CHAPTER V
THE ABDUCTION OF JOSEPHINE
A quiver ran through the form of the man on the ground. After twovain attempts, he rose slowly to his feet, his face contorted withrage.
Unobserved, the halfbreed had edged up close to the circle formed bythe men and drawing his gun, fired point blank at Mason, who fell tothe ground with a low moan. The assassin, not waiting to see theeffect of his shot, sprang with a bound into the saddle of the nearesthorse. Sinking his spurs deep into the animal's flank he was awaybefore anyone thought to stop him. It all happened so quickly the menstood dazed.
Bud was the first to rouse them to action. Emptying his gun after thefugitive he called out sharp orders to the men.
There was a scramble for horses as the cowboys responded. A cry ofdismay went up from the men when it was discovered that the halfbreedhad taken the fastest horse of the lot, Josephine's famous Fleet.
As Mason fell, the girl had rushed to his side and partly caught himin her arms.
She was supporting his head and trying to stop the flow of blood thattrickled from a wound in his right temple. The girl was deathly paleand watched the stricken man anxiously, as with tender care sheloosened his shirt at the front. Bud's face was set tense as he bentover and examined the wound.
"Bullet just creased him," he announced briefly, his face lighting up."He will be all right in an hour or two."
Josephine's heart leaped at the words. She had a deep admiration forthis Easterner who had come among them to fight life's battle anew.She shuddered as she realized how close the bullet had struck. Then awave of reaction seized her and she trembled violently.
Bud had noticed her agitation and said kindly,
"Come, girl, this is no place for you. I will take you to the house."
On his return, Mason had partly recovered and was talking with theranch owner, who had bound up his wound. Mason smiled feebly as Budcame up to them.
"Fool stunt of mine to topple over the way I did," he said, feeling ofthe bandage gingerly.
"Not so," Bud protested quickly, while admiring the other's ironnerve. "That was a close call you had, son. Lucky for you thehalfbreed's aim was bad."
"I seem to get in bad all around," Mason answered ruefully.
"The ranch owner tells me that Powers has cleared out, too," he added.
"Glad of it," Bud growled, "hope my men run that greaser down, butthey ain't got much of a chance, with him on Josephine's horse."
Late that night the men came trooping in. They had been thrown off thetrail when darkness set in, but all vowed they would get the halfbreedif it took them all summer. They were overjoyed when told that Masonwould be all right in a day or two. He had won them all by hisexhibition of strength and nerve, and they would fight for him to thelast man. Bud questioned the cowboys about their hunt for thehalfbreed, and Buck Miller, acting as spokesman, gave his opinion thatwhen they lost the halfbreed's trail he was making for Devil's Gap andwould circle back to the Ricker ranch.
"We'll pay Mr. Ricker a visit," Bud said grimly, his gray eyesflashing.
"This is the halfbreed's revenge for your knocking him down that dayat Trader's Post, Jack," he added.
The following day as the cowboys were starting out to track thehalfbreed down, Scotty, who had made an early trip to the Post, thrusta letter in Mason's hand. It was from his father, and hastily tearingit open he read the contents.
The letter read:
My dear Son:
In reply to your letter I will say that I am greatly concerned about you after reading its contents, and believe you to be in great danger. In brief, this man Ricker you mention in your letter was an old schoolmate of mine. In my early days I was engaged in the lumber business and took Ricker in as my bookkeeper. I had always believed him to be honest, until one day I happened to be looking over the books and discovered evidence that false entries had been made. I had other clerks in my employee and they all came under my suspicion. I then hired a detective and had them watched. The thefts in money ran into the thousands and were traced directly to Ricker. He was a married man and the detective found that he had been spending money lavishly and far beyond his means. I had the matter hushed up as his wife was sickly, and instead of pressing the charge against him, I discharged him from my employ.
The shock of his exposure killed his wife, and he became morbid and several times threatened my life. He finally disappeared after warning me in a letter that in the future he would live only for revenge on me. It has been ten years since I last heard of him, and I had hoped that he was dead.
My son, be on your guard as I believe Ricker will try to strike me through you.
The best news I can send is that your mother and sister are making preparations to visit you soon.
I hear good news of you from Mr. Walters and I'm proud of you, my son.
