nothin' wrong with yore eyes, Jim?" Sudden removed his spectacles and stowed them in a pocket. "No," he replied. "They was just a notion. My, this trail looks purtier'n it did a while back." The westering sun was casting long shadows as they loped into the town, and passing the Widow Gray's, Sudden had an idea which he communicated to his companion.
"First come, first served, is a right good motto," he concluded. "O' course, she's a widow, an' ain't as young as she was, but yu'll like her--cookin'." When Dave entered the little dining-room, its owner was wiping her eyes; he could not know that they were tears of thankfulness. She had seen the prisoner taken away, and heard the purpose; now she had witnessed his safe return. She became aware that the stranger was staring at her, nervously running the brim of his big hat through finger and thumb. The sight of this slim young woman had him guessing--wrongly.
"S'cuse me, miss, but Jim--the marshal--said for me to tell yore mother that four hungry men is aimin' to pay yu a visit an' mebbe she could sling a meal for us," he said awkwardly.
It was her turn to stare. "My mother?" she queried. "There must be some mistake; I am Mrs. Gray."
"Well, of all the scaly reptiles ! " Dave gasped. "No, miss --ma'am, I mean, that ain't for yu, but that marshal fella He fooled me--said yu warn't as young as yu was once." She laughed happily. "But that's true of us all, isn't it? Now, with four men to feed, I must get busy."
"Jim said there'd be others to follow--the Bar O is in town; we're sorta stealin' a march on 'em." She raised her hands in dismay at the prospect and darted away. He followed her to the door.
"Say, can I help?" She laughed again. "Yes, if you can peel potatoes."
"I can skin an ox, so I guess I oughta be able to shuck the hide off'n a measly vegetable," he replied.
So when Sudden, Reddy, and Shorty arrived, sounds of mirth greeted them from the kitchen.
"Sloppy musta recovered," Reddy remarked.
"That's Dave," Sudden smiled. "Set him down in the middle o' the Staked Plain an' he'll be callin' all the rattlesnakes by their first names inside an hour." A moment later the young man entered, wiping his hands, and grinning widely. "Yu fellas ever tried peelin' spuds?" he asked. "I'm tellin' yu it's an art. First two or three I held all wrong, an' Mrs. Gray said if she cooked what I took off yu'd get more to eat, but after she showed me, I got along fine."
"What yu done to them fingers?" Sudden asked.
"The durned knife slipped a few," Dave admitted. "I came near bein' shy some digits." The arrival of the meal put an end to conversation for a time, but when appetites began to wane, tongues became busy again. The Bar O men wanted to hear the story of the Pinetown affair in detail, and then Reddy told of the shooting match, and the fight with Mullins, despite Sudden's attempt to head him off.
"Why didn't yu blow his light out?" Dave demanded, and as he saw the expression on his friend's face, added softly, "Yu of Piute. What yu need is a guardian." With the advent of more customers, they went away, leaving their hostess overwhelmed by their praise. She refused Dave's offer of further assistance, Sloppy having turned up, painfully lame, but deaf to all her protests.
"We can't have them boys goin' away disappointed," he said. "I can work settin' down."
Chapter VIII
As was generally expected, Jake and his adherents, though they had returned to Welcome, had no intention of continuing to honour it with their presence. At Dirty Dick's, the same evening, the matter was discussed.
"I'm goin'--but not very far," Mullins announced to his own little circle. "No, sirree, I'm aimin' to even up with this place, as well as that swine, Owen, an' fill my pockets at the same time. We'll have to live rough an' take a risk, but the profits will be han'some. Any of you can come in, but it's gonna be understood that I give the orders."
"I'm game," Javert said. "I've a few debts in these parts an' ain't leavin' till they're paid--in full." Sloppy brought the news to the marshal in the morning. "Jake is clearin' out."
"Did yu figure he'd stay?"
"No, but he's tryin' to sell his business."
"Yu wanta buy it?" Sudden asked sardonically.
"yeah, but I ain't got the coin," was the unexpected reply. "An' run in opposition to Mrs. Gray?"
"No."
