"One h.e.l.l of a view, Jim," he said disgustedly, "but I reckon we can"t be a great ways from that spring. We"ve been ridin" right smart."
"It"s not far ahead; the ponies sniff water. Did you ever see anything more dismal and desolate?"
"Blamed if I see how even a Mex can run cattle through here."
"They know the trails, and the water-holes--ah! there"s a bunch o"
green ahead; that"ll likely be Badger Springs."
a.s.sured they were beyond pursuit, the two unsaddled, and turned the ponies out to crop the few handfuls of wire gra.s.s which the sweet water bubbling up from a slight depression had coaxed into stunted growth.
There was no wood to be had, although they found evidence of several camp-fires, and consequently they were obliged to content themselves with what they could find eatable in their bag. It was hardly a satisfying meal, and their surroundings did not tend toward a joyful spirit. Except for a few sentences neither spoke, until Brennan, having partially satisfied his appet.i.te, produced the note given him by Miss La Rue, and deliberately slashed open the sealed envelope.
"In the name of the law," he said grimly, hauling out the enclosure.
"Now we"ll see what"s the row. Holy smoke! it"s in Spanish! Here, Jim, do you read that lingo?"
"I know words here and there," and Westcott bent over the paper, his brows wrinkling. "Let"s see, it"s not quite clear, but the sense is that Mendez will be paid a thousand dollars for something--I can"t make out what, only it has to do with prisoners. Lacy says he"ll be there to confer with him some time to-night."
"Where? At Sunken Valley?"
"The place is not mentioned."
"Lacy write it?"
"Yes; at least he signed it; there"s a message there about cattle, too, but I can"t quite make it out."
"Well, we don"t care about that. If Lacy aims to meet Mendez to-night, he ought to be along here soon after nightfall. How"d it do to hide in these sand-hills, and wait?"
"We can do that, Dan, if we don"t hit any trail," said Westcott, leaning over, his hand on the other"s knee, "but if we can get there earlier, I"d rather not waste time. There"s no knowing what a devil like Mendez may do. Let"s take a scout around anyhow."
They started, the one going east, the other west, and made a semicircle until they met, a hundred yards or so, south of the spring, having found nothing. Again they circled out, ploughing their way through the sand, and all at once Brennan lifted his hand into the air and called.
Westcott hurried over to where he stood motionless, staring down at the track of a wagon-wheel. It had slid along a slight declivity, and left a mark so deep as not yet to be obliterated. They traced it for thirty feet before it entirely disappeared.
"Still goin" south," affirmed the marshal, gazing in that direction.
"Don"t look like there"s nothin" out there, but we might try--what do you say?"
"I vote we keep moving; that wagon is bound to leave a trail here and there, and so long as we get the general direction, we can"t go far wrong."
"I reckon you"re right. Come on then; let"s saddle up."
It was a blind trail, and progress was slow. The men separated, riding back and forth, leaning forward in the saddles, scanning the sand for the slightest sign. Again and again they were encouraged by some discovery which proved they were on the right track--the clear print of a horse"s hoof; a bit of greasy paper which might have been tied round a lunch, and thrown away; impresses in the sand which bore resemblance to a man"s footprints; a tin can, newly opened, and an emptied tobacco-pouch. Twice they encountered an undoubted wheel mark, and once traces of the whole four wheels were plainly visible. These could be followed easily for nearly a quarter of a mile, but then as quickly vanished as the wagon came again to an outcropping of rock. Yet this was a.s.sured--the outfit had headed steadily southward.
This was desperately slow work, and beyond that ridge of rock they discovered no other evidence. An hour pa.s.sed, and not the slightest sign gave encouragement. Could the wagon have turned in some other direction? In the shadow of a sand-dune they halted finally to discuss the situation. Should they go on? Or explore further to the east and west? Might it not even be better to retrace their way to the springs, and wait the coming of Lacy? All in front of them the vast sand plain stretched out, almost as level as a floor. So far as the eye would carry there was no visible sign of any depression or change in conformity. Certainly there was no valley in that direction. Beyond this dune, in whose shelter they stood, there was nothing on which the gaze could rest; all was utter desolation, apparently endless.
Brennan was for turning back, arguing the uselessness of going further, and the necessity of water for the ponies.
"Come on, Jim," he urged. "Be sensible; we"ve lost the trail, and that"s no fault o" ours. An Apache Indian couldn"t trace a herd o"
steers through this sand. And look ahead thar! It"s worse, an" more of it. I"m for stalking Lacy at the springs." He stopped suddenly, staring southward as though he had seen a vision. "Holy smoke! What"s that? By G.o.d! It"s a wagon, Jim; an" it come right up out of the earth. There wasn"t no wagon there a second ago."
CHAPTER x.x.x: ON THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF
For a moment both men suspected that what they looked upon was a mirage--its actual existence there in that place seemed impossible.
