The Max Brand Megapack (73 page)

She shuddered.

“It ain’t pleasant, is it, the picture of big, good-lookin’ Lee danglin’ from the end of a rope with the crowd aroun’ takin’ pot-shots at him? No, it ain’t, an’ you’re goin’ to stop it. You’re goin’ to start from here in fifteen minutes with your hoss an’ this wolf, after givin’ me your promise to come back when you’ve seen Whistlin’ Dan. You’re goin’ to make Dan go an’ set Lee loose.”

She smiled in derision.

“If Dan did that he’d be outlawed.”

“You won’t stir?”

“Not a step!”

“Well, kid, for everything that happens to Lee somethin’ worse will happen to someone in the next room. Maybe you’d like to see him?”

He opened the door and she stepped into the entrance. Almost opposite her sat old Joe Cumberland with his hands tied securely behind his back. At sight of her he rose with a low cry. She turned on big Silent and whipped the six-gun from his hip. He barely managed to grasp her wrist and swing the heavy revolver out of line with his body.

“You little fiend,” he snarled, “drop the gun, or I’ll wring your neck.”

“I don’t fear you,” she said, never wincing under the crushing grip on her wrists, “you murderer!”

He said, calmly repossessing himself of his gun, “Now take a long look at your father an’ repeat all the things you was just saying’ to me.”

She stared miserably at her father. When Silent caught Kate’s hand Cumberland had started forward, but Kilduff and Rhinehart held him.

“What is it, Kate,” he cried. “What does it mean?”

She explained it briefly: “This is Jim Silent!”

He remained staring at her with open mouth as if his brain refused to admit what his ear heard.

“There ain’t no use askin’ questions how an’ why she’s here,” said Silent. “This is the pint. Lee Haines is behind the bars in Elkhead. Whistlin’ Dan put him there an’ maybe the girl c’n persuade Dan to bring him out again. If she don’t—then everything the lynchin’ gang does to Haines we’re goin’ to do to you. Git down on your ol’ knees, Cumberland, an’ beg your daughter to save your hide!”

The head of Kate dropped down.

“Untie his hands,” she said. “I’ll talk with Dan.”

“I knew you’d see reason,” grinned Silent.

“Jest one minute,” said Cumberland. “Kate, is Lee Haines one of Silent’s gang?”

“He is.”

“An’ Dan put him behind the bars?”

“Yes.”

“If Dan takes him out again the boy’ll be outlawed, Kate.”

“Cumberland,” broke in Kilduff savagely, “here’s your call to stop thinkin’ about Whistlin’ Dan an’ begin figgerin’ for yourself.”

“Don’t you see?” said Kate, “it’s your death these cowards mean.”

Cumberland seemed to grow taller, he stood so stiffly erect with his chin high like a soldier.

“You shan’t make no single step to talk with Dan!”

“Can’t you understand that it’s
you
they threaten?” she cried.

“I understan’ it all,” he said evenly. “I’m too old to have a young man damned for my sake.”

“Shut him up!” ordered Silent. “The old fool!”

The heavy hand of Terry Jordan clapped over Joe’s mouth effectually silenced him. He struggled vainly to speak again and Kate turned to Silent to shut out the sight.

“Tell your man to let him go,” she said, “I will do what you wish.”

“That’s talkin’ sense,” said Silent. “Come out with me an’ I’ll saddle your hoss. Call the wolf.”

He opened the door and in response to her whistle Black Bart trotted out and followed them out to the horse shed. There the outlaw quickly saddled Kate’s pony.

He said: “Whistlin’ Dan is sure headin’ back in this direction because he’s got an idea I’m somewhere near. Bart will find him on the way.”

Silent was right. That morning Dan had started back towards Gus Morris’s place, for he was sure that the outlaws were camped in that neighbourhood. A little before noon he veered half a mile to the right towards a spring which welled out from a hillside, surrounded by a small grove of willows. Having found it, he drank, and watered Satan, then took off the saddle to ease the stallion, and lay down at a little distance for a ten-minute siesta, one of those half wakeful sleeps the habit of which he had learned from his wolf.

He was roused from the doze by a tremendous snorting and snarling and found Black Bart playing with Satan. It was their greeting after an absence, and they dashed about among the willows like creatures possessed. Dan brought horse and dog to a motionless stand with a single whistle, and then ran out to the edge of the willows. Down the side of the hill rode Kate at a brisk gallop. In a moment she saw him and called his name, with a welcoming wave of her arm. Now she was off her horse and running to him. He caught her hands and held her for an instant far from him like one striving to draw out the note of happiness into a song. They could not speak.

At last: “I knew you’d find a way to come.”

“They let me go, Dan.”

He frowned, and her eyes faltered from his.

“They sent me to you to ask you—to free Lee Haines!”

He dropped her hands, and she stood trying to find words to explain, and finding none.

“To free Haines?” he repeated heavily.

“It is Dad,” she cried. “They have captured him, and they are holding him. They keep him in exchange for Haines.”

“If I free Haines they’ll outlaw me. You know that, Kate?”

She made a pace towards him, but he retreated.

“What can I do?” she pleaded desperately. “It is for my father—”

His face brightened as he caught at a new hope.

“Show me the way to Silent’s hiding place and I’ll free your father an’ reach the end of this trail at the same time, Kate!”

She blenched pitifully. It was hopeless to explain.

“Dan—honey—I can’t!”

She watched him miserably.

