"That"s fannin" the hammer, Shorty," drawled Pete. "Ever hear of that?
Well, now you"ve seen it. When you practice it, hold your elbow tight against your ribs to steady your gun while you slap the hammer back. For you, Mr. Jim--I see you"ve landed your six shots; but some of "em are mighty close to the edge of your little old plate. Poor shootin"! Poor shootin"! You ought to practice more. As for speed, I judge I can do six shots while you"re making four. But I thought I"d best not--to-day. Son, pick up your gun, and get your money from Shorty."
Mr. Jim picked up his gun and threw out the empty sh.e.l.ls. He glared savagely at Mr. Johnson, now seated happily on his saddle.
"If I just had hold of you--you benched-legged hound! Curse your soul, what do you mean by it?" snarled Jim.
"Oh, I was just a-thinkin"," responded Pete lightly. "Thinkin" how helpless I"d be with you two big huskies, here with my gun empty. Don"t snicker, Bill! That"s rude of you. Your pardner"s feeling plenty bad enough without that. He looks it. Mr. Bill, I"ll bet a blue shirt you told the Jim-person to wait and see if I wouldn"t take a little siesta, and you"d get me whilst I was snoozing. You lose, then. I never sleep.
Tex, for the love of Mike, do look at Bill"s face; and Bill, you look at Mr. Jim, from Texas! Guilty as charged! Your scheme, was it, Texas? And Shorty Bill, he told you so? Why, you poor toddling innocents, you won"t never prosper as crooks! Your faces are too honest.
"And that frame-up of yours--oh, that was a loo-loo bird! Livin" together and didn"t know which was the best shot--likely! And every tin can in sight shot full of holes and testifyin" against you! Think I"m blind, hey? Even your horses give you away. Never batted an eyelash durin" that whole cannonade. They"ve been hearin" forty-fives pretty reg"lar, them horses have."
"I notice your old black ain"t much gun-shy, either," ventured Bill.
"See here--you!" said the big Texan. "You talk pretty biggity. It"s mighty easy to run a whizzer when you"ve got the only loaded gun in camp.
If I had one d.a.m.ned cartridge left it would be different."
"Never mind," said Johnson kindly. "I"ll give you one!"
Rising, he twirled the cylinder of his gun and extracted his three cartridges. He threw one far down the hillslope; he dropped one on the ground beside him; he tossed the last one in the sand at the Texan"s feet.
Jim, from Texas, looked at the cartridge without animation; he looked into Pete Johnson"s frosty eyes; he kicked the cartridge back.
"I lay "em down right here," he stated firmly. "I like a d.a.m.ned fool; but you suit me too well."
He stalked away toward his horse with much dignity. He stopped halfway, dropped upon a box, pounded his thigh and gave way to huge and unaffected laughter; in which Bill joined a moment later.
"Oh, you little bandy-legged old son-of-a-gun!" Jim roared. "You crafty, wily, cunnin" old fox! I"m for you! Of all the holy shows, you"ve made Bill and me the worst--"specially me. "There, there!" you says, consolin" me up like I was a kid with a cracked jug. "There, there!
Never mind--I"ll give you one!" Deah, oh, deah! I"ll never be able to keep this still--never in the world. I"m bound to tell it on myself!" He wiped tears from his eyes and waved his hand helplessly. "Take the ranch, stranger. She"s yours. I wouldn"t touch you if you was solid gold and charges prepaid."
"Oh, don"t make a stranger of me!" begged Pete. "You was callin" me by the name of Johnson half an hour ago. Forgot yourself, likely."
"Did I?" said Jim indifferently. "No odds. You"ve got my number, anyway.
And I thought we was so devilish sly!"
"Well, boys, thank you for the dinner and all; but I"d best be jogging.
Got to catch that train."
Knitting his brows reflectively he turned a questioning eye upon his hosts. But Shorty Bill took the words from his mouth.