Your father, John Mason
Mason glanced up from his letter to find MacNutt regarding him with acurious expression in his eyes.
The strange man had taken a great liking to Mason, and the latterfound himself in his company a good bit of his time. Mason had come tothink that MacNutt wasn't such a fool as most people seemed to takehim for.
The leaders of the searching party were far in advance by this timeand, as Mason intended to take part in the hunt, he pocketed hisletter and called to MacNutt and Scotty. As they rode he explained theletter to them in detail.
"You have got to get this Ricker or he'll get you," Scotty said, aftera long silence.
"But I haven't even seen the man yet," Mason protested.
"I heard Bud say this morning that we are going to call on thatdelightful gentleman," MacNutt chirped up.
Scotty favored him with a warning scowl.
"You'll have a chance to see him to-day, but I'm going to watch himsharp for he's the quickest man in these parts with a gun," Scottydeclared, still keeping his eyes on MacNutt and frowning darkly.
The latter, not one bit abashed, was whistling gaily, and opened hiseyes in child-like wonder at Scotty's words. The cowboy mentally puthim down as cracked. There was a stiff wind blowing and the sky wasovercast with ominous looking clouds. The cowboy was casting ananxious eye on the horizon.
"We are going to get a hard storm before night," he said uneasily.
"Do you get very hard storms in these parts?" queried MacNutt timidly.
"Well, rather," drawled Scotty with a grin.
They were riding fast now, and had begun to overtake the party infront.
"Wo don't want to be too far in the rear when they get to the ranch,"the Scot explained, as he urged his horse faster.
The rest of the ride was made in silence, Mason turning over in hismind the news from his father.
Soon they were approaching the outbuildings of the ranch, and Mason'sblood tingled as he remembered his first experience on this ranch. Thecowboys ahead had halted and were waiting for Mason and his party tocome up.
"I am going right up and call Ricker out," Bud said as they came withinhearing distance, "and don't none of you men pull a gun unless you seeRicker start to draw." The men agreed, but there were sullenmutterings among them, and there was a doubt in Mason's mind whetherthey would control themselves if the halfbreed showed himself.
Bud and the ranch owner with Scotty and Red Sullivan rode up to thehouse and knocked.
"What's wanted?" a gruff voice called from within.
"I want to talk with you, Ricker," Bud answered, recognizing the ownerof the voice.
"Does it take a small army to come here and talk to me?" the samevoice said with a snarl.
The door was flung violently open, and Ricker stood in the doorwaywith his arms folded across a brawny chest. There was a sarcasticsmile on the man's face as he sneered at Bud.
"Never mind the army," Bud answered curtly, his eyes kee
nly watchingfor any move the other might make.
"I'm here to find out if that halfbreed Mexican you used to haveworking for you has showed up here in the last twenty-four hours."
"How should I know anything about the greaser?" Ricker questioned withan oath. "Your employer hired him to work for the Bar X, didn't he?"
"Yes, and a precious rascal he was," the ranch owner replied bitterly.
"He shot at my guest, Mr. Mason here, and stole my daughter's favoritehorse. He's a man after your own heart, Ricker."
Ricker shot a hard look at Mason when the ranch owner mentioned hisname. Bud was growing impatient.
"You haven't answered my question, Ricker," he said in an even voice.
"No, and I'll be damned if I will," the man burst out in sudden fury,"and I don't want any damn sheriff nosing around my place."
As he spoke, five men from within silently took their places alongsideof him.
The lines on Bud's face tightened. There was a stir among his men anda stiffening of muscles. It seemed to Mason as if the air was suddenlycharged with electricity, so tense was the situation.
"I'm watching you, Ricker!" the word came from Bud like a crack of apistol. "I see that you and your men are itching for a fight. Steady!Take your hand away from your hip, Ricker, or I'll bore you!"
Bud sat his horse facing Ricker. Both his hands were carelessly toyingwith his scarf knot, about breast high where the butt of a six-shooterprotruded. It was a position feared by all his enemies.
Ricker laughed mirthlessly.
"Oh, well," he said in a changed tone, "take a look around, but youwon't find the greaser here."
Mason breathed a sigh of relief. The danger point seemed past for themoment. Bud left half of his men on guard in front of the house andmade a careful search of the premises, but found no trace of thehalfbreed.
