by Max Brand
CHAPTER XXIII
HELL STARTS
Between twilight and dark Whistling Dan entered Elkhead. He rose inthe stirrups, on his toes, stretching the muscles of his legs. He wassensing his strength. So the pianist before he plays runs his fingersup and down the keys and sees that all is in tune and the touchperfect.
Two rival saloons faced each other at the end of the single street.At the other extremity of the lane stood the house of deputy sheriffRogers, and a little farther was the jail. A crowd of horses stood infront of each saloon, but from the throngs within there came hardly asound. The hush was prophetic of action; it was the lull before thestorm. Dan slowed his horse as he went farther down the street.
The shadowy figure of a rider showed near the jail. He narrowed hiseyes and looked more closely. Another, another, another horsemanshowed--four in sight on his side of the jail and probably as manymore out of his vision. Eight cattlemen guarded the place from whichhe must take Lee Haines, and every one of the eight, he had no doubt,was a picked man. Dan pulled up Satan to a walk and commenced towhistle softly. It was like one of those sounds of the wind, a thingto guess at rather than to know, but the effect upon Satan and BlackBart was startling.
The ears of the stallion dropped flat on his neck. He began to slinkalong with a gliding step which was very like the stealthy pace ofBlack Bart, stealing ahead. His footfall was as silent as if he hadbeen shod with felt. Meantime Dan ran over a plan of action. He sawvery clearly that he had little time for action. Those motionlessguards around the jail made his task difficult enough, but there was astill greater danger. The crowds in the two saloons would be startingup the street for Haines before long. Their silence told him that.
A clatter of hoofs came behind him. He did not turn his head, but hishand dropped down to his revolver butt. The fast riding horseman sweptand shot on down the street, leaving a pungent though invisible cloudof dust behind him. He stopped in front of Rogers's house and dartedup the steps and through the door. Acting upon a premonition, Dandismounted a short distance from Rogers's house and ran to the door.He opened it softly and found himself in a narrow hall dimly lightedby a smoking lamp. Voices came from the room to his right.
"What d'you mean, Hardy?" the deputy sheriff was saying.
"Hell's startin'!"
"There's a good many kinds of hell. Come out with it, Lee. I ain't nomind reader."
"They're gettin' ready for the big bust!"
"What big bust?"
"It ain't no use bluffin'. Ain't Silent told you that I'm on theinside of the game?"
"You fool!" cried Rogers. "Don't use that name!"
Dan slipped a couple of paces down the hall and flattened himselfagainst the wall just as the door opened. Rogers looked out, drew agreat breath of relief, and went back into the room. Dan resumed hisformer position.
"Now talk fast!" said Rogers.
"About time for you to drop that rotten bluff. Why, man, I could eventell you jest how much you've cost Jim Silent."
Rogers growled: "Tell me what's up."
"The boys are goin' for the jail tonight. They'll get out Haines an'string him up."
"It's comin' to him. He's played a hard game for a long time."
"An' so have you, Rogers, for a damn long time!"
Rogers swallowed the insult, apparently.
"What can I do?" he asked plaintively. "I'm willin' to give Silent andhis gang a square deal."
"You should of done something while they was only a half-dozencowpunchers in town. Now the town's full of riders an' they're allafter blood."
"An' my blood if they don't get Haines!" broke in the deputy sheriff.
Hardy grunted.
"They sure are," he said. "I've heard 'em talk, an' they meanbusiness. All of 'em. But how'd you answer to Jim Silent, Rogers? Ifyou let 'em get Haines--well, Haines is Silent's partner an' Jim'llbust everything wide to get even with you."
"I c'n explain," said Rogers huskily. "I c'n show Silent how I'mhelpless."
Footsteps went up and down the room.
"If they start anything," said Rogers, "I'll mark down the names ofthe ringleaders and I'll give 'em hell afterwards. That'll soothe Jimsome."
"You won't know 'em. They'll wear masks."
Dan opened the door and stepped into the room. Rogers started up witha curse and gripped his revolver.
"I never knew you was so fond of gun play," said Dan. "Maybe that gunof yours would be catchin' cold if you was to leave it out of theleather long?"
The sheriff restored his revolver slowly to the holster, glowering.
"An' Rogers won't be needin' you for a minute or two," went on Dan toHardy.
They seemed to fear even his voice. The Wells Fargo agent vanishedthrough the door and clattered down the steps.
"How long you been standin' at that door?" said Rogers, gnawing hislips.
"Jest for a breathin' space," said Dan.
Rogers squinted his eyes to make up for the dimness of the lamplight.
"By God!" he cried suddenly. "You're Whistlin' Dan Barry!"
He dropped into his chair and passed a trembling hand across hisforehead.
He stammered: "Maybe you've changed your mind an' come back for thatfive thousand?"
"No, I've come for a man, not for money."
"A man?"
"I want Lee Haines before the crowd gets him."
"Would you really try to take Haines out?" asked Rogers with a touchof awe.
"Are there any guards in the jail?"
"Two. Lewis an' Patterson."
"Give me a written order for Haines."
The deputy wavered.
"If I do that I'm done for in this town!"
"Maybe. I want the key for Haines's handcuffs."
"Go over an' put your hoss up in the shed behind the jail," saidRogers, fighting for time, "an' when you come back I'll have the orderwritten out an' give it to you with the key."
"Why not come over with me now?"
"I got some other business."
"In five minutes I'll be back," said Dan, and left the house.
Outside he whistled to Satan, and the stallion trotted up to him. Heswung into the saddle and rode to the jail. There was not a guard insight. He rode around to the other side of the building to reach thestable. Still he could not sight one of those shadowy horsemen whohad surrounded the place a few minutes before. Perhaps the crowd hadcalled in the guards to join the attack.
He put Satan away in the stable and as he led him into a stall heheard a roar of many voices far away. Then came the crack of halfa dozen revolvers. Dan set his teeth and glanced quickly over thehalf-dozen horses in the little shed. He recognized the tall bay ofLee Haines at once and threw on its back the saddle which hung on apeg directly behind it. As he drew up the cinch another shout camefrom the street, but this time very close.
When he raced around the jail he saw the crowd pouring into the houseof the deputy sheriff. He ran on till he came to the outskirts of themob. Every man was masked, but in the excitement no one noticed thatDan's face was bare. Squirming his way through the press, Dan reachedthe deputy's office. It was almost filled. Rogers stood on a chairtrying to argue with the cattlemen.
"No more talk, sheriff," thundered one among the cowpunchers, "we'vehad enough of your line of talk. Now we want some action of our ownbrand. For the last time: Are you goin' to order Lewis an' Pattersonto give up Haines, or are you goin' to let two good men die fightin'for a damn lone rider?"
"What about the feller who's goin' to take Lee Haines out of Elkhead?"cried another.
The crowd yelled with delight.
"Yes, where is he? What about him?"
Rogers, glancing down from his position on the chair, stared into thebrown eyes of Whistling Dan. He stretched out an arm that shook withexcitement.
"That feller there!" he cried, "that one without a mask! Whistlin' DanBarry is the man!"