The Desire of the Moth; and the Come On Read online

  Chapter VI

  "You treacherous, dirty hound!" said Breslin.

  "Of all the low-down skunks I ever seen, you sure are the skunkiest!"said Nueces. "The sheriff was right after all. Cur-dog fits you to aT." He finished washing out the cut on Foy's head as he spoke. "Nowthe bandages, Anastacio. We'll have the blood stopped in a jiffy.Funny he hasn't come to. It's been a long while. It ain't the headails him. This isn't such a deep cut; it oughtn't to put him out. Justhappened to strike a vein." He bound up the cut with the deftness ofexperience.

  "I hit him under the jaw," observed Pringle. "That's what did thebusiness for him. He'll be around directly."

  Anastacio looked up at Pringle; measureless contempt was in his eyes.

  "Judas Iscariot could have sublet his job to you at half price ifyou'd been in the neighborhood. You are the limit, plus! I hope to seeyou fry in a New English hell!"

  "Oh, that's all right, too," said Pringle unabashed. "I might justas well have that forty-five hundred as anyone. It wouldn't amount tomuch split amongst all you fellows, but it's quite a bundle forone man. That'll keep the wolf from the well-known door for quite awhile."

  "You won't touch a cent of it!" declared the sheriff.

  "Won't I though? We'll see about that. I captured him alone, didn't I?Oh, I reckon I'll finger the money, alrighty!"

  "Here, fellows; give him a bait of whisky," said Creagan.

  Breslin, kneeling at Foy's side, took the extended flask. Theyadministered the stimulant cautiously, a sip at a time. Foy's eyesflickered; his breath came freer.

  "He's coming!" said Breslin. "Give him a sip of water now."

  "He'll be O.K. in five minutes, far as settin' up goes," said oldNueces, well pleased; "but he ain't goin' to be any too peart forquite some time--not for gettin' down off o' this hill. See--he'sbattin' his eyes and working his hands around. He sure heard thebirdies sing!"

  "The rest of you boys had just as well go on down to the shack,"directed the sheriff. "Creagan and Joe and me will take care of Foytill he's able to move or be moved, and bring him into camp. You justlead up our three horses and an extra one for Foy--up as far as youcan fetch 'em. One of you can ride home behind someone. Call down tothe bunch under the cliff that we've got 'em, and for them to hike outto the ranch and take a nap. You'd better turn old Vorhis loose--andthat girl. They can't do any harm now."

  "Bring my horse, too," said Anastacio. "I'm staying. I want to be surethe invalid gets ... proper care."

  "Me too," said Breslin.

  "And I'm staying to kinder superintend," said Nueces dryly. "Sheriff,"he added, as the main body of the posse fell off down the hill--"andyou, too, Barela--I don't just know what's going on here, but I'mstayin' with you to a fare-you-well. You two seem to be bucking eachother."

  No one answered.

  "Sulky, hey? Well, anyhow, call it off long enough to drive thisPringle thing away from here. He ain't fittin' for no man to herdwith."

  "I'm staying right with this man Foy till I get that reward,"announced Pringle. "Those are my superintentions. Much I care what youthink about me! There's other places besides this."

  Breslin raised his eye from Foy's face and regarded Pringle withoutheat--a steady, contemplative look, as of one who studies some strangeand interesting animal. Then he waved his hand down the pass, wherecertain of the departing posse, were bringing the saddle horses inobedience to the sheriff's instructions.

  "They'll carry a nice report of you," observed Breslin quietly. "Whatdo you suppose that little girl will think?"

  A flicker of red came to Pringle's hard brown face. Even the scorn ofEspalin and Creagan had left him unabashed, but now he winced visibly;and, for once, he had no reply to make.

  Foy gasped, struggled to a sitting position, aided by his oddlyassorted ministrants, gazed round in a dazed condition and lapsed backinto unconsciousness.

  "I'll take my dyin' oath it ain't the cut that ails him," said theranger, tucking a coat under Foy's blood-stained head. "That must havebeen a horrible jolt on his jaw, Pringle. You're no kind of a man atall--no part of a man. You're a shameless, black-hearted traitor; butI got to hand it to you as a slugger. Two knock-outs in one day--andsuch men as them! I don't understand it."

  "He 'most keel Applegate," said the Mexican.

  "Aw, it's easy!" said Pringle eagerly. "There ain't one man in athousand knows how to fight. It ain't cussin' and gritting your teeth,and swellin' up your biceps and clenching your fists up tight thatdoes the trick. You want to hit like there wasn't anybody there. I'llshow you sometime."

  He paused inquiringly, as if to book any acceptance of this kindlyoffer. No such engagements being made, Pringle continued:

  "Supposin' you was throwin' a baseball and your hand struck a manaccidentally; you'd hurt him every time--only you'd break your armthat way. That ain't the way to strike. I'll show you."

