CHAPTER IX
MYSTERIOUS MACNUTT
The following morning, and before anybody was astir at Bar X ranch,the form of a man emerged from the bunkhouse and looking cautiouslyaround to make sure that no one was watching him, stealing silently tothe corral, he quickly roped and saddled one of the horses. It wasMacNutt, and had any of the cowboys seen his face at that moment theywould have been amazed. All trace of the half-wit smile had vanished,and in place of the drooping shoulders and shambling gait that hadbeen characteristic of the man, he now moved with the cunning andquickness of a panther.
As his supple body shot into the saddle a pair of revolver butts wereexposed to view for an instant. Whatever MacNutt's mission was, theman was going heavily armed. He rode leisurely as though fearful thenoise of his horse's hoofbeats might strike the ears of some earlyprowler of the ranch.
When well clear of the outbuildings of the ranch he gave his horsefree rein, riding with all the ease and grace of a cowboy. Ten milesfrom Bar X ranch the trail divided. One trail led to Trader's Post andthe other to Ricker's ranch.
When MacNutt came to this point, he chose the trail leading to theRicker ranch!
A grim smile spread over the man's face.
"I don't suppose it was necessary for me to sneak out in thisfashion," he spoke softly to his horse, "none of the Bar X outfit takeme seriously, only young Mason. I will have to watch out for him, he'sliable to spoil my plans."
His face grew dark and ominous at the thought. Having a fresh mount hepressed the horse on relentlessly as though to reach the ranch in timeto keep an appointment. Time and distance passed swiftly beneath hishorse's pounding hoofs, and when within a few miles of Ricker's ranchhe carefully examined his guns to see if they were in good workingorder.
As he drew near Ricker's ranch his tense muscles relaxed, the half-witsmile appeared and with it the awkward poise and drooping shoulders ofthe man MacNutt. Although he did not know it, his movements had beenwatched by a guard placed by Ricker.
This man swept the plains with field glasses and word was quickly sentto Ricker by the guard for instructions. He was promptly ordered tohold the rider up at any cost. Since the last time Ricker had beenvisited by the cowboys of the Bar X ranch, he swore an oath that nomore of them should pass farther than a given spot and that was wherehe had placed the guard.
Ricker had picked a good man for the job, for when he was in aquandary as to who should hold the post, his eyes fell on one of hiscowboys, Tug Conners by name, and he was placed about a hundred yardsfrom the ranch where he could command a view of the plains in alldirections.
Tug Conners was a daredevil and desperado who would shoot first andask questions afterwards, and it was to this man that MacNutt wouldhave to pass muster. The guard set himself and studied the riderthrough his glasses. The watcher swore softly. The slow gait of thehorse and its rider's awkward position in the saddle had him puzzled.
Twice he raised the rifle at his side and covered the stranger, onlyto lower it each time in disgust. Seizing the glasses again he triedto make out who the stranger was. An exclamation burst from his lips,for this time he had a close view of the rider.
"Well, I'll be damned!" he swore furiously, "I remember that freak, hewas with the sheriff when they made that call on Ricker. He looks likea damn fool and acts the part. Wonder what the tenderfoot can wanthere?"
Tug was bitterly disappointed as he had hoped the rider would prove tobe one of the sheriff's cowboys, and he would have started troublewith any of them at the slightest provocation. He hated them allintensely, but with this fellow it was different.
Tug couldn't bring himself to pick trouble with a half-wit, so hedetermined to throw a scare into him and run him off the ranch.
He was crouched behind a small mound and as MacNutt came abreast hisplace of concealment he sprang up and covered him with his rifle.
"Stretch your arms!" Tug commanded him, his eyes glittering savagely,"I reckon this is about your limit. Who let you out, anyway?"
MacNutt's hands went up with alacrity, and such a look of dismayspread over his features that he brought a grin to Tug's face.
"Get down off that horse," he next commanded him, keeping the rifle ona line with his heart.
"Don't keep that cannon pointed at me, it makes me nervous," protestedMacNutt in a trembling voice as he laboriously dismounted.
"Oh, the gun makes you nervous, does it, tenderfoot?" Tug sneered withbitter sarcasm. "Well, it will go off mighty sudden if you don'tanswer my questions right smart. You're from Bar X, ain't you? Whosent you here, and what do you want?"
