CHAPTER XL
BRADLEY RIDES HARD
The evening was spent at Belle's. Lefever came in late withcongratulations. He told them about his trip and the wonders.
"I'll bet you're glad to get back to Sleepy Cat," objected Belle.
Lefever pointed a serious, almost accusing finger at her: "Thank youfor saying it, Belle; and that's never hinting the Panhandle's not agood country--not a bit of it. But, just the same, I'm glad to getback to my own. There's no place like hell, Jim, is there?--especiallyif you've got friends there--you know that."
"You ought to be ashamed, John Lefever, to say such things," exclaimedBelle, indignantly. But nothing could check Lefever's spirits. Hislaugh was contagious: "I am, Belle, I am. I want you to feel that Iam."
"And you came back across the Sinks?" interposed Laramie.
"We did," responded John, starting all over again, "and I want to tellyou the Sinks are picking up. There's a better class of people goingin. I was laid up at Thief River--something I ate. I felt pretty bad."
"How do you feel now?" Laramie asked.
"Why, not very good to tell the truth. I had a kind of a sleepy night.You wouldn't believe it, Jim, but there's quite a town at Thief River.And the Sisters here at Sleepy Cat have got a little hospital going.They treated me fine. Everybody, in fact, seemed to take an interestin getting me on my feet. There's an awful nice undertaker there. Iforget his name; but he knew Henry de Spain well; said he'd done a gooddeal of business for Henry, off and on--when he could get the coffins.He sent some flowers over to me at the hospital with his card. I sentback my own card--wrote: 'Not yet.' When we were leaving I went overto thank him and tell him I was sorry I hadn't been able to throw him ajob. Even then, I didn't feel I could logically say good-by to anundertaker--I just said '_Au revoir_.'"
The two men afterward joined Sawdy at the Mountain House. In themorning, breakfasting together early, Sawdy and Lefever with Laramiewalked in the bright sunshine down to Kitchen's barn to saddle up andride across the river to look at some horses. Laramie stopped atBelle's to see whether he could get Kate to go over with them; andwhile Sawdy went on to the barn, Lefever waited at Belle's gate to findout whether Kate was going.
When Laramie came to the door after a few moments to say that Katewould go, Lefever stood outside the gate looking intently into thenorth.
"Somebody from the Crazy Woman," he observed as Laramie joined him,"must have an urgent call in town this morning."
He was watching what appeared to be little more than a speck on thenorthern horizon, but even at that distance it was moving fast.Lefever walked over to Kitchen's to order the fourth horse. RejoiningLaramie he found him still at the gate. And when Kate, fresh as themorning, appeared, the two men though talking of indifferent things,had their eyes fixed on a horseman galloping at breakneck speed downthe long slope of the northern divide. He was now less than a mileaway and the dust thrown from his horse's hoofs rose evenly behind himin the stillness of the sunshine. He must pass the barn to reach town.Kate asked a question.
"It may be one of your father's horses," mused Lefever aloud, "and itrides something like old Bill Bradley."
Still pushing his speed to the limit and cutting in reckless fashionthe turns of the open road, the rider drew rapidly nearer. They couldsee he was hatless and coatless and urging his horse. "It's Bradley,"declared Lefever decisively. Laramie said nothing. Kate instinctivelydrew closer to him. The horseman disappeared at that moment behind therailroad icing plant. The next, he whirled with a sharp clatter ofhoofs into Main Street, and, dashing past Carpy's, pulled his foaminghorse to its haunches in front of Kitchen's barn.
McAlpin and Sawdy were leading the four saddle ponies to the stabledoor. The group at Belle's gate could not hear what Bradley shouted;but they saw McAlpin start. Sawdy, too, spoke quick, and pointed, withhis words, across the way. Bradley jerked his panting horse around andspurred toward Belle's gate.
The old man, his thin hair flying and his blood-shot eyes bulging,reined up before Laramie with his arm out, to speak. But the ride andthe excitement had been too much. His features worked convulsively buthe could not utter a word.
"For God's sake, Bill," cried Lefever, catching his arm and jerkinghim. "What's up?"
Bradley, his eyes glued on Laramie, got back his voice: "It's Barb,Jim!" he shouted wildly. "Tom Stone shot him this morning!"
Kate's sharp cry rang in Laramie's ears. He caught her in his arm.Belle ran out, only adding to the confusion with her scream. Lefever,joined now by Sawdy and McAlpin, who had hurried over, got Bradley offhis horse, into a chair on the porch, refreshed him with water andsteadied his whisky-wrecked nerves with whisky.
Stone and Van Horn came over from Van Horn's early, Bradley told hishearers brokenly. They asked for Barb and he was down at the creek.Barb had sent Bradley about a mile below the house to repair a smallbreak in the irrigation ditch and had ridden down to show him what hewanted done. After giving instructions, he had started back for thehouse. Before he got far, Stone and Van Horn met him. Bradley heardvoices up the creek but paid no special attention to them, and busiedhimself with his job. Some minutes later he heard the voices again,loud and angry. As they were close by, Bradley, shovel in hand, walkedalong the ditch bank to where he could see what was up.
