The Texan Page 8

  CHAPTER VII

  THE ARREST

  Bat Lajune grinned into the dark as the galloping cow-horse carriedEndicott out upon the trail of Purdy and the girl. "A'm t'ink dat wangood job. Mebbe-so de pilgrim keel Purdy, _bien_! Mebbe-so Purdy keelde pilgrim, den de sheriff ketch Purdy an' she got for git hang--datpret' good, too. Anyhow, Tex, she don' got for bodder 'bout keel Purdyno mor'. Tex kin keel him all right, but dat Purdy she damn good shot,too. Mebbe-so she git de drop on Tex. Den afterwards, me--A'm got tofool 'roun' an' keel Purdy, an' mebbe-so A'm hang for dat, too. Wat dehell!"

  A man rode up to the corral and tied his horse to the fence. Thehalf-breed drew into the shadow. "Dat Sam Moore," he muttered. "Shedipity sher'ff, an' she goin' try for git 'lect for de beeg sher'ff disfall. Mebbe-so she lak' for git chanct for 'rest som'one. A'm goin'see 'bout dat." He stepped to the side of the man, who startednervously and peered into his face.

  "Hello, Bat, what the devil you doin' prowlin' around here? Why hain'tyou in dancin'?"

  The half-breed shrugged: "Me, A'm no lak' for dance mooch. She don' dono good. Anyhow, A'm hont 'roun' for fin' you. A'm t'ink mebbe-so youbetter com' 'long wit' me."

  "Come along with you! What's on yer mind?" Suddenly the manstraightened: "Say, look a here, if you're up to helpin' Tex Bentonpull off any gag on me, you've picked the wrong hand, see!"

  The other shook his head vigorously: "_Non_! Tex, she goin' in dedance-hall. She don' know nuthin' 'bout w'at A'm know."

  "What you drivin' at? Come on, spit 'er out! I hain't a-goin' to fool'round here all night an' miss the dancin'."

  Bat stepped closer: "Two mans an' wan 'oman gon' up de trail. A'mt'ink som'one goin' for git keel. Mebbe-so we better gon' up an' see'bout dat."

  "You're crazy as hell! The trail's free, hain't it? What business Igot hornin' in on 'em? I come to town for to take in the dance, an'I'm a-goin' to. Besides it's a good chanct to do a little'lectioneerin'." Once more Bat shrugged, and turning away, began tountie his horse.

  "Four Ace Johnson, over 'crost de riv', she dipity sher'ff, too. A'mhear she goin' run for de beeg sher'ff, nex' fall. A'm gon' over an'see if she no lak' to go 'long an' mak' de arres' if som'ting happen.Mebbe-so w'en de votin' tam' com' 'long de men lak' for hav' ChoteauCounty sher'ff w'at kin mak' de arres' better as de sher'ff w'at kindance good. _Voila_!" Without so much as a glance toward the other,he slipped into his saddle and started slowly down the alley. Beforehe reached the street Moore's horse pushed up beside him.

  "Where's this here outfit?" he growled, with a glance toward thedance-hall lights, "an' what makes you think they's a-goin' to begun-fightin'?"

  "A'm t'ink dey ain' so far," replied the half-breed as he swung intothe trail at a trot. And although the impatient deputy plied him witha volley of questions the other vouchsafed no further information.Midway of the ascent to the bench the two drew rein abruptly. Fromabove, and at no great distance, rang the sound of a shot--thensilence. The deputy glanced at the half-breed: "Hey, Bat," hewhispered, "this here's a dangerous business!"

  "Mebbe-so Choteau County lak' to git de sher'ff w'at ain' so moochscairt."

  "Scairt! Who's scairt? It hain't that. But I got a wife an' ninekids back there in the mountains, an' I'm a-goin' to deputize you."

  The half-breed shot him a look of sudden alarm: "_Non_! _Non_! BetterI lak' I ponch de cattle. You ke'p de nine wife an' de kid!"

  "You hain't got no more sense than a reservation Injun!" growled thedeputy. "What I mean is, you got to help me make this here arrest!"