"Then--by Jupiter, yo're right, an' I must be dumb. She ain't got enough room, an' ... I'll see Morley, he's the fella to deal with this." Forthwith he sought the banker and explained his mission. "He's askin' two hundred an' fifty, but I guess he'll take less; he ain't servin' five meals a day that's paid for."
"Leave it to me," the banker said.
He found his man at home, and came to the point at once. "I'm told you're selling out; what's the figure?"
"Three hundred, an' cheap at that." Morley raised his eyebrows. "For the shack, some bits of furniture, cracked crockery, and old pots and pans?"
"Yo're forgettin' the trade." The banker repeated what the marshal had told him, and walked from room to room, appraising the contents. When he was satisfied, he turned to the vendor.
"One hundred and fifty--cash, and dear at that," he said shortly.
Take glared. "I can do better."
"Suits me," the other replied indifferently, and turned tc go. "To-morrow my price will be one hundred only." Mullins gave in; he was no match for the financier. Already he had sounded every possible purchaser and met with refusal.
"Hold on," he said. "It's sheer robbery, but I'll go you. I wanta take the trail to-night." Morley found the marshal in his office, and showed him the document.
"Good work," Sudden told him, and reached for a pocket.
"That can wait. Now, we have to put this thing over so as not to hurt the little lady's self-respect. I have a scheme, but perhaps you'd like to explain it to her yourself?"
"Not on yore life," the marshal said hastily. "I ain't used to women--I'd make a botch of it." The young widow welcomed the banker with a smile; she liked this grey-haired, sedate little man who had been well spoken of by her uncle.
"I hear your trade is increasing," he opened.
"Thanks to some good friends," she said.
"No, largely to your own efforts," he corrected. "But there are complaints." A look of concern replaced the smile. "Oh, not about your cooking, but the accommodation."
"The room only holds four," she murmured regretfully. "But what can I do?"
"A favour to Welcome, and to me," he replied. "Mullins is leaving in a few hours for good--our good, and I've purchased his business, lock, stock, and barrel. I want you to move in there." Her eyes shone, but she shook her head. "It would be fine, but I couldn't afford it."
"All you'll have to pay will be a small rent to me," he pointed out. "Won't you give it a trial?"
"B
ut of course," she cried. "It's a chance I've longed for, and I don't know how to thank you." The banker stood up. "Well, that's settled, and I'm glad. This town will have a feeding-place to be proud of."
"I'll do my best," she promised.
That evening, in the Red Light, Nippen drew Sudden aside. "Jake's went, an' it's all over Welcome that Mrs. Gray is takin' over his eatin'-house. It's a blame' good move, an' I s'pose we have to thank you for it?"
"No, Sloppy, though he don't want it knowed."
"Where did he git the money?"
"He didn't; I fixed that with Morley," the marshal explained, and told of the arrangement the banker had made.
"First-rate," Nippert agreed, and then, "Jim, havin' found yore friend, you ain't thinkin' o' goin' back to Pine-town?"
"Where they wanted to hang me?" The saloon-keeper had a sense of humour. "But we damn' near did it," he grinned ruefully.
Sudden laughed too. "Allasame, I'm stayin' put; the trees is too handy in Pinetown."
"An' Masters?" The marshal's face sobered. "I dunno. Mebbe he'll get a job with the Bar O; Owen seemed to like him."
"I've bin thinkin' you need a deputy."
"It's mighty good o' yu, Ned, but it would be just charity."
"I forgot to mention when you took hold that we'd had a couple o' marshals bumped off in twelve months."
"I knew--Gowdy's girl told me."
"You certainly fetched yore nerve along," Nippert said. "Well, you may figure you got this town tamed, an' mebbe that goes for two-thirds of it, but the rest is a craggy lot; they'll fear you, but bein' scared of a man don't make you love him, none whatever. Mullins has gone, with some o' the worst, but he's left friends behind, an' he ain't forgettin'. Nor will Sark, an' he's got poison 'stead o' blood in his veins." Sudden gave in. "Awright, Ned," he replied. "yu know the people an' yo're the doc. O' course, I'll be tickled to death to have Dave workin' with me." At that moment the man himself came up. "Yu both look as solenn as owls," he grinned. "Must be discussin' some-thin' serious."
