XXIII
THE WRATH OF POLLOCK HAMPTON
Bayne Trevors's way had ever been to play safe, the way of a coward ora wise man. Even now, no doubt he was giving an account of himself inlegitimate endeavor at the lumber camp, putting in his appearance athis regular hour, safe miles lying between him and that which mightoccur upon the Blue Lake ranch, establishing alibis, conducting himselflike the man he wished the world to think him. But in the mind of BudLee there was no question, no doubt. Bayne Trevors, or one of BayneTrevors's gang, was even at this instant holding Judith somewhere untilthis colossal deal could be put over. Trevors or one of his gang--andLee's face went whiter, his hands shut tighter into hard fists, asthere came to his mind the picture of Quinnion's twisted face and evil,red-rimmed eyes.
"Well?" snapped Carson. "What now?"
"There's going to be no sale in the morning," said Lee, and at the newstrange tone in Lee's voice Carson jerked up his head, thrusting itforward, peering at the other through the moon-lit night.
"Say it again," muttered Carson. "Who said so? Miss Judith?"
"She isn't here," replied Lee briefly. "Hasn't been here sinceSaturday night."
Now, with more cause than ever, did Carson stare at him.
"Then what did Pollock Hampton say sell for? By cripes, if this is oneof that young hop-o'-my-thumb's jokes, I'm going up to the house an'murder him. That's all. An' right now."
Lee laid a hand on Carson's arm.
"Hold on, old-timer," he said shortly. "We'll have a talk with himafter a while. Now I want to talk with you."
Contenting himself with the coldest of brief outlines, Bud Lee toldCarson of Judith's absence and of his own suspicions. Carson, who hadlistened to him gravely, at the end shook his head.
"That's a pretty bald play, Bud," he said slowly. "I don't believeTrevors would get that coarse in his work. It doesn't look like him alittle bit."
"Does this sale look the least little bit like Judith?" demanded Leesharply. "Is it her style to go over our heads this way, Carson? Ifshe's got to sell heavily, why pick out this particular set of buyers?Why is the deal rushed through while she's away? I tell you there's anigger in the wood-pile and it's up to you and me to smoke him out.Come up to the house with me."
Marcia did not see them as they drew near in the moonlight. For, witha plan shaping in his brain, Lee judged best that they should not beseen. He and Carson passed in a wide arc about the left end of thecourtyard, around the end of the house and so to a door opening frontthe office to the back of the house. This door he found unlocked andpushed quietly open.
Hampton lifted swift eyes, sensing something stern and ominous in thissilent approach.
"We want to talk things over with you," began Lee.
"If you've come to bulldoze me out of that deal in the morning,"retorted Hampton, "you might as well keep still. I'm going to sell."
"I don't know that you'd exactly call it bull-dozing," smiled Lee,determined to be pleasant with the young fellow as long as possible."But you've got sense enough to listen to reason, Hampton."
"Have I?" jeered Pollock. "Thanks."
"If Miss Sanford wants the deal to go through," continued Lee, "why,then, of course, through it goes. If she doesn't, there's going to beno sale."
"I tell you she wired me to sell; I showed you the telegram----"
"But you didn't prove to me that she sent it. You didn't know yourselfwhether it had been sent by her or Doan, Rockwell & Haight, or by BayneTrevors or the devil himself." He took up the telephone and said intoit, "Western Union, Rocky Bend. . . . That you, Benton? This is Leeof the Blue Lake. We want to get in communication with Miss JudithSanford, somewhere in San Francisco. Send this message to every hotelthere, will you? And rush it: '_Must have word with you immediately.Important. Telephone_.' Got it? Oh, sign it, Carson and--and Tripp.Rush it, I tell you, Benton. And if you get in touch with Miss Sanfordin any way, tip us off here, will you? Thanks."
"She might be visiting with friends," muttered Hampton, little pleasedat the thought that Lee and Carson were seeking to rob him of his newlyacquired importance.
"Where's Mrs. Simpson?" asked Lee.
"Gone to bed," answered Hampton.
"And Miss Langworthy is still on the veranda. Now Hampton, Carson andI want a look at Miss Sanford's room. Come with us, will you?"
"I'm damned if I will!" cried the boy hotly. "I don't know what youare up to, but I'm boss here and I'm giving orders, not taking them.If there's any reason in all this, I've got the right to know what itis."
