`Hanged in his place, were you about to say, Mr. Tarman?' she inquired.
The big man had got himself in hand again with wonderful rapidity. `If I was, yu almost deserve it,' he retorted, with a grim laugh. `Yo're takin' a hand in a game yu don't understand, an' others will have to pay. Now, see here. Yu figure to be in his debt for pullin' yu off that wild hoss an' yu let him free to square yoreself. That's fair enough from yore point of view, an' does yu credit, but yu didn't stop to think that every crime that feller commits from now on will be yore fault, did yu? There's times when private interests have got to be sacrificed to the community at large. Ain't that so?'
The reasoning was specious enough, and the speaker was his own suave self again, but the girl had had another glimpse of the real man, and somehow the picture of Tarman sacrificing anything for the benefit of his fellow-man would not take a convincing shape. Leeming saw that she was troubled and saved her the necessity of trying to justify herself.
`Women act on impulse, Tarman, an' it's a darn good thing for us that they do,' he said. `Yu just run along, Norry, an' don't worry yore pretty head about it no more.'
`That may be, but there's one thing she's got to know,' interposed Tarman, `an' that is that Green's real object in comin' to these parts was to find an' kill a man, an' there he stands.'
He pointed to Simon as he made this dramatic announcement, and the girl's eyes opened incredulously.
`Daddy,' she cried. `It can't be true.' And then, remembering what the cowpuncher had himself told her, she sank into a chair and covered her face with her hands. Tarman regarded her with grim satisfaction.
`Yu know it is, an' I know it,' he continued. `It's too long a yarn to spin now, but the old chap who befriended Green reckoned that Simon had done him dirt, which he hadn't, an' on his deathbed he set the young hound on his trail.'
Noreen looked up. `Then why hasn't he carried out his purpose? He's had plenty of opportunities.'
'He doesn't know yet that yore father is the feller he's in search of, when he does, all hell an' high water won't save him.' White to the lips and sick at heart, the girl muttered, `I'm sorry, Daddy,' and going to her room, flung herself on the bed. She could not grasp it--the whole story seemed too horrible, and it appeared impossible to her that any man, outlaw though he might be, could act in such a despicable manner as Green must have done, were the accusation true. Yet she could not forget the expression on his face when he had told her of his mission of vengeance.
When she had left the verandah, Tarman looked at his companions with malicious triumph. `Reckon she won't hanker to help him again,' he said.
Was that the straight goods or were yu makin' it up to throw a scare into her?' asked Leeming.
`The tale's true enough, Job,' Petter said. `The feller's after my scalp, though I didn't know it till Joe told me; he thought he recognised him an' ferreted around a piece. Point is, what are we goin' to do? Hunt him down?'
Tarman shook his head. `No chance in this country. We'll bait a trap for him; yu leave it to me.'
At this moment Blaynes came up. `Barton is missin' an' as he's took his own hoss an' his war-bags, it don't look like he's acomin' back,' he said. `Reckon it was him turned that damn rustler loose; they was allus pretty thick.'
`Mebbe yo're right,' said his employer, who was not anxious to advertise his daughter's interest in the late prisoner.
`What yu goin' to do about it, boss? The boys are sayin' we oughta get on his trail while it's hot,' the foreman continued. `What am I to tell 'em?'
The remark was an unfortunate one, since it provided the owner of the Y Z with an excuse for venting his pent-up anger. He whirled savagely on the speaker.
`Tell 'em to go to hell,' he stormed. `When I want any advice on runnin' my own affairs I'll shore ask for it. Get agoin' an' sic them lazy devils onto their jobs.'
Leeming, watching the foreman closely, saw him stiffen as though about to reply in kind and then, with an evil scowl, he turned and slouched away. The eyes of Tarman and the foreman had met for an instant, and Leeming fancied that the former had slightly shaken his head, but he could not be sure; the act might have been involuntary, or in general disapproval of an unedifying exhibition.
Leaving the other two, Job strolled down to the bunkhouse, of which he found Snap the sole occupant. The gunman greeted him with his rare twisted grin.
`Rattler seems to have had a mighty poor reception from the Old Man,' he volunneered. `He come back a-bilin'.'
`Well, Simon shore did get the notion that yu fellers wanta run the ranch,' Leeming replied. `He's pretty sore over losing his prisoner.'
`Too bad,' Lunt said gravely, not a muscle on his face moving. `Wonder who could 'a' done it?'
The cattleman laughed. "S'll right, Snap, I ain't tryin' to find out,' he said. `Know anythin' about Sudden, the outlaw?' Snap shot a quick look at his questioner. `No more than anybody else--he's a bit of a mystery,' he replied. `I saw him years ago an' he's shore a ring-tailed merricle with a gun, but I've allus reckoned he's been handed the credit for a lot o' things he had nothin' to do with. Feller's only got to rub out one or two toughs an' he gets half the crimes in the country ladled onto him.'
Leeming knew something of the little gunman's own past and did not pursue what was evidently a subject which aroused bitter recollections.
`Where do yu reckon Green will make for?' was his next query.
`I ain't doin' any reckonin',' came the blunt reply, and Job saw that Lunt was not to be drawn.
When he got back to the ranch-house he found Tarman on the point of returning to town, and he suddenly decided to accompany him. Before leaving, he slipped into the kitchen, where he found Noreen alone. Her pale face and the misery in her eyes made him mutter an oath.
'Oh, what does it all mean, Uncle Job? I can't believe it,' she cried.
`There, don't yu fuss yoreself, my girl, it'll all come straight,' he replied soothingly. 'I don't believe it myself, but, for the love o' Mike, don't tell yore father that.'
To Simon himself he simply said, `Send for me if you want me, an' don't trust anybody too much.'
`I ain't trustin' out-o'-work punchers no more, if that's what yu mean,' replied Simon, bitterly.
It was not, but Leeming could hardly explain in the presence of the other guest so he let it go. As they loped along the trail to Hatchett's he put a plain question: `What's yore scheme for gettin' hold o' this feller Green?'
`I ain't got it straightened out yet--just millin' round in my head,' Tarman replied evasively. 'I reckon it will work though, an' once I get my rope on him no fool girl will be able to set him foot-loose again, an' yu can stick a pin in that.'
`Huh! I guess he'll quit.'
`Yu got another guess--he won't; I know the breed. He come here to wipe out Simon an' he'll do it.'
`But yu said he don't know it's Simon he wants,' Job reminded him.
`He don't yet, but he will,' arid Tarman grinned as though an amusing idea had just occurred to him.
The Frying Pan owner pondered on this in silence. If Tarman could contrive that Green should kill Simon and hang for it, he removed an enemy and possible rival, and would only have to wed Noreen to become at once sole owner of the Y Z. Was this the game? He determined to make an attempt to find out.
`How do yu like this country, Tarman?' he asked.
`Fine,' replied the other. `It's even better than the reports that fetched me here. Yu may as well know now as later, I'm aimin' to buy in on the Y Z an' settle down here, an' I might take on yore range too if we can come to terms.'
`I've no idea of sellin',' Leeming told him.