"No, we were talkin' 'bout yu," his friend countered. "Fact is, Ned thinks I oughta have a deputy, an' he's suggestin' yu."
"If Mister Masters will take it," the saloon-keeper put in politely.
"Mister Masters won't, but Dave will, with both han's," was the smiling reply. "But not till after to-morrow; I've somethin' to do."
"What fool-play yu got in mind now?" Sudden wanted to know."
"Me an' Sloppy is goin' to make a yaller dawg's kennel into a fit place for a lady to live in," Dave replied lightly.
Two weeks went by, and Welcome--the principal disturber of its calm having departed--had returned to everyday routine-existence.
The first whisper of unrest came when Reddy rode in one morning. He was the only Bar O man to visit town since the dash to the marshal's rescue, and was therefore ignorant of subsequent events.
"Yu'll feed with us at Jake's," Sudden invited.
"I eat at the Widow's," Reddy replied.
"That's what I said," was the enigmatical retort.
He got the story as they walked up the street. Arrived at the restaurant, he surveyed approvingly the newly-painted sign, clean curtains, and absence of rusty airtights littering the ground. The interior with its scrubbed floor, neatly-laid tables, and sound chairs, opened his eyes wider, but he said nothing until the proprietress came to take the order.
"There ain't such a swell joint inside a day's ride," he told her. "Reckon Jake would bite hisself if he could see it."
"I had some kind helpers," she said, her eyes on Dave.
"They did the work; I'm afraid I was only in the way."
"That's somethin' yu couldn't be, ma'am," was the gallant reply.
The meal duty despatched, they lit up. Reddy's gaze roved round the room.
"Amazin' what a difference a woman can make," he remarked. "She owes a lot to yu, Jim."
"She owes me just--nothin'; Sloppy's been her good fairy."
"An' yu've bin his, which proves my point," Reddy retorted triumphantly.
Sudden shook his head and got up. Back in his own quarters, he put a question :
"What's yore trouble, cowboy?"
"yu've certainly got the seem' eye, Jim; I didn't guess it showed that plain. Just--want o' sleep." It seemed an absurd statement from one who was the picture of health, but the marshal understood. "Nightridin', huh?"
"yu said it, an' day as well; the boys is all wore out. Yu see, we're losin' cattle, an' it's gettin' serious."
"Been goin' on long?"
"Couple o' weeks, so far as we know. A steady leak, six or seven a day, picked beasts, an' there ain't a sign to show who's takin' 'em or where. It's got me dizzy."
"Well, there's nothin' doin' here---- "
"Yo're forgettin' that hold-up we promised to look into," Dave interrupted.
The marshal grinned. "Don't pay any attention to him," he went on. "We ain't a thing to do--the town's peaceful as a prayer-meetin'. We'll go for a li'l ride to-morrow; mebbe we can light on somethin'." When the foreman had departed, Dave looked at his chief. "Jake went about two weeks ago," he said.
"Yo're readin' my thoughts," Sudden accused. "If it's Jake, he must have a hide-out. We gotta find it."
"We might be away all day. What 'bout gettin' Mrs. Gray to put us up a bite to take along?"
"Just now my mind ain't on food."
"Then it must be drink. C'mon." When they got outside, Masters naturally turned in the direction of the Red Light, but his companion shook his head. "We'll pay a visit to Dirty Dick," he said.
"Enemy country," Dave laughed, and loosened his gun in the holster.
"Shucks ! At this' time o' the day there won't be a soul in the place--mebbe." He was almost right, for as they pushed back the door of the dive, they saw that it was empty save for the owner and a man who, at the instant of their entry, slid round the bar and disappeared into the rear part of the premises.
"Whisky--yore best," the marshal said. "Wasn't that Dutch who went out?" For a moment Dirty Dick hesitated, his furtive eyes scanning the questioner's face. Then he nodded.
"What's he back for--to stay?"
"Nope, just a visit, to pay some coin he owed me."
"Why didn't he do that before he left?"
"He forgot," came the reply, after a pause.
"Yo're lucky to get it."
"Oh, Dutch is square," the man said easily.
