CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE BEST-LAID PLANS
March had come in a-roaring. Almanac-wise it was passing outa-bleating. Except in the high places the snow was going fast. Thefrost was coming out of the ground, making it necessary for theHillsville stage to employ eight horses instead of six. The gray geesewere flying northward. Here and there on the southern flanks of thelean hills the grass showed bravely green. That uncomfortable person,Dan Slike, was well enough to stand his trial. Spring was in the air,but winter still held sway in the heart of Billy Wingo. He had notbeen able to make up his difference with Hazel Walton, or rather shehad not made up her difference with him. Manlike, or mulelike,whichever you prefer, Billy Wingo was stubbornly determined that thegirl should make the first move. True, he had seen her. It was alsotrue that he had gone out of his way to see her. Always his receptionhad been friendly, but not the least cordial. Obviously she had notforgiven him his outburst.
Whenever he thought on what he was pleased to consider hisill-treatment at her hands, he was prone to rail at the foolishness ofwomen. He did not stop to reflect that there was another side to theshield. Certainly not. The woman was clearly and wholly in the wrong.Adam, I believe, was the first man to express this opinion. His sonshave been following in his footsteps ever since.
Came a night of heavy rain and wind. Billy Wingo, a lamp on the tableat his elbow, was reading a Denver newspaper. A sudden gust drove aspatter of rain across the windows. There was a soft thump followed bya sliding sound against the outside door. Some one uttered in awoman's voice a muffled wail.
Billy went at once to the door and lifted the latch. The wind pushedit back against him and flung a spray of wet into his face. There wassomething lying on the doorstep and sill, something that moved alittle. Billy let the door fly open. The something was apparently awoman in distress. Billy bent down, endeavoring to slip his handsunder her shoulders. But the woman was heavy and her clothing was verywet and slippery. Billy bent a little lower and--Smash!
"He's coming out of it," a voice was saying. "I saw his eyelidsflicker."
"You hit him a mite too hard," declared another voice. "Y'oughta useda club instead of that wagon wrench."
"I didn't know how hard his head was," offered a third voice, "and wecan't afford to take chances. You know that. Anybody, he's comingalong all right, so what's the odds?"
"He's ruined that pillow," complained the first voice. "And I knowhe's bled on through the sheets into the mattress. Spoil the mattress,that will. Cake the feathers all up. Make 'em nubbly."
"Don't be so dainty, Sam," laughed the second voice. "You're soall-fired fat what's a rough mattress to you? Sleep on the floor, andyou wouldn't know the difference."
Billy kept his eyes shut, although he was now completely conscious.His head ached like forty. Seemed as if the whole top had come off anddozens of little devils were inside hammering like mad. He believed heknew the owners of those three voices. Sam Larder, Felix Craft and TipO'Gorman. He opened his eyes. Yes, he was right. There they were,the three of them. But it was daylight, and a day of sunshine too.And the last thing he remembered was a night of wind and rain.
Tip gave back his look with a smile. Sam Larder and Felix Craft didnot smile. Their faces were serious.
"Glad to see you're coming round," said Tip O'Gorman. "Here, let mefix that bandage. Looks as if it might be slipping. How youfeel--pretty good?"
"Pretty good--considering," replied Bill.
"That's fine, fine. Want a li'l something to eat?"
"Rather have a drink."
The cool water revived him like wine. He lay back on the pillowsgreatly refreshed. He thought his head ached a little less, perhaps.
"Where am I and how did I get here?"
"You're in my house," said Sam Larder. "You were--uh--brought here."
"After the roof feel on me?" said Billy, fingering the bandage roundhis head.
"Well, you see," said Tip, in some embarrassment, "we knew you wouldn'thave accepted our invitation unless you were knocked silly first. ButI--I planned the whole thing, Bill--I didn't intend to keep yousenseless as long as this. It's a matter of ten hours since you werehit. I didn't know but what maybe we were due to lose you, after all."
"That would have been a pity," said Billy.
"Wouldn't it? Yeah. Don't blame me for that crack, though. I toldCrafty not to use anything made of iron. But I'm afraid he used hisown judgment."
"I always do," said Felix Craft.
"Who was the woman?" inquired Billy.
"I was the woman," replied Craft demurely.
"That was one on me. But I'm still wonderin'. You fellers went to alot of trouble to carry me clear out here. I suppose it's too much tohope you were seen doing it."
"I don't guess we were seen," said Tip. "We kind of took care not tobe.
"How long do you count on boardin' me, Sam?"
"Just a li'l while," was the reply.