MacNutt had apparently found his nerve again, the foolish smileappearing on his face.
"You fire your questions too fast," he protested in his droll voice,and started to lower his hands.
"Keep 'em up!" his captor snarled, raising his gun threateningly.
MacNutt smiled at Tug blandly, his hands held high in the air.
"I rode over from the ranch to see one of Ricker's men," he explainedwith childlike simplicity. "Met him at the Post yesterday. He ain'tgot no more use for the Bar X outfit than I have, and I agreed to puthim wise to some things I know about them."
Tug stared at him incredulously.
"What is the name of the cowboy you met yesterday?" he questioned,suspicion in his voice.
"I can't remember his name," MacNutt replied readily. "We were sloppedup a little, but I can describe him." This he proceeded to do, andevidently to Tug's satisfaction.
"You mean Jean Barry," he said in a modified tone when MacNutt hadfinished his description. "Come, and I'll take you to him."
A curious gleam shone in MacNutt's eyes for an instant, as he wasordered by Tug to keep six paces in advance of him. On the way to theranch house, a close observer would have noticed that not a singleitem of the plans of the buildings or out-houses of the ranch hadescaped MacNutt's notice. Although his eyes held their dull sleepylook, they sought out every object of importance. A group of cowboyswere watching the approach and one of them walked out rapidly to meetthem. He proved to be Ricker.
"What have we here, Tug?" he demanded, with a suspicious look atMacNutt.
"Claims he knows Jean Barry and wants to see him," Tug answeredtersely.
Ricker scowled darkly.
"Jean is down to the corral. Go get him and see if he knows thisfellow," he ordered Tug, while watching MacNutt sharply.
Tug soon returned in company with a cowboy.
"Jean, do you know this man?" Ricker question with a wave of his handtoward MacNutt.
"Shore, I know him, he's all right," the man Jean answered without aninstant's hesitation.
Ricker looked immensely relieved.
"All right, take him to the ranch and make him acquainted with theboys. I'll hold you responsible for him. We are going to have rifleand revolver practice in a few minutes, maybe your friend would liketo join us," he said, addressing Jean and giving MacNutt another sharplook.
Just a fleeting gleam came into MacNutt's eyes as he readily consentedto join them. He was conducted to the ranch by Jean, Tug having goneback to his post. At the ranch he was presented to Waneda the Spanishgirl and to the cook, an old Negress. It was his first opportunity tosee Waneda at close range, and he studied her face intently althoughseemingly interested in what Jean was telling him about the targetpractice.
Finally Jean left him alone with the two women after saying he wasgoing to help set up targets, and would let him know when they wereready.
MacNutt immediately drew the girl into a conversation after makingsure he had nothing to fear from the old Negress, she being quitedeaf. MacNutt had again thrown off his assumed role of a half-wit andwas alert and thinking rapidly. The girl had noticed the change, andshrank back against the wall staring at him dumbly.
"I know you are a good girl, Waneda," he was saying rapidly and in alow voice, "I can generally size a person up at first glance, and youhave a good face. Now, I wish to clear my mind on one point: did youknow t
he contents of the note you delivered to the Bar X ranch thatsent the cowboys into the mountains after Powers and the half-breed?"
"No," she answered guardedly, her eyes searching his face, eager toread his thoughts.
His face grew stern.
"I was almost sure of it, but your answer proves that point," he saidkindly, "still, that very note came near getting some good men killed.You like young Mason, don't you?"
A startled cry escaped her lips. With a quick move she seized him bythe arm.
"I love him! Is he in danger? Speak quick!"
MacNutt gently released her hold and placed a chair for her.
"Steady, girl," he warned her; "no, he's not in danger just now, butyou are. This is no place for you, and I am going to get you out ofhere, but before that time comes you must help also, and in doing thatyou will be helping Mason, too.
"There's going to be hell brewing around here before long. What do yousuppose Ricker has that guard out there for? And this target shoot isfor a purpose, too. I think I can trust you not to betray me, and youalso will be able to prove your loyalty to Mason and wipe out thedamage you caused by carrying that note."
The girl was thoroughly aroused now.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her breath coming in quick gasps. "IfRicker finds out that you are against him, your life wouldn't be wortha plugged nickel!"
Jean Barry hurriedly entered the room at this moment and interruptedhis talk with the girl. A lightning glance of understanding passedbetween the two men.
