CHAPTER XVII.
BESIEGED.
The broncho boys galloped into the town of Rodeo early in the afternoon,having put their horses to full speed, only stopping now and then togive them a blow.
Ted had done his best to restore the major to whatever cheerfulness waspossible under the circumstances, and the sturdy Englishman had regainedhis courage and forcefulness.
As they were riding up the main street, Ted in the lead, flanked byStella and Major Caruthers, they saw one of the deputy marshals who hadso unceremoniously entered the ranch house at Bubbly Well to arrestFarnsworth look hard at them, then set off on a run down a side street.
"That fellow has gone to give warning of our approach," said Ted.
"Well, let him. What difference does it make to us?" asked the major.
"It may mean something to us before we get through here," said Ted.
"I imagine they will be suspicious of us," said Stella. "At least, theyknow that we are not their friends, since we went to such trouble todefend their favorite victim."
"True," said the major. "But we are strong enough to meet them, and wefeel that we have the right on our side."
"What shall we do first?" said Ted, deferring to the major's wishes inthe matter.
"Who has charge of the body of my sister, do you suppose?" he asked.
"Probably the coroner."
"Very well, let's look him up at once. That, of course, will be my firstcare."
It did not take them long to find the coroner, who told them that thedeputy marshals had taken possession of the house, the property, and theremains of the dead woman, to be held for the appearance of some friendof hers, who had notified them to do so.
"Who is this friend?" asked the major stiffly.
"I'm sure I don't know. You'll have to see the deputy marshals. Theinquest has been held, and I have nothing more to do with the affair."
"Now for the deputy marshals," said the major, who had recoveredpossession of himself, and was now all decision.
They went immediately to the chief deputy, who was also deputy coroner,and whose name, they learned, was Jack Burk.
But they could not find him, neither were any of his men to be found,although Ted was convinced that he was in town.
"There is only one thing to do," said Ted.
"What is that?" asked the major.
"Go to the house, and take possession of it yourself."
"But suppose we find it in the hands of the authorities?"
"That makes no difference to me. The remains of your sister belong toyou, and you have the first right to her and her possessions."
"But her husband? I do not know where he is, or whether he is dead oralive."
"As long as he is not here, it is up to you, major, to assume whateverauthority is necessary."
"Perhaps you are right. But we cannot gain our point without some showof force."
"I know it, and have come prepared for it. The broncho boys will backyou to the limit. Do whatever you think best, major, and you will findthe boys and myself right behind you."
"Then we will go to the house," said the major firmly.
In a few minutes Ted and the major dismounted before a handsome house onthe outskirts of the town. It was surrounded by a high stone wall, andthe gate, which was of iron, was locked.
Ted shook the gate vigorously, and called out for admittance.
Presently the door of the house was opened a crack, and a voice demandedto know what was wanted.
"Come and unlock the gate," demanded Ted.
After a moment's hesitation the door slammed, and there was silence.
"Evidently whoever is in charge of the house does not intend to open tous," said Ted, "and I suppose this will have to be the first act ofaggression on our part. Shall I smash our way in?"
"By all means," responded the major. "I don't propose to stay out hereand cool my heels in front of my sister's house at the behest of astranger."
"That's enough for me."
Ted picked up a big stone from the road, and with a vigorous blow or twoshattered the massive iron lock, and the gate swung open.
Ted and the major entered the garden in front of the house and walked upthe path.
As they were about to ascend the steps to the veranda they were stoppedby a voice.
"Halt! What do you want?"
"We want entrance to the house," said the major.
"You can't get in without an order from Deputy Marshal Burk," said thevoice behind the door.
"The deuce I can't!" growled the major, whose fighting blood was comingup at this opposition. "Do you know who I am?"
"No, and it don't make no difference who you are. Them's my orders fromthe chief."
"I am the brother of Miss Mowbray."
A silence followed this.
"Can't help it," said the voice again. "I can't let you in."
"Open that door instantly, or we'll break it in."
"If you try that you'll be sorry. I warn you, I am armed, and haveorders to shoot."
"Shoot, and be jiggered!" shouted the major, who was thoroughly angry bythis time, for he was not used to having his orders disobeyed.
"I will if you attempt to break into this house. If you get an orderI'll let you in. Without an order you get in only after I am down andout."
"Stay here, major. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Ted Strong was angry also at the delay, and at once suspected that Burk,the deputy marshal, had some sinister reason for putting the house incharge of one of his men, but he could not imagine what it was unlesshis purpose was not honest.
Ted's experience had taught him that all men in authority as deputyUnited States marshals were not honest, and that they often used theiroffice to graft.
He had no faith in Burk, whose looks and actions he had distrusted attheir first meeting. If Burk knew that the broncho boys were in town itwould be sufficient excuse for him to annoy and impede their movementsall he could.
No doubt Burk knew that they would come to Rodeo in the interests ofFarnsworth, but he did not believe that the deputy marshal knew anythingof the newly discovered relationship between Major Caruthers, the deadwoman, and the so-called Farnsworth.
What, then, was his reason for holding the house and the remains of themurdered woman against all comers?
There were two inferences: Loot of the woman's house, unprotected byfriends and relatives, and the awaiting of the woman's husband.
