Roderick Norton, every fibre of his body alive and eager, his blood riotous with the certain knowledge that the long-delayed hour had come, rode a foam-flecked horse into San Juan shortly after moonrise.
Galloway was striking at last; at last might Norton lift his own hand to strike back. As he flung himself down from the saddle he was thinking almost equally of Jim Galloway, striking the supreme blow of his career, and of Billy Norton, whose death had come to him at Galloway"s command. Galloway was gathering his forces, had delivered an initial blow, was staking everything upon the one throw of the dice.
And he must believe them loaded.
At the clank of spur-chain and rowel Struve came hastily into the hallway from his office. He saw the look in the sheriff"s, eyes and demanded quickly:
"What is it? What"s happened?"
There were grim lines about Norton"s mouth, his quiet voice had an ominous ring to it.
"h.e.l.l"s to pay, Julius," he retorted. "And there"s little telling where it"ll end unless we"re on the jump to meet it. Galloway"s come out into the open. Kid Rickard and ten men with him, all Mexicans or breeds, crossed over into the next county yesterday, raided the county jail late this afternoon, shot poor Roberts, freed Moraga, and got away in a couple of big new touring-cars. Every man of them carried a rifle and side-arms."
"Killed Roberts, huh?" Struve"s frown gathered.
"He"s badly hurt, if not dead. The Kid did the shooting."
"Sure it"s Galloway"s work and not just the Kid"s?"
"Yes. Only a couple of hours ago a lot of Galloway"s crowd was gathering up in the mountains. They"ve gone to his cache for the rifles. I have sent word for Brocky Lane and his and my cowboys. It begins to look as though he were up to something bigger than we"ve been looking for. And he"s sure of himself, Struve, or he wouldn"t have started things by daylight."
Virginia had heard and came into the hallway from her room, her face white, her eyes filled with trouble. Struve turned back into his room abruptly, going for his rifle.
"You heard?" asked Norton quietly. "It"s the big fight at last, Virginia. But we"ve known it was coming all along."
"Yes, Rod." she said half listlessly. "I"ll be glad when it"s all over."
He sketched for her briefly what little more he knew and suspected.
Throughout the county where there was telephone communication the wires were buzzing. Over them the word had come to him of Kid Rickard"s attack on Roberts and the freeing of Moraga. But in many places the lines were reported "out of order" and towns were isolated by cut wires. Already men were riding sweating horses, carrying word from him. He knew that del Rio had gathered a crowd of men at Las Vegas; he was certain that del Rio was working hand in glove with Galloway; further that the Mexican had been with Galloway on his recent trip below the border and among the revolutionists.
"They"re solid down there," concluded Norton. "What they are up to is something big here, then a dash for safety, carrying their booty with them. But we"re going to be on time to put a stop to it all. I am going down to see Engle now; will you come with me?"
But before they left the hotel he swore Struve in as a deputy and sent him hastening to carry the word to other men to be counted on. As they pa.s.sed the Casa Blanca Norton paused a moment, looking in at the wide-open door; it was very quiet within, the place seeming deserted.
"No use looking for Galloway here," he said as they went on. "Nor for any of his gang. But, when they come back . . . unless we head them off . . ."
Her hand tightened on his arm. She looked up into his thoughtful face with shining eyes.
"You think that they would attempt further robbery and outlawry here?"
"I am going to advise Engle to take the bulk of his money out of the bank, dig a hole, and hide it," he answered. "Just to be sure in case we don"t stop them."
He knew that he had no time to waste tonight, and so as he and Virginia entered the Engles" living-room he began immediately telling the banker what had happened and what he feared was set to happen. Engle listened gravely.
"Galloway is making his getaway to-night," Norton said by way of conclusion. "For every rifle he has a man. He has no reason to like you and he knows that you carry more money in gold and bank-notes than any other man in the country. The fact that Kid Rickard pulled the game the way he did this afternoon, shooting down Roberts when there was no need of bloodshed, ought to be enough to show us that they are not going to draw the line anywhere this side of old Mexico."
"What are you planning?" asked Engle.
"I"ve sent for Brocky and all the men he can bring. They"ll all come heeled and ready for trouble, every one sworn in as a sheriff"s deputy.
I"ll get every dependable man in San Juan into the saddle with a rifle inside half an hour. Before that we"ll have further word; or, if not, we ride toward Mt. Temple. I"m taking the gamble so far that that"s their rendezvous; that the Kid and his crowd will show up there."
