CHAPTER VI
JOSEPHINE'S PERIL
After the men had left for the Ricker ranch, Josephine felt lonesomeand, telling her mother she was going for a short ride, she hastilyslipped into a khaki riding dress, for the air felt like rain. Hermother tried to persuade her not to go, as the halfbreed and Powerswere at large and might do her harm if she should happen to run acrossthem.
"You know, dear," she said as a final argument, "Powers hasn't likedyou since you refused to let him pay you court, and it would be justlike him to take up with that Mexican."
"I know he hates Mr. Mason and would do him an injury if he got achance," she added.
"I guess the shoe pinches the other foot," the girl answered with ahappy laugh. "From what I have seen of Mr. Mason, Powers had betterkeep away from him. He seems perfectly able to take care of himself."
The fond mother looked keenly at her daughter. Was it possible she wasin love with this New Yorker? The question she asked herself struckhome with heavy force. It had seemed only yesterday that she wascarrying her in her arms. Now, as she looked, she realized herdaughter was fast growing into womanhood.
Josephine was watching her mother in amusement.
"Cheer up, mother," she cried with a laugh, throwing her arms aroundher neck and kissing her. "You look as though you had been to afuneral. I'm not going to elope or run away, I'm only going for ashort ride, and just think of the old plug of a horse I've got totake. All the best ones are in use; darn that old Mexican, anyway, Ihope Bud gets Fleet back for me," she wound up, angrily stamping herfoot.
"Bud will get him back for you if possible; run along now dear if youmust go, and get home early as I think we are going to have a storm,"her mother said, smiling at her daughter's outburst of anger.
Josephine kissed her again and tripped lightly to the corral. On herway she passed Mason's car in the shed. "Wish I knew how to run therig-ama-jig," she mused to herself as her eyes caught sight of it.Arriving at the corral she soon had a saddle and bridle on the horseshe had spoken so lightly to her mother about, and rode leisurely offin the direction of Devil's Gap. The beast had seemed surprised tofeel a saddle and rider on its back, and started to cut all sorts ofcapers. The animal had been discarded for some time as a range horse,and was now used for pack carrying. Josephine was pleased at theginger it displayed, but felt sad and blue again when she thought ofhow her own fast horse, Fleet, had been stolen from her. She allowedthe animal to set its own pace as her thoughts traveled back over theevents of the past twenty-four hours. The cowboys had been gone aboutfour hours when she started on her ride, and she figured she would gotowards Devil's Gap and return home about the same time they wouldarrive.
Josephine had ridden about ten miles when the first flash of lightningwarned her that she would have to change her plans and start back.Just ahead, the trail branched off towards the Ricker ranch. At thispoint there was a large cottonwood tree on a slight elevation, whereshe could command a view of the surrounding country. The girldetermined to ride to the cottonwood, then turn back for home, as shethought she could make it before the storm broke. As she drew up tothe cottonwood she dismounted to stretch her limbs as the ride hadtired her, for she was more used to riding her own horse.
She climbed the slight rise and stood leaning against the tree takingin the view when she heard a step behind her. The girl turned insudden terror, to find herself confronted by Powers. She realizedinstantly that he must have been hiding behind the tree and hadwatched her approach. She hated the man intensely, and as he stoodthere before her smiling, her dislike increased. She drew herself upand coldly waited for him to speak. "Did I scare you, my proud littlemaid?" he put the question suddenly, his eyes drinking in her girlishbeauty.
"What were you hiding here for, Powers?" Josephine questioned, heranger rising. "The men are looking for the halfbreed, and if they runinto you, you won't fare any better than he will, for they will stringhim up." The man's eyes glittered.
"They won't find me or the halfbreed," he said with a savage oath."So, you have joined forces with the Mexican," the girl spoke withcutting emphasis. "I thought as much, he's just about your speed,Powers." The man saw his slip and winced. Josephine saw she had hitthe truth and regarded him scornfully. Her words had seemed to raise afury in the man, and the girl began to fear him, though she tried hardto appear natural.
"Don't come any of your high-toned airs on me," he cried, his voicethick with passion. "Since that New Yorker come here you've been toonice for common folks. I know you're dead stuck on him, but you'llnever marry him, I'll kill him first."
Josephine faced him pale and resolute. "You, you beast," her wordsrang out with withering scorn. "You're not fit to breathe the same airhe does. I'll tell Bud about your threat and he will run you out ofthe country." At the last words the girl started to leap on her horse."No, you don't," the man grated, darting swiftly after her andgrabbing her brusquely by the arm. Josephine swung around, somethingbright glistening in her hand; it was a small Colt revolver she alwayscarried.