  The half-breed grinned broadly: "Me,--A'm de, w'at you call, de posse,eh? _Bien_! Com' on 'long den. Mebbe-so we no ketch, you no git'lect for sher'ff."

  At the head of the trail the deputy checked his galloping mount with ajerk and scrutinized the three riderless horses that stood huddledtogether. His face paled perceptibly. "Oh, Lord!" he gasped betweenstiffening lips: "It's Tex, an' Jack Purdy, an' they've fit overCinnabar Joe's gal!"

  He turned wrathfully toward Bat. "Why'n you tell me who it was uphere, so's I could a gathered a man's-size posse?" he demanded."Whichever one of them two has shot up the other, they hain't goin' tobe took in none peaceable. An' if they've killed one of each othera'ready, he ain't goin' to be none scrupulous about pottin' you an' me.Chances is, they've got us covered right now. 'Tain't nowayspercautious to go ahead--an' we don't dast to go back! Bat, this is ahell of a place to be--an' it's your fault. Mebbe they won't shoot aunarmed man--here Bat, you take my gun an' go ahead. I'll tell 'emback there how you was game to the last. O-O-o-o-o! I got a turriblecramp in my stummick! I got to lay down. Do your duty, Bat, an' if Isurmise this here attact, which I think it's the appendeetus, I'll tell'em how you died with yer boots on in the service of yer country." Theman forced his six-shooter into the half-breed's hand and, slippinglimply from his saddle to the ground, wriggled swiftly into the shadowof a sage bush.

  Bat moved his horse slowly forward as he peered about him. "If Purdykeel de pilgrim, den A'm better look out. He don' lak' me nohow,'cause A'm fin' out 'bout dat cinch. Better A'm lak' Sam Moore, A'mgit de 'pendeceet in my belly for li'l w'ile." He swung off his horseand flattening himself against the ground, advanced cautiously frombush to bush. At the edge of the depression he paused and stared atthe two figures that huddled close together a few feet ahead. Bothwere gazing toward the trail and in the moonlight he recognized theface of the pilgrim. With a smile of satisfaction the half-breed stooderect and advanced boldly.

  "You com' in tam', eh?" he asked, as with a nod Endicott stepped towardhim and handed him the revolver.

  "Yes, just in time. I am deeply grateful to you."

  "Eh?" The other's brows drew together.

  "I say, I thank you--for the gun, and for telling me----"

  "Ha, dat's a'right. W'er' Purdy?" The girl shuddered, as Endicottpointed to the ground at some little distance away. The man advancedand bent over the prostrate form.

  "Ba goss!" he exclaimed with a glance of admiration. "You shoot heemafter de draw! _Nom de Dieu_! You good man wit' de gun! Wer' you hitheem?"

  Endicott shook his head. "I don't know. I saw him, and shot, and hefell." The half-breed was bending over the man on the ground.

  "You shoot heem on he's head," he approved, "dat pret' good place." Hebent lower and a sibilant sound reached the ears of Endicott and thegirl. After a moment the man stood up and came toward them smiling."A'm fin' out if she dead," he explained, casually. "A'm speet detobac' juice in he's eye. If she wink she ain' dead. Purdy, she don'wink no mor'. Dat damn good t'ing."

  Again Alice Marcum shuddered as Endicott spoke: "Can you find ourhorses?" he asked. "I must go to town and give myself up."

  "_Oui_, A'm git de hoss' a'right. Better you tak' 'em an' skeep off.A'm git on dat posse an' you bet we no ketch. A'm lak' you fine."

  "No! No!" Endicott exclaimed. "If I have killed a man I shall standtrial for it. I won't sneak away like a common murderer. I know myact was no crime, let the decision of the jury be what it may."

  The half-breed regarded him with a puzzled frown. "You mean you lak'fer git arres'?" he asked in surprise.

  "Why, of course! I--" the other interrupted with a laugh.