"Yes," answered Lee thoughtfully. "You've got the right. I just don'tlike the looks of affairs, Hampton. I don't believe all that I hear.I don't believe Miss Sanford sent that wire. I don't believe she is inSan Francisco. I do believe that your friend Trevors has got hold ofher somehow, and that he is playing you for a sucker. That's ourreason in this. Now will you come with us to her room?"
"Trevors?" said Hampton. Then he laughed. "You are like the rest,Bud. Trevors is a gentleman, and you try to make him a crook. Such ascheme as you imagine is absurd and ridiculous. And I won't go pryingwith you into Judith's room."
"Come on, Carson," said Lee. "If Hampton wants to stay here, let him."
But the young fellow was on his feet, his face flushed, his eyesexcited.
"You'll get out of this house and do it quick!" he cried sharply. "Ifyou think for one little minute that I'll stand for your high-handedactions, you're mistaken."
At a look from Lee, Carson stepped quickly forward, so that Hamptonstood between them.
"You come with us," and now Lee no longer sought to be pleasant. "Andkeep still or we'll stop your mouth with a yard of cloth. This way,Carson."
With right and left arms gripped, with lagging feet and furious eyes,Hampton went between them to the door. For an instant only did hestruggle; then, with a snort of disgust, seeing the futility of makinga fool of himself, he went quietly.
Just what he expected as a result of a visit to the girl's room, Leedid not know. He hoped for some sign to tell him something, anything.
Quietly the three went through the house until they came to Judith'sdainty blue-and-white bedroom. Here all had been set in order by Mrs.Simpson. A great vase of rosebuds, brought by Jose this morning,accepted by Mrs. Simpson with suspicion and searched carefully for alurking scorpion or a coiled rattlesnake, stood on a table by thewindow. On entering the room a sort of awkward shyness fell over bothLee and Carson. Hampton, freed now and standing alone, though underCarson's hard eye, stared at them angrily.
"When you get through with this foolishness," he told them stiffly,"you can either apologize or call for your time."
Neither answered. Carson little by little had come to share Lee'suncertainty and anxiety; and now, like Lee, sought eagerly to find asign--something to tell that Judith had been lured away by Trevors orQuinnion; or that she had been overpowered here and taken out, perhapsthrough a window.
But Judith had gone Saturday night, and Mrs. Simpson had done her workthoroughly. It might be well to call the housekeeper and question her.Had she found a chair overturned, a rug rumpled, a table shoved alittle from its accustomed place? But, again, it would be as well notto start suspicion and surmise in other minds; if, after all, therewere no true cause for it. Judith _might_ be in San Francisco; she_might_ have sent the order to sell.
"Chances is we're smelling powder where there wasn't no shot," saidCarson hesitatingly.
"Bright boy!" mocked Hampton. "You'll make a great little gumshoeartist one of these days."
Had Bud Lee not loved Judith as he did, with his whole heart and soul,it well might have been that he and Carson and Hampton would have goneout of the room knowing no more than when they had come in. But itseemed to Lee that the room which knew Judith so intimately, wasseeking to open its dumb lips to whisper to him of danger to her. Hehad come here troubled for her; he stood, looking about him frowningly,his heart heavy, f
ear mounting within him. And at length he found asign.
At the far end of the room, in a corner, was Judith's writing-table, onwhich were several opened letters, pen and ink, a pad of paper. Leestepped to it. If she had been lured away after nightfall, then somemessage had come to her. If that message had come by word of mouth,there was no need seeking it; if it had been a note, fate might havekept it here.
Impaled on a sharp file was a sheet of note-paper. The note was brief,typewritten, even to the signature--that of Doc Tripp. It ran:
DEAR JUDITH:
I am afraid of a new trouble. Have spotted another one of T's gangworking for us. Also have got a bullet-hole in my right hand. Nothingserious so far. Come down right away. Don't let any one see you as Iwant to spring a surprise on them. Am not even using the telephone, asI've a notion they are watching me. Hurry.
TRIPP.
"Come back to the office," said Lee bluntly. And well in front ofCarson and Hampton, who stared wonderingly at the paper in his hand, hewent to the office telephone and called for Tripp.
"How's your hand?" he asked when Tripp answered.
"All right," replied Tripp. "Why?"
"Get it hurt?"
"No."
"Did you write Miss Sanford a hurry-up note within the last few days?"
"No."
"Sure of that, Doc? Typewritten note?"
"Of course I'm sure," snapped Tripp. "What's wrong?"
"God knows," answered Lee shortly. "But you'd better come up here andcome on the jump. Also, keep your mouth shut until you can get achance to talk with me or Carson."
