CHAPTER XXIV
DELLA'S HANDKERCHIEF
Dawn was just breaking when Lawler dropped from Red King at thewindbreak near the line cabin. He put the big horse in the dugout,closed the dugout door and entered the cabin. Then he breathed a sigh ofrelief.
There were still some glowing embers in the fireplace, and he soon had aroaring fire, in front of which he stood for a while, meditating.
He had got Della Wharton into the Willets Hotel without, he feltcertain, attracting attention. For when they had ridden intotown--taking the back way in order to avoid any sleepless citizens thatmight be about--it was past midnight. Lawler had timed himself to reachtown at about that hour, knowing that with the exception of a brothel ortwo, Willets would be dark.
He had been fortunate. At his first knock on the rear door of the hotel,Keller had appeared; and Keller had instantly grasped thesituation--though he plainly told Della that she was "goin' to a wholelot of unnecessary trouble." "Why, good Lord, ma'am, I reckon you had aright to hole up with Lawler! Nobody'd be blamin' you. They's a dozenmen in this town that would make a colander out of anybody that'd hintthings about a deal like that. Lawsy, ma'am, folks has got sense, ain'tthey? But if you doubt 'em, I reckon we can take care of you."
Lawler prepared and ate breakfast. It had been a tiresome ride, andafter eating, knowing that there was no occasion for haste in his returnto the Circle L--except that his mother would wonder over hiswhereabouts--he stretched out in one of the lower bunks--the one he hadoccupied during Della's stay in the cabin.
He had not barred the door; and when, some hours later he awoke, he sawhalf a dozen men in the cabin. They were standing near the door,watching him. Foremost among them was Gary Warden.
Lawler swung around in the bunk and sat on its edge, facing the men.They were Two Diamond men, for he recognized some of them.
Lawler got to his feet. He saw no friendliness in the faces of the men;and Warden was pale, scowling.
But Lawler smiled. "Looking for something, boys?" he said.
"We're looking for two men and a woman, Lawler. Have you seen anythingof them?"
"I've seen two men, Warden; but no woman."
Warden's eyes quickened. Some color surged into his face.
"How long have you been here, Lawler?"
"Since the day the storm broke. Davies and Harris went to town for aspree, and I've been substituting for them."
He felt a savage amusement over Warden's attempt to conceal hisdisappointment. He could see that the man was consumed with curiosityover the outcome of the fence cutting, though he dared not voice it.
"Lawler," said Warden; "we've lost two men--Link and Givens; and DellaWharton--who was staying at the Two Diamond."
"I've seen no woman, Warden. But I've seen Link and Givens. You'll findthem out by the windbreak. I had to kill them."
Lawler saw the men behind Warden grow rigid; Warden's face grew ghastly.
Lawler's smile had gone. He was coldly alert, watching the men behindLawler, aware that his news was a shock to them; divining they would nothesitate to do violence if an explanation was not quickly offered.
But there was cold malice in Lawler's heart toward Warden; and he stood,silent, watchful, until Warden recovered from his astonishment. He wasdetermined to compel Warden to ask the question that, plainly, was inhis mind.
And at last Warden asked it:
"What did you kill them for?"
"I caught them cutting my fence, Warden. At just about the time thestorm struck. I brought them here--after lifting their guns. I intendedto take them to Sheriff Moreton, at Willets. But during the night I sentthem out for wood, and when they re-entered the cabin they attackedme--Link with an axe, and Givens with a piece of cordwood. You can seewhere the axe landed--where it stuck in the floor, when Link missed meas I opened the door for him."
The door opened and the men filed out, eager to ascertain the truth ofLawler's story. Warden did not move; but his eyes, the expression of hisface, indicated that he did not doubt Lawler's story. But he sought todiscredit it.
"What would my men cut your fence for, Lawler?"
Lawler laughed. He had no intention of telling Warden about theconfession the men had signed.
"You ought to know, Warden--they were your men."
