Part 39 (1/2)

”I'll split mine.”

”I won't--that settles that,” added Lawson, instantly.

Longstreth spread wide his hands as if it was useless to try to convince this man. Talking had not increased his calmness, and he now showed more than impatience. A dull glint gleamed deep in his eyes.

”Your stock and property will last a long time--do you lots of good when this ranger--”

”Bah!” hoa.r.s.ely croaked Lawson. The ranger's name was a match applied to powder. ”Haven't I told you he'd be dead soon--any time--same as Laramie is?”

”Yes, you mentioned the--the supposition,” replied Longstreth, sarcastically. ”I inquired, too, just how that very desired event was to be brought about.”

”The gang will lay him out.”

”Bah!” retorted Longstreth, in turn. He laughed contemptuously.

”Floyd, don't be a fool. You've been on the border for ten years. You've packed a gun and you've used it. You've been with rustlers when they killed their men. You've been present at many fights. But you never in all that time saw a man like this ranger. You haven't got sense enough to see him right if you had a chance. Neither have any of you. The only way to get rid of him is for the gang to draw on him, all at once. Then he's going to drop some of them.”

”Longstreth, you say that like a man who wouldn't care much if he did drop some of them,” declared Lawson; and now he was sarcastic.

”To tell you the truth, I wouldn't,” returned the other, bluntly. ”I'm pretty sick of this mess.”

Lawson cursed in amazement. His emotions were all out of proportion to his intelligence. He was not at all quick-witted. Duane had never seen a vainer or more arrogant man.

”Longstreth, I don't like your talk,” he said.

”If you don't like the way I talk you know what you can do,” replied Longstreth, quickly. He stood up then, cool and quiet, with flash of eyes and set of lips that told Duane he was dangerous.

”Well, after all, that's neither here nor there,” went on Lawson, unconsciously cowed by the other. ”The thing is, do I get the girl?”

”Not by any means except her consent.”

”You'll not make her marry me?”

”No. No,” replied Longstreth, his voice still cold, low-pitched.

”All right. Then I'll make her.”

Evidently Longstreth understood the man before him so well that he wasted no more words. Duane knew what Lawson never dreamed of, and that was that Longstreth had a gun somewhere within reach and meant to use it. Then heavy footsteps sounded outside tramping upon the porch. Duane might have been mistaken, but he believed those footsteps saved Lawson's life.

”There they are,” said Lawson, and he opened the door.

Five masked men entered. They all wore coats hiding any weapons. A big man with burly shoulders shook hands with Longstreth, and the others stood back.

The atmosphere of that room had changed. Lawson might have been a nonent.i.ty for all he counted. Longstreth was another man--a stranger to Duane. If he had entertained a hope of freeing himself from this band, of getting away to a safer country, he abandoned it at the very sight of these men. There was power here, and he was bound.

The big man spoke in low, hoa.r.s.e whispers, and at this all the others gathered around him close to the table. There were evidently some signs of members.h.i.+p not plain to Duane. Then all the heads were bent over the table. Low voices spoke, queried, answered, argued. By straining his ears Duane caught a word here and there. They were planning, and they were brief. Duane gathered they were to have a rendezvous at or near Ord.

Then the big man, who evidently was the leader of the present convention, got up to depart. He went as swiftly as he had come, and was followed by his comrades. Longstreth prepared for a quiet smoke. Lawson seemed uncommunicative and unsociable. He smoked fiercely and drank continually. All at once he straightened up as if listening.

”What's that?” he called, suddenly.