Part 33 (1/2)
The outlaws were taken entirely by surprise. Only Blacksnake had known what was coming, and he was unarmed. Kid Wolf was no longer reeling and staggering. The desperadoes looked up to stare into the sinister muzzle of a .45!
”Shoot him to pieces!” Blacksnake yelled, picking himself up on all fours and whirling to make a jump for The Kid's ankles.
The Texan dodged to one side, his gun sweeping the room. A jet flame darted from the barrel, and there was a crash of broken gla.s.s. He had fired at the liquor flask that one of the outlaws still held at his lips.
”That's a remindah,” he said crisply. ”Put up yo' hands!”
Guns blazed suddenly. Two of the bandits had reached for their weapons at the same moment. The walls of the adobe shook under blended explosions, and powder smoke drifted down like a curtain, turning the figures of the men into drifting shadows.
The firing was soon over. The Kid's gun had roared a swift tattoo of hammering shots. Dust flew from the wall near his head, but he had spoiled the aim of both outlaws by fast, hair-trigger shooting. One sank against a broken-down bunk in one corner, reamed through the upper right arm and chest. The other fired again, but his gun hand was dangling, and he missed by a foot. Playing cards were scattered, as the other pair of bandits jumped up with their hands over their heads.
”We got enough!” they yelped. ”Don't shoot!”
Kid Wolf lashed out at Blacksnake, who was rus.h.i.+ng him again. The short, powerful blow to the jaw sent the leader down for good. He rolled over, stunned.
”_Bueno._” The Texan smiled. ”Keep yo' hands right theah, please, caballeros.”
Before the powder fumes had cleared away, he had liberated Lefty and Red with quick strokes of his bowie.
”I reckon we've got the uppah hand now, boys.” He smiled. ”Let's try and keep it. Take their guns, Red.”
The two Diamond D men had been as surprised as the outlaws had been.
They had watched the gun fight fearfully and hopefully, and it was an enthusiastic pair that shook off their severed bonds to clap The Kid across the back. There was no time for conversation now, however, and they busied themselves with disarming their five prisoners and binding them with rope.
”Gee, Kid!” Red whistled. ”We thought we were done, and when yuh came in and made sparks fly--whew!”
”Theah'll be moah spahks fly, I'm afraid,” the Texan drawled. ”How'd yo' like to make some spahks fly yo'selves?”
The others showed their eagerness. The fighting fever was in their veins, especially since the death of poor Mike Train. And now, with Blacksnake and half the outlaw gang captured, they felt that they had a good part of the battle won. Red tried to question Blacksnake about his brother's death, but the outlaw was stubborn and refused to talk.
Had it not been for Kid Wolf, Red would have fallen on his enemy and beaten him with his fists. And none of them could blame him.
It was nearly dark, and they made quick plans The stolen herd was not far ahead, and with it were not more than seven of Gentleman John's riders.
”We'll take those cattle away from 'em,” said Red fiercely, ”and head the steers back to the Diamond D!”
It was decided that the prisoners could be left where they were for the time being, although Lefty Warren was for stringing them up there and then. Kid Wolf shook his head at this suggestion, however, and they armed themselves, ”borrowing” the guns of the Blacksnake gang. Then they mounted their horses and headed south through the deepening dusk.
CHAPTER XX
BATTLE ON THE MESA
”Oh, the cowboy sings so mournful on the Rio!
To the dark night herd, so mournful and so sad, And I'd like to be in the moonlight on the Rio, Wheah good men are good, and bad men are bad!”
Kid Wolf sang the tune softly to the whispering wind, as the trio climbed under a New Mexican moon to the top of a vast mesa.
”Guess yuh'll find some plenty bad ones here in Skull County, eh, Kid?”
laughed Red grimly.