"I'll be with you in a few minutes and join the men at the shoot,"MacNutt said rapidly in answer to an inquiring look from his friend.
Jean nodded, and was gone in the same hurried manner that he hadentered the room.
MacNutt turned and looked gravely at the girl.
"Who are you?" she repeated impatiently.
"Your friend," he answered earnestly; "that is all I can tell you atpresent, but you must trust me implicitly. Just go on here as before,and if Jean Barry tells you to leave this place at a certain time youmust obey him, for he is working with me. If Jean comes to you for anyinformation, give it to him if you can without causing suspicion. Youwill be helping me and Mason. I can trust you in this, can't I?"
"You are a strange man," she answered slowly, "but somehow I haveconfidence in you. I feel that this ranch is uncanny, and things arenot as they should be. At night I hear strange sounds and men come andgo at all hours. I am afraid of the men and especially of Ricker; hewants me to marry him and I hate him. The old Negress here hasprotected me from him many a time when he had been drinking. I wantedto leave here long ago, but I am afraid to leave for Ricker would findme again, and then even the Negress couldn't save me. He is terriblewhen he is in a rage and the cowboys fear him too, for he is a deadshot and none of them would have a chance with him. I'll trust you anddo as you say."
She had crept close to him while talking and her face was deathlypale.
Something like an oath escaped from MacNutt's lips.
"Be brave," he said, speaking earnestly. "It won't be but a few weeksnow before I will have you out of here, and maybe in a few days.Ricker is engaged in some lawless business besides mere cattleraising. He has a collection of the worst crooks in the country abouthim, and I mean to get to the bottom of his game."
After saying a few more words of comfort to the girl, MacNutt strolledleisurely out and joined the party near the targets.
He had again assumed his slouching gait and halfwit smile. He wasgreeted indifferently by the cowboys, save by Ricker, who was againregarding him sharply. MacNutt returned the stare with his usualgood-natured grin, while engaging Jean Barry in conversation.
"Watch sharp!" Jean Barry cautioned him.
"Ricker seems to suspect you for some reason and may put you to asevere test."
MacNutt nodded and inclined his head slightly, as he noticed Rickercall one of his cowboys over to him. The man called by Ricker was hisforeman, Jim Haley, the most expert shot on the ranch with theexception of Ricker himself. A low conversation took place between thetwo men.
"Jim, how long has Jean Barry been with us?" Ricker demanded of hisforeman.
Tall and muscular, with deep cruel lines written on his face, JimHaley the foreman turned and looked at the man in question.
"Oh, about a month, I reckon," he replied, glancing quizzically at hischief.
The answer set Ricker's brows to knitting.
"Jim, I want you to watch Jean Barry," he said sharply, as thoughcoming to a sudden decision. "He's the last man we took on and hasn'tbeen with us long enough to be trusted too far. As for this manMacNutt, keep your eye on him also. He claimed to the guard that heisn't friendly with the Bar X outfit and has a grievance against them.I can't just make him out, and I want you to trail him after he leaveshere and find out just what his standing is at Bar X. Jean took upwith him mighty sudden, and I don't like the looks of it. Look sharpnow, and make your report to me in the morning."
At the curt dismissal Jim Haley moved off while his chief mingled withthe men and directed the rules of the target practice. MacNutt wasignorant of what had taken place and was calmly looking his guns over.
Jean Barry pressed close to him at this moment.
"Watch out for Jim Haley, the man that Ricker was just talking to," hehissed in his ear.
MacNutt made no answer to his friend's warning as the shoot had nowcommenced. The first contestants were leading off with revolverpractice. The targets were set at seventy-five yards and each man wasto fire six shots apiece. The men fired in turn, each scoring fairhits, until Ricker and Jim Haley's turn came. When they had fired sixshots apiece it was seen that they had each scored bull's-eyes, andboth had one shot on the extreme edge of the bull's-eye. Ricker lookedat his foreman.
"Guess we've got to shoot this one over, Jim," he called, a triflenettled.
He was conceded the best shot on the ranch, and it bothered his vanityto have his mark equalled. The marker was closely examining thetargets.
"A tie," he finally announced.
"Put up fresh targets, Jim, and I will shoot off the tie," Rickerordered briskly, "and put up another one; we'll have our friendMacNutt here try his skill with us."
