Part 13 (1/2)

Jim got up and walked away and presently called Haney. Wellesly lay down and pulled his hat over his face. He fell into a light slumber and awoke himself with a snore. He heard the voices of the two men, and so he kept on snoring, listening intently, meanwhile, to their conversation. He could not hear all that they said, but he soon found that they were talking about the lost mine.

”If this here tenderfoot ain't lyin',” said Jim, ”the Winters mine ain't far from here. I know these mountains and I know this here spring is the only sweet water within ten miles, yes, twenty of 'em, unless there may be one up so high among the cliffs that nothing but a goat could find it. If d.i.c.k Winters' mine is in the southern part of the Oro Fino mountains it's somewhere within two miles of us.”

Then he heard them talk about ”finis.h.i.+ng up” with him and coming back to look for the mine. Haney suggested that as they had enough provisions to last two or three days longer they might spend a day examining the near-by canyons and ”finish up” with Wellesly afterward.

”If we find the stuff,” he heard Haney say, ”and this chap don't conclude to be reasonable, we can leave 'im 'ere. If 'e does come to time, we'll 'ave so much the more.”

Then they walked farther away and Wellesly heard no more. His scheme was coming out as he wished, for they would of course take him with them, and in their search for the lost mine they might become so interested that their vigilance would relax and he would find an opportunity to slip away un.o.bserved. He thought he could find his way out of the mountains by following the downward course of the canyons.

That would be sure to bring him to the desert.

After breakfast the next morning Haney said:

”Well, Mr. Wellesly, do you think you would like to go to El Paso to-morrow?”

Wellesly looked him squarely in the eye and replied: ”I have no business in El Paso and do not care to go there.”

An ugly look came into Haney's face, and Wellesly saw that his captors were ready to throw off all pretense and take extreme measures.

”Well,” said Haney; ”this is what we've decided to do. We'll give you till to-morrow morning to make up your mind whether you'll go to El Paso and give us ten thousand dollars apiece for taking you there. If you don't want to get away that bad, that big rock will roll down into this canyon and shut up that outlet and you will stay 'ere and starve.

We are going to leave you 'ere alone to-day to think the matter over, and we are going to tie you fast to that big tree, so you won't 'ave anything to distract your attention. We'll be back to-night and then you can 'ave your supper and I 'ope we'll find you in a reasonable frame of mind.”

Jim approached with a picket rope, and Wellesly whitened with anger.

For a moment, earth and sky turned black before him, and before he realized what he was doing he had hit Jim a smas.h.i.+ng blow in the jaw.

Jim staggered backward, and then, with a howling oath, whipped out and leveled his revolver. Haney, who had grabbed one of Wellesly's wrists and was struggling to keep it in his grasp, jumped between them and shouted in a tone of command: ”Don't shoot, Jim, don't shoot! You'll spoil the whole game if you kill 'im!”

Jim lowered his revolver sullenly and vented his anger in vile epithets instead of bullets.

”'Ere, stop your swearing and grab that arm,” said Haney. ”You can't blame the man for kicking. You or me would do the same thing in 'is place. Now push 'im up against this pine tree and 'and me the rope.

I'm sorry we 'ave to treat you this way, Mr. Wellesly, but if you won't be reasonable it's the only thing we can do.”

Wellesly struggled at first, but he soon realized that they were much the stronger and wasted no more strength in useless resistance, though grinding his teeth with rage. They tied his arms to his body, and then, standing him upright, bound him close against the tree. They stepped back and Jim shook his fist at the captive.

”I'll get even with you yet,” he shouted, ”for the way you took me in the jaw! If you ain't ready to do what we want to-morrow morning you won't get a chance to starve, you hear me shout! I'll wait till then, but I won't wait no longer!”

”Shut up, Jim! Don't be a fool!” said Haney. ”After 'e's meditated about it all day 'e'll be reasonable.”

Wellesly did not speak, but the two men read a ”never surrender” in his blazing eyes. Haney laughed excitedly and said, replying to his look:

”You'll feel differently to-night, Mr. Wellesly. That rope's likely to 'ave a big effect on your state of mind. Jim, we don't want to leave any knives on 'im.”

They went through his pockets and took out everything they contained, dividing the money between them, while Haney took charge of his papers. Then they made ready for their own trip, saddling their horses and preparing to lead the two others.

”We won't leave 'im the least possibility of getting away,” said Haney to Jim, ”even if 'e should 'appen to get loose.”

”He'll never get out of that rope till we let him out.”

”If the 'orses ain't 'ere he won't 'ave any temptation to try. 'E'd never undertake the desert alone and afoot.”