"It's good," Lagley said. "Likewise, it's a Double K job. Here's three of us--"
"Four," Keith put in quietly.
"An' I can soon git the others--they'll all wanta come."
"Three more will do--them gates are a tough proposi tion," Sudden decided. "Go get 'em, Steve." He followed as the foreman went to his horse. "Yu know where to meet us?"
"Yeah. How d'yu learn 'bout that way in, Jim?"
"Yu showed it me," the puncher smiled.
"Yo're lettin' me down mighty easy; I ain't forgettin' it." Further preparations for the fray did not take long. Sudden had a final word.
"We won't make a move till yu got 'em real interested at both ends. So long, an' good luck."
Soon after he had gone, Merry and the sheriff set out, their men straggling behind. The cowboys, for the most part, jested and poked fun at one another, indifferent to the fact that they were about to risk their lives, but the Red Rock men rode with grave, determined faces : they were there to administer the law.
Less than an hour's ride brought them within sight of their objective, a gate of heavy timber set between unscaleable heights which, continuing for about a hundred yards, walled in the narrow approach. Dealtry pulled up with an exclamation of dismay.
"Phew! That's a nice nut to crack, Mart," he said. "How in blue blazes are we to git near?"
"Leave the hosses round the bend an' try to sneak up--they won't find aimin' too easy if we keep the lead flyin'."
"I'll give 'em a chance first," the sheriff replied.
Before the rancher could protest, he rode forward, alone, right hand raised, palm outwards, the Indian form of the white flag. He had not proceeded far when the ugly features of Roden bobbed up behind the barrier.
"That'll be near enough," he called. "Who are you an' what's yore errand?"
"I'm the sheriff o' Red Rock, an' I'm lookin' for a fella named Lander."
"Never heard of him."
"He hides his face behind a red mask," Dealtry went on. "Turn him over to me, surrender yoreselves, an' I'll deal with you as leniently as the law will let me. That's my only offer."
"An' here's mine," Roden retorted. "Git to hell outa here or I'll send you there. Scat!" He fired as he finished, and the bullet ballooned the dust under the belly of the officer's horse. "That's the on'y ca'tridge I'm wastin'," he added.
Dealtry paced slowly back to his companions. The horses were bestowed safely, and the men, prone on their stomachs and taking advantage of any inequality in the ground which would serve as shelter, began a steady bombardment. The besieged replied, but the hail of lead soon rendered the loopholes in the gate dangerous, and their response slackened. During a slight lull, the muffled crash of gun-fire in the distance announced that the second attack had commenced.
The Double K cowboys and their supporters from Dugout had, in fact, the harder task, and Lanky--who had been appointed leader--muttered grotesque oaths as he surveyed the narrow approach, with its perpendicular cliff on one side and precipice on the other.
"What we want is wings, an' the on'y kind we're liable to git'll have a harp thrown in," he grumbled. "Hey, Jansen, what's that young cannon yo're totin'?"
"She's an old Sharps buffalo gun," the store-keeper replied. "Kicks like a mule, but throws a two-ounce slug what'll go through a man like he ain't there."
"Can yu use her?"
"I expect there's some here could shoot better," Jansen confessed.
"Yu take my Winchester an' lemme try her," Lanky suggested.
Flattened out in a little hollow, he cuddled the stock of the weapon, took careful aim, and fired. The shrill burst of profanity and tornado of lead which followed the boom of thebig gun denoted that damage had been done. Afterwards they learned that the shot had passed through a loophole, shattered the chest of a bandit about to fire, and permanently crippled another behind him.
"She's bully," Lanky said, ejecting the empty shell and pushing in a second. "If we had six o' these, we'd knock that blame' gate to hellangone."
Meanwhile, Sudden and his party were preparing to get into the game. The topmost cave, at least, seemed to be unguarded, and a rope having been adjusted, Sudden and Lagley slid down to investigate. A cautious peep at the street below showed it to be deserted; the ladder for the next step in the descent was in position.
"Anybody watchin' will be at the bottom," Sudden said. "Call the boys."
Keith and the other four joined them. In the cave below they again found a ladder, and silence, save for the dulled, spiteful voices of the guns outside. A third stage, and a querulous remark drifted up to them: "Just our luck to be tied here, missin' all the fun. I told Turvey they wouldn't know--hello, Flicksy, how's it goin'?"
"Bad," came the reply. "Th' gate can't last much longer--they got a buffalo gun what's makin' matchwood of it. Turvey an' two more is cashed an' most of us chipped some."
"What about them?"
"I sent one over th' edge an' I reckon he won't feel th' bump when he lands, but we dassen't show a nose. I du no who cut them damn loopholes, but ..." The stream of blasphemies died away in the distance.
"Mebbe we ain't so unlucky arter all," a new voice said. There were two of them, squatting near the entrance to the cave, rifles within reach. Noiselessly as cats, the cowboys crept down the ladder, and before the surprised sentinels could utter a sound, they were roped, gagged, and carried to the floor above. So far, all had gone well, but the crucial moment had come. Sudden had his plan ready.
"Jeff an' Frosty will come with me to search out Miss Keith an' Satan," he said. "The rest o' yu can drive these dawgs from the Dugout gate an' let our lads in."
With his two companions, he ran swiftly across the open space, kicked wide the door of the Chief's quarters and dashed in, only to hear the slam of the trap as it fell into place.
"Damnation, he must have seen us," he cried.
They uncovered the opening to see the ladder lying below. Sudden did not hesitate; hanging by his hands, he dropped, landing safely; the others followed. Flinging back a second trap-door, they raced down into the room Jeff knew so well; it was empty. Sudden sprang to the window just in time to see the man they sought leap into the saddle of his black and spur the animal into the undergrowth. "You taught me that trick, Sudden," came the shouted taunt. The swinging rope-ladder seemed a further mockery.
"Can't we follow?" Keith asked despairingly.
"Yeah, when we get hosses. He had his getaway all fixed, if the cards went against him. But he was alone. C'mon, we're wasting time."
They made their way up again to find a very different scene. The eastern gate had fallen, and the Double K cowboys, shouting and shooting, were driving the remnant of its defenders before them. From the drifting clouds of thin blue smoke came spits of flame and the crack of exploding cartridges. Yells of defiance, curses and groans of stricken men added to the clamour. Though the outlaws fought with the courage of cornered beasts, Sudden could see that victory was but a matter of time.
"We gotta find someone who can give us news o' Miss Keith," he said.
At that moment, Lazy emerged from one of the caverns with a prisoner; it was Anita.
"Hi, yu Frosty fella, look what I found," he called out.
Sudden went to them. "yu've found a very good friend o' mine, Lazy," he said. "I'm obliged to yu for takin' care of her." The cowboy let go the captive's wrist as though it burned him. The girl's dark eyes asked a question.
"He escaped--for the time," Sudden told her. "We are looking for Miss Keith."