Part 28 (1/2)

Before Baggs could think Du Sang was shooting him down. It was wanton. Du Sang stood in no need of the butchery; the escape could have been made without it. His victim had pulled an engine throttle too long to show the white feather, but he was dying by the time he had dragged a revolver from his pocket. Du Sang did the killing alone.

At least, Flat Nose, who alone saw all of the murder, afterward maintained that he did not draw because he had no occasion to, and that Baggs was dead before he, Karg, had finished his cigarette. With his right arm broken and two bullets through his chest, Baggs fell on his face. That, however, did not check his murderer. Rising to his knees, Baggs begged for his life. ”For G.o.d's sake! I'm helpless, gentlemen! I'm helpless. Don't kill me like a dog!” But Du Sang, emptying his pistol, threw his rifle to his shoulder and sent bullet after bullet cras.h.i.+ng through the shapeless form writhing and twitching before him until he had beaten it in the dust soft and flat and still.

Banks's men came up within an hour to find the ranch-house deserted.

They saw a lantern in the yard below, and near the corral gate they found the little boy in the darkness, screaming beside his father's body. The sheriff's men carried the old engineman to the house; others of the _posse_ crossed the creek during the evening, and at eleven o'clock Whispering Smith rode down from the south pa.s.s to find that four of the men they were after had taken fresh horses, after killing Baggs, and pa.s.sed safely through the cordon Banks had drawn around the pa.s.s and along Deep Creek. Bill Dancing, who had ridden with Banks's men, was at the house when Whispering Smith arrived. He found some supper in the kitchen, and the tired man and the giant ate together.

Whispering Smith was too experienced a campaigner to complain. His party had struck a trail fifty miles north of Sleepy Cat and followed it to the Missions. He knew now who he was after, and knew that they were bottled up in the Cache for the night. The sheriff's men were sleeping on the floor of the living-room when Smith came in from the kitchen. He sat down before the fire. At intervals sobs came from the bedroom where the body lay, and after listening a moment, Whispering Smith got stiffly up, and, tiptoeing to still the jingle of his spurs, took the candle from the table, pushed aside the curtain, and entered the bedroom.

The little boy was lying on his face, with his arm around his father's neck, talking to him. Whispering Smith bent a moment over the bed, and, setting the candle on the table, put his hand on the boy's shoulder. He disengaged the hand from the cold neck, and sitting down took it in his own. Talking low to the little fellow, he got his attention after much patient effort and got him to speak. He made him, though struggling with terror, to understand that he had come to be his friend, and after the child had sobbed his grief into a strange heart he ceased to tremble, and told his name and his story, and described the two hors.e.m.e.n and the horses they had left. Smith listened quietly. ”Have you had any supper, Dannie? No? You must have something to eat. Can't you eat anything? But there is a nice pan of fresh milk in the kitchen.”

A burst of tears interrupted him. ”Daddie just brought in the milk, and I was frying the ham, and I heard them shooting.”

”See how he took care of you till the last minute, and left something for you after he was gone. Suppose he could speak now, don't you think he would want you to do as I say? I am your next friend now, for you are going to be a railroad man and have a big engine.”

Dannie looked up. ”Dad wasn't afraid of those men.”

”Wasn't he, Dannie?”

”He said we would be all right and not to be afraid.”

”Did he?”

”He said Whispering Smith was coming.”

”My poor boy.”

”He is coming, don't be afraid. Do you know Whispering Smith? He is coming. The men to-night all said he was coming.”

The little fellow for a long time could not be coaxed away from his father, but his companion at length got him to the kitchen. When they came back to the bedroom the strange man was talking to him once more about his father. ”We must try to think how he would like things done now, mustn't we? All of us felt so bad when we rode in and had so much to do we couldn't attend to taking care of your father. Did you know there are two men out at the crossing now, guarding it with rifles?

But if you and I keep real quiet we can do something for him while the men are asleep; they have to ride all day to-morrow. We must wash his face and hands, don't you think so? And brush his hair and his beard.

If you could just find the basin and some water and a towel--you couldn't find a brush, could you? Could you, honestly? Well! I call that a good boy--we shall have to have you on the railroad, sure. We must try to find some fresh clothes--these are cut and stained; then I will change his clothes, and we shall all feel better. Don't disturb the men; they are tired.”

They worked together by the candle-light. When they had done, the boy had a violent crying spell, but Whispering Smith got him to lie down beside him on a blanket spread on the floor, where Smith got his back against the sod wall and took the boy's head in his arm. He waited patiently for the boy to go to sleep, but Dan was afraid the murderers would come back. Once he lifted his head in a confidence. ”Did you know my daddy used to run an engine?”

”No, I did not; but in the morning you must tell me all about it.”

Whenever there was a noise in the next room the child roused. After some time a new voice was heard; Kennedy had come and was asking questions. ”Wake up here, somebody! Where is Whispering Smith?”

Dancing answered: ”He's right there in the bedroom, Farrell, staying with the boy.”

There was some stirring. Kennedy talked a little and at length stretched himself on the floor. When all was still again, Dannie's hand crept slowly from the breast of his companion up to his chin, and the little hand, feeling softly every feature, stole over the strange face.

”What is it, Dannie?”

”Are you Whispering Smith?”

”Yes, Dannie. Shut your eyes.”

At three o'clock, when Kennedy lighted a candle and looked in, Smith was sitting with his back against the wall. The boy lay on his arm.