"Take your hands off me, you brute," she cried, leveling the weapon athim. Her voice was trembling between fear and hate. "Stand back, or sohelp me God, I'll shoot!" Powers recoiled. He could see that the girlwas in deadly earnest, and sought to modify his tone. "Now, you know,Josephine, I didn't mean you any harm," he began in a wheedling voice."I'm taking no chances with you," the girl answered sharply. "I'mgoing to hold you here until some of the boys show up, if I have tokeep you here all night. There's the dead line, cross it at yourperil." She pointed to an imaginary line halfway between them. Powers'eyes glowed and a crafty look came into them. "There comes one of yourfriends, now," he cried suddenly, pointing behind her.
Not suspecting a ruse Josephine turned and looked over her shoulder,her weapon half lowered. Too late she saw her mistake as she heard ahiss above her.
A lariat thrown by the skillful hand of the halfbreed had settledabout her waist, pinning her arms helplessly to her side.
The girl realized with a sinking heart that the halfbreed had beenhiding in the tree all the time, and along with Powers he had watchedher movements from the start.
She struggled desperately to free herself, but the tough lariat onlycut deeper into her arms.
Powers watched her frantic efforts with a gloating smile.
"We could have captured you long ago," he said with his sneeringlaugh, as the halfbreed slid down out of the tree at his feet. "Onlywe wanted to hear which you had to say about that gang of fools thatare trailing the halfbreed."
The Mexican leered at her.
"I fool them quick," he boasted.
Josephine gave him a look of contempt.
"What did you want to capture me for?" she asked, looking Powersstraight in the eye. "Bud Anderson will kill you both if you harm me."
Once more her words threw the man into a furious passion.
"I'm going to lay for him and that upstart Mason, and I'll get themboth," he ground out the words with an oath. "And as for you, my proudbeauty, I am going to make you my wife, or mistress, just as youchoose."
"Are you mad?" Josephine gasped in terror, shrinking away from him.
Powers had turned his back to her and was talking in a low voice tothe Mexican. Josephine shivered. It was getting dark and had startedto rain hard. Her heart sank lower as she realized she was completelyin the power of these outlaws.
"Oh, if some of the cowboys would only show up," she wailed toherself.
After a short consultation between the two men, the halfbreed left onsome mission.
"Pull yourself together," Powers ordered her roughly. "The halfbreedhas gone for our horses just over the knoll, and we will be a goodmany miles from here by morning."
"You mean that he has gone to get my horse," Josephine flared up athim indignantly. Powers chuckled maliciously.
"The Mexican wouldn't trade your horse, Fleet, for any horse in thecountry," he said shortly.
Josephine lapsed into silence. The halfbreed was
returning with thehorses.
"Jump up behind the Mexican on your own horse. We can make better timethat way until we reach the foothills, then you've got to ride thisold nag again," Powers commanded her roughly, giving her a lift.
The girl obeyed. It gave her some courage to find herself on her ownhorse once more, and there was always the chance, she thought, thatshe might outwit them and escape. In this manner they rode, Powersbringing up the rear and leading the spare horse. The rain fell intorrents, drenching the poor girl to the skin. To her great relief itceased raining a half hour later and she knew their trail would showclear again.
The men were talking earnestly as though in a difference of opinion asthey rode along as fast as possible with one horse carrying double. Toher great dismay they conversed in Spanish, but from an occasionallapse into English, she understood that they feared their trail wouldbe picked up by Bud and his men. She heard Buck Miller's name spokenand knew they feared his wonderful ability to follow almost any trail.
Josephine felt more resigned now, for when Bud's men returned fromRicker's and found her missing, she was sure they would lose no timein picking up her trail, as the rain had ceased just in time. Even ifthe rain had washed all traces of it away early in the evening, theywould be sure to pick up the fresh trail after the rain, she reasoned.Listening closely to the outlaw's talk from the words dropped inEnglish, she made out that the halfbreed had been hotly pressed byBud's men the day before, but by his superior knowledge of themountains he had at last baffled them. The halfbreed had circled thefoothills and made for Ricker's just as Bud's men thought he would.
On arriving there, he encountered Powers, who had made directly forthe same place after Mason had been wounded. At the ranch, Powers hadinformed the halfbreed that Mason had escaped serious injury at hishands, and proposed a scheme to get Josephine in their power. TheMexican at once agreed to the plot and they had worked out their plansaccordingly. Powers, who was the brains of the two, figured that Budwould visit Ricker with the hope of getting trace of the halfbreed,and proposed that they leave the ranch at once.
The halfbreed assented, and Powers after cautioning Ricker to keepsilent about their visit, the two conspirators left hurriedly, takinga roundabout way to the Bar X ranch. It was their plan to ride boldlyto the ranch and take Josephine away by force, as they counted onBud's men being on their way to Ricker's. The scheme worked out betterthan they had expected, for the halfbreed had keen eyes and had seenJosephine in the distance in time for them to make a dash for thecottonwood tree. There they concealed themselves and waited for thegirl to come up, as has been related. The outlaws rode hard with theircaptive and made the foothills just as the first streak of dawnappeared. Here, the captive was compelled to ride the horse she hadridden when captured, Powers explaining that the mountain trail wastoo dangerous and he didn't dare risk having one horse carryingdouble.