It was unnecessary for him to continue. Engle nodded and went for his rifle. Norton, turning toward Mrs. Engle and Virginia, was shocked by the look he saw in the eyes of the banker"s wife.
"Florrie!" gasped Mrs. Engle, her hands gripped in front of her, her face paling. "I thought she was in her room; when I missed her five minutes ago I thought that she had slipped out and run up to the hotel to see Virginia. Virginia hasn"t seen her."
Norton smiled and patted the two clasped hands.
"Oh, Florrie"ll be all right, Mrs. Engle," he comforted her. "We mustn"t get nervous and begin to imagine things, must we?"
But no lessening of that look of fear came into the mother"s eyes.
Galloway was striking, Florrie was not to be accounted for. Though she turned quickly and went again through the house, the patio, and the rear gardens, she was apprehensively certain that she would not find Florence. Virginia came hurriedly to Norton, whispering:
"I"m afraid for her, Rod. I"m afraid! I have seen her and Jim Galloway together, I have known all along that he had an influence over her which he might exert if he wanted to. And, just before Jim Galloway went to Mexico, Elmer saw them walk down the street together, stop and talk together under the trees. . . . Oh, I"m afraid for her, Rod!"
Engle"s face was as white as chalk when a little later he came back into the room with his wife; his two hands were like rock upon his rifle.
"Florence isn"t in the house," he announced in a voice which, while calm, seemed not John Engle"s voice. "If she is in San Juan it won"t take the half-hour to know it. I"m rather inclined to think that I"m just a fool, Rod Norton. My wife has told me that Galloway was looking at Florence in a way which meant no good. I wouldn"t believe. And now, if . . ."
Norton had no reply to make. Florence"s disappearance at a time like this might mean either a very great deal or nothing whatever. But, as Engle had intimated, it would require but little time to learn if she were in San Juan and safe, and, as Norton had said, there was no time now to be wasted. Engle would inst.i.tute inquiries immediately; Norton, his own work looming large before him, would prepare to meet Galloway"s latest play.
The sheriff decided promptly that it would be unwise to leave the town absolutely drained of men in whom he could put faith. It was always possible that either the entire crowd of Galloway"s men or a smaller detachment might find their way here. Julius Struve, four armed men aiding him, was to be responsible for the welfare of women and children. If Galloway"s stroke should turn out to be bolder and harder than was now known, then Struve and his men had horses saddled and were to get their wards out of danger by hard riding. Norton was to post two men a few miles out as he rode north and they were to report back to Struve in case of necessity.
These latter plans were made only at the moment before the sheriff"s departure. A man sent by Brocky Lane had raced into San Juan"s street, bringing fresh word. It began to appear that Galloway was working in conjunction with aid from below the border. Del Rio with a score of men, Mexicans for the most part who had dribbled into the county during the last few months, was reported to have swept down upon John Engle"s ranches, and to be gathering herds of cattle and horses, starting them southward on the run. Three of Engle"s cowboys had been shot down; a similar attack had been delivered upon other ranches. The little town of Las Vegas had been looted, post-office, store, and saloon safes dynamited, stock driven off to augment del Rio"s other herds. Further, the cowboy sent by Lane reported that a signal-fire had been lighted in the mountains an hour ago and that there had been another fire like an answer leaping up from the desert in the south. Word had also come to Lane that telephone messages hinted that Kid Rickard and his unit were working further outlawry along the county line, headed toward Mt.
Temple.
There were seventeen armed hors.e.m.e.n in the street waiting for the word from Norton.
"I"ll come back to you," he said quietly to Virginia. "Because after what you have done for me, I belong to you . . . if you want me."
"I want you, Rod," she answered steadily. "And I know that you will come back to me. And now . . . kiss me good night."
She clung to him a moment, then pushed him from her and watched him swing up into the saddle and ride out among the men who were pledged and sworn to do his bidding. As he did so Engle came to him.
"Going with us, John?" asked Norton.
"No," said Engle. "We haven"t found her yet, Rod. I"ll try to pick up a trace of her here. And . . . you"ll send a man to me if you find her?"
"Yes," Norton promised.
"And if Galloway has got her . . ."
"I"ll know what to do, John," said Norton gently.
Then, without again looking back, he turned his horse toward the north.
The seventeen men, riding two and three abreast, silent and grave for the most part, followed him. The moon shone upon their rifle-barrels and made black, grotesque shadows underfoot.
Against the northern sky Mt. Temple was lifted sharply outlined; from its crest a leaping flame was stabbing at the stars, a new signal-fire to be seen across many miles.