"No longer than is necessary," slipped in Tip, with emphasis on thelast word.
"Necessary, huh. _Necessary_. I suppose you fellers think you'll beable to get Dan Slike off by kidnappin' me. You forget there's RileyTyler."
"We know there's Riley Tyler," said Tip, "like we know Riley andShotgun went to Hillsville yesterday and won't be back for three-fourdays. And about Dan Slike we don't care three whoops in hell. To tellyou the truth, Bill, I'm surprised you don't know us better than that._We_ three didn't have any hand in that Walton business."
"I didn't really think you did," said Billy frankly, "but knowing howyou and Tuckleton----"
"No, no, Bill," interrupted Tip hastily, "don't go fussin' about Rafe.That's a cat with another tail entirely. Your business right now thisminute is with us. Our business is with you. Here we are. Here'syou."
But Billy was apparently paying no further attention to Tip's words.He was looking at the ceiling. He was smiling. He chuckled.
"Do you know," he said, glancing sidewise at Tip, "when I was a kid, Ioften wondered how it would feel to be kidnapped. I had a idea itwould be romantic sort of. But it ain't, not a mite. I feel like I'dbeen on a tear--head, y'understand, and mouth all furry and _thirsty_!Where's that pitcher? Oh, I can sit up all right."
He swung up to a sitting position with a lurch. "Here's how," he said,reaching for the pitcher.
He drank his fill and again lay down, supporting his head on a bentelbow.
"Crafty," he said severely, "why for are you monkeying with that gun?"
"I thought I had it hidden behind the table," replied Craft,shamefacedly depositing a six-shooter on the table in front of him.
He folded his arms behind the gun, but Billy noticed that the fingersof his right hand were touching the wood of the butt.
"The truth is," said Tip, "that we intend to watch you pretty closely.But you haven't any kick coming. You ain't gagged or hogtied even."
"Seeing that Sam's house is a mile out of town and a good eight hundredyards west of the Hillsville trail, gaggin' me and tying me up arehardly necessary. Sam, that water sure gave me a appetite. I feelconsiderable better. Suppose now you send along the chambermaid withseveral eggs, more or less, let 'em lay, and two-three-four slices ofnice ham, and some fried potatoes, and bread and butter, and a li'l jamif you have it--if not, I'll take what you've got handy and somecoffee, black, with sugar. Better have her bring a full pot of coffee.And Samuel, my own dear boyhood friend, will you send along thegolden-haired chambermaid?"
"That's the way," approved Tip, smiling, as Sam Larder slumpedkitchenward. "Make a joke of it. No sense in taking it to heart."
"Tip," said Bill, "I always knew you were an old scoundrel."
Tip looked hurt. "The scoundrel perhaps, and only _perhaps_, mind you,but I deny the age. I'm only a short fifty."
"Plenty of time for you to be hung yet," admitted Bill. "Felix, oldsettler, that gun of yours is pointing right at me. Is it easy on thetrigg
er?"
"Mighty easy," said Felix Craft, altering slightly the angle of theweapon's barrel.
Billy hitched himself up to a sitting position. By means of the bed'stwo pillows he made himself comfortable against the wall.
"You spoke of some business," he said. "Le's hear it."
Tip cleared his throat. "It ain't much. All we want is for you toleave us alone."
"Seems to me you asked me something like that before," mused Billy.
"And your answer was unsatisfactory."
"What kind of an answer did you expect?"
"We expected you'd be a sensible man, the sort of feller who wouldn'tthrow down his friends."
"You said that before, too."
Tip nodded. "We still think maybe you can be brought to see our sideof it."
"We don't want to do anything we'd all be sorry for," Felix Craftnipped in significantly.
"Hear the clanking chains," said Billy. "The man's threatening me, Ido believe."
Craft returned his stare woodenly.
"You see," Tip remarked, "we expect to do a li'l business this year."
"Do you think this will be a good year for business?" Billy cocked aquestioning eyebrow.
"We hope so, we hope so," pronounced Tip. "I'll be open with you,Bill. If you keep on nosing into our affairs the way you've startedin, we'll lose money. Couldn't help but lose it. You didn't takeoffice till the first of January and business won't be done in anyvolume till well into the year----"
"When the ground is hard," interrupted Billy, "and the volume ofbusiness won't be apt to leave telltale tracks. I get the innards ofyour meaning."
"Exactly. So you see how absolutely necessary it is for us to be surethat you won't horn into any of our li'l deals."
"We intend to be sure," declared Craft.
"Tip," said Billy, "that man is threatening me again. You stop him.He makes me nervous. Sometimes I almost think he means it."
