Only the echoes of that racket replied to him from the interior of the place. He swore, somewhat touched with awe, and kicked again.
A faint voice called: "Who"s there?"
"Steve Nash. What the devil"s happened to Eldara?"
The boards of the shutter stirred, opened, so that the man within could look out.
"Is it Steve, honest?"
"d.a.m.n it, Butler, don"t you know my voice? What"s turned Eldara into a cemetery?"
"Cemetery"s right. "Butch" Conklin and his gang are going to raid the place to-night."
"Butch Conklin?"
And Nash whistled long and low.
"But why the devil don"t the boys get together if they know Butch is coming with his gunmen?"
"That"s what they"ve done. Every able-bodied man in town is out in the hills trying to surprise Conklin"s gang before they hit town with their guns going."
Butler was a one-legged man, so Nash kept back the question which naturally formed in his mind.
"How do they know Conklin is coming? Who gave the tip?"
"Conklin himself."
"What? Has he been in town?"
"Right. Came in roaring drunk."
"Why"d they let him get away again?"
"Because the sheriff"s a bonehead and because our marshal is solid ivory. That"s why."
"What happened?"
"Butch came in drunk, as I was saying, which he generally is, but he wasn"t giving no trouble at all, and n.o.body felt particular called on to cross him and ask questions. He was real sociable, in fact, and that"s how the mess was started."
"Go on. I don"t get your drift."
"Everybody was treatin" Butch like he was the king of the earth and not pa.s.sin" out any backtalk, all except one tenderfoot----"
But here a stream of tremendous profanity burst from Nash. It rose, it rushed on, it seemed an exhaustless vocabulary built up by long practice on mustangs and cattle.
At length: "Is that d.a.m.ned fool in Eldara?"
"D"you know him?"
"No. Anyway, go on. What happened?"
"I was sayin" that Butch was feelin" pretty sociable. It went all right in the bars. He was in here and didn"t do nothin" wrong. Even paid for all the drinks for everybody in the house, which n.o.body could ask more even from a white man. But then Butch got hungry and went up the street to Sally Fortune"s place."
A snarl came from Nash.
"Did they let that swine go in there?"
"Who"d stop him? Would you?"
"I"d try my d.a.m.nedest."
"Anyway, in he went and got the centre table and called for ten dollars"
worth of bacon and eggs--which there hasn"t been an egg in Eldara this week. Sally, she told him, not being afraid even of Butch. He got pretty sore at that and said that it was a frame-up and everyone was ag"in"
him. But finally he allowed that if she"d sit down to the table and keep him company he"d manage to make out on whatever her cook had ready to eat."
"And Sally done it?" groaned Nash.
"Sure; it was like a dare--and you know Sally. She"d risk her whole place any time for the sake of a bet."
"I know it, but don"t rub it in."
"She fetched out a steak and served Butch as if he"d been a king and then sat down beside him and started kiddin" him along, with all the gang of us sittin" or standin" around and laughin" fit to bust, but not loud for fear Butch would get annoyed.
"Then two things come in together and spoiled the prettiest little party that was ever started in Eldara. First was that player piano which Sally got shipped in and paid G.o.d-knows-how-much for; the second was this greenhorn I was tellin" you about."
"Go on," said Nash, the little snarl coming back in his voice. "Tell me how the tenderfoot walked up and kicked Butch out of the place."
"Somebody been tellin" you?"
"No; I just been readin" the mind of Eldara."
"It was a nice play, though. This Bard--we found out later that was his name--walks in, takes a table, and not being served none too quick, he walks over and slips a nickel in the slot of the piano. Out she starts with a piece of rippin" ragtime--you know how loud it plays? Butch, he kept on talkin" for a minute, but couldn"t hear himself think. Finally he bellers: "Who turned that d.a.m.ned tin-pan loose?"
"This Bard walks up and bows. He says: "Sir, I came here to find food, and since I can"t get service, I"ll take music as a subst.i.tute."
"Them was the words he used, Steve, honest to G.o.d. Used them to Butch!
"Well, Conklin was too flabbergasted to budge, and Bard, he leaned over and says to Sally: "This floor is fairly smooth. Suppose you and I dance till I get a chance to eat?"
"We didn"t know whether to laugh or to cheer, but most of us compromised by keeping an eye on Butch"s gun.
"Sally says, "Sure I"ll dance," and gets up.
""Wait!" hollers Butch; "are you leavin" me for this wall-eyed galoot?"
"There ain"t nothin" Sally loves more"n a fight--we all know that. But this time I guess she took pity on the poor tenderfoot, or maybe she jest didn"t want to get her floor all messed up.
""Keep your hat on, Butch," she says, "all I want to do is to give him some motherly advice."