"Joe Sikes."
"And yer left him back there, guarding the girl?"
"He stayed; them was the orders, while I was to bring back the team; but I reckon he won"t need to do no guardin" to speak of, fer we run inter a bunch o" fellows."
"Mendez"s outfit?"
"You got the right dope, marshal, so I reckon I ain"t spillin" no beans. It was the Mex all right, an" some o" his bunch."
"And Lacy didn"t know they were there?"
"I reckon not; leastways he never said so, an" they"d only come a few days."
"How many are they?"
"Maybe a dozen; I don"t just know. I saw eight, or ten, round the bunk-house, besides ol" Mendez an" that dude lieutenant of his, Juan Cateras. I ain"t got no use fer that duck; I allers did want ter soak him. Then ther" was others out with the cow herd."
"They had a bunch o" cattle?"
"Maybe three hundred head, run in from Arizona. I heard that much, but I don"t talk their lingo."
"What was done with the young lady?"
Moore spat vindictively into the sand, digging a hole with his heel.
He had talked already more than he intended, but what was the difference?
"Cateras took her," he admitted, "but I don"t know whar. I rather liked that girl; she"s got a h.e.l.l ov a lot o" sand, an" never put up a whimper. I tried ter find out whar she was, but n.o.body"d tell me.
Then I had ter pull out."
Westcott interjected a question.
"Did you learn if there was any other prisoner there?"
"Not that I heard of. Who do yer mean?"
"A man named Cavendish."
"No, I reckon not." He turned back to the marshal.
"What are you guys goin" ter do with me?"
"That depends, Matt. When a lad is straight with me, I generally play square with him. All this took place in Sunken Valley?"
"Yep; whar"d you hear it called that?"
"Oh, I know more"n some ov you boys think I do. That name"s been floatin" "bout fer some time. I"ve even got the spot located--it"s straight south thar a ways. But you"ve been in it, an" I never have.
Here"s whar you can serve the law, an" so get out of yer own trouble if yer so minded. It don"t make a h.e.l.l ov a lot o" difference to me whether yer speak up or not, but it"s liable to ter you. What do yer say?"
"Fire away; I reckon I"m up against it anyhow."
"What"s the valley like, an" how do you get into it?"
"Well, I"d say it was just a sort o" sink in the desert, a kinder freak. Anyhow, I never saw nuthin" like it afore. You"d never know it was thar a hundred yards away; it kinder scares me sometimes when I come up to it thro" all this sand. The walls is solid rock, almost straight up an" down, but thar"s a considerable stream flowin" down thar that just bursts out a hole in the rock, an" plenty o" gra.s.s fer quite a bunch of steers."
"How do they get down into it?"
""Long a windin" trail on the west side. It used to be mighty rough, I reckon, an" only good fer hikers, but they fixed it up so they can drive cattle down, an" even a wagon if yer take it easy."
"Mendez fixed it?"
"No; I heerd that Bill Lacy sorter handled that job. The Mex can"t do nuthin" but steal."
"Then Lacy is the go-between? He sells the cattle?"
"Sure; I s"posed yer knew that. He ships them east from Bolton Junction, an" pretends they come from his ranch over on Clear Water.
The Mexicans drive "em in that way, an" they"re all branded "fore they leave the valley. It"s a cinch."
The marshal"s eyes brightened; he was gaining the information he most desired.
"And there is no other way to the bottom except along this trail?"
"That"s "bout all."
"Well, could Jim and I make it--say after dark?"
Moore laughed, the reckless boy in him again uppermost.
"Mebbe so; but I reckon ye"d be dead when yer got thar. Thar"s allers two Mexes on guard when Mendez is in the valley. He ain"t takin" no chances o" gettin" caught that way."
"Where are they?"
"Just below the top, whar they kin see out over the desert. h.e.l.l, yer couldn"t get within half a mile an" not be spotted. It"s bull luck yer run inter me."
Brennan and Westcott looked at each other, both uncertain as to the next step. What were they to do with their prisoner? And how could they proceed toward effecting the rescue of the helpless girl? It was a problem not easy to solve, if what Moore told them was true. The latter shuffled his feet in the sand, lifted his eyes shrewdly, and studied the faces of his captors. He was figuring his own chance.
"You fellows want ter get down inter the valley?" he asked at last.
"Yes," and Brennan turned again quickly, "if it can be done. Of course thar"s only two of us, an" it would be sort o" foolish tryin" ter fight a way through, even ag"in" Mexicans. Fifteen ter two is some odds, but "tain"t in my nature, or Jim"s here, ter turn round an" leave that girl in the hands o" them cusses--is it, Jim?"
"I never will," replied Westcott earnestly. "Not if I have to tackle the whole outfit alone."
"You won"t never have to do that. What"s the idea, Moore?"
"Oh, I was just thinkin"," he answered, still uncertain. "She"s a good fellow, all right, an" I wouldn"t mind givin" her a hand myself, pervidin" you men do the square thing. If I show yer a way, what is thar in it fer me?"
Brennan stiffened, his features expressing nothing.
"What do yer mean? I"m an officer o" the law?"