Some of the bandits nodded gloomily.
"Aw!" burst out Red Pearce. "Gulden never seen a ghost in his life. If he seen Creede he"s seen him ALIVE!"
"Sh.o.r.e you"re right, Red," agreed Jesse Smith.
"But, men--Cleve brought in Creede"s belt--and we"ve divided the gold,"
said Kells. "You all know Creede would have to be dead before that belt could be unbuckled from him. There"s a mistake."
"Boss, it"s my idee thet Gul is only makin" more trouble," put in Bate Wood. "I seen him less than an hour ago. I was the first one Gul talked to. An" he knew Jim Cleve did for Creede. How"d he know? Thet was supposed to be a secret. What"s more, Gul told me Cleve was on the job to kill him. How"d he ever find thet out?... Sure as G.o.d made little apples Cleve never told him!"
Kells"s face grew livid and his whole body vibrated. "Maybe one of Gulden"s gang was outside, listening when we planned Cleve"s job," he suggested. But his look belied his hope.
"Naw! There"s a n.i.g.g.e.r in the wood-pile, you can gamble on thet,"
blurted out the sixth bandit, a lean faced, bold-eye, blond-mustached fellow whose name Joan had never heard.
"I won"t believe it," replied Kells, doggedly. "And you, Budd, you"re accusing somebody present of treachery--or else Cleve. He"s the only one not here who knew."
"Wal, I always said thet youngster was slick," replied Budd.
"Will you accuse him to his face?"
"I sh.o.r.e will. Glad of the chance."
"Then you"re drunk or just a fool."
"Thet so?"
"Yes, that"s so," flashed Kells. "You don"t know Cleve. He"ll kill you.
He"s lightning with a gun. Do you suppose I"d set him on Gulden"s trail if I wasn"t sure? Why I wouldn"t care to--"
"Here comes Cleve," interrupted Pearce, sharply.
Rapid footsteps sounded without. Then Joan saw Jim Cleve darken the doorway. He looked keen and bold. Upon sight of Joan in her changed attire he gave a slight start.
"Budd, here"s Cleve," called out Red Pearce, mockingly. "Now, say it to his face!"
In the silence that ensued Pearce"s spirit dominated the moment with its cunning, hate, and violence. But Kells savagely leaped in front of the men, still master of the situation.
"Red, what"s got into you?" he hissed. "You"re cross-grained lately.
You"re sore. Any more of this and I"ll swear you"re a disorganizer....
Now, Budd, you keep your mouth shut. And you, Cleve, you pay no heed to Budd if he does gab.... We"re in bad and all the men have chips on their shoulders. We"ve got to stop fighting among ourselves."
"Wal, boss, there"s a power of sense in a good example," dryly remarked Bate Wood. His remark calmed Kells and eased the situation.
"Jim, did you meet Gulden?" queried Kells, eagerly.
"Can"t find him anywhere," replied Cleve. "I"ve loafed in the saloons and gambling-h.e.l.ls where he hangs out. But he didn"t show up. He"s in camp. I know that for a fact. He"s laying low for some reason."
"Gulden"s been tipped off, Jim," said Kells, earnestly. "He told Bate Wood you were out to kill him."
"I"m glad. It wasn"t a fair hand you were going to deal him," responded Cleve. "But who gave my job away? Someone in this gang wants me done for--more than Gulden."
Cleve"s flashing gaze swept over the motionless men and fixed hardest upon Red Pearce. Pearce gave back hard look for hard look.
"Gulden told Oliver more," continued Kells, and he pulled Cleve around to face him. "Gulden swore he saw Creede alive last night.... LATE LAST NIGHT!"
"That"s funny," replied Cleve, without the flicker of an eyelash.
"It"s not funny. But it"s queer. Gulden hasn"t the moral sense to lie.
Bate says he wants to make trouble between you and me. I doubt that.
I don"t believe Gulden could see a ghost, either. He"s simply mistaken some miner for Creede."
"He sure has, unless Creede came back to life. I"m not sitting on his chest now, holding him down."
Kells drew back, manifestly convinced and relieved. This action seemed to be a magnet for Pearce. He detached himself from the group, and, approaching Kells, tapped him significantly on the shoulder; and whether by design or accident the fact was that he took a position where Kells was between him and Cleve.
"Jack, you"re being double-crossed here--an" by more "n one," he said, deliberately. "But if you want me to talk you"ve got to guarantee no gun-play."
"Speak up, Red," replied Kells, with a glinting eye. "I swear there won"t be a gun pulled."
The other men shifted from one foot to another and there were deep-drawn breaths. Jim Cleve alone seemed quiet and cool. But his eyes were ablaze.
"Fust off an" for instance here"s one who"s double-crossin" you," said Pearce, in slow, tantalizing speech, as if he wore out this suspense to torture Kells. And without ever glancing at Joan he jerked a thumb, in significant gesture, at her.
Joan leaned back against the wall, trembling and cold all over. She read Pearce"s mind. He knew her secret and meant to betray her and Jim. He hated Kells and wanted to torture him. If only she could think quickly and speak! But she seemed dumb and powerless.
"Pearce, what do you mean?" demanded Kells.
"The girl"s double-crossin" you," replied Pearce. With the uttered words he grew pale and agitated.
Suddenly Kells appeared to become aware of Joan"s presence and that the implication was directed toward her. Then, many and remarkable as had been the changes Joan had seen come over him, now occurred one wholly greater. It had all his old amiability, his cool, easy manner, veiling a deep and hidden ruthlessness, terrible in contrast.
"Red, I thought our talk concerned men and gold and--things," he said, with a cool, slow softness that had a sting, "but since you"ve nerve enough or are crazy enough to speak of--her--why, explain your meaning."
Pearce"s jaw worked so that he could scarcely talk. He had gone too far--realized it too late.
"She meets a man--back there--at her window," he panted. "They whisper in the dark for hours. I"ve watched an" heard them. An" I"d told you before, but I wanted to make sure who he was.... I know him now!... An"
remember I seen him climb in an" out--"
Kells"s whole frame leaped. His gun was a flash of blue and red and white all together. Pearce swayed upright, like a tree chopped at the roots, and then fell, face up, eyes set--dead. The bandit leader stood over him with the smoking gun.
"My Gawd, Jack!" gasped Handy Oliver. "You swore no one would pull a gun--an" here you"ve killed him yourself!... YOU"VE DOUBLE-CROSSED YOURSELF! An" if I die for it I"ve got to tell you Red wasn"t lyin"
then!"
Kells"s radiance fled, leaving him ghastly. He stared at Oliver.
"You"ve double-crossed yourself an" your pards," went on Oliver, pathetically. "What"s your word amount to? Do you expect the gang to stand for this?... There lays Red Pearce dead. An" for what? Jest once--relyin" on your oath--he speaks out what might have showed you.
An" you kill him!... If I knowed what he knowed I"d tell you now with thet gun in your hand! But I don"t know. Only I know he wasn"t lyin"....
Ask the girl!... An" as for me, I reckon I"m through with you an" your Legion. You"re done, Kells--your head"s gone--you"ve broke over thet slip of a woman!"