The girl was nearly exhausted and begged to rest a while, but Powersharshly told her she was only trying to hold them up to gain time.
"We've got a retreat in the mountains that only myself and the Mexicanknow about," he explained to her, watching closely to note the effectof his words. "And when your friends come looking for you, we willhave a surprise waiting for them."
For an answer the girl gave him a look of hate.
"I'll break that haughty spirit of yours," he threatened, his facedark with anger.
"You coward!" Josephine cried, her eyes blazing, "and you callyourself a man."
Powers grinned. He secretly admired her spirit.
Two hours later they were high in the mountains and when Powersfinally called a halt, the place seemed to Josephine like a naturalfortress. The retreat lay in a small plateau and was reached onlythrough a narrow defile. It commanded a view for miles around, and asfamiliar as the girl was with the mountains she never had seen thisplace. It was a more perfect retreat than Devil's Gap, and Josephine'sheart sank when she remembered that Powers had said that only he andthe halfbreed knew of the place.
Powers was watching her expression of despair as she thought of herslim chances of escaping unaided from the place, and her helplessnessseemed to amuse the man.
"How do you like your cage, my pretty bird? Welcome to my home," hesaid with an attempt at levity.
"You devil," Josephine answered hotly, "don't imagine that you cankeep me here; the boys will find this place and your life won't beworth as much as a snake's."
Powers laughed contemptuously and left her. The girl threw herselfdown on the ground completely exhausted. She lay there trying to keepback a burst of tears while she could hear the men moving about her.There was a sort of a shanty near a wall that rose on all sides of theplateau and she knew the men were preparing a meal. The smell ofcoffee and bacon cooking made her hungry. It was the first thought ofhunger since she had started on her fateful ride.
Finally Powers came and brought her a steaming cup of coffee and aplate of bacon.
"Come, girl," he said, with an attempt at kindness, "you must try toeat something."
Josephine accepted the food. She knew if she was to keep up herstrength she must eat, and she was almost starved. When she hadfinished eating, Powers pointed to the shanty.
"You are to sleep in there," he told her briefly, "and I advise you toget some sleep now. There is a fine bunk in there, and don't worry,I'll keep my eye on the halfbreed and see that he don't bother you."
"Who will watch you?" Josephine answered, eyeing him coldly.
"Oh, come, Josephine, and be sensible, I will give you all kinds oftime to learn to like me," he answered, trying to appear humble.
"Small chance of me ever liking you after what you have done," shereplied bitterly, turning from him in loathsome disgust.
Josephine was dead tired and went to the shanty to rest, but not tosleep, as she felt she couldn't trust the man. She lay there formingplan after plan to escape, only to cast them aside as useless.
The day passed rapidly, and towards night she wandered about lookingher prison over and trying to find a means of escape. She knew the menwere watching her movements closely. They were sitting out near a fireas the night was chilly. Later they started to play cards and gamble,but she knew they were still watching her closely.
Seeing no possible way of escape she went back to the shanty and threwherself down on the bunk in despair. As she lay there looking througha crack in the roof at the stars, she could hear the men swearing andstill at their card game. Suddenly she sat bolt upright. The men weretalking in English now, and she caught a word that caused her tolisten breathlessly.
She heard the name of Mason and Bud spoken, and the conversation thatfollowed caused her blood to run cold. It was a diabolical plot thatthey were planning to run Bud and his men into a trap carefully setfor them. All of a sudden the talking ceased, and she heard one of theoutlaws glide stealthily up to her shanty. Josephine's heart almoststopped beating as she feigned sleep. The footsteps halted and she wasconscious of eyes looking in on her through the one small window.After a brief moment, that seemed ages to the frightened girl, thefootsteps softly retreated.
"She's asleep," she heard Powers say, after which they resumed theirconversation.
The plot had been formed by Powers, and as he unfolded it word forword to the Mexican, Josephine could hardly keep herself fromscreaming. The plan was for Powers to take her away and force her tomarry him. The halfbreed was to go with them, and as the two had alittle money saved, they were to strike some town near the coast andstart a gambling house.
First, Powers was to write a decoy note and the halfbreed was to takeit to Ricker's and get the Spanish girl Waneda to deliver it.
The note was to be addressed to Mason and worded in such a way as tomake him think it was written by the Spanish girl herself. The notewas to state that Waneda had discovered Josephine's captors' place ofconcealment, and wishing to repay him for his kindness to her when hehad protected her from the halfbreed, she had hastened to him at oncewith the information. It w
as to be a clever forgery by Powers, usingWaneda as the innocent tool.