"Meaning that I sent them to cut the fence?" demanded Warden. His facewas red with a wrath that was plainly artificial, or that had beenaroused over the knowledge that Link and Givens had failed.
"Meaning whatever you choose to think I mean, Warden," said Lawlercoldly. "I'll make my explanations to the sheriff."
Warden had quickly recovered his composure. It was evident from Lawler'smanner that Link and Givens had not talked. He had been afraid theymight have told Lawler that _he_ had ordered them to cut the fence. Ifthey had talked, Lawler would have mentioned it before this--any manwould, for no man could have resisted the inevitable impulse to exultover his success in thwarting the men, of bringing confusion upon theauthor of the scheme. That was what Warden would have done, and hebelieved any man would have done it.
He drew himself erect and walked slowly to the fireplace; where hehalted, turned, and smiled at Lawler--a smile full of malice.
"Your explanation of the killing of Link and Givens is a mighty flimsyone, Lawler, don't you think? Moreton might want a witness,--eh?"
"There was no witness, Warden." Lawler had not turned. He was watchingthe door, for he expected the Two Diamond men to enter at any instant,and he knew they would deeply resent the killing of their companions. Hedid not intend to be taken by surprise.
Warden, standing in front of the fireplace, noted the blanket suspendedfrom the ceiling, swinging between the two tiers of bunks. He started,his face paled, and he looked searchingly at Lawler. And then, observingthat Lawler was paying no attention to him, he moved slowly toward oneof the bunks--the one Miss Wharton had occupied--noting the disturbedbedclothing. A white piece of cloth, crumpled and soiled, lay on agray blanket. He took it up swiftly, stuck it into the front of hisheavy coat and turned again toward the fireplace. With his back toLawler he swiftly examined the cloth he had picked up. It was ahandkerchief--a woman's--and in one corner of it was an embroideredmonogram containing the letters "D.W." It was Della's--he had seen thatand others like it, many times, in her hands and at the Two Diamond, onthe wash line.
For a long time, with his back to Lawler, Warden fought to control theterrible jealousy that the finding of the handkerchief had aroused inhim. His face was contorted with passion; his eyes were aflame with it.He had hated Lawler before; now the passion was a malignant poison thatburned, through his veins like fire.
He did not trust himself to speak--his voice would have betrayed him. Hewalked past Lawler, sneering silently as he reached the door, lookingback as he opened it and stood on the threshold, muttering hoarsely:
"You'll hang for this, Lawler--damn you!"
Lawler heard the Two Diamond men ride away, and he went to the door atthe sound they made and saw they were carrying the bodies of Link andGivens--they were lashed to their horses, which the Two Diamond men hadtaken from the dugout. He watched them out of sight.
It was only an hour or so later when Davies and Harris clattered to thedoor of the cabin. They were red and embarrassed, and confessed they hadbeen intoxicated. But they were much relieved when they found thatLawler had headed the herd into the valley; and they were filled withrage when Lawler told them of the fence cutting and the killing of thetwo men. And they were delighted when Lawler told them to go on duty atthe cabin, not even mentioning their dereliction.
Half an hour after the appearance of Davies and Harris half a dozenCircle L men rode up, eager-eyed, overjoyed at finding their "boss".They were covered with snow from their ride up the valley, through thebig drifts they had encountered, but the glow in their eyes when theysaw Lawler was safe indicated they had forgotten the rigors of the ride.
They told him the herd had reached the shelters and that few of thecattle
were missing; and a little later, with Lawler riding with them,they set out for the Circle L, shouting and laughing like schoolboys.
Shorty, the tawny-haired giant, was with them.
"Cuttin' fences, eh?" he said as he rode close to Lawler. "Well, they'resort of pickin' on us, I reckon. First there's Blondy Antrim; an' nowLink an' Givens cuttin' the fence. When you goin' to cut loose an' give'em hell, Boss?"
"Hell is closer than you think, Shorty," said Lawler, gravely.