Part 4 (1/2)
The hold-up was squatting back on his heels, looking out across the desert. ”Don Rex,” said he, ”I had a warning sent to Sheriff Bryant that I was coming down to lift all yo' hawsses. My wolves tracked Bryant's rider to Lordsburgh, where he wired to you. You came running, and had all yo' hawsses rounded up convenient for me, in the stable-yard of this house. I thank you, seh.”
”My good man, I'll bet you an even thousand dollars,” said the patrone, ”that you don't lift a hoof of my haw--_remuda_.”
”It's a spawtin' offer, and tempts me,” answered the outlaw. ”Oblige me by taking my gun from the ground here and firing three shots in the air.”
The patrone took the gun, and at his third shot saw a man ride out from behind the bastion on our right. McCalmont waved to him, and he came, putting a silk mask over his face as he rode, then halted in front of us, shy as a wolf, gun ready for war.
”Young man,” said McCalmont, ”repeat to these gentlemen here the whole of yo' awdehs fo' the day. Leave out the names of the men.”
”You're giving us dead away!” said the rider, threatening McCalmont with his gun. ”You mean that?”
”I mean what I say.”
”Ah! Excuse me, McCalmont,” said the patrone, ”your--er--pistol, I think.”
”Thanks, seh.” McCalmont took the gun. ”Repeat the awdehs!” he said.
”These gentlemen are our friends.”
”Well, you knows best,” came the voice from behind the mask. ”Three men to cover your approach to Holy Cross, and if there's trouble, to shoot Balshannon and Chalkeye. They're covered now. The wall of the stable court by the South-west Bastion to be mined with dynamite, and touched off at ten p. m. prompt; ten riders to get in through the breach in the wall, and drive out the bunch of horses; one man with an axe to split all the saddles in the harness-room, then join the herders.”
”Leave out,” said McCalmont, ”all detail for pointing, swinging, and driving the herd. Go on.”
”At one minute to ten, before the wall is blown away, ten riders are to make a bluff at attacking the main gate, and keep on amusing the garrison until the men with the naphtha cans have fired the private house.
”Rendezvous for all hands at Laguna by midnight, where we catch remounts, and sleep until daybreak, with a night herd of two, and one camp guard. At dawn we begin to gather cattle, while the horse wrangler and two men drive the _remuda_ east. Rendezvous at Wolf Gap.”
Lord Balshannon laughed aloud. ”And how about poor old Bryant's posse of men?” he asked.
”Sheriff Bryant,” said the Captain, ”allows that he's to catch us in a sure fine trap, five miles due west of Lordsburgh. And now,” he called to the mounted robber, ”tell the boys that all awdehs are cancelled, that I'm supping to-night at Holy Crawss, and that the boys will wait for me at the place we fixed in case of accidents.”
The man rode off hostile and growling aloud, while Balshannon stood watching to see which way he went.
”McCalmont,” said he, and I took note of just one small quiver in his voice, ”may I venture to ask one question?”
”A hundred, seh.”
”You seem to know the arrangement of my house--its military weakness.
How did you learn that?”
The outlaw stood up facing him, and took from the breast of his s.h.i.+rt a folded paper. Balshannon and I spread it open, and found a careful plan of Holy Cross. At the foot of the paper there was a memorandum signed ”George Ryan.”
”I may tell you,” said the robber, ”that if I succeeded in burning yo'
home, stealing yo' hawsses, and running yo' cattle, Mr. George Ryan proposed to pay my wolves the sum of ten thousand dollars.”
”Carry out your plans,” the patrone was pleased all to pieces. ”I'd love to fight your wolves. I've got some dynamite, too! Think of what you're losing!”
”Lose nothing!” said the robber. ”I'll collect fifty thousand dollars compensation from Ryan!” He stooped down and gathered his son in his arms.