Ricker and Jim shot their tie off, the former winning this time by alarge margin.
Ricker smiled sarcastically at MacNutt as the latter stepped up in hisawkward way to take a position. A titter ran through the group ofcowboys as they watched his odd movements. He was likely to prove asource of amusement for them after all.
Ricker suddenly stepped forward.
"Come on, Jim, you and I will set a high record for him. We'll showhim some shooting that will make him go some," he boasted.
Jim Haley led off, scoring almost the same hits as before.
"You must have your shooting eye with you today, Jim," Ricker remarkedas he took his position.
Then he put six bullets in the bull's-eye, firing with a precisionthat was perfect.
"I'll bet none of the Bar X outfit can equal that," he boasted toMacNutt with a cynical smile.
MacNutt still wore his good-natured grin.
"Maybe not," he drawled, "but I ain't shot yet."
A howl of derision went up from the cowboys.
"Go ahead and shoot, you tenderfoot," one of them yelled.
Suddenly MacNutt's hand went up, and he fired six shots in rapidsuccession; so rapid was the fire that the reports blended together.All the cowboys were grinning broadly, for it looked as though MacNutthad fired at random. Their faces took on a look of wonder, however,when it was seen that the marker was examining the target with extremecare.
"All bull's-eyes!" he announced as though completely mystified.
Ricker swore roughly.
"Come on, Jim," he called out impatiently, "that marker's eyes must beoff."
There was a general rush for the targets, and an exclamation ofadmiration went up from the cowboys when it was seen that MacNutt'sbullets were grouped closer to the cente
r of the bull's-eye than wereRicker's.
"He's a freak," Jim Haley spoke up sullenly.
"Where did you learn to shoot like that?" Ricker questioned MacNuttsharply. "Can you do as well with a rifle at two hundred yards?"
MacNutt grinned modestly.
"I reckon I can," he drawled slowly. "I've shot a revolver and rifleever since I was a kid."
A rifle shoot was next in progress, but MacNutt declined to wait forthat event. Soon, he took his leave after saying a few words in anundertone to his friend Jean Barry. The cowboys watched him departwith keen interest. He had risen several points in their estimation byhis accurate shooting.
As he drew near the place where Tug Conners had held him up, he sawthe guard leaning on his rifle, watching him approach.
"Guess I can pass you through quicker next time you visit us," Tugcalled after him as he rode past. "If you see one of our men at thePost, tell him to hurry up for I sent him to bring me some tobacco.""I sure will," he answered cheerfully. "I am going back that way andif I see your man I'll hustle him along."
"Yes, you certainly will pass me through quicker when I call on younext time, my friend," he added grimly to himself as he rode steadilyon.
In due time he arrived at the Post, where he spent about two hourslooking after some private business and making a few necessarypurchases. As he mounted his horse for the run to Bar X he wassurprised to see Jim Haley lounging on the hotel veranda.
"He must have followed me," he mused, a grin playing over hisfeatures. "The play is on in earnest."
He looked around to see if the cowboy's horse was in sight. Seeing nosigns of the animal he decided that the cowboy had put his horse inthe hotel corral.
MacNutt soon forgot the incident and riding fast he arrived at Bar Xbefore nightfall.
The first person he encountered after putting his horse up was Mason.
Mason looked at him with accusing eyes.
"MacNutt," he began, "I want to have a quiet little talk with you. Ihaven't as yet said anything to anybody else, but it looks to me as ifyou are trying to play a double game. Yesterday, I saw you talking invery friendly terms with one of the cowboys from the Ricker ranch.Several other little things have happened since you came here thathave made me suspicious of you. You know these are troublesome times.I want to ask you point blank, are you with us, or do you stand withthe Ricker faction?"
MacNutt had listened passively while Mason was talking. He seemeddeeply moved.
"I know these are troublesome times as you say," he replied earnestly,"but I want you to trust me a little longer and then I will show yousomething that will surprise you. I am here for a good purpose and amworking for the interest of the Bar X people and you in particular. Itake you to be a man of sound judgment and give you my word of honorthat I am working here for a good cause. In due time I will explaineverything that appears mysterious to you just now, and I want you tohave faith in me. Is that satisfactory to you?"
"I suppose it will have to be," Mason answered, completely mystified.