  "A'right. Dat de kin' Sam Moore she lak' fer arres'. Sam, she layin'back here a ways. She dipity sher'ff, an' we'n we com' on dem hoss',Sam she git to fink 'bout he's wife an' kids. He don' fink 'bout demmooch only w'en he git dronk, or git scairt. Den he lov' 'em lak'hell, an' he grab de beeg belly-ache, so dey don' got for feel sorry'bout heem gittin' keel."

  Slipping his own gun into its holster, the half-breed turned and walkedtoward the spot where he had left the deputy, and as he walked he threwopen the cylinder of the officer's gun and removed the cartridges.

  "Sam!" he called sharply. Cautiously a head raised from behind a sagebush. "How long you t'ink dat tak' you git well? Wan man he lak' forgit arres' w'en you git time."

&n
bsp; "Shut up! Don't talk so loud! D'you want to git us killed? Which onegot it?"

  "Purdy. De pilgrim shoot heem 'cause he run off wit' he's girl."

  "Pilgrim! What pilgrim! An' what girl? Ain't that Tex Benton'shorse, an' Cinnabar Joe's----?"

  "Uh-huh, A'm bor' heem Tex boss for ketch Purdy. An', Ba goss, heshoot heem on he's head after Purdy draw'd!"

  Moore stared aghast. "What? A pilgrim done that? Not on yer life!He may look an' act like a pilgrim but, take it from me, he's adesperate character if he got Purdy after he draw'd. It's worser thanif it was Tex. _He_ might of took pity on us, knowin' about thefambly. But a stranger, an' one that kin git a man like Jack Purdy!O-o-o-o, my stummick! Bat, I'm 'fraid I'm a-passin' away! Thesespells is a-killin' me--an' what'll become of the woman an' the kids?"

  The half-breed grinned: "Mebbe-so you kin' pass back agin, Sam. Heain' got no gun."

  Sam Moore ceased to writhe, and sat abruptly erect. "Ain't got nogun!" he exclaimed. "What did he shoot Purdy with?"

  "My gun. He giv' it back to me. A'm bor' heem dat gun li'l while ago."

  The deputy sprang to his feet. "Quick, now, Bat!" he roared loudly."You slip these irons on him, an' I'll catch up the horses. Don't takeno chances!" He tossed the half-breed a pair of hand-cuffs, andstarted after his own horse. "Kill him if he makes a crooked move.Tell him you're actin' under my authority an' let him understand we'rehard men to tamper with--us sheriffs. We don't stand fer no foolin'."

  In Curly Hardee's dance-hall Tex Benton leaned against the wall andidly watched the couples weave in and out upon the floor to the whiningaccompaniment of the fiddles and the clanging piano.

  Apparently the cowboy's interest centred solely upon the dancers, but aclose observer would have noticed the keen glance with which he scannedeach new arrival--noticed too, that after a few short puffs on acigarette the man tossed it to the floor and immediately rolledanother, which is not in the manner of a man with a mind at ease.

  The Texan saw Endicott enter the room, watched as the man's eyes sweptthe faces of dancers and spectators, and smiled as he turned toward thedoor.

  "Three of us," mused the cowboy, with the peculiar smile still twistingthe corners of his lips, "Purdy, an' me, an' the pilgrim. Purdy'swork's so coarse he'll gum his own game, an' that's where I come in.An' the pilgrim--I ain't quite figgered how he stacks up." Thecowpuncher glanced at his watch. "It's time they showed up long ago.I wonder what's keepin' em." Suddenly he straightened himself with ajerk: "Good Lord! I wonder if---- But no, not even Purdy would try_that_. Still, if he knows I know he tried to dope me he'll befiggerin' on pullin' his freight anyhow, an'--" The man's lipstightened and, elbowing his way to the door he stepped onto the streetand hurried to the Headquarters saloon. Cinnabar Joe was behind thebar, apparently none the worse for his dose of chloral, and in answerto a swift signal, followed the Texan to the rear of the room.

  "Does Purdy know I'm wise to his dope game?"

  The bartender nodded: "Yes, I told him you must of switched theglasses."

  "I saw him leadin' your horse rigged up with your side-saddle acrostthe flats awhile back."

