CHAPTER V
THE GIRL OF DRY BOTTOM
Hollis was not frightened, though he was in a position that might havearoused fear or apprehension in any man's mind. He was alone, the manhad him covered with the rifle, and assuredly this was one of Dunlavey'shirelings.
Hollis glanced swiftly around. Certain signs--some shrubbery that he sawthrough the canyon, a bald butte or two rising in the distance--told himthat he was near the river. And Norton had told him to keep away fromthe river trail. In his eagerness to explore the country he hadforgotten all about Norton's warning.
The prospect was not a hopeful one, yet Hollis could not have admittedto feeling any alarm. He realized that had the man intended anyimmediate harm he would have shot him down long before this--while hehad sat motionless in the saddle inspecting the place. Concerning theman's intentions he could only speculate, but assuredly they were notpeaceful.
For a little time the man remained motionless and Hollis sat quiet,looking at him. The weapon had not moved; its muzzle still menaced himand he watched it closely, wondering whether the man would give him anywarning when about to pull the trigger.
Many minutes dragged and the man did not move. A slow anger began tosteal over Hollis; the man's inaction grated on his nerves.
"Well!" he challenged sharply. "What do you want?"
There was no answer. Hollis could see only the man's head and shouldersprojecting above the boulder, and the rifle--steady and level--menacinghim. With an exclamation of rage and disdain he seized the bridle reinand pulled sharply on it, swinging the pony's head around. The riflecrashed venomously; Hollis felt the right sleeve of his shirt flutter,and he pulled the pony abruptly up.
"Just to show you!" came the man's voice, mockingly. "If you move againuntil I give the word you won't know where you've been hit!"
Hollis was satisfied--the man undoubtedly meant business. He settledback into the saddle and looked down at his shirt sleeve. The bullet hadpassed very close to the arm. If the man had meant the bullet for thatparticular spot he was a deadly marksman. In the face of such marvelousshooting Hollis did not care to experiment further. But his anger hadnot yet abated.
"No doubt you are enjoying yourself!" he said with bitter sarcasm. "Butthe pleasure is all yours. I am not enjoying myself a bit, I assure you.And I don't like the idea of being a target for you to shoot at!"
A laugh came back to Hollis--a strange, unnatural, sardonic cackle that,in spite of his self-control, caused his flesh to creep. And then theman's voice:
"No, you don't like it. I knew that all along. But you're going to stayhere for seven weeks while I shoot holes in you!" He laughed again, hisvoice high and shrill, its cackling cadences filling the place.
"Seven weeks in Devil's Hollow!" came the voice again. "Seven weeks!Seven weeks!"
Hollis felt his heart thumping heavily against his ribs, while a sinkingsensation in the pit of his stomach told him that his courage wastouched. He realized now why the man had not shot him down immediately.He was a maniac!
For a few terrible seconds Hollis sat in the saddle while the worldreeled around him; while the rocks and cliffs danced fantastically.Courage he had to be sure; he had already become resigned to deathbefore the man's rifle, but he had imagined the man to be in fullpossession of his senses; imagined his death to have been planned out ofthe deliberate coolness of reason. Such a death would have been badenough, but to meet death at the hands of a man mentally unbalanced!Somehow it seemed different, seemed horribly unreal--like a terriblenightmare.
It was some seconds before he regained control of himself, and then hesteadied himself in the saddle, assuring himself in a burst of bitter,ironic humor that death at the hands of a crazy man could be no worsethan death at the hands of a rational one.
He looked up again, a defiant smile on his lips, to see that both manand rifle had disappeared. In a flash he saw his chance and tookadvantage of it. In an instant he was off his pony; in another he wasbehind a convenient rock, breathing easier, his senses alert. For somelittle time he remained in the shelter of the rock, awaiting the otherman's movements. He did not doubt that acting upon some freakishimpulse, the man had left his boulder and was even now stalking him fromsome other direction. He peered carefully about him. He had no thoughtof shooting the man--that would be murder, for the man was not mentallyresponsible for his actions. His efforts must be centered solely uponsome plan for saving his own life.
To do this he realized that he must be careful. In view of the man'sunerring marksmanship it would be certain death for him to exposehimself for an instant. But he must take some chances. Convinced of thishe peered around the edge of his rock, taking a flashing glance aroundhim. The man was nowhere to be seen. Hollis waited some little time andthen taking another glance and not seeing the man, rose slowly to hisfeet and crouched. Then, filled with a sudden, reckless impulse, hesprang for another rock a dozen feet distant, expecting each instant tohear the crash of the man's rifle. But he succeeded in gaining theshelter of the other rock intact. Evidently the man was looking for himin some other direction.