"I'm afraid he does mean it," said Tip. "I--we don't want to do youany harm, Bill, physically or otherwise. You understand, that, don'tyou?"
"Seein' that you keep on tellin' me so over and over, I'll try andbelieve it. But what I want to know is if you decide finally to do meharm, physically or otherwise, what kind of harm you'll do. Will youdrop me over the cliff on a dark and moonlight night and dash myquiverin' body to death on the cruel rocks below, or will you slip ali'l wolf poison into my morning coffee, or will you just cut my throator what? I'd like to know. Honest, I would. My curiosity is standin'on its hind legs."
"It's no joke," Tip told him seriously.
"Of course it ain't. Who said it was. Not me. I'm serious as lead inyour lung. Likewise I'm scared to death. If I was standin' up you'dhear my knees clacking together. Not to disappoint you I'll shake thebed. There! How's that?"
He grinned at them disarmingly. They did not return the grin.
"Might as well tell him now," suggested Craft.
Tip nodded. "I was going to. Bill, you left your office in Golden Barlast night." He paused, looking up at the ceiling.
"You needn't try to make me think you're making it up as you go along,"Billy fleered with a wink. "I know better. Flap along, flap along."
"You took your rifle with you and both your guns," resumed Tip. "Youwent to the stable and saddled your red-and-white pinto and rode out oftown."
"Right down Main Street, I suppose, where everybody could see me?"
"Nothing so coarse as that. You were careful to strike the shelter ofthe cottonwoods that grow so close to the rear of your corral."
Bill's eyes widened with well-feigned enjoyment. He was reasonablysure he knew what was coming. "I'll bet somebody saw me, alla same."
"Several people saw you, saw you so plainly that they could swear toyour identity on the witness stand."
Billy leaned forward interestedly. "They _could_, but would they?"
"All five of 'em would."
"Five, huh? Don't you think that's a good many folks to have on handso providentially, a night like last night? Raining and blowing forGawd's sake, remember? You don't want to override this thing--whateverit is."
Felix Craft laughed sardonically. "We won't. Don't you worry anyabout that, Bill. We've thought it out pretty average careful."
"That's good. I'd be sorry to see you fellers make any mistakes.Go'n, Tippy, old settler. You've got to where me and my gallant steedare a-skulking in the underbrush with half the town watching us likelynxes. What did I do next?"
"You haven't done it yet. And whether you do it or not all depends onyourself. If you stay stubborn, then this afternoon you'll hold up theHillsville stage."
"Don't lemme forget myself too much. Will I wear a mask?"
"Naturally--and your horse will be seen, your red-and-white pinto thateverybody knows. It's something like the trick you worked on Driverand Slike. We listened very careful to your testimony at the hearing.We're grateful to you for the idea, Bill."
Bill tossed away all credit with a wave of his hand. "Oh, you cleverfellers would have thought of something just as good. Trust you.Next."
"Everybody on the stage will be able to swear to your clothes and yourhorse and your guns. One of your guns has a brass guard. That gunespecially will be remembered."
"You do think of everything," Bill said in admiration. "But does itsound natural that I'd be using my horse, especially such aconspicuous-lookin' horse as that red-and-white pinto, right whereeverybody in the stage could see him? Even if I am crazy enough tohold up the stage, you've gotta give me credit for a li'l sense."
"I said there wouldn't be any coarse work," averred Tip. "Your horsewill be tied in a li'l patch of woods put of sight of the stage, butjust about the time you're lining the passengers up on the trail, yourhorse will bust out of the li'l patch of woods and show himself plainfor everybody to take a look at."
"Somebody will have to drive him out. Suppose _he's_ seen, too?"
Tip shook a lazy head. "Not him. He won't be seen. It will all lookmighty natural like an accident. Somethin' scared the horse, that'sall."
"After I've robbed the stage what do I do?"
"There you have me," confessed Tip. "I don't know what you'll do. Youmight ride away and keep going for several weeks. That would be thesensible thing to do."
"Or I can ride back to Golden Bar and be arrested by my own deputiesfor stage robbery. I don't suppose anybody would believe it if I saidI was kidnapped."
Tip smiled slightly. "They might. You never can tell what peoplewould believe."
Billy drew his knees up to the level of his chin and hugged them.
"No," he drawled, "too fishy. Folks don't kidnap folks nowadays--onlyin books. Shucks, I'll bet you fellers were counting on just thatparticular snag in human nature. Looks like you've got me, don't it?"
Tip nodded his head. "Looks like it."
"You've only got yourself to blame," said Felix Craft, studying the gunon the table so handy to his fingers.
