Pulp - Ranch Romances.29.09.27.Fort A Woman - H. A. Woodbury (pdf)

by Monte Herridge

  Jones advised him to pack a gun, but

  “Two thousand, then?”

  he shook his head.

  “It’s not the price,” said Steve, “it’s the

  “That’s one thing I won’t do.” Yet in

  principle of the thing. I’m through. spite of the risk, it was a calm enough Steve Understand?”

  Cheyne who left his pony in the shadow of a Jones did not at once press him further.

  saddle shed, late the following night. And an He smoked thoughtfully and stared at the equally calm Steve who crossed the patch of table. Then he lifted a saddened face.

  pale moonlight to the house.

  “If you want to talk principles,” he

  Windows and doors were all locked as

  said, “listen to me. You don’t know what it is Jones had said they would be. Natural enough to be a father. But maybe you’ve loved a girl if the man were suspecting such an attempt.

  at some time or other in your life.”

  Steve worked quietly. He chose a door, Steve felt a sharp stab at his heart.

  preferring to jimmy wood than to shatter

  “If you have,” Jones went on, “then

  glass. The latch yielded, but a loose chain still maybe you’ll realize what it would mean to held. He could not reach far enough inside to have that girl suffer. Don’t you see it?”

  slip it, but he had come prepared. A few It was Steve’s turn, now, to stare at the minutes with a hack saw, and he was in the table top.

  room. He knew his layout, because Jones had

  “You know the hang of this robbery

  drawn him a floor plan. He walked straight to business,” the man went on; “Heaven itself, the desk, and repeated under his breath: must have sent you over here.” Steve looked

  “Second drawer—right.” This, too, was

  up. Yes, he knew what it was to love, and locked, but the lock yielded in its turn.

  what it would mean if the loved one were to Steve smiled a little grimly. It was the suffer.

  first job he had ever really pulled. In the dead

  “I’ll do it,” he said grimly, “but I days of the outgrown past, he would have won’t touch a cent for it. Understand? Not a been simply a nervous prowler. Now, his cent. Now tell me about it.”

  nerves were calm. Three years’ time to think Jones at once explained.

  and the kindness of Father O’Hara had done

  “The letters are in a desk drawer, out at that. He was a man, now—a man for good.

  this man’s ranch. Sealed up in two large The surety of it overwhelmed him.

  Manila envelopes. I know, because I saw him He paused, however, as he put his

  put them there, yesterday. I’d gone out there hands on the Manila envelopes. Some sixth with five thousand dollars but we couldn’t sense told him that he was no longer alone!

  come to terms, and he put them away again.”

  Trapped—without

  a

  rod!

  “And the ranch is where?”

  As he stood there absolutely still for a

  “South of town a piece. I’ll take you

  long, long moment, nothing happened. He was out there, to-morrow night. Things oughta be more or less in the moonlight which streaked quiet, Sunday. I’ll wait at the gate while you in the window. He would have been seen had go in.”

  his sixth sense told him correctly. So

  For a Woman

  7

  therefore, when all remained calm, he took it I’ll tell Dad the other fellow was working for granted that this premonition had been a alone.”

  false alarm.

  For a second, Steve felt giddy. Love

  He slipped the two envelopes into his

  like this was not given to every man—that she shirt and tiptoed out. He waited another long should feel for him and try to-help him even moment in the shadows, before he went to his when she thought he was an outlaw, was too pony. Still no movement from the house. He much.

  did not know, that the door on the other side He managed to push the bills aside.

  had opened noiselessly. He was in his saddle

  “Where—where is the other fellow?”

  in a second, but it became evident, almost he demanded, suddenly trying to rise. His immediately, that he was being pursued. He mind surged wildly with the desire to get into heard the tattoo of hoofs hard upon him, and the saddle, to ride, to bring the smooth-spoken without looking back, he hunched lower over Jones back to justice.

  the horse’s neck.

  “He’s over there,” said Ginger. She

  Then came the shot. Hot fire seared his pointed to a prone figure, face down in the leg. Convulsive pain shot up to the groin. He sand: “I got him,” she said, “just as he shot felt himself falling—fainting.

  you. A second too late to save you altogether, Steve Cheyne came to, a few minutes

  but in time to spoil his aim a little.”

  later, with his head in a girl’s lap. Soft fingers Intelligences were coming almost too

  were stroking his forehead. Ginger’s voice fast for Steve to comprehend them all.

  was saying, “Steve, why did you do it?”

  “You got him,” he repeated, dully,

  Before he could answer, she was going on,

  “jest as he shot me.”

  half sobbing. “We—we all knew you’d been

  “Got him with a rock,” said Ginger.

  an outlaw, of course. Brady told us, to-day.

  “You see when I trailed you put of the house, I He’d been suspicious of you, you see. Afraid didn’t stop for a gun. I—I didn’t want to have you were a recruit for the tough gang on his to use one on you.”

  ranch. He’d started to look you up before you He began to understand it all, now.

  distinguished yourself, and the answer to his He understood it better when Ginger

  letter arrived to-day, sent by special delivery.

  rolled his double-crossing partner over, and

  “But—but we’d all decided, Dad and

  took a look at his face.

  Brady and I, that it didn’t matter. Father

  “Spud Eastland,” the girl gasped. “I—I O’Hara wrote so glowingly of you. And you’d see now why he paid Dad in cash instead of a been so wonderful, here. We—we thought you check for those cows he bought. And why he were a man, now.”

  waited till after the bank had closed, Saturday Weakly, he struggled for words which

  noon, to give him his money. He was planning failed to come.

  all the time to rob it back.”

  “If you need some money,” Ginger’s

  Steve saw it, too—saw that the man

  soft voice went on, “why didn’t you tell me?

  had doubtless made arrangements, first, with Dad would have lent you some.”

  the gang in Cedar Creek Canyon, and that

  “Money?” he managed to stammer.

  when they had been run in, he had used their Ginger ripped open one of the Manila

  information to tackle Steve.

  envelopes.

  “Here,” she said, presenting

  He realized then, also, why the man

  him a couple of large bills, “take what you had shot. He had recognized Ginger in pursuit, need. And—and if you’re not hurt too badly, and had striven to save his own face, to appear maybe I can hide you till you can get away.

  a rescuer in the nick of time.

  Ranch Romances

  8

  Ginger was studying him intently.

  long time. If-if you don’t feel strong enough to

  “Steve,” she challenged, “there’s tell me about it, now, you can wait.”

  something queer about this. You didn’t set out He opened his mouth to say something

  deliberately to rob us, I know.”

  before it was too late, before her loveliness Her faith thrilled him, but it frightened
rendered him completely helpless, but Ginger him, also. He struggled to get to his feet.

  cautioned him to silence.

  “I—I reckon I’d better be driftin’,” he

  “Not now,” she said, “I can trust you.

  said.

  Don’t you know, Steve, your eyes are all the As he said it, he fell back. The leg was proof I need?”

  useless. Ginger gathered him into her arms.

  Then as those eyes of his still

  “By the looks o’ that wound,” she said, worshiped and wondered at love so great, she gently, “you won’t be driftin’ anywhere for a bent her face to his, and kissed him.