"They'd all got off their horses," continued Bradley, "and was standin'not fur apart. I was close to the willows along the ditch. 'Fore youcould say Jack Robinson, Stone and Van Horn snapped out their guns andbegun to shoot. The old man was game, boys, but he didn't have noshow. He managed to get his gun out, both men a-shootin' at him."
"Both!" echoed Laramie, bitterly. Sawdy swore a withering oath.
"Is my father dead?" cried Kate in agony.
"Not yet," replied Bradley disconcertingly.
"We must get Carpy up there quick. Hunt him up, will you, John?" saidLaramie to Lefever.
"Hold on," interposed Bradley. "Carpy's there afore this. I met himdrivin' north and he put right out for the ranch."
"Couldn't you do something while they were trying to murder Father?"sobbed Kate, wringing her hands as she appealed to Bradley.
"Why, what could _I_ do?" stared Bradley. "_I_ didn't have no gun.Kelly and me got the wagon down and picked Barb up 'n' got him to thehouse. He told me to put out for town and get you and Jim Laramie;he's out of his head, you see."
"Did they see you, Bradley?" interrupted Laramie.
"Never seen me, Jim."
"Did Barb hit either of them?" asked Laramie.
"'Tain't likely. He only got in one shot. When they seen himwrigglin' on the ground, all doubled up--you know, Jim--they jumpedtheir horses and put across the creek."
For a moment Kate's suppressed sobs broke the silence. Laramie heldher in his arm. He promised her he would get her right out to herfather as soon as he could take measures for pursuit. When the othermen questioned Bradley, Laramie listened. He urged Kate to go insidewith Belle, but she begged to stay: "I won't cry, Jim," she pleaded ina whisper. "I must stay. Let me stay."
He placed her in a chair. Belle, schooled in silence during suchmoments, stood beside her. Laramie placing himself near Kate, half saton the edge of the porch floor, one foot resting on the ground and theother curled under. Lefever facing him, sat on the end of the porchsteps while Sawdy stood with the horses. McAlpin had hurried over tothe barn to get Kitchen and telephone Tenison to come down.
"There's two ways they can get out," said Laramie, casting up thesituation with his companions. "One is across the Falling Wall andover the Reservation. If they've gone that way they've got a start;but they're easy to trail. The other way would be to strike east orwest for the railroad. That's the big gamble--it's the easiest to playand the worst if they lose. They may separate."
"My Godfrey, Jim, don't let 'em get away," exclaimed Belle, fearfully.
"And there's one more angle," remarked Laramie. "They may show upright here and
try to bluff it out."
Sawdy shook his head against that idea. Lefever supported him.Laramie did not urge the view. "Van Horn plays cards different fromeverybody else," was all he said.
Kitchen drove up and Tenison was in the buggy with him.
What help might be had from the sheriff's office was put in Tenison'shands to manage. The railroad men were warned across the division.Outgoing train crews were notified and the enginemen told what to do,if stopped. Sawdy and Lefever were directed to strike for the FallingWall and watch the Reservation trails, while Laramie, with Kate, was toride straight to the ranch and pick up the trail across the creek.
The news of the shooting of Barb Doubleday filled the corners of MainStreet with little knots of men eager to hear all that was known and tobe first to catch what might come. Women sometimes stopped to listenand men making ready to ride the northern trails supplied clattering inthe streets for every moment and added to the tense scene. The chancesfor the escape of Van Horn and Stone were canvassed among critics andlisteners, and with almost as much insight as they had been cast up inthe war council at Belle's. The men that might be expected to givebattle if they encountered the fugitives were watched for and everytime they rode past, the maneuvering and fighting abilities of eachwere speculated on with surprising accuracy; records were recalled andinferences drawn as to the possibilities now ahead.
The picture of the busy street, constantly renewed and dissolved,changed fast. Lefever and Sawdy, together, were the first to clear fortheir long ride. Kitchen, strapping on, for the first time in years, awell cared-for Colt's revolver, got fresh ammunition, and throwinghimself on a good horse, rode for where he had sworn he would neverappear again, the Doubleday ranch--to get the cowboys started at pokingout the hiding places along the creek.
McAlpin, with much ado, enlisted every man with any sort of a claim tobeing a tracker--and this included pretty much every loafer interestedin a drink or a fight. He assembled a noisy crew at the barn anddespatched them singly with orders to scatter and watch the trailpoints outlying the town. But birds of this feather were hard to keepscattered. Urged both by prudential and social reasons, they tendedcontinuously to flock together. They kept the barn boss busy by ridingback furiously in bunches to report nobody seen, to ask for furtherorders and to get a drink before reestablishing a patrol.
Knowing the value of every moment in a long chase, and working with allpossible haste, Laramie had to throw out his dragnet carefully beforehe could get away himself. He had told Kate to prepare at Belle's fora hard ride and he would get her to the ranch.
With every minute lingering like an hour, both women, nervouslyexpectant, waited, talked, and watched for Laramie's return.