Lost Pueblo (1992) (23 page)

"Mebbe thet'll keep your mug shet," declared Ray.

"Say, Ray, this ain't gettin' us anywheres," interposed Mohave. "Mebbe we're far enough."

"Move along, Randolph," ordered Ray, shoving his gun into Randolph's side. He forced the archaeologist to walk on to a point under a high-branched cedar. "Somebody throw a rope over thet limb."

But nobody complied with this order. Again Janey intuitively guessed that this situation had not been what it looked on the face. The cowboys were a divided group. Ray was deadly, implacable. No doubting his real intention! Janey had sensed his jealousy and now realized his brutality. But another sharp scrutiny of the other faces convinced Janey that with them it had been a well-acted jest, which Ray was trying to drive to earnest. But he would never succeed. Janey racked her brain for some expedient to circumvent him.

Ray snatched the lasso from Mohave and threw the noose end over the branch, pulled it down, and with the skillful dexterity of a cowboy tossed the loop over Randolph's head.

"Thar's your necktie, Mr. Kidnaper," he said, with fiendish satisfaction.

Mohave seemed to pull himself together. Janey caught his quick significant glance at Diego, and she took her cue from that.

"Wal, I'm pullin' the rope," announced Mohave, stepping forward.

"Nothin' doin'... I'm the little man who hangs this gent. It's my rope," replied Zoroaster.

"I weel pull the rope," said Diego, impressively.

"W-w-w-wh-where do I come in?" stammered Tay-Tay, evidently offended.

Janey was now almost certain of her ground, except for the silent Ray.

"Gentlemen, let me decide which of you shall have the honor of being the first to crack Randolph's neck," interrupted Janey, with entire change of front.

They gaped at her, nonplused. Ray's tense face relaxed to a slight sardonic grin. Janey feared him. The majority would rule here. Besides she had an idea.

"Let me decide, please," she continued. "F-f-f-fair enough," said Tay-Tay.

"Pick me, Miss Janey. I'm the strongest," entreated Mohave, who seemed to be returning to his natural self.

The others, excepting Ray, loudly acclaimed their especial fittingness for the job.

"I can't show any favoritism among you boys," went on Janey. "Lay down your guns. Then blindfold me. I'll pick one of them up and whoever owns that gun shall have the first pull."

"Fine idee," declared Mohave, and then deposited his gun at Janey's feet. One by one the others gravely complied, until it came to Ray. He held the lasso in one hand and his gun in the other. Janey feared he would block her daring scheme, which was to get possession of all the guns and hold up the cowboys.

"Bert!" gasped Mrs. Durland. "She's a barbarian! A fit consort for the likes of these!... To think I ever allowed you to anticipate marrying such an impossible creature!"

"That'll be aboot all from you, Madam," retorted Ray, threateningly.

"Come, Ray, your gun," called Janey, in a nervous hurry. "Who'll lend me a scarf?"

"You're smart, but you can't fool me," rejoined Ray, darkly. "I don't lay down my gun fer no woman. I'm onto you, Miss... Now you easy-mark cowpunchers, jest step back. Stop! Never mind pickin' up them guns."

Slowly the cowboys edged back, and Janey with them. At that moment Ray was more to be feared than Black Dick had ever been. Ray had this game beaten and knew it. He exchanged rope and gun from one hand to the other. With a quick pull he tightened the noose hard around Randolph's neck, straining his body, lifting him a little.

"Reckon it's a doubtful honor, but I'll have it myself," he said, his cold eyes on Janey.

"My God!--Ray! You don't mean to go on with it?" cried Janey, finding her voice.

"I shore do. I've got the goods on Randolph. You accused him, an' he confessed. Everybody present heard you both. An' there ain't a court in Arizona that'd hold me fer a day."

He was triumphant and malignant. Fierce jealousy had brought out the evil in him. Janey had a terrible realization of her guilt--for she had flirted with this hot-headed cowboy. She had looked upon him with caressing eyes; she had listened to his sentimental talk and led him on. What an idiot she had been! Vain, detestably bent on conquest--heartless, wrong. Ray resembled a devil and he certainly had overwhelming odds in his favor. Janey seemed to be sinking in stupefied terror. Almost blindly she stepped out.