He clicked up the receiver and turned terrible eyes on the two menwatching him.
"They've got her," he said slowly. "They've got her, Carson. They'vehad her since Saturday night!"
Carson read the note. Only then did it pass into Hampton's hands. Theboy, angered at the way in which he had been ignored, insulted in hissense of dignity by those words of Lee's to Tripp, "Talk with me orCarson," seeing the reins of power being snatched from his hands, wasspeechless with wrath.
"You fellows have butted in all I'll stand for!" he cried at them, hisshut fists shaking. "I tell you I'm running this outfit and what I saygoes. I don't believe that Trevors or any man living would do a tricklike that. I tell you it's ridiculous. And, no matter where Judithis, when she is not here I run the ranch. I need money; she needsmoney; we've got a fair chance to sell; I've passed my word we aregoing to sell; and by God, we are going to sell."
In another mood, Hampton would not have spoken this way. In anothermood and with time for argument, Bud Lee would have expostulated withhim. Now, however, Lee said tersely:
"Carson, it's up to you and me. Get the boys out, to the last man ofthem. Turn every hoof of cattle and horses back into the Upper End.We've got to do it to-night. Get them into the little valley above theplateau. We can hold them there, even if they try to force our hands,which will be like them. I take this to be Trevors's last big play.And, by thunder, he has mighty near gotten away with it!"
"Don't you dare do it!" blazed out young Hampton. "Carson, you takeorders from me. Get out of this house and leave the stock where theyare. In the morning----"
"Go ahead, Carson," cut in Lee's hard voice. "I'll take care ofHampton here."
"You will, will you?" cried Hampton.
With one bound he was at the table, jerking open a drawer. As his handsought the weapon lying there, Bud Lee was on him, throwing him back.Carson looked at them a moment, then went to the door.
"You're right, Bud," he said calmly as he went out.
Lee, forcing himself to show a calmness like Carson's, said gently toHampton:
"Can't you see the play? It's up to you to kick in and stop it.There's a telephone; call up the buyers in Rocky Bend. They're therenow, or at least their drivers are, if they're coming out here in themorning. Tell them the deal is off."
"Can't I see?" said Hampton, writhing out of Lee's hands, on his way tothe door. "You bet I can see! If you and Carson think that you canrun me----"
Then, for good and all, Lee gave over trying to reason with Hampton.There was too much to be done to waste time. He drew Hampton back,forcing him against the wall. As he tried to call out, Lee's hand overhis mouth smothered his words.
"You're coming with me," he said sharply. "Right now."
Though he struggled, Hampton was little more than a baby in the horseforeman's muscular grip. Tripped, with a heel behind his calf, he fellheavily, Lee upon him. Both arms were pinioned behind him, and Lee'sneckerchief thrust into his mouth. He writhed in impotent rage. Hisoutcries died in his throat, the loudest of them not reaching Marcia'sears above the creaking of her rocking-chair. Lee still held Hampton'stied hands gripped in his own. So the two men went out the back door,down toward the corrals.
Seeing men hurrying from the bunk-house to the stables under Carson'ssnapping orders. Lee called out for Tommy Burkitt. And in a moment,with bulging eyes, Burkitt came running.
"Bring out three horses, Tommy," Lee commanded, giving no explanation."Hurry, and keep your mouth shut."
Burkitt obeyed Lee as he always did, silently and unquestioningly.Very soon he returned, riding, leading two saddled horses.
"Get into the saddle, Hampton," said Lee sternly. "There's no time fornonsense. Get up or I'll put you up."
"Curse you," Hampton said in smothered anger, his tone making clear themeaning of the indistinct mutter. But he climbed into the saddle.
"Come on, Tommy." Lee, too, was up, his hand on Hampton's reins."We're going up to the old cabin. You're going to ride herd on Hamptonwhile I do something else. I'll tell you everything when we get there."
So they rode into the night, headed toward the narrow passes of theUpper End, Hampton and Lee side by side, Tommy Burkitt staring afterthem as he followed. No longer were Bud Lee's thoughts with hiscaptive, nor with the herds Carson's men were driving back to thehigher pastures. They were entirely for Judith, and they were filledwith fear. She had been gone for three full days; she was somewhere inthe clutch of Trevors or of one of his cutthroats. He thought of her,of Quinnion's red-rimmed, evil eyes, and as he had not prayed in allthe years of his life Bud Lee prayed that night.