Powers figured by the time that Waneda got the note to Bar X ranch,the cowboys would have become frantic in their failure to findJosephine, and would fall easy prey to the trap set for them.
Waneda after delivering the note was to ride back at once to Ricker's.
Waneda was to be especially instructed not to deliver the note toMason, but to give it to one of the cowboys, the plan being to let herget away before Mason could question her. The note was to state thatBud and his men were to go to Devil's Gap and they could surpriseJosephine's captors and rescue her.
The halfbreed was to bring back some men from Ricker's and all makefor Devil's Gap to lie in wait for Bud's men and wipe them out.
The plot was cold-blooded and as Josephine listened as it was unfoldedto the halfbreed her blood boiled. She thought only of Bud and hisbrave men running into certain death. There was a stir outside andJosephine knew that the halfbreed had departed on his mission of evil.The girl lay quiet and wide awake until almost morning, racking herbrains for some way of warning Bud. She had heard the halfbreed returntwo hours before. He knew the mountains like a book and the shortestway through them. Hot and cold flashes passed through her body as sheat last broke down and began to cry piteously. All was silent outsideand she tried to stifle her sobs. She wondered what would become ofherself if Bud's men were all killed.
Powers was sure to carry out his threat and marry her. She resolved tokill herself before that. Death would be far better, she reasoned,than to let herself fall into this fiend's power. The man was more ofa devil than she had pictured him.
It was still dark inside the shanty, but she knew it must be gettingclose to the break of day.
Suddenly she sat up straight, her nerves rigid, while her blood almostfroze in her veins.
She had heard a rustling near her, and something cold was pressedagainst her arm.
With all her command of will power she kept herself from screaming.The rustling continued and a low whine caused her to open her eyeswide in astonishment. It was her pet dog Rover by her side and it wasthe cold muzzle of his nose which had caused her fright. He stoodbeside her, his tail wagging and with a look of devotion in his fineeyes. He had found his mistress. Josephine threw her arms around him,her heart pounding wildly. She was overjoyed, and as she looked at hima sudden idea flashed into her mind.
"Dear old Rover," the girl spoke in a soft whisper. "You must be veryquiet now. I am in great danger. Listen, Rover, I want you to go righthome, do you understand? Go right home at once, and I am going to tiea message to your collar."
The intelligent creature wagged its tail as though he were trying tounderstand her.
Luckily, Josephine had a stump of a pencil in her riding habit, andfinding a piece of an old newspaper in the dim light, she twisted thebit of paper in her handkerchief and fastened it to Rover's collar.
The missive ran:
The note you received front the Spanish girl is a decoy. For God's sake turn back Bud and his men. Powers and the halfbreed with his men are waiting at Devil's Gap to wipe them out. I am held a captive by Powers in the mountains about three miles east from Devil's Gap. The place is like a fortress. Come quick if you would save me.
Josephine.
"Go home, Rover, home," the girl breathed softly, pushing the doggently from her.
She had to repeat the words sharply, and finally with a low whine hegave a bound and vanished in the gray mist of dawn. One of the men wasastir, and the faint noise made by the dog caused him to send a shotwhistling into the bushes. Powers had fired the shot, for Josephineheard the halfbreed call to him and ask what he was shooting at.
"I don't know," she heard him answer in alarm. "I thought I heardsomething move out there and took a snap shot."
He came swiftly over and looked in on Josephine.
"Are you all right?" he called loudly to her.
"Yes," she answered sleepily, though her heart was beating wildly. "Ithought I heard someone shoot."
Powers made no reply to this. Josephine's mind was in an agony oftorment as she heard the men beating the bushes and searching therocks. Soon she heard them returning.
"Whatever it was I made a hit," she heard Powers say. "I found a dropof blood on the rocks out there. I'm sure it was an animal of somekind."
Josephine listened, and her heart grew heavy. Then she thought that ifRover had been hit and was able to get away, she reasoned that hewould be sure to make for home all the faster. The thought gave hercourage, and she rose quickly and washed. She tried to eat a littlebreakfast which the men offered her, but the food seemed to choke her.The outlaws were making preparations to leave. Josephine knew whattheir dastardly mission was, and she felt sick and dizzy.
She saw Powers coming towards her with a piece of tough rawhide in hishand.
"I am going to tie you up so you can't run away. You can holler allyou want to, but there won't anybody hear you," he said with a grin.
Josephine threw herself down wearily on the bunk in the shanty. Theoutlaw had tied her hands securely behind her back. She workedfrantically trying to free her hands, but gave it up as useless forthe tough rawhide cut her wrists until they bled. She turned her faceto the wall with a heavy sob and a prayer on her lips that her dogwould arrive home in time to save Bud and his men from certain death.Her only hope was to wait patiently and pray that some of the cowboyswould be able to break through the cordon of outlaws lying in wait forthem.