"Possibly, but he keeps bad company," the marshal replied. "What's he doin', anyway?"
"I dunno, but he ain't got a woman workin' for him," was the insolent answer.
A subdued chuckle came from somewhere; the deputy stiffened, put his glass on the bar, and said truculently, "The company he keeps ain't near as bad as the liquor yu sell; if this is yore best, the worst must be rank pizen."
"You ain't forced to drink it." Sudden interposed. "Easy, boy," he soothed, and to the dive-owner, "Watch that lyin' tongue o' yores, an' run this place decent or I'll run yu--outa town." Dirty Dick gazed into the hard, slitted eyes of the speaker and decided that silence was the safe card to play, but his expression, as they went out, was not pretty.
As they stalked down the street, Sudden regarded his fuming companion quizzically. "Marshals are appointed to keep the peace," he remarked casually. "An' the same applies t `Didn't yu hear what he said, an' the laugh?" Dave broke in.
"Shore, but why lose yore wool because a cur yaps? Besides, he was tellin' us things. We know now that Dutch was broke when he left an' has made money since; also that Jake ain't far away, an' is keepin' touch with friends here, which needs rememberin'. Good value for the price of a couple o' drinks." The sun was no more than faintly gilding the eastern sky when they set out the next morning. The Bar O trail lay towards it, but the marshal headed his horse in the opposite direction.
"Where are we turnin' off?" Dave asked presently. "Yu, ain't expectin' to find them stolen steers at the Dumb-bell, are yu?"
"It wouldn't surprise me--muc
h, but we gotta know more before we snoop aroun' there; welcomes can be too warm." Another half-mile and they swung south, leaving the rutted wagon-track and picking a way through brush big enough to hide them. Two hours passed before they reached a wooded slope which afforded a view of the country, an undulating, scrub-dotted expanse which they knew must be part of the Bar O range, though no cattle were visible.
Westward, were ridges and gullies, and as these offered excellent cover, they decided to make for them. Skirting the plain, they were proceeding along the far slope of a brush-clad rib of rock when a rifle cracked and a bullet zipped through the crown of Dave's Stetson. Out of their saddles instantly, they trailed the reins, and crawled to the top of the rib. Thinning smoke from a clump of brush some threehundred yards distant told them whence the shot had come, but there was no sign of the man who fired it.
"Lie low," Sudden advised. "He may think he got yu an' show hisself. Might be one o' the Bar O--I'll bet their system just now is shoot first an' investigate after." Hats discarded, prone on their bellies, cheeks cuddling rifle-stocks, they waited. Ten, twenty, thirty minutes ticked slowly by and nothing happened. Dave got restive.
"This hlame' sun is just naturally scorchin' my scalp," he grumbled. "I reckon he's went." He reached for the hat lying behind him and immediately two reports came from the clump, the leaden messengers humming past their ears. They returned the fire, aiming at the smoke-jets.
"A pair of 'em," the marshal commented. "Guess they ain't Owen's men." Another period of quiet ensued, and the marshal used it to take a furtive scrutiny of their surroundings. This gave him an idea.
"Stay an' keep 'em interested. I'm goin' to try an' get another angle on 'em. If yu fire, make it two quick shots so's they'll figure we're both here."
"Right, but don't take chances; these hombres ain't usin' guns for the first time," Dave warned.
Sudden slid backwards down the slope and, leading his horse, followed the bend of it. He had not gone far when four shots rang out, the last two in rapid succession. Dave was right. Presently he paused, crept up the incline on hands and knees, and took a peep between two large stones. As he had suspected, the brush rampart behind which the unknown marksmen were concealed was much thinner on this side, and he could see the gleam of a levelled gun-barrel. He fired, aiming where he judged the holder should be, and a dark form showed itself and vanished before he could press the trigger again. A moment later, two horsemen burst into the open, and, flattened over the necks of their mounts, raced for the nearest gully. Sudden's rifle spoke again and one of the animals went down, throwing its rider heavily. The other man, without even a backward glance, gained cover. By the time Sudden reached the fellow who had fallen, Dave joined him.
Sudden Takes The Trail (1940) s-6 Page 6