Emboldened with his success he grimly determined on advancing to anotherrock some twenty or thirty feet farther on. As in the first instance hesucceeded in gaining it in safety. His maneuvering had been circuitous,bringing him into a position from which he could see partly behind therock where the man had been concealed.
And now, having gained the second rock in safety, Hollis decided to takeno more chances. Sooner or later, he was convinced, the man was sure tosee him as he jumped. He did not like the picture that his imaginationconjured up. Therefore his actions were now marked with more caution. Ittook him a long time to gain a position where he could peer over theupper edge of the rock behind which he was concealed. But he gained itfinally and then dropped back with an exclamation of surprise. He hadcaught a glimpse of the man. He was lying face upward behind theboulder, his arms outstretched, his rifle lying in the dust near him.
Hollis was tempted to make a run for his pony, mount, and race out ofthe hollow. But a second thought restrained him. He had considered theman's action merely a ruse, but why should he attempt it after he hadonce had an opportunity to make use of his rifle? Still for an instantHollis hesitated, for he knew there was no rule by which a maniac'sactions might be judged. Then with a grim laugh he sprang over the fewfeet that separated him from the man, approaching him carefully, stillslightly doubtful.
But the man was not shamming; Hollis could see that when he hadapproached close enough to see his face. It bore a curious pallor, hiseyes were wide open and staring, and some foam flecked his lips.Evidently he had been overcome by a paroxysm of his malady at about themoment Hollis had discovered it.
Hollis stepped back and heaved a sigh of relief. Then he stepped over towhere the man's rifle lay, taking it up and removing the cartridges.Returning to the man he removed the cartridges from his belt and drewhis six-shooter from its holster, determined that when the man recoveredfrom his stupor there would be no danger of a recurrence of the previousincident. Then he leaned against the boulder to await the man'srecovery.
Ten minutes later, while he still watched the man, he heard a clatter ofhoofs. Determined not to be taken by surprise again he drew his ownsix-shooter and peered cautiously around the edge of the boulder. Whathe saw caused him to jam the weapon back into its holster veryhurriedly. Then he stepped out of his concealment with a red,embarrassed face to greet a young woman whose expression of doubt andfear was instantly replaced by one of pleasure and recognition as shecaught sight of him. It was the girl of Dry Bottom.
"Oh!" she said. "Is it you? I was afraid----" And then she saw the manand was off her pony in a flash and at his head, supporting it andpouring something down his throat from a bottle.
She rose presently, embarrassment crimsoning her face. Hollis saw herlips quiver when she turned and spoke to him.
"He will be all right--now," she said, facing Hollis, her eyes droopingas though ashamed to meet hi
s. "He has had another attack of his--histrouble." She looked suddenly up at Hollis, bravely trying to repressher emotion--but with little success.
"You heard what he--Big Bill Dunlavey--said about my brother?" shequestioned, her eyes full and moist. Hollis nodded and she continuedrapidly, her voice quavering: "Well, he told the truth." Her voicetrailed away into a pitiful wail, and she stepped over and leanedagainst the boulder, sobbing quietly into her hands. "That's why ithurts so," she added.
Hollis yielded to a sudden wave of sympathy. He stood close to her,aware of his inability to cope with this strange situation. She lookedso small, so out of place, he felt that whatever he did or said wouldnot help matters. What he did say, however, assisted in restoring hercomposure.
"I am glad I slugged him!" he said heatedly.
She turned suddenly to him, her eyes flashing spiritedly through themoisture in them.
"Oh, it was great!" she declared, her hands clenching at therecollection. "I could have shaken hands with you--with the hand thatstruck him!"
Hollis smiled whimsically. "I've still got the hand," he saidsignificantly, extending it toward her--"if you have not reconsidered."He laughed as she took it and pressed it firmly. "I rather think thatwe've both got a shake coming on that," he added. "I didn't understandthen about your brother or I would have added a few extra pounds to thatpunch."
Her face clouded as he mentioned her brother. "Poor Ed," she said in alow voice. She went over to the man, leaning over him and smoothing backthe hair from his forehead, Hollis looking glumly on, clenching histeeth in impotent sympathy.
"These attacks do not come often," she volunteered as she againapproached Hollis. "But they do come," she added, her voice catching.Hollis did not reply, feeling that he had no right to be inquisitive.But she continued, slightly more at ease and plainly pleased to havesome one in whom she might confide.
"Ed was injured a year ago through a fall," she informed Hollis. "He wasbreaking a wild horse and a saddle girth broke and he fell, striking onhis head. The wound healed, but he has never been the same. At intervalsthese attacks come on and then he is irresponsible--and dangerous." Sheshuddered. "You were watching him," she added, looking suddenly at him;"did you find him as he is or did he attack you? Frequently when he hasthese attacks he comes here to Devil's Hollow, explaining that heexpects to find some of Dunlavey's men. He doesn't like Dunlavey," sheadded with a flush, "since Dunlavey----" She hesitated and then went ondeterminedly--"well, since Dunlavey told him that he wanted to marry me.But Ed says that Dunlavey has a wife in Tucson and--well, I wouldn'thave married him anyway--the brute!"
