CHAPTER X
All this being beyond me, and then some, I proceeded methodically tocarry out my complicated plan; which was, it will be remembered, to eatsupper and then to go and see about it in person. I performed the firstpart of this to my entire satisfaction but not to that of the rest. Theyaccused me of unbecoming secrecy; only they expressed it differently.That did not worry me, and in due time I made my escape. At the corral Ipicked out a good horse, one that I had brought from the Gila, thatwould stay tied indefinitely without impatience. Then I lighted me acigarette and jogged up the road. I carried with me a little grub, mysix-gun, the famous black bag, and an entirely empty head.
The night was only moderately dark, for while there was no moon therewere plenty of those candle-like desert stars. The little twinklinglights of the Box Springs dropped astern like lamps on a shore. By andby I turned off the road and made a wide detour down the sacatonebottoms, for I had still some sense; and roads were a little tooobvious. The reception committee that had taken charge of my littlefriend might be expecting another visitor--me. This brought my approachto the blank side of the ranch where were the willow trees and theirrigating ditch. I rode up as close as I thought I ought to. Then Itied my horse to a prominent lone Joshua-tree that would be easy tofind, unstrapped the black bag, and started off. The black bag, however,bothered me; so after some thought I broke the lock with a stone andinvestigated the contents, mainly by feel. There were a lot of clothesand toilet articles and such junk, and a number of undetermined hardthings like round wooden boxes. Finally I withdrew to the shelter of a_barranca_ where I could light matches. Then I had no difficulty inidentifying a nice compact little hypodermic outfit, which I slippedinto a pocket. I then deposited the bag in a safe place where I couldfind it easily.
Leaving my horse I approached the ranch under cover of the willows. Yes,I remembered this time that I left tracks, but I did not care. My ideawas to get some sort of decisive action before morning. Once through thewillows I crept up close to the walls. They were twelve or fifteen feethigh, absolutely smooth; and with one exception broken only by the long,narrow loopholes or transoms I have mentioned before. The one exceptionwas a small wicket gate or door. I remembered the various sorties withtorches after the chirping frogs, and knew that by this opening thehunting party had emerged. This and the big main gate were the onlyentrances to the enclosure.
I retired to the vicinity of the willows and uttered the cry of thebarred owl. After ten seconds I repeated it, and so continued. My onlyregret was that I could not chirp convincingly like a frog. I saw ashadow shift suddenly through one of the transoms, and at once glided tothe wall near the little door. After a moment or so it opened to emitOld Man Hooper and another bulkier figure which I imagined to be thatof Ramon. Both were armed with shotguns. Suddenly it came to me that Iwas lucky not to have been able to chirp convincingly like a frog. Theyhunted frogs with torches and in a crowd. Those two carried no light andthey were so intent on making a sneak on the willows and thesupposititious owl that I, flattened in the shadow of the wall, easilyescaped their notice. I slipped inside the doorway.
This brought me into a narrow passage between two buildings. The otherend looked into the interior court. A careful reconnaissance showed noone in sight, so I walked boldly along the verandah in the direction ofthe girl's room. Her note had said she was constantly guarded; but Icould see no one in sight, and I had to take a chance somewhere. Twoseconds' talk would do me: I wanted to know in which of the numerousrooms the old man slept. I had a hunch it would be a good idea to sharethat room with him. What to do then I left to the hunch.
But when I was half way down the verandah I heard the wicket doorslammed shut. The owl hunters had returned more quickly than I hadanticipated. Running as lightly as possible I darted down the verandahand around the corner of the left wing. This brought me into a narrowlittle garden strip between the main house and the wall dividing thecourt from the corrals and stable yards. Footsteps followed me butstopped. A hand tried the door knob to the corner room.
"Nothing," I heard Hooper's voice replying to a question. "Nothing atall. Go to sleep."
The fragrant smell of Mexican tobacco reached my nostrils. After amoment Ramon--it was he--resumed a conversation in Spanish:
"I do not know, senor, who the man was. I could but listen; it was notwell to inquire nor to show too much interest. His name, yes; Jim Starr,but who he is----" I could imagine the shrug. "It is of no importance."
"It is of importance that the other man still lives," broke in Hooper'sharsher voice. "I will not have it, I say! Are you sure of it?"
"I saw him. And I saw his horse at the Senor Meigs. It was the brownthat bucks badly, so I cut the quarter straps of his saddle. It might bethat we have luck; I do not count on it. But rest your mind easy, senor,it shall be arranged."
"It better be."
