It required an effort for the Sergeant to recover, to realize his true position, and the meaning of this mysterious attack. He was no longer numb with cold or staggering from weakness. The excitement had sent the hot blood pulsing through his veins; had brought back to his heart the fighting instinct. Every desire urged him forward, clamoring for revenge, but the aroused sense of a plainsman held him motionless, staring about, listening for any sound. Behind him, down there in the hollow, were huddled the horses of his outfit, scarcely distinguishable from where he stood. If he should venture farther off, he might never be able to find a way back again. Even in the gray light of dawn he could see nothing distinctly a dozen yards distant. And Wa.s.son had the compa.s.s. This was the thought which brought him tramping back through the drifts--Wa.s.son! Wade was dead, Carroll little better, but the scout might have been only slightly wounded. He waded through the snow to where the man lay, face downward, his hand still gripping the rein.
Before Hamlin turned him over, he saw the jagged wound and knew death had been instantaneous. He stared down at the white face, already powdered with snow; then glared about into the murky distances, revolver ready for action, every nerve throbbing. G.o.d! If he ever met the murderer! Then swift reaction came, and he buried his eyes on the neck of the nearest horse, and his body shook with half-suppressed sobs. The whole horror of it gripped him in that instant, broke his iron will, and left him weak as a child.
But the mood did not last. Little by little he gained control, stood up again in the snow, and began to think. He was a man, and must do a man"s work. With an oath he forced himself to act; reloaded his revolver, thrust it back into the holster at his hip, and, with one parting glance at poor Sam, ploughed across through the drifts to Carroll. He realized now his duty, the thing he must strive to accomplish. Wade and Wa.s.son were gone; no human effort could aid them, but Carroll lived, and might be saved. And it was for him alone now to serve Molly. The sudden comprehension of all this stung like the lash of a whip, transformed him again into a fighter, a soldier of the sort who refuses to acknowledge defeat. His eyes darkened, his lips pressed together in a straight line.
Carroll lay helpless, inert, his head hanging down against the neck of his horse. The Sergeant jerked him erect, roughly beating him into consciousness; nor did he desist until the fellow"s eyes opened in a dull stare.
"I "ll pound the life out of you unless you brace up, George," he muttered. "That "s right--get mad if you want to. It will do you good. Wait until I get that quirt; that will set your blood moving.
No! Wake up! Die, nothing! See here, man, there "s the river just ahead."
He picked up his glove, undid the reins from Wa.s.son"s stiffened fingers, and urged the horses forward. Carroll lurched drunkenly in the saddle, yet retained sufficient life to cling to the pommel, and thus the outfit plunged blindly forward into the storm, leaving the dead men where they lay. There was nothing else to do; Hamlin"s heart choked him as he ploughed his way past, but he had no strength to lift those heavy bodies. Every ounce of power must be conserved for the preservation of life. Little as he could see through the snow blasts there was but one means of pa.s.sage, that along the narrow rift between the ridges. The snow lay deep here, but they floundered ahead, barely able to surmount the drifts, until suddenly they emerged upon an open s.p.a.ce, sheltered somewhat by the low hills and swept clean by the wind.
Directly beneath, down a wide cleft in the bank, dimly visible, appeared the welcome waters of the Cimarron. The stream was but partly frozen over, the dark current flowing in odd contrast between the banks of ice and snow.
The Sergeant halted, examining his surroundings cautiously, expecting every instant to be fired upon by some unseen foe. The violence of the storm prevented his seeing beyond a few yards, and the whirling snow crystals blinded him as he faced the fury of the wind sweeping down the valley. Nothing met his gaze; no sound reached his ears; about him was desolation, unbroken whiteness. Apparently they were alone in all that intense dreariness of snow. The solemn loneliness of it--the dark, silently flowing river, the dun sky, the wide, white expanse of plain, the mad violence of the storm beating against him--brought to him a feeling of helplessness. He was a mere atom, struggling alone against Nature"s wild mood. Then the feeling clutched him that he was not alone; that from somewhere amid those barren wastes hostile eyes watched, skulking murderers sought his life. Yet there was no sign of any presence. He could not stand there and die, nor permit Carroll to freeze in his saddle. It would be better to take a chance; perhaps the a.s.sa.s.sins had fled, believing their work accomplished; perhaps they had become confused by the storm.
Foot by foot, feeling his pa.s.sage, he advanced down the gully, fairly dragging his own horse after him. Behind, held by the straining lariat, lurched the others, the soldier swaying on the back of the last, swearing and laughing in delirium, clutching at snowflakes with his hands. At the end of the ravine, under shelter of the bank, Hamlin trampled back the snow, herding the animals close, so as to gain the warmth of their bodies. Here they were well protected from the cruel lash of the wind and the shower of snow which blew over them and drifted higher and higher in the open s.p.a.ce beyond. Working feverishly, the blood again circulating freely through his veins, the Sergeant hastily dragged blankets from the pack, and spread them on the ground, depositing Carroll upon them. Then he set about vigorously rubbing the soldier"s exposed flesh with snow. The smart of it, together with the roughness of handling, aroused the latter from lethargy, but Hamlin, ignoring his resentment, gripped the fellow with hands of iron, never ceasing his violent ministrations until his swearing ended in silence. Then he wrapped him tightly in the blankets, and stood himself erect, glowing from the exercise. Carroll glared up at him angrily out of red-rimmed eyes.