  "That wasn't no olive branch I was holdin' out," stated Nueces River."You'll show me nothin'--turncoat!"

  "It helps a lot, too, when the man you hit is not expecting it,"suggested Anastacio smoothly. "You might show me sometime--when I'mlooking for it."

  "Now what's biting you?" demanded Pringle testily. "What did youexpect me to do--send 'em a note by registered mail?"

  "I'm not speaking about Applegate. That was all right. I am speakingabout your friend."

  "Here; Kit's coming to life again," said Lisner.

  Kitty Foy rolled over; they propped him up; he looked round ratherwildly from one to the other. His face cleared. His eye fell uponPringle, where it rested with a steady intentness. When he spoke, atlast, he ignored the others entirely.

  "And I thought you were my friend, Pringle. I trusted you!" he saidwith ominous quietness. "I'll make a note of it. I have a good memory,Pringle--and good friends. Give me some water, someone. I feel sick."

  Espalin brought a canteen.

  "Take your time, Chris," said Lisner. "Tell us when you feel able togo."

  "I'll be all right after a little. Say, boys, it was the queerestfeeling--coming to, I mean. I could almost hear your voices, first.Then I heard them a long ways off but I couldn't make any sense to thewords. Here; let me lean my back up against this rock and sit quietfor a while. Then we'll go. I'm giddy yet."

  "I've got it!" announced Nueces a moment later. "Barela, he'shankering to be sheriff--that's the trouble. He wanted to take Chrishimself, to help things along. That would be quite a feather in anyman's hat--done fair. And the sheriff, natural enough, he don't wantnothing of the kind."

  "That's it," said Anastacio, amusement in his eyes. "I knew you were agood gunman, Nueces, but I never suspected you of brains before."

  "What's the matter with that guess?" said Nueces sulkily. "Kid, you'realways ridin' me. Don't you try to use any spurs!"

  "I'm in on that," said Pringle, rising brightly. "That's my happychance to join in this lovin' conversation. Speaking about gunmen, I'ma beaut! See that hawk screechin' around up there? Well, watch!"

  The hawk soared high above. Pringle barely raised Foy's rifle to hisshoulder as he fired; the hawk tumbled headlong. Pringle jerked thelever, throwing another cartridge into the barrel, as if to fire againat the falling bird. Inconceivably swift, the cocked rifle whirled tocover the seated posse.

  "Steady!" said Pringle. "I'm watchin' you, Nueces! Chris, whenyou're able to walk, go on down and pick you a horse from that bunch.Unsaddle the others and drive 'em along a ways as you go." Stillspeaking, he edged behind the cover of a high rock. "I'll address themeetin' till you get a good head start.... Steady in the boat!"

  "Well, by Heck!" said Nueces.

  "And I thought you had betrayed me!" cried Foy.

  "Well, I hadn't. This was the only show to get off.... I hate to killyou, Nueces; but I will if you make a move."

  "Hell! I ain't makin' no move! What do you think I am--a damn fool?"said Neuces. "If I moved any it was because I am about to crack underthe justly celebrated strain. Say, young fellow, it strikes me thatyou cha
nge sides pretty often."

  "Yes; I am the Acrobat of the Breakfast Table," said Pringle modestly."Thanks for the young fellow. That listens good."

  "Look out I don't have you performing on a tight rope yet!" growledthe sheriff hoarsely. "There'll be more to this. You haven't got outof the country yet."

  "That will be all from you, Sheriff. You, too, Creagan--and Espalin.Not a word or I'll shoot. And I don't care how soon you begin to talk.That goes!"

  Espalin shriveled up; the sheriff and Creagan sat sullen and silent.

  Foy got to his feet rather unsteadily.

  "Chris, you might slip around and gather up their guns," said Pringle."Pick out one for yourself. I left yours where I threw it when Ipicked it out of your belt. I meant to knock you out, Chris--therewasn't any other way; but I didn't mean to plumb kill you. You hityour head on a rock when you fell. It wouldn't have done any good tohave got the drop on you. You had made up your mind not to surrender.You would have shot anyhow; and, of course, I couldn't shoot. I'djust have got myself killed for nothing. No good to play I'd taken youprisoner. This crowd knew you wouldn't be taken--except by treachery.So I played traitor. As it was, when I knocked you out you didn't lookmuch like no put-up job. You was bleeding like a stuck pig."

  "Hold on, there, before you try to take my gun!" warned old NuecesRiver as Foy came to him for his gun, collecting. "You got the bigdrop on me, Pringle, and I wouldn't raise a hand to keep Chris fromgetting off anyhow--not now. But I used to be a ranger--and therangers were sworn never to give up their guns."

  "How about it, Pringle?" asked Foy, who had already relieved thesheriff and his satellites of their guns. "He'll do exactly as hesays--both ways."