"Exactly," agreed Hollis gravely, trying to repress a thrill ofsatisfaction; "of course you couldn't marry him." He understood now themeaning of Dunlavey's words to her in Dry Bottom. "If you wasn't such adamn prude," he had said. He looked at the girl with a sudden, grimsmile. "He said something about running you and your brother out of thecountry," he said; "of course you won't allow him to do that?"
The girl's slight figure stiffened. "I would like to see him try it!"she declared defiantly.
Hollis grinned. "That's the stuff!" he sympathized. "I rather think thatDunlavey is something of a bluffer--that folks in this country haveallowed him to have his own way too much."
She shook her head doubtfully. "I don't know about that," she returned.Then she smiled. "You are the new owner of the Circle Bar, aren't you?"
Hollis startled, looking at her with a surprised smile. "Yes," hereturned, "I am the new owner. But how did you know it? I haven't toldanyone here except Neil Norton and Judge Graney. Have Norton and theJudge been talking?"
"They haven't talked to me," she assured him with a demure smile. "Yousee," she added, "you were a stranger in Dry Bottom, and after you leftthe Fashion you went right down to the court house. I knew Judge Graneyhad been your father's friend. And then I saw Neil Norton coming intotown with the buckboard." She laughed. "You see, it wasn't very hard toadd two and two."
"Why, no," Hollis agreed, "it wasn't. But how did you happen to see mego down to the court house?"
"Why, I watched you!" she returned. And then suddenly aware of hermistake in admitting that she had felt an interest in him at their firstmeeting, she lowered her gaze in confusion and stood, kicking with herbooted toe into a hummock, her face suddenly very red.
The situation might have been embarrassing for her had not her brothercreated a diversion by suddenly sighing and struggling to sit up. Thegirl was at his side in an instant, assisting him. The young man'sbewilderment was pitiful. He sat silent for a full minute, gazing firstat his sister and then at Hollis, and finally at his surroundings. Then,when a rational gleam had come into his eyes he bowed his head, a blushof shame sweeping over his face and neck.
"I expect I've been at it again," he muttered, without looking up.
The girl leaned over him, reassuring him, patting his face lovingly,letting him know by all a woman's arts of the sympathy and love she borefor him. Hollis watched her with a grim, satisfied smile. If he had hada sister he would have hoped that she would be like her. He steppedforward and seized the young man by the arm, helping him to his feet.
"You are right now," he assured him; "there has been no harm done."
Standing, the young man favored Hollis with a careful inspection. Heflushed again. "You're the man that rode through the draw," he said. "Isaw you and thought you were one of Dunlavey's men. I shot at you once,and was going to shoot again, but something cracked in my head. I hope Ididn't hit you." Embarrassment again seized him; his eyes drooped. "Ofcourse you are not one of Dunlavey's men," he added, "or you wouldn't behere, talking to sis. No friend of Dunlavey's could do that." He lookedat the girl with a tender smile. "I don't know what I'd do if it wasn'tfor her," he added, speaking to Hollis. "But I expect it's a good thingthat I'm not crazy all the time." He looked searchingly at Hollis. "I'venever seen you before," he said. "Who are you?"
"I am Kent Hollis."
The young man's eyes lighted. "Not Jim Hollis's son?" he asked.
Hollis nodded. The young man's face revealed genuine pleasure. "Yougoing to stay in this here country?" he asked.
"I am going to run the Circle Bar," returned Hollis slowly.
"Bully!" declared the young man. "There's some folks around here saidyou wouldn't have nerve enough to stay." He made a wry face. "But Ireckon you've got nerve or you'd have hit the breeze when I started tostampede." He suddenly held out a hand. "I like you," he saidimpulsively. "You and me are going to be friends. Shake!"
Hollis saw a smile of pleasure light up the girl's face, which she triedto conceal by brushing the young man's clothing with a gloved hand,meanwhile keeping him between her and Hollis.
Hollis stood near the boulder, watching them as they prepared to depart,the girl telling her brother that he would find his pony on the plainsbeyond the canyon.
"I am glad I didn't hit you," the young man told Hollis as he startedaway with the girl. "If you are not scared off you might take a run downto the shack some time--it's just down the creek a ways."
Hollis hesitated and then, catching the girl's glance, he smiled.
"I can't promise when," he said, looking at the girl, "but you may besure that I will look you up the first chance I get."
He stood beside the boulder until he saw them disappear around the wallof the canyon. Then with a satisfied grin he walked to his pony,mounted, and was off through the draw toward the Circle Bar ranchhouse.