"I "ll get you for that, you big b.o.o.b!" he shouted, striving to release his arms from the clinging blankets. "You wait! I "ll get you!"
"Hush up, George, and go to sleep," the other retorted, poking the shapeless body with his foot, his thoughts already elsewhere. "Don"t be a fool. I "ll get a fire if I can, and something hot into you.
Within an hour you "ll be a man again. Now see here--stop that! Do you hear? You lie still right where you are, Carroll, until I come back, or I "ll kick your ribs in!" He bent down menacingly, scowling into the upturned face. "Will you mind, or shall I have to hand you one?"
Carroll shrank back like a whipped child, his lips muttering something indistinguishable. The Sergeant, satisfied, turned and floundered through the drifts to the bank of the stream. He was alert and fearful, yet determined. No matter what danger of discovery might threaten, he must build a fire to save Carroll"s life. The raging storm was not over with; there was no apparent cessation of violence in the blasts of the icy wind, and the snow swept about him in blinding sheets. It would continue all day, all another night, perhaps, and they could never live through without food and warmth. He realized the risk fully, his gloved hand gripping the b.u.t.t of his revolver, as he stared up and down the snow-draped bluffs. He wished he had picked up Wa.s.son"s rifle. Who was it that had shot them up, anyhow? The very mystery added to the dread. Could it have been Dupont? There was no other conception possible, yet it seemed like a miracle that they could have kept so close on the fellow"s trail all night long through the storm. Yet who else would open fire at sight? Who else, indeed, would be in this G.o.d-forsaken country? And whoever it was, where had he gone? How had he disappeared so suddenly and completely? He could not be far away, that was a certainty. No plainsman would attempt to ford that icy stream, nor desert the shelter of these bluffs in face of the storm. It would be suicidal. And if Dupont and his Indians were close at hand, Miss McDonald would be with them. He had had no time in which to reason this out before, but now the swift realization of the close proximity of the girl came to him like an electric shock. Whatever the immediate danger he must thaw out Carroll, and thus be free himself.
He could look back to where the weary horses huddled beneath the bank, grouped about the man so helplessly swaddled in blankets on the ground.
They were dim, pitiable objects, barely discernible through the flying scud, yet Hamlin was quick to perceive the advantage of their position--the overhanging bluff was complete protection from any attack except along the open bank of the river. Two armed men could defend the spot against odds. And below, a hundred yards away, perhaps--it was hard to judge through that smother--the bare limbs of several stunted cottonwoods waved dismally against the gray sky. Hesitating, his eyes searching the barrenness above to where the stream bent northward and disappeared, he turned at last and tramped downward along the edge of the stream. Across stretched the level, white prairie, beaten and obscured by the storm, while to his left arose the steep, bare bluff, swept clear by the wind, revealing its ugliness through the haze of snow. Not in all the expanse was there visible a moving object nor track of any kind. He was alone, in the midst of indescribable desolation--a cold, dead, dreary landscape.
He came to the little patch of forest growth, a dozen gaunt, naked trees at the river"s edge, stunted, two of them already toppling over the bank, apparently undermined by the water, threatening to fall before each blast that smote them. Hoping to discover some splinters for a fire, Hamlin kicked a clear s.p.a.ce in the snow, yet kept his face always toward the bluff, his eyes vigilantly searching for any skulking figure. Silent as those desert surroundings appeared, the Sergeant knew he was not alone. He had a feeling that he was being watched, spied upon; that somewhere near at hand, crouching in that solitude, the eyes of murder followed his every movement. Suddenly he straightened up, staring at the bluff nearly opposite where he stood.
Was it a dream, an illusion, or was that actually the front of a cabin at the base of the bank? He could not believe it possible, nor could he be sure. If so, then it consisted merely of a room excavated in the side of the hill, the opening closed in by cottonwood logs. It in no way extended outward beyond the contour of the bank, and was so plastered with snow as to be almost indistinguishable a dozen steps away. Yet those were logs, regularly laid, beyond a doubt; he was certain he detected now the dim outlines of a door, and a smooth wooden shutter, to which the snow refused to cling, the size and shape of a small window. His heart throbbing with excitement, the Sergeant slipped in against the bluff for protection, moving cautiously closer until he convinced himself of the reality of his strange discovery by feeling the rough bark of the logs. It was a form of habitation of some kind beyond question; apparently unoccupied, for there were no tracks in the snow without, and no smoke of a fire visible anywhere.
