"I couldn't prove it," the cowboy said simply. "An' I wanted to get outa the country."
"I'll bet you did," came the gibe. "Besides, you were working for Rogue."
Sudden raised his shoulders. "This fella claims he's goin' to ranch near yu," he said to Eden. "Did he mention his brand?" The old man shook his head. "Well, it don't signify--he told yore daughter. See here."
He picked up a half-burnt stick from the fire and in the sand at his feet traced the letters, S E. Then he joined up the ends of both, turning them into 8 B." "That's his iron," he said quietly. "Convenient, ain't it?"
Baudry's expression of amused indifference vanished. "By heaven, Sam, I never thought of that," he cried. "Comes of not being a cattleman."
It was well done, but his laugh met with no response ; brand-blotting was not a subject of mirth in that company. , "yeah," Sudden said ironically. "While I was stayin' with Rogue, his men brought in a bunch o' cattle to brand. As I told yu, they were feedin' me, so I did my share. They were supposed to be mavericks, but most of 'em was S E when they was thrown an' 8 B when they got up."
"Which only proves that Rogue was taking advantage of my ignorance to sell me stolen steers," Baudry pointed out. "Till the other day I'd never seen the fellow. I let it be known I wanted stock and took it for granted they would be unmarked strays."
"Rogue told me a man was payin' him to bust this drive an' was willin' to take all or any o' the herd," the cowboy went on. "Who gets yore ranch, Eden, if yu fail to put yore cattle through?"
The rancher started, and looked suspiciously at his guest. Baudry reached out a cigar, lit it, and laughed.
"Dime novel stuff," he said. "Prove it."
"Right," the other rejoined. "Eden, I want yore hoss-wrangler, Rollitt."
The gambler's eyes flickered. "Fetch him, Davy," he said.
"No," Sudden said sharply, and motioned to Jeff.
The foreman returned with the wrangler, whose shifty eyes widened when he saw the visitors. "Yu wantin' me?" he asked his employer.
"I'm wantin' yu," Sudden told him. "How long yu been in with Rogue?"
The abruptness of the question caught the fellow off his guard, but he recovered quickly, his look of alarm giving place to one of sullen obstinacy.
"Ain't never," he growled. "What yu gittin' at?"
"The truth," Sudden retorted. A gun seemed to leap into his hand. "Rollitt, I'm givin' yu a chance to come clean. If yu don't, I'll kill yu." The cold, merciless tone drove the threat home. The wrangler's gaze travelled round the circle of faces. "Nobody can help yu," the icy voice went on. "Whatever happens to me, yu'll be as dead as Moses."
Rollitt looked at the levelled gun ; if the thumb moved and let fall the hammer.... He was not the stuff of which heroes are made.
"Mebbe it's a year," he said huskily. "I broke away" The gun roared and a line of red on the man's cheekbone showed where the bullet had grazed him.
"The next lie will be yore last," the marksman warned. "yu've been watched, yu fool. What was the word yu took from that man"--he pointed to Dutt--"to Navajo?"
The nearness of death had shattered the ruffian's nerves. With trembling lips he mumbled the message: "Rogue is sellin' yu ; get busy with the boys an' strike quickly."
"That's a" Dutt began, and promptly subsided when he saw Sudden's eye upon him ; he did not relish the cowboy's method of dealing with liars.
"Well, Sam, are you taking the word of this gunman with a price on his head against me, Jethro Baudry, a respected citizen, and your friend?" the gambler asked coolly.
Before the rancher could reply another voice chimed in, and the little Indian-hunter thrust himself forward.
"Jethro Baudry, huh?" he piped. "When I see yu in Kansas City not so far back yu was Monte Jack, a card-cheat who skipped outa town two-three jumps ahead o' the Vigilantes, wanted for killin' a sucker yu'd trimmed--shot him under the table, didn't yu?"
Save that it was a shade more pallid, the gambler's face did not alter. "you are mistaken, my friend," he said.
"No friend o' your'n--never did cotton to coyotes, nohow," Tyson said bluntly. "Monte had a scar runnin' up his right arm from wrist to elbow, where a Mexican had tried to slipa knife into him. All red an' puckered it was, like the edges had been sewed up clumsy."
"Roll up yore right sleeve."
It was Sudden who gave the order, and his gun was again out. Baudry's face was livid; he knew the game was up--for the moment.
"No need--the scar's there," he admitted, and turned to Eden. "you win--for now, but don't forget I hold your paper." The rancher, whose rage had been steadily rising as the revelation of how he had been duped proceeded, boiled over at this.
"Yu dirty thief," he cried, and gripped his gun.
The threatened man jeered. "It would be a good way of paying your debt, wouldn't it?"
Eden's fingers released the weapon as though it had been red-hot. He glared at the scoundrel who had gauged him so correctly.
"yu'll get yore money--every cent of it--when I sell the herd," he promised. "yu needn't worry."
Baudry's lips curled in a wolfish snarl. "I don't propose to," he replied. "I'll have the money, the S E, and--anything else I want of yours." His eyes went to Carol as he made the insolent boast and the contempt with which she received the look swept away the barrier of his self-control. "you damned old fool," he gritted. "I'll make you curse the hour you quarrelled with me. I'll break you and grind your face in the dust. When Rogue has done with you"
"Rogue can speak for himself, Mister," came a quiet voice. The outlaw was standing there. So absorbed had everyone been in what was taking place that they had not seen him ride in and dismount. He addressed the cattleman:
"Far as I'm concerned, Eden, yore herd is safe," he began. "I can't speak for my men ; that toad there has poisoned 'em an' they've named a new leader."
"So you sneaked off here to save your hide?" Baudry sneered.
The outlaw's eyes flashed. "Best take care o' yore own," he said. "I don't owe yu money." He looked at Eden. "Jim has given yu the straight of it," he went on. "What yu aimin' to do with these rats?"
The cattleman gestured angrily to his foreman. "Clear 'em out," he ordered, and to Sudden, "Green, I'm takin' yore word, but yu ain't told who drilled me."
Sudden looked at Rogue, who' shook his head. "I don't know, seh," he replied. "But it warn't Sandy."
The rancher turned his hard eyes on that young man. "I ain't convinced," he said stubbornly, "but I'm willin' to be."
And with this grudging admission Sandy had to be content, but there was a welcome elsewhere which more than compensated ; Carol's eyes were friendly.
A word from the foreman sent the other men about their tasks, leaving the boss and the outlaw alone. An awkward silence ensued, broken at length by the visitor:
"Studying why I'm here, Eden?" he asked. "If yu think it's because o' that scum over there yu got another guess comin'. I'd 'a' stayed an' shot it out with 'em, but I thought I could undo some o' the harm I done yu."
The rancher's expression was frankly sceptical.
"Don't believe me?" the outlaw went on. "Dunno as I blame yu, but it's a fact. Ain't yu wondered why I let yu get so far after that fandango with the 'Paches? Well, I've been tryin' to persuade the boys that it would be a better play to let yu sell the cows an' then lift the dollars, trustin' yu could find a safe place for 'em. That card-sharp put a crimp in that an' here I am. What yu gotta say?" A The rancher hesitated ; he was not in the frame of mind to trust anyone, and this man had threatened to steal his cattle.
"yu can stay, but my men'll have orders to shoot yu at the first sign o' crooked work," he decided.
"That's on'y fair," Rogue said, and walked away.