"But there is more, senor. The senor will remember a man who rode inraces for him many years ago, one named Artie----"
"Brower!" broke in Hooper. "What about him?"
"He is in town. He arrived yesterday afternoon."
Hooper ejaculated something.
"And more, he is all day and all night with this Sanborn."
Hooper swore fluently in English.
"Look, Ramon!" he ordered, vehemently. "It is necessary to finish thisSanborn at once, without delay."
"_Bueno_, senor."
"It must not go over a single day."
"Haste makes risk, senor."
"The risk must be run."
"_Bueno_, senor. And also this Artie?"
"No! no! no!" hastened Hooper. "Guard him as your life! But send atrusty man for him to-morrow with the buckboard. He comes to see me, inanswer to my invitation."
"And if he will not come, senor?" inquired Ramon's quiet voice.
"Why should he not come?"
"He has been much with Sanborn."
"It's necessary that he come," replied Hooper, emphasizing each word.
"_Bueno_, senor."
"Who is to be on guard?"
"Cortinez, senor."
"I will send him at once. Do me the kindness to watch for a moment untilI send him. Here is the key; give it to him. It shall be but a moment."
"_Bueno_, senor," replied Ramon.
He leaned against the corner of the house. I could see the half of hisfigure against the sky and the dim white of the walls.
The night was very still, as always at this ranch. There was not even abreeze to create a rustle in the leaves. I was obliged to hold rigidlymotionless, almost to hush my breathing, while the figure bulked largeagainst the whitewashed wall. But my eyes, wide to the dimness, took inevery detail of my surroundings. Near me stood a water barrel. If Icould get a spring from that water barrel I could catch one of the heavyprojecting beams of the roof.
After an apparently interminable interval the sound of footsteps becameaudible, and a moment later Ramon moved to meet his relief. I seized theopportunity of their conversation and ascended to the roof. It provedto be easy, although the dried-out old beam to which for a moment Iswung creaked outrageously. Probably it sounded louder to me than theactual fact. I took off my boots and moved cautiously to where I couldlook down into the court. Ramon and his companion were still talkingunder the verandah, so I could not see them; but I waited until I heardone of them move away. Then I went to seat myself on the low parapet andthink things over.
The man below me had the key to the girl's room. If I could get the keyI could accomplish the first step of my plan--indeed the only step I haddetermined upon. The exact method of getting the key would have todevelop. In the meantime, I gave passing wonder to the fact, asdeveloped by the conversation between Hooper and Ramon, that Brower wasnot at the ranch and had not been heard of at the ranch. Where had Tigerdumped him, and where now was he lying? I keenly regretted the loss of apossible ally; and, much to my astonishment, I found within myself alittle regret for the man himself.
The thought of the trans
om occurred to me. I tiptoed over to that sideand looked down. The opening was about five feet below the parapet.After a moment's thought I tied a bit of stone from the coping in theend of my silk bandana and lowered it at arm's length. By swinging itgently back and forth I determined that the transom was open. With thestub of the pencil every cowboy carried to tally with I scribbled a fewwords on an envelope which I wrapped about the bit of coping. Somethingto the effect that I was there, and expected to gain entrance to herroom later, and to be prepared. Then I lowered my contraption, causedit to tap gently a dozen times on the edge of the transom, and finallyswung it with a rather nice accuracy to fly, bandana and all, throughthe opening. After a short interval of suspense I saw the reflection ofa light and so knew my message had been received.
There was nothing to do now but return to a point of observation. On myway I stubbed my stockinged foot against a stone _metate_ or mortar inwhich Indians and Mexicans make their flour. The heavy pestle was there.I annexed it. Dropped accurately from the height of the roof it wouldmake a very pretty weapon. The trouble, of course, lay in that word"accurately."
But I soon found the fates playing into my hands. At the end of aquarter hour the sentry emerged from under the verandah, looked up atthe sky, yawned, stretched, and finally sat down with his back againstthe wall of the building opposite. Inside of ten minutes he was soundasleep and snoring gently.
I wanted nothing better than that. The descent was a little difficult toaccomplish noiselessly, as I had to drop some feet, but I managed it.After crouching for a moment to see if the slight sounds had arousedhim, I crept along the wall to where he sat. The stone pestle of the_metate_ I had been forced to leave behind me, but I had the heavybarrel of my gun, and I was going to take no chances. I had nocompunctions as to what I did to any one of this pack of mad dogs.Cautiously I drew it from its holster and poised it to strike. At thatinstant I was seized and pinioned from behind.
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