  Again the bartender nodded: "He borrowed the outfit fer a gal of his'nhe said come in on the train. Wanted to take her fer a ride."

  "Where'd they go?" The words whipped viciously.

  "Search me! I've had my hands full to keep track of what's goin' on inhere, let alone outside."

  Without a word the Texan stepped out the back door and hastened towardthe horse corral behind the livery stable. Circling its fence to thehead of the alley, he stared in surprise at the spot where he and BatLajune had tied their horses. The animals were gone, and cursing thehalf-breed at every step, he rushed to the street, and catching up thereins of a big roan that stood in a group of horses, swung into thesaddle and headed out onto the trail.

  "Women are fools," he muttered savagely. "It beats hell what even thesensible ones will fall for!"

  At the up-bend of the trail he halted abruptly and listened. From theshadows of the coulee ahead came the sound of voices and the softscraping of horses' feet. He drew the roan into a cottonwood thicketand waited.

  "Somethin' funny here. Nobody ever come to a dance ridin' at a walk,"he muttered, and then as the little cavalcade broke into the brightmoonlight at a bend of the trail, his eyes widened with surprise. Infront rode Bat Lajune with Purdy's horse snubbed to his saddle-horn,and immediately following him were the girl and Endicott riding side byside. Tex saw that the girl was crying, and that Endicott's hands weremanacled, and that he rode the missing horse. Behind them rode SamMoore, pompously erect, a six-shooter laid across the horn of hissaddle, and a scowl of conceited importance upon his face that wouldhave evoked the envy of the Kaiser of Krautland. The figure appealedto the Texan's sense of humour and waiting until the deputy was exactlyopposite his place of concealment, he filled his lungs and leanedforward in his saddle.

  "Y-e-e-e-o-w!" The sound blared out like the shrill of doom. Theofficer's six-shooter thudded upon the ground, his hands grasped thehorn of the saddle, his spurs dug into his horse's flanks and sent theanimal crashing between the girl and Endicott and caused Purdy's horseto tear loose from the half-breed's saddle-horn.

  "Stand 'em off, Bat!" shrieked the deputy as he shot past, "I'm a-goin'fer help!" and away he tore, leaning far over his horse's neck, withPurdy's horse, the stirrups lashing his sides, dashing madly in hiswake.

  A moment later Tex pushed his mount into the trail where the girl,drawn close to Endicott, waited in fearful expectation. The half-breedmet him with a grin.

  Rapidly, with many ejaculations interspersing explosive volleys ofhalf-intelligible words, Bat acquainted the Texan with the progress ofevents. The cowpuncher listened without comment until the other hadfinished. Then he turned to Endicott.

  "Where'd you learn to shoot?" he asked abruptly.

  "I never learned. Until tonight I never had a pistol in my hand."

  "You done damned well--to start out with," commented the Texan dryly.

  "But, oh, it's horrible!" sobbed the girl, "and it's all my fault!"

  "I reckon that's right. It looks like a bad mix-up all around."

  "Oh, why didn't you tell me what a _beast_ he was? You knew all thetime. And when you insulted him I thought you were _horrid_! And Ithought he was so noble when he refrained from shooting you."

  "No. He wasn't noble, none noticeable--Purdy wasn't. An' as for metellin' you about him--answer me square: Would you have believed me?"

  The girl's eyes fell before his steady gaze.

  "No," she faltered, "I wouldn't. But isn't there something we can do?Some way out of this awful mess?"

  The Texan's eyes flashed a glint of daring. He was thinking rapidly.Endicott moved his horse closer to the cowboy. "Can't you manage toget _her_ away--onto a train some place so she can avoid the annoyanceof having to testify at the trial, and submit to the insulting remarksof your sheriff?"

  The girl interrupted him: "Winthrop Adams Endicott, if you dare to eventhink _such_ a thing--I'll never speak to you again! Indeed he _won't_take me away or put me on any train! I got you into this, and I won'tbudge one inch until you get out of it. What do I care for a littleannoyance--and as for the sheriff, I'll say 'boo' at him in the darkand he'll die."