"I"m like Jim: I"ve got a-plenty," he said. "But there"s a repeating rifle in the shack, if you don"t want to risk us. You can leave it at Silverbell for us if you want to--at the saloon. And we can ride off the other way, so you"ll be sure."
"Maybe that"ll be best--considerin"," said Pete. "I"ll leave the gun."
"See here, Johnson," said Jim stiffly. "We"ve thrown "em down, fair and square. I think you might trust us."
Pete scratched his head in some perplexity.
"I think maybe I might if it was only myself to think of. But I"m representing another man"s interest too. I ain"t takin" no chances."
"Yes--I noticed you was one of them prudent guys," murmured Jim.
Pete ignored the interruption.
"So, not rubbin" it in or anything, we"d best use Bill"s plan. You lads hike off back the way I come, and I"ll take your rifle and drag it. So long! Had a good time with you."
"_Adios!_" said Bill, swinging into the saddle.
"Hold on, Bill! Give Johnson back his money," said Jim.
"Oh, you keep it. You won it fair. I didn"t go to the finish."
"Look here--what do you think I am? You take this money, or I"ll be sore as a boil. There! So long, old hand! Be good!" He spurred after Bill.
Mr. Johnson brought the repeater from the dugout and saddled old Midnight. As he pulled the cinches tight, he gazed regretfully at his late companions, sky-lined as they topped a rise.
"There!" said Mr. Johnson with conviction. "There goes a couple of right nice boys!"
CHAPTER II
The immemorial traditions of Old Spain, backed by the counsel of a brazen sun, made a last stand against the inexorable centuries: Tucson was at siesta; noonday lull was drowsy in the corridors of the Merchants and Miners Bank. Green shades along the south guarded the cool and quiet s.p.a.ciousness of the Merchants and Miners, flooded with clear white light from the northern windows. In the lobby a single client, leaning on the sill at the note-teller"s window, meekly awaited the convenience of the office force.
The Castilian influence had reduced the office force, at this ebb hour of business, to a spruce, shirt-sleeved young man, green-vizored as to his eyes, seated at a mid-office desk, quite engrossed with mysterious clerical matters.
The office force had glanced up at Mr. Johnson"s first entrance, but only to resume its work at once. Such industry is not the custom; among the a.s.sets of any bank, courtesy is the most indispensable item. Mr. Johnson was not unversed in the ways of urbanity; the purposed and palpable incivility was not wasted upon him; nor yet the expression conveyed by the back of the indefatigable clerical person--a humped, reluctant, and rebellious back. If ever a back steeled itself to carry out a distasteful task according to instructions, this was that back. Mr. Pete Johnson sighed in sympathy.
The minutes droned by. A clock, of hitherto una.s.suming habit, became clamorous; it echoed along the dreaming corridors. Mr. Johnson sighed again.
The stone sill upon which he leaned reflected from its polished surface a face carved to patience; but if the patient face had noted its own reflection it might have remarked--and adjusted--eyebrows not so patient, flattened to a level; and a slight quiver in the tip of a predatory nose.
The pen squeaked across glazed paper. Mr. Johnson took from his pocket a long, thin cigar and a box of safety matches.
The match crackled, startling in the silence; the clerical person turned in his chair and directed at the prospective customer a stare so baleful that the cigar was forgotten. The flame nipped Johnson"s thumb; he dropped the match on the tiled floor and stepped upon it. The clerk hesitated and then rose.
"He loves me--he loves me not!" murmured Mr. Johnson sadly, plucking the petals from an imaginary daisy.
The clerk sauntered to the teller"s wicket and frowned upon his customer from under eyebrows arched and supercilious; he preserved a haughty silence. Before this official disapproval Peter"s eyes wavered and fell, abashed.
"I"ll--I"ll stick my face through there if you"d like to step on it!" he faltered.
The official eyebrows grew arrogant.
"You are wasting my time. Have you any business here?"
"Ya-as. Be you the cashier?"