"Ray--for God's sake--don't--don't add murder to this--this thing," she implored.

"So! You're intercedin' fer a man you swore treated you outrageous?" sneered Ray.

"Yes. I beg of you. Don't let your--your--whatever actuates you--go any farther. Cool down. Think!"

"I've been thinkin' all right," he rejoined, with brooding intimation.

"Randolph did not kidnap me," spoke up Janey, gathering strength. "I came with him willingly."

"What's thet?" snarled Ray, almost crouching.

Randolph responded with his first show of perturbation. "Ray, don't you believe a word she says. She's trying to clear me by implicating herself."

"Wal, she's a liar all right, but mebbe this is straight," said Ray, somberly. "Say, gurl, if you come willin'--what was it fer?"

"One reason was I wanted to get a kick out of it," replied Janey, coolly. "I was sort of blasT. Tired of ordinary life. I wanted something new, different."

"Ahuh! An' how aboot this heah outrageous treatment?" asked Ray, gruffly.

To have saved Randolph's life Janey could not have stayed the coursing flame of red that burned from neck to face. But her spirit flamed likewise.

"I disobeyed him," she confessed, bravely. "He--he chastised me... I deserved it."

"Haw! Haw! Haw!" guffawed Ray, loudly, mirthlessly. That laugh contained bitter doubt, scorn, hate.

"Ray, I'm afeared I hear hosses," interrupted Mohave, sharply.

"So, you come willin', huh?" he questioned, with terrible eyes on Janey. "Liked to be treated out-rag-eous, huh? Wanted a new different kick, huh?... Wal, now watch your lover kick!"

Ray was a bully and a brute. But he did not know the fiber of the girl he had so grossly insulted. That was all Janey required to find herself. As Ray bent down to stretch the lasso over his hip, dragging Randolph to the tip of his toes, she sprang forward. She grasped the tightening rope above Randolph's head and pulled it loose. Then she confronted Ray.

"Stop, you madman!" she cried, imperiously. "Don't you dare--If you do I'll kill you!"

"Wal, fer Gawd's sake!" ejaculated Ray, surprised into his usual expression, and he momentarily slackened the lasso.

Quick as a flash Janey seized the noose and flipped it from Randolph's neck.

"Listen, cowboy!" she said. "What business is it of yours? If Randolph and I wanted to come out here to Beckyshibeta and lie about it that was our business. But it's gone too far for jokes now."

Janey backed up against Randolph and took his arm.

"Shore it's gone too far!" furiously returned Ray, recovering from his amazement. "An' you haven't give me one reason why he shouldn't hang."

"Very well, I'll try another," said Janey, with calm proud exterior, while inwardly she was in a state of exaltation. "I love him. Can you understand that?... I love him!"

For a long moment all her hearers seemed petrified. Ray looked shocked into credulous defeat. Then he choked out: "You white-faced slut!"

"Shet up!" yelled Mohave, sternly. "Heah comes Bennet an' some Indians... Mr. Endicott, too...all ridin' like hell! Cool down, Ray, or you'll get yours!"

Chapter
11

The instant Janey had a close scrutiny of her father's face, which was when he reined his horse before the group, she knew his gay greeting and nonchalant survey of them had no depth. He had always been a capital actor, but he could not deceive his daughter.

"Hello, Janey," he had called out, before reaching them. "How are you? Little white, aren't you, for a modern amazon?"

Janey's emotion, whatever its great extent, suffered a swift transition to fury. Nevertheless she had wit enough to remember that this was no time to play against her father. Her cue was to be miserable and happy at one and the same time. At that she need only be natural.

"Howdy, Phillip," said Endicott, genially, sitting his horse at ease and gazing down upon the center of this motionless group. "Bet you're glad I arrived. Sorry we are rather late. But that darned storm turned us back."

Janey removed herself from Randolph's proximity. What had she said and done? She did not regret it, but the lofty spirit, which had prompted it, was failing. Randolph stood there, pale, with gleaming eyes and bloody lips, his hands still bound behind him. The noose that Janey had thrown off dangled not far above his head. The cowboys stood on uneasy feet. Ray still held his gun, and it was manifest that a dim realization of his part in this farce had dawned upon him. He was sweating now. The guns of the other cowboys lay where they had deposited them.