"True," acquiesced Billy. "I've only got myself to blame. So whatcare I for poverty or precious stones? Look here, fellow citizens, whois going to take my part in this stage hold-up?"
"I will," said Craft modestly. "I rode your pinto out of town lastnight, and I think I made a good impression. Yeah, I'm sure I did.And I have more than a sneaking idea I can get away with the hold-up."
"Don't doubt it," said Billy. "Don't doubt it for a minute. You'vegot nerve enough, I know that, and we're about of a size. I--uh--I_thought_ there was something familiar about that vest you're wearing.And are those my other pants you have on? The table hides 'em so Ican't tell for sure."
"They are your other pants, and your coat and hat are hanging on a hookin the kitchen. I had to put your spurs on my boots though. Yourswere too small."
"Oh, I'm sorry," mourned Billy, genuine concern in his tone. "If I'donly known-- However, suppose some one in the stage puts a hole inyour face right over the eye
, Felix. Have you thought of that?"
Craft nodded. "We have to take some chances."
"That's so. You've got a sporting spirit after all, Crafty. You'dthink running a gambling house so long would have taken it out of you,sort of. Might be your ranch has saved you. And suppose I don't feellike having you risk your valuable life, Crafty, what then?"
"Then the deal can be arranged," Tip answered for Craft. "Give us yourword Bill, and you can walk out that door and ride back to Golden Barright after breakfast. Right now, if you don't want to wait."
Billy looked incredulous. "You mean to tell me, Tip, that you'd takemy bare word?"
"You're whistling we would," Tip declared heartily. "Everybody knowsyour word is good."
"I've never broken it yet, but don't you see, once broken, what good isit?"
"But if you give it, you wouldn't break it. We know you."
"But if I give my word to you to do this thing, I will have brokenit--to the territory. When I took office I made oath to obey anduphold the laws. I guess maybe you forgot that."
Tip looked a trifle dashed. "Well--" he began.
"You see," interrupted Billy, "If I broke my word to the territory, I'dbreak it to you likely. Anyway, what guarantee have you that Iwouldn't?"
"Looks like there was only one trail out," Craft said briefly.
"Gimme something to eat first," Billy implored, rubbing his emptystomach.
"We'll do that much for you," said Tip. "And while you're eatin' youthink it over. There's a lot to be said for what we want you to do.Think how easy it is, Bill. Just go a li'l slow is all we want. Andthink what you get by it--complete freedom otherwise and that tenthousand a year easy money we spoke of a while back. Ten thousandain't to be sneezed at these days. I dunno where you'd make it anyeasier."
"Neither do I," Billy admitted frankly.
"You don't want to go to jail now, do you, Bill?" wheedled Tip.
"Sure not," was the prompt answer.
"Of course you don't. And if you decide to accept our offer, Bill, thesecret will be left behind right in this room. No one will ever knowanything about it. To your friends you will be one of the straightestsheriffs Crocker County ever had. Oh, I know what you're thinking of.You're afraid of what Hazel Walton might think. But----"
"Let's leave her out of this," Bill struck in sharply.
"All right," acquiesced Tip, with a slight cough, "we will. Alla same,Bill, who's to ever know what you did?"
"I'd know for one," Billy observed simply. "And suppose I tellsomebody? You know I never could keep a secret."
"I told you how it would be, Tip," remarked Craft. "He's too damnhonest for any use."
Billy nodded his gratitude. "Felix, I thank you. At least you are afriend of mine."
"You forget me," said the disappointed Tip. "If it hadn't been for theground-and-lofty talking done by yours truly, you, William, would havealready gone where the good Indians go. I can tell you, Felix and Samare downright disgruntled with you."
"Felix, I take it all back," grieved Billy. "At the first convenientopportunity I shall drop a li'l arsenic in your coffee or a li'l leadpill in your system. I dunno which yet. And that goes for you too,Sam."
"What's that?" queried Sam, entering with a large platter of ham, eggsand potatoes and setting it down on the table. When Bill hadexplained, he smiled grimly. "Yep," said Sam Larder. "You've been athorn in our well-known side for some time. Trimming you off theparent stem would do you--and us--a heap of good."
"I see," remarked Billy, sliding from the bed and hooking up a chair tothe table, "I see that the patient is not yet out of danger. But thedoctors have not completely despaired of his life. How about it, Tip?You haven't given me up yet, have you?"
"Bill," said Tip irritably, "you're a fool."
"But not a damn fool," returned Bill with his mouth full. "You'll haveto admit there is a method in my madness."