CHAPTER XXVII
HUGHES" STORY
Hamlin thrust his glove into his belt, drew forth his revolver, and gripped its stock with bare hand. This odd, hidden dwelling might be deserted, a mere empty shack, but he could not disconnect it in his mind from that murderous attack made upon their little party two hours before. Why was it here in the heart of this desert? Why built with such evident intent of concealment? But for what had occurred on the plateau above, his suspicions would never have been aroused. This was already becoming a cattle country; adventurous Texans, seeking free range and abundant water, had advanced along all these prominent streams with their grazing herds of long-horns. Little by little they had gained precarious foothold on the Indian domains, slowly forcing the savages westward. The struggle had been continuous for years, and the final result inevitable. Yet this year the story had been a different one, for the united tribes had swept the invading stockmen back, had butchered their cattle, and once again roamed these plains as masters. Hamlin knew this; he had met and talked with those driven out, and he was aware that even now Black Kettle"s winter camp of hostiles was not far away. This hut might, of course, be the deserted site of some old cow camp, some outrider"s shack, but--the fellow who fired on them! He was a reality--a dangerous reality--and he was hiding somewhere close at hand.
The Sergeant stole along the front to the door, listening intently for any warning sound from either without or within. Every nerve was on edge; all else forgotten except the intensity of the moment. He could perceive nothing to alarm him, no evidence of any presence inside.
Slowly, noiselessly, his Colt poised for instant action, he lifted the wooden latch, and permitted the door to swing slightly ajar, yielding a glimpse within. There was light from above, flittering dimly through some crevice in the bluff, and the darker shadows were reddened by the cheery glow of a fireplace directly opposite, although where the smoke disappeared was not at first evident. Hamlin perceived these features at a glance, standing motionless. His quick eyes visioned the whole interior--a rude table and bench, a rifle leaning in one corner, a saddle and trappings hanging against the wall; a broad-brimmed hat on the floor, a pile of skins beyond. There was an appearance of neatness also, the floor swept, the table unlittered. Yet he scarcely realized these details at the time so closely was his whole attention centred on the figure of a man. The fellow occupied a stool before the fireplace, and was bending slightly forward, staring down at the red embers, unconscious of the intruder. He was a thin-chested, unkempt individual with long hair, and s.h.a.ggy whiskers, both iron gray. The side of his face and neck had a sallow look, while his nose was prominent. The Sergeant surveyed him a moment, his c.o.c.ked revolver covering the motionless figure, his lips set grimly. Then he stepped within, and closed the door.
[Ill.u.s.tration: His Colt poised for instant action, he lifted the wooden latch.]
At the slight sound the other leaped to his feet, overturning the stool, and whirled about swiftly, his right hand dropping to his belt.
"That will do, friend!" Hamlin"s voice rang stern.
"Stand as you are--your gun is lying on the bench yonder. Rather careless of you in this country. No, I would n"t risk it if I was you; this is a hair trigger."
The fellow stared helpless into the Sergeant"s gray eyes.
"Who--who the h.e.l.l are you?" he managed to articulate hoa.r.s.ely, "a--a soldier?"
Hamlin nodded, willing enough to let the other talk.
"You "re--you "re not one o" Le Fevre"s outfit?"
"Whose?"
"Gene Le Fevre--the d.a.m.n skunk; you know him?"
Startled as he was, the Sergeant held himself firm, and laughed.
"I reckon there is n"t any one by that name a friend o" mine," he said coolly. "So you "re free to relieve your feelings as far as I "m concerned. Were you expecting that gent along this trail?"
"Yes, I was, an" "twa"n"t no pleasant little reception I "lowed to give him neither. Say! Would n"t yer just as soon lower thet shootin"
iron? We ain"t got no call to quarrel so fur as I kin see."
"Maybe not, stranger," and Hamlin leaned back against the table, lowering his weapon slightly, as he glanced watchfully about the room, "but I "ll keep the gun handy just the same until we understand each other. Anybody else in this neighborhood?"
"Not unless it"s Le Fevre, an" his outfit."
"Then I reckon you did the shooting, out there a bit ago?"
The man shuffled uneasily, but the Sergeant"s right hand came to a level.
"Did you?"
"I s"pose thar ain"t no use o" denyin" it," reluctantly, eyeing the gun in the corner, "but I did n"t mean to shoot up no outfit but Le Fevre"s. So help me, I did n"t! The danged snow was so thick I could n"t see nohow, and I never s"posed any one was on the trail "cept him.
Thar ain"t been no white man "long yere in three months. Didn"t hit none of yer, did I?"
"Yes, you did," returned Hamlin slowly, striving to hold himself in check. "You killed one of the best fellows that ever rode these plains, you sneaking coward, you. Shot him dead, with his back to you.
Now, see here, it"s a throw of the dice with me whether I fill you full of lead, or let you go. I came in here intending to kill you, if you were the cur who shot us up. But I "m willing to listen to what you have got to say. I "m some on the fight, but plain murder don"t just appeal to me. How is it? Are you ready to talk? Spit it out, man!"
"I "ll tell yer jest how it was."
"Do it my way then; answer straight what I ask you. Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"Kin I sit down?"
"Yes; make it short now; all I want is facts."
The man choked a bit, turned and twisted on the stool, but was helpless to escape.
"Wal, my name is Hughes--Jed Hughes; I uster hang out round San Antone, an" hev been mostly in the cow business. The last five years Le Fevre an" I hev been grazin" cattle in between yere an" Buffalo Creek."
"Partners?"
"Wal, by G.o.d! I thought so, till just lately," his voice rising.