  There was a gleam of approval in the eyes of the Texan as his lipstwisted into their peculiar cynical smile. "Spunky little devil," hethought to himself. "There's a chance to pull a play here somewherethat'll make me solid with her all right. I got to have time tothink." Aloud he said: "Just you leave things to me. I'll get a lineon what's what. But you both got to do as I say, an' no augerin' aboutit neither. It looks from here as if things could be straightened outif someone don't go to work an' ball the jack. An' as for Sam passin'insultin' remarks no more--he won't. Here he comes now with about halfWolf River for a posse." The cowboy turned to Endicott: "You go 'longwith 'em an' lay low 'til you
hear from Bat, there, or me. Then you doas we say, an' don't ask no questions."

  The rumble of horses' feet sounded from the direction of the littletown and the Texan whispered to Bat: "Find out where they lock him up.An' when the excitement dies down you find me. I ain't a-goin' to losesight of _her_--see." The half-breed grinned his understanding and Texswung his horse in close beside the girl and awaited the coming of theposse.

  With a yell the onrushing cowboys whom the deputy had recruited fromthe dance-hall spied the little group and, thundering up at fullgallop, formed a closely packed circle about them. Recognizing thedeputy who was vociferously urging his horse from the rear, Tex forcedhis way through the circle and called him aside.

  "Say, Sam," he drawled, in a tone that caused the deputy's hair toprickle at its roots; "about some an' sundry insultin' remarks youpassed agin' the lady, yonder----"

  "No, I never----"

  "That'll be about all the lyin' you need to do now. An' just let thissink in. You can lock up the pilgrim where you damn please. But thelady goes to the hotel. If you aim to hold her as a witness you canappoint a guard--an' I'm the guard. D'you get me? 'Cause if there'sany misunderstandin' lingerin' in them scrambled aigs you use ferbrains, I'll just start out by tellin' the boys what a hell of a bravearrest you pulled off, an' about the nervy stand you made agin' odds toguard your prisoners when I yipped at you from the brush. Then, afterthey get through havin' their fun out of you, I'll just waste a shellon you for luck--see?"

  "Sure, Tex, that sounds reasonable," the other rattled on in evidentrelief. "Fact is, I be'n huntin' fer you ever sense I suspicionedthey'd be'n a murder. 'If I c'd only find Tex,' I says to myself, Isays, 'he'd be worth a hull posse hisself.' Jest you go ahead an'night-herd the lady. I'll tell her myself so's it'll be official. An'me an' the rest of the boys here, we'll take care of the pilgrim, whichhe ain't no pilgrim at all, but a desperate desperado, or he couldn'tnever have got Jack Purdy the way he done."

  The Texan grinned and, forcing his horse through the crowd, reached thegirl's side where he was joined a few moments later by the deputy.Despite her embarrassing situation Alice Marcum could scarce restrain asmile at the officer's sudden obsequious deference. Stetson in hand,he bowed awkwardly. "Excuse me, mom, but, as I was goin' on to say inreference of any remarks I might of passed previous, I found outsubsequent I didn't mean what I was sayin', which I misunderstoodmyself complete. But as I was goin' on to say, mom, the State ofMontany might need you fer a witness in this here felonious trial, soif you'll be so kind an' go to the _ho_tel along of Tex here whom he'sthe party I've tolled off fer to guard you, an' don't stand no monkeybusiness neither. What I mean is," he hastened to add, catching aglance from the Texan's eye, "don't be afraid to ask fer soap or towelsif there hain't none in yer room, an' if yer cold holler fer an extryblanket er two. The State's a-payin' fer it, an' yer board, too, an'if they don't fill you up every meal you set up a yell an' I'll see 'tthey do." The deputy turned abruptly away and addressed the cowboys:"Come on, boys, let's git this character under lock an' key so I kinbreathe easier."

  Even Endicott joined in the laugh that greeted the man's words and,detaining a cowpuncher to ride on either side of the prisoner, theofficer solemnly led the way toward town.