Yet there was no disputing the fact, that yonder in the very midst of that desolation of sand, a wagon drawn by straining horses was slowly moving directly toward them. Westcott was first to grasp the truth, hastily jerking the marshal back to where the tired ponies stood with drooping heads behind the protection of the dune.
"It"s the same outfit coming back," he explained. "The Sunken Valley must be out there--just a hole in the surface of the desert--and that"s how that wagon popped up out of the earth the way it did. I couldn"t believe my eyes."
"Nor me neither," and the marshal drew one of his guns, and held it dangling in his hand. "I"m a bit fl.u.s.tered yet, but I reckon that"s about the truth. Get them ponies round a bit more, an" we"ll wait and see what"s behind that canvas."
The distance must have been farther than it seemed, or else the travelling difficult, for it was some time before the heavy wagon and straining team drew near enough for the two watchers to determine definitely the character of the outfit. Westcott lay outstretched on the far side of the dune, his hat beside him, and his eyes barely able to peer over the summit, ready to report observations to the marshal crouched below.
"It"s Moore"s team, all right," he whispered back, "and Matt is driving them. There isn"t any one else on the seat, so I guess he must be alone."
"We can"t be sure of that," returned Brennan, wise in guarding against surprises. "There was another fellow with him on the out trip, and he might be lying down back in the wagon. We"d better both of us hold "em up. I can hear the creak of the wheels now, so maybe you best slide down. Is the outfit loaded?"
"Travelling light, I should say," and Westcott, after one more glance, crept down the sand-heap and joined the waiting man below. Both stood intent and ready, revolvers drawn, listening. The heavy wheels grated in the sand, the driver whistling to while away the dreary pull and the horses breathing heavily. Moore pulled them up with a jerk, as two figures leaped into view, his whistle coming to an abrupt pause.
"h.e.l.l"s fire!" was all he said, staring dumbly down into Brennan"s face over the front wheel. "Where in Sam Hill did you come from?"
"I"m the one to ask questions, son," returned the little marshal, the vicious blue barrel shining in the sunlight, "and the smarter you answer, the less reason I shall have to hurt yer. Don"t reach for that gun! Are you travelling alone?"
Moore nodded, his hands up, but still grasping the reins.
"Then climb down over the wheel. Jim, take a look under that canvas; Moore, here, is generally a genial sort o" liar, and we"d better be sure. All right--hey? Then dismount, Matt, and be quick about it.
Now unbuckle that belt, and hand the whole outfit over to Westcott; then we"ll talk business together."
He shoved his own weapon back into its holster, and faced the prisoner, who had recovered from his first shock of surprise, and whose pugnacious temper was beginning to a.s.sert itself. Brennan read this in the man"s sulky, defiant glance, and his lips smiled grimly.
"Getting bullish, are you, Matt?" he said, rather softly. "Goin" ter keep a close tongue in your head; so that"s the game? Well, I wouldn"t, son, if I was you. Now, see here, Moore," and the voice perceptibly hardened, and the marshal"s eyes were like flints. "You know me, I reckon, an" that I ain"t much on boys" play. You never heard tell o" my hittin" anybody just fer fun, did yer?"
There was no answer.
"An" yer never heard no one say," went on Brennan, "that I was afraid ter hit when I needed to. I reckon also yer know what sorter man Jim Westcott is. Now the two ov us ain"t out here in this d.a.m.ned Shoshone desert fer the fun of it--not by a jugful. Get that fact into yer head, son, an" maybe it"ll bring yer some sense. Do yer get me?"
"Yes," sullenly and reluctantly. "But yer haven"t got nuthin" on me."
"Oh, haven"t I? Well, you shut up like a clam, and find out what I"ve got. You drove a young woman out here from Haskell night afore last, for Bill Lacy. Ain"t abduction no crime? An" that"s only one count.
I"ve had an eye on you for more"n six months, an" Lacy"s been makin" a d.a.m.n cat"s-paw out of you all that time. Well, Lacy is playin" his last hand right now, an" I"ve got the cards." The marshal paused, fully aware that he had struck home, then added quietly: "It allers struck me, Matt, that naturally you was a pretty decent fellow, but had drifted in with a bad crowd. I"m offering you now a chance to get straight again." He threw back his coat and exhibited his star. "Yer see, I ain"t just talkin" ter yer as Dan Brennan--I"m the law."
The boy, for he was scarcely more than that in years, shuffled his feet uneasily, and his eyes wandered from Brennan to Westcott. The look of sullen defiance had vanished.
"Whar is Lacy?" he asked.
"Back in town, but he will be at Badger Springs about dark. We"ve got him corralled this time. Yer better climb inter the band-wagon, son; it"s the last call."
"Wotcher wanter ask?"
"Who was with you the out-trip, along with Miss Donovan?"