Mr. Endicott surveyed this scene with the air of a Westerner of long experience. He was too cool. Then he spotted the Durlands, and doffed his sombrero.

"Good day, Mrs. Durland. Hello, Bert. I hope you have had a nice little visit with Janey and her fiancT."

If anything could have struck fire from Mrs. Durland that speech might have done so, but she was beyond words. But Bert, now that danger had passed, showed an ugly temper.

"We've had a rotten visit, if you want to know," he howled. "We've been deceived, insulted, beaten and robbed."

"Robbed! Oh, not quite that, I'm sure," replied Endicott, laughing. "No doubt Randolph's a desperate character, but I can't believe he'd steal."

"We were held up and robbed by Black Dick and his partner," continued Bert, hotly.

"All my diamonds--and money--gone!" wailed Mrs. Durland.

"Indeed. That's too bad. It's something of a shock," returned Endicott, solicitously. "But I'll make your losses good. You see, I didn't calculate on a real desperado." Here he laughed. "It's all a little joke of mine. I wanted Janey to have a scare. So I persuaded Randolph to run off with her. My plan was to send the cowboys the very same day. But they didn't get back, and when they did the washes were flooded by the storm."

"Somebody untie my hands," called out Randolph, cutting and grim. "I'll show you what kind of a joke it was."

Mohave was the cowboy who complied with the request, and it was plain he was nervous. He whispered something to Randolph. But it did not prevent Randolph, the instant he was free, from making long strides to confront Ray.

"You're a skunk," said Randolph, deliberately. "I always had you figured as a bully and a conceited ass of a cowboy--mushy over every girl who ever came out here. But not till today did I know you to be a dirty foul-mouthed rat. You--"

"Hold on, Randolph," interrupted Endicott, aghast. "I told you I was to blame. Ray was only following my instructions."

"Randolph, we'll shore make allowance for your feelin's," added Bennet, conciliatingly. "But you're usin' strong language--too strong for a little joke."

"Joke, hell!" flashed Randolph. "This locoed cowboy meant to hang me!"

"Good God! Why, boy, you're quite out of your head," expostulated Endicott.

Bennet began to see something serious in the situation. And he took his hint more from Ray's face than Randolph's words. Slipping out of his saddle he strode quickly to get between the men. Randolph gave him a shove that almost upset him.

"Don't you butt in. You're a little late to save me the rottenest deal any man ever got. And you're a lot too late to save this cowpuncher of yours from the damndest kind of a beating."

"Man! Look out for thet gun!" warned Bennet, shrilly.

"I don't care a damn for his gun," replied Randolph. "He wouldn't shoot a rabbit."

"Wal, I'd shoot a coyote damn quick or a gurl-chasin' scientist," replied Ray, laughing coarsely.

"Drop thet gun!" ordered Bennet. "Can't you see Randolph is unarmed?"

"I'm takin' no more orders from you," said the cowboy, sullenly.

"You bet your life you're not," shouted the trader, angrily. "But you throw thet gun on Randolph an' you'll have me to deal with."

Suddenly Randolph, in a pantherish spring, leaped upon Ray, and caught his arm just as he was lifting it with the gun. Randolph threw all his weight upon that gun arm, forced it down. Ray struggled and cursing yelled: "Leggo, er I'll plug you!"

Randolph bent swiftly to fasten his teeth in the dangerous hand. The cowboy let out a howl of pain and fury. Bang! Bang! Janey screamed and hid her eyes in horror. She heard the thud of feet and wrestling of bodies, then hoarse calls from the onlookers. Her heart seemed to burst. This awful farce was going to end in a tragedy. Randolph! Terror forced her to open her eyes. Ray had dropped the gun. The hand Randolph gripped was red with blood. On the instant Randolph gave the gun a kick. It flew to the feet of Mohave, who bent and snatched it up. Then Randolph, releasing Ray, struck him full in the face, with a blow that sounded like a mallet. Ray went down with a sodden thump.

Nobody wasted any more words. The spectators were too intense for speech, and the contestants too mad with rage. Randolph seemed a man who once in his life had let go. Ray, as he bounded up like a cat, looked a demon.