“I’ve given them my word to come back alone.”

His head bowed. Out of the willows came Satan and Black Bart and stood beside him, the stallion nosing his shoulder affectionately.

“Dan, dear, won’t you speak to me? Won’t you tell me that you try to understand?”

He said at last: “Yes. I’ll free Lee Haines.”

The fingers of his right hand trailed slowly across the head of Black Bart. His eyes raised and looked past her far across the running curves of the hills, far away to the misty horizon.

“Kate—”

“Dan, you
do
understand?”

“I didn’t know a woman could love a man the way you do Lee Haines. When I send him back to you tell him to watch himself. I’m playin’ your game now, but if I meet him afterwards, I’ll play my own.”

All she could say was: “Will you listen to me no more, Dan?”

“Here’s where we say good-bye.”

He took her hand and his eyes were as unfathomable as a midnight sky. She turned to her horse and he helped her to the saddle with a steady hand.

That was all. He went back to the willows, his right arm resting on the withers of Black Satan as if upon the shoulder of a friend. As she reached the top of the hill she heard a whistling from the willows, a haunting complaint which brought the tears to her eyes. She spurred her tired horse to escape the sound.

CHAPTER XXIII

HELL STARTS

Between twilight and dark Whistling Dan entered Elkhead. He rose in the stirrups, on his toes, stretching the muscles of his legs. He was sensing his strength. So the pianist before he plays runs his fingers up and down the keys and sees that all is in tune and the touch perfect.

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 sheriff Rogers, and a little farther was the jail. A crowd of horses stood in front of each saloon, but from the throngs within there came hardly a sound. The hush was prophetic of action; it was the lull before the storm. Dan slowed his horse as he went farther down the street.

The shadowy figure of a rider showed near the jail. He narrowed his eyes and looked more closely. Another, another, another horseman showed—four in sight on his side of the jail and probably as many more out of his vision. Eight cattlemen guarded the place from which he 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 to whistle softly. It was like one of those sounds of the wind, a thing to guess at rather than to know, but the effect upon Satan and Black Bart was startling.

The ears of the stallion dropped flat on his neck. He began to slink along with a gliding step which was very like the stealthy pace of Black Bart, stealing ahead. His footfall was as silent as if he had been shod with felt. Meantime Dan ran over a plan of action. He saw very clearly that he had little time for action. Those motionless guards around the jail made his task difficult enough, but there was a still greater danger. The crowds in the two saloons would be starting up 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 his hand dropped down to his revolver butt. The fast riding horseman swept and shot on down the street, leaving a pungent though invisible cloud of dust behind him. He stopped in front of Rogers’s house and darted up the steps and through the door. Acting upon a premonition, Dan dismounted a short distance from Rogers’s house and ran to the door. He opened it softly and found himself in a narrow hall dimly lighted by 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 no mind 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 the inside of the game?”

“You fool!” cried Rogers. “Don’t use that name!”

Dan slipped a couple of paces down the hall and flattened himself against the wall just as the door opened. Rogers looked out, drew a great breath of relief, and went back into the room. Dan resumed his former position.

“Now talk fast!” said Rogers.

“About time for you to drop that rotten bluff. Why, man, I could even tell 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 and his gang a square deal.”

“You should of done something while they was only a half-dozen cowpunchers in town. Now the town’s full of riders an’ they’re all after 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 mean business. All of ’em. But how’d you answer to Jim Silent, Rogers? If you let ’em get Haines—well, Haines is Silent’s partner an’ Jim’ll bust everything wide to get even with you.”

“I c’n explain,” said Rogers huskily. “I c’n show Silent how I’m helpless.”

Footsteps went up and down the room.

“If they start anything,” said Rogers, “I’ll mark down the names of the ringleaders and I’ll give ’em hell afterwards. That’ll soothe Jim some.”

“You won’t know ’em. They’ll wear masks.”

Dan opened the door and stepped into the room. Rogers started up with a curse and gripped his revolver.

“I never knew you was so fond of gun play,” said Dan. “Maybe that gun of yours would be catchin’ cold if you was to leave it out of the leather 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 to Hardy.

They seemed to fear even his voice. The Wells Fargo agent vanished through the door and clattered down the steps.

“How long you been standin’ at that door?” said Rogers, gnawing his lips.

“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 his forehead.

He stammered: “Maybe you’ve changed your mind an’ come back for that five 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 touch of 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,” said Rogers, fighting for time, “an’ when you come back I’ll have the order written 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. He swung into the saddle and rode to the jail. There was not a guard in sight. He rode around to the other side of the building to reach the stable. Still he could not sight one of those shadowy horsemen who had surrounded the place a few minutes before. Perhaps the crowd had called in the guards to join the attack.

He put Satan away in the stable and as he led him into a stall he heard a roar of many voices far away. Then came the crack of half a dozen revolvers. Dan set his teeth and glanced quickly over the half-dozen horses in the little shed. He recognized the tall bay of Lee Haines at once and threw on its back the saddle which hung on a peg directly behind it. As he drew up the cinch another shout came from the street, but this time very close.

When he raced around the jail he saw the crowd pouring into the house of the deputy sheriff. He ran on till he came to the outskirts of the mob. Every man was masked, but in the excitement no one noticed that Dan’s face was bare. Squirming his way through the press, Dan reached the deputy’s office. It was almost filled. Rogers stood on a chair trying to argue with the cattlemen.