Part 41 (1/2)
”Who's thet on a hoss?”
Gulden's gang crowded to the door.
”Thet's Handy Oliver.”
”No!”
”Sh.o.r.e is. I know him. But it ain't his hoss.... Say, he's hurryin'.”
Low exclamations of surprise and curiosity followed. Kells and his men looked attentively, but no one spoke. The clatter of hoofs on the stony road told of a horse swiftly approaching--pounding to a halt before the cabin.
”Handy!... Air you chased?... What's wrong?... You sh.o.r.e look pale round the gills.” These and other remarks were flung out the door.
”Where's Kells? Let me in,” replied Oliver, hoa.r.s.ely.
The crowd jostled and split to admit the long, lean Oliver. He stalked straight toward Kells, till the table alone stood between them. He was gray of face, breathing hard, resolute and stern.
”Kells, I throwed--you--down!” he said, with outstretched hand. It was a gesture of self-condemnation and remorse.
”What of that?” demanded Kells, with his head leaping like the strike of an eagle.
”I'm takin' it back!”
Kells met the outstretched hand with his own and wrung it. ”Handy, I never knew you to right--about--face. But I'm glad.... What's changed you so quickly?”
”VIGILANTES!”
Kells's animation and eagerness suddenly froze. ”VIGILANTES!” he ground out.
”No rumor, Kells, this time. I've sure some news.... Come close, all you fellows. You, Gulden, come an' listen. Here's where we git together closer'n ever.”
Gulden surged forward with his group. Handy Oliver was surrounded by pale, tight faces, dark-browed and hardeyed.
He gazed at them, preparing them for a startling revelation. ”Men, of all the white-livered traitors as ever was Red Pearce was the worst!” he declared, hoa.r.s.ely.
No one moved or spoke.
”AN' HE WAS A VIGILANTE!”
A low, strange sound, almost a roar, breathed through the group.
”Listen now an' don't interrupt. We ain't got a lot of time.... So never mind how I happened to find out about Pearce. It was all accident, an'
jest because I put two an' two together.... Pearce was approached by one of this secret vigilante band, an' he planned to sell the Border Legion outright. There was to be a big stake in it for him. He held off day after day, only tippin' off some of the gang. There's Dartt an'
Singleton an' Frenchy an' Texas all caught red-handed at jobs. Pearce put the vigilantes to watchin' them jest to prove his claim.... Aw! I've got the proofs! Jest wait. Listen to me!... You all never in your lives seen a snake like Red Pearce. An' the job he had put up on us was grand.
To-day he was to squeal on the whole gang. You know how he began on Kells--an' how with his oily tongue he asked a guarantee of no gun-play.
But he figgered Kells wrong for once. He accused Kells's girl an' got killed for his pains. Mebbe it was part of his plan to git the girl himself. Anyway, he had agreed to betray the Border Legion to-day. An'
if he hadn't been killed by this time we'd all be tied up, ready for the noose!... Mebbe thet wasn't a lucky shot of the boss's. Men, I was the first to declare myself against Kells, an' I'm here now to say thet I was a fool. So you've all been fools who've bucked against him. If this ain't provin' it, what can!
”But I must hustle with my story.... They was havin' a trial down at the big hall, an' thet place was sure packed. No diggin' gold to-day!...