Part 54 (2/2)
Barbara and her father were at the door as he ascended the steps
”Good news!” exclaiot the bank robber, and Brazos, too Caught the sneakin' coyote up to--up the river a bit” He had alht himself in time ”Someone's been cuttin' the wire at the north side of the north pasture, an' I was ridin' up to see ef I could catch 'em at it,” he explained
”He is an Aot the heart of a greaser,” replied Grayson
”Sooin' to take him to Cuivaca tomorrow”
Neither Barbara nor her father seemed to enthuse much To them an American was an Aainst their race That at houst upon this same man did not alter their attitude here, that no Aainst his own people Barbara said as much to Grayson
”Why this fellow's one of Pesita's officers,” exclaimed Grayson ”He don't deserve no sympathy from us nor from no other Americans Pesita has sworn to kill every American that falls into his hands, and this felloith him to help him do it He's a bad un”
”I can't help what he may do,” insisted Barbara ”He's an American, and I for one would never be a party to his death at the hands of a Mexican, and it will mean death to him to be taken to Cuivaca”
”Well, miss,” said Grayson, ”you won't hev to be responsible--I'll take all the responsibility there is and welcoht you'd like to knoe had hi his employer The latter nodded, and Grayson turned and left the rooh back over his shoulder and swung into his saddle
In front of the ain and shouted Eddie's name Shorter came to the door
”Get your six-shooter an' a rifle, an' come on over to the office I want to see you a minute”
Eddie did as he was bid, and when he entered the little rooarettes while Grayson stood before a chair in which sat a man with his arms tied behind his back Grayson turned to Eddie
”This party here is the slick un that robbed the bank, and got away on thet there Brazos pony thet eant here an' his oin' to take hiuard over hiet a little sleep first, though, an' I gotta get some supper Don't stand fer no funny business now, Eddie,” Grayson ad the office when a thought occurred to hiettin' out of the little bedrooh this rooh I'll tell you what, we'll lock him up in there an' then you won't hev to worry none an' neither e You can jest spread out the'in the door, an' there won't nobody hev to relieve you all night”
”Sure,” said Eddie, ”leave it to me--I'll watch the slicker”
Satisfied that their prisoner was safe for the night the Villistas and Grayson departed, after seeing him safely locked in the back roouard's names--Eddie and Shorter--Billy had studied the face of the young American cowpuncher, for the two naestion that they should be very familiar Yet he could connect them in no ith anyone he had known in the past and he was quite sure that he never before had set eyes upon thisto occupy him Billy let his mind dwell upon the identity of his jailer, until, asin the whole world seemed equally as i fate faded into nothingness by comparison with the momentous question as to where he had heard the na his brain over the inconsequentialstirred upon the floor close to his feet, and presently he jerked back a booted foot that a rat had couy,” mused Billy, ”in wit a bunch o'
man-eatin' rats Hey!” and he turned his face toward the door ”You, Eddie! Come here!”
Eddie approached the door and listened
”Wot do you want?” he asked ”None o' your funny business, you know I'm from Shawnee, Kansas, I am, an' they don't come no slicker from nowhere on earth You can't fool me”
Shawnee, Kansas! Eddie Shorter! The whole puzzle was cleared in Billy's mind in an instant
”So you're Eddie Shorter of Shawnee, Kansas, are you?” called Billy
”Well I know your ot I wouldn't be down here wastin' os; but that ain't what I started out to say, which was that I want a light in here The damned rats are tryin' to chaw off me kicks an' when they're done wit them they'll climb up after me an' old man Villa'll be sore as a pup”
”You know my maw?” asked Eddie, and there was a wistful note in his voice ”Aw shucks! you don't know her--that's jest soit it aroun' me some sort o' way to let you escape; but I'm too slick for that”