"I suppose you are satisfied now," Ricker sneered, as Bud gave thecommand for his men to leave.
"No, I'm not satisfied," Bud answered him sharply. "I am certain theMexican has visited you since yesterday. My men trailed him to Devil'sGap and he was swinging in a circle towards your place when they losthis trail. That's all I've got to say, but you'll hear from me again."
Bud gave a signal and the cowboys set a fast pace for home as thestorm showed signs of breaking on them at any moment. Mason rode withBud, and they kept up a conversation with difficulty amid flashes oflightning and the crash of thunder.
"Gee, this is some storm," gasped Mason after an unusually brightflash of lightning, followed by a deluge of rain.
"Yes," Bud roared in his ear to make himself heard, "we get them likethis out here, but what I am sore about is that we didn't get thatgreaser."
Mason started to answer, but his words were drowned by the thunder.When the party finally arrived at the Bar X corral it was dark andlights were flashing in and out of the ranch house.
"Something must be wrong at the house," Bud muttered as they hastilyput their horses up.
As Bud and Mason started for the house, some one came towards themwith a lantern. It proved to be Mrs. Walters, and she seemed to be ingreat distress.
"Oh, I am so frightened," she cried, as she caught sight of them."Josephine has disappeared. She went for a ride soon after you menleft, and here it is nine o'clock and she hasn't returned. I fearsomething has happened to her."
Mason was shocked to think of Josephine out alone and in the storm.
"For God's sake, Bud," he cried in anguish, "get the men together andlet's find her."
Bud blew a whistle and the cowboys rallied around him.
"Boys," he said sternly, "there's been hellish doings on this ranchlately. Josephine has disappeared and it's up to us to find her. I laythis to that halfbreed's work. Mount your horses and take lanternsalong with you and see if you can't pick up her trail before the rainwashes all traces of it away."
The cowboys obeyed with alacrity and muttered deep threats against thehalfbreed. It would fare hard with him if he fell into their handsthis night; his punishment would be swift and sure.
Mrs. Walters gave the men the direction that Josephine had taken andthey started off with a rush.
Buck Miller was leading the way as he was the best trailer among them.He could follow a trail equal to an Indian. Aided by an occasionalflash of lightning, the men picked their way slowly. The rain hadceased, but the wind was blowing almost a gale.
Buck had picked up Josephine's trail about a hundred yards from thecorral. After following it for about an hour they found it led towardsDevil's Gap, a favorite ride of Josephine's when she wished to bealone. According to her mother, the girl had taken a horse from thecorral that had been used as a pack horse to bring provisions fromTrader's Post.
The ranch owner had insisted on joining them in the search, and itseemed to Mason as if he had grown years older in the last hour. Hismanner was pitiful as the shock of his daughter's possible fate showedin his eyes. The trail was very difficult to follow on account of thehard fall of rain. The men were proceeding with caution for fear oflosing it altogether.
In this manner they rode for two hours when there came a cry from Buckwho was far in advance of them. There was an answering yell from thecowboys as they pressed their horses hard and rode up to him.
"Buck, what have you discovered?" Mason demanded anxiously.
Buck motioned for them to keep back before he answered. He haddismounted and was eagerly scanning the ground. Bud joined them atthis juncture and repeated Mason's question. Buck for an answer heldup a piece of cloth.
"Other horses' tracks join here," he said sagely, pointing to theground. "The girl was held up here, for there is evidence of astruggle."
Bud examined the piece of cloth and handed it to the ranch owner.
"It's from Josephine's dress," the unhappy father declared with agroan.
"The girl put up a fight here," Buck continued, "and it looks as ifthere were two or more persons that waylaid her."
The ranch owner was nearly frantic and it was with difficulty that themen restrained him from plunging blindly alone on the trail.
"Keep cool," Bud advised him. "Buck tells me the trail divides here.They have one lead horse and one carrying double. I am going to sendone of my men home with you as you are in no condition to go on.Besides, your wife needs your counsel just now. I am going to dividemy forces and we will stay on the trail night and day until we findher, then God help them if they have harmed her in any way."
Bud choked at the last sentence, his emotions overcoming him. After ashort argument with the heartbroken father, Bud's advice prevailed andthe party set out on their quest.