Ted had thought out these two possibilities thoroughly. He had no doubtthat there were many valuables in the house, for the woman was reputedrich, secretive, and probably kept her personal property about her. Fromwhat the major had said the husband, Mowbray, evidently had been castoff by Helen Mowbray on account of his rascalities, and, being a bird ofprey, would swoop down upon her property as soon as he learned of herdeath.
Could it be that Burk was holding the house awaiting Mowbray's arrival?
With these thoughts running through his mind Ted had gone around to theback of the house to find, if possible, something with which to smash inthe door.
In a shed he found a sledge, and returned to where the major was stillarguing with the guard inside.
"Open or we'll break in the door," called Ted, in a stern voice.
"Take the advice of a fool, and leave the door alone," answered theguard.
"Then, for the last time, will you open?"
"No."
Ted swung the sledge and brought it down with all his strength on thelock of the door.
There followed a crash, and the door flew open suddenly.
Then came another crash; this time from a revolver, and a ball whistledpast Ted, penetrating the brim of his hat and burying itself in the doorcasing.
But it was not repeated, for before the guard could wink twice atan-colored figure shot through the opening, and he fell to the floorwith a smash that shook the house, and looked up to find a stalwartyouth astride of him, slowly shutting off his wind with strong andi
nexorable fingers.
Then he was relieved of his revolver, and before he could indicate thathe was willing to surrender he found himself trussed like a fowl, withhis arms behind his back, and the hall full of young fellows.
"Why didn't you let me know that you had brought a regiment with you?"he said sullenly. "Maybe I'd have let you in."
"You had your chance to open, and was a fool not to take it," said Ted.
"I believe you."
The major had left the party and walked into a room on the left, and ina moment they heard sobs issuing from it. He had found the remains ofhis sister, and, at a signal from Ted, the boys hustled the deputymarshal into the back part of the house and retired, leaving the majoralone with his dead sister.
In a few minutes Ted heard his name called, and went into the room wherethe major was standing beside a bed, on which was a form covered with asheet.
"We must get ready to remove her to my house," said the major, in ahushed voice.
"Leave it to me," said Ted. "I will take charge of everything."
"And I want you to help me search the house, for I intend to remove allthe valuables she left to Bubbly Well until such time as the courts canhandle her property. I don't propose that it shall fall into alienhands."
In the room at the foot of the bed was a small steel safe, which Tedfound was fastened with a combination lock. He knelt before it with hisear to the lock, turning the handle of the combination, listening to theclick of the tumblers, while the major searched the drawers of thehandsome dressing case and other articles of furniture in the room.
Everywhere were evidences that Helen Mowbray had been very wealthy.
On top of the dressing case were sets of gold and silver toiletarticles, and ornaments, boxes, and bottles handsomely chased in silverand gold, and set with jewels.
In one of the drawers the major found a bunch of keys, probably to openother drawers in the console and other articles of furniture.
"I have it, major," said Ted quietly, as he flung open the door of thesafe.
"See what is in it, Ted," said the major.
In the bottom of the safe lay a pile of gold ingots representing a valueof many thousands of dollars. A drawer was filled with bank notes oflarge denomination. Other drawers were crowded full of the stocks ofmines and other enterprises.
"Whew!" said Ted, as he revealed the dead woman's possessions. "Did youknow she was so rich?"
"I had no idea of it," answered the major. "Helen was always a capablewoman, and when she left England my father gave her her patrimonyoutright, that he might never be compelled to see or communicate withher husband again, and this looks as if she had increased it manytimes."
"This would have made fine plunder for the thieving fellows who hadtaken possession of the place if fate, in the hands of your youngerbrother, had not turned up to put you in command."
"What else do you find?"
"Here is a package addressed 'To be sent to The Towers, Huntingdon,England, to Robert Caruthers, Esquire, or Major John Stairs Caruthers,upon my death, unopened.'"
"Give it to me," said the major huskily, thrusting the package into hispocket.
"And here's a bank book," said Ted. "It bears the name of the Bank ofLondon."
He handed it to the major, who put it also into his pocket.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"That is all."
"Then take this bunch of keys and examine the contents of the drawers."
The first drawer of the console which Ted unlocked and opened was fullof jewels, rich and beautiful, a fortune in themselves.
"Poor girl," said the major, in a low voice. "Why did she risk murder bykeeping such a fortune about her?"
"Probably she didn't want some particular person to know that she was sorich," suggested Ted.
Drawer after drawer revealed other valuables, such as priceless lacesand articles of gold and silver.
"We must get all this away as soon as possible, and guard it carefully,"said the major.
"Yes, it is a great temptation, I sup----"
As Ted was speaking he chanced to look up.
Framed in the window was a face.
But as Ted met the blazing eyes in the face it vanished, and he ran intothe hall and out onto the veranda, but could see no one in the garden.
At that moment, however, he was brought back into the house with a jumpby the sudden slamming of the back door of the house and a cry ofwarning from Bud, followed by shouts from the other boys. Then a shotoutside, and a crash of glass.
The house was being besieged.
He heard a rush in the garden, and turned to see several men race aroundthe corner of the house toward the front door.
They had almost reached it when he slammed it in their faces, puttinghis shoulder to it, and calling for help.
In the lead of the besiegers he recognized the face he had seen at thewindow.
As he was still holding the door against those who were striving to pushit in from without there was a shot through one of the panels, andStrong sank to the floor insensible.