  "I wasn't done talking yet," said Nueces irritably. "But I'll letChris take my gun, on one condition."

  "What's that?" inquired Pringle.

  "Why, if you ain't busy next Saturday I'd like to have you callaround--about one o'clock, say--and kick me good and hard."

  "Let him keep his gun. He called me a young fellow. And I don't wantBreslin's, anyway. He's all right. Not to play any favorites, letAnastacio keep his. There are times," said Pringle, "when I have greathopes of Anastacio. I'm thinking some of taking him in hand to see ifI can't make a man of him."

  "Ananias the Amateur," said Anastacio, "I thank you for those kindwords. And I'd like to see you Saturday about two--when you getthrough with Nueces. I'm next on the waiting list. This will be alesson to me never to let my opinion of a man be changed by anythinghe may do."

  "If you fellows feel that way," said Foy, "how about me? How do yousuppose I feel? This man has risked his life fifty times for me--andwhat did I think of him?"

  "If you ask me, Christopher," said Anastacio, "I think you were quiteexcusable. It was all very well to dissemble his love--but I shouldfeel doubtful of any man that handed me such a wallop as that untilthe matter had been fully explained."

  "What I want to know, Pringle, is, how the deuce you got up here soslick?" said Nueces.

  "Oh, that's easy! I can run a mile in nothing flat."

  "Oh--that's it? You hid in the water pen?"

  "Under the troughs. Bright idea of yours, them fires! I knew justwhere not to go. After you left I hooked a horse. If you'd had senseenough to go with the sheriff and eat your supper like a human beingI'd 'a' hooked two horses, and Chris and me would now be gettingfarther and farther. I don't want you ever to do that again. SupposeChris had killed me when I tried to knock him out? Fine large name Iwould 'a' left for myself, wouldn't I?"

  "If you had fought it out with us," said Breslin musingly, "you wouldhave been killed--both of you; and you would have killed others. Mr.Pringle, you have done a fine thing. I apologize to you."

  "Why, that all goes without saying, my boy. As for my part--why, Idon't bother much about a blue tin heaven or a comic-supplement hell,but I'm right smart interested in right here and now. It's a rightnice little old world, take it by and large, and I like to help out atwhatever comes my way, if it takes fourteen innings. But, so long asyou feel that way about it, maybe you'll believe me now, when I saythat Christopher Foy was with me all last night and he didn't shootDick Marr."

  "That's right," said Foy. "I don't know who killed Dick Marr; but I doknow that Creagan, Joe Espalin, and Applegate intended to kill melast night. They gave me back my sixshooter, that Ben Creagan hadborrowed--and it was loaded with blanks. Then they pitched onto me,and if it hadn't been for Pringle they'd have got me sure! We lefttown at eleven o'clock and rode straight to the Vorhis Ranch."

  "I believe you," said Anastacio. "You skip along now, Chris. You'refit to ride."

  "Why shouldn't I stay and see it out?"

  "It won't do. For one thing, your thinker isn't working as perinvoice," said Nueces River. "You're in no fix to do yourself justice.We'll look after your interests. You know some of the posse might becoming back, askin' fool questions. Pull your freight up to the BarCross till we send for you."

  "Well--if you think Pringle isn't running any risks I'll go."

  "We'll take care of Pringle. Guess we'll make him sheriff next fall,maybe--just to keep Anastacio in his place. Drift!"

  "No sheriffin' for mine, thanks. Contracting is my line.Subcontracting!"

  "So long, boys! You know what I'd like to say. You gave me a squaredeal, you three chaps," said Foy. "Get word to Stella as soon as everyou can. She thinks I'm a prisoner, you know. You know what I want tosay there, Pringle--tell her for me.... Say! Why don't you all go innow? You boys all know that Stella's engaged to me, don't you? What'sthe good of keeping her in suspense? Go on to the ranch, right away."

  "I told you your head wasn't working just right," jeered Nueces. "Wewant to give you a good start. They'll be after you again, and you'rein no fix to do any hard riding. But one of us will go. Breslin, yougo."

  "Too late," observed Anastacio quietly. There is Miss Vorhis now, withher father. They're climbing to the Gap. Go on, Foy."

  "They've got a led horse," said Nueces as Stella and the Major cameto the highest point of the Gap. "Who's that for? Chris? But theycouldn't know about Chris. And how did they get here so quick? Don'tseem like they've had hardly time."

  Stella dismounted; she pressed on up the hill to meet her lover. Thefirst sunshafts struck into the Gap, lit up the narrow walls with redglory.

  "_Magic Casements!_" thought Pringle.

  "Watch Foy get over the ground!" said Anastacio. "He'll break his neckbefore he gets down. I don't blame him. He's nearly down. Look theother way, boys!"

  They looked the other way, and there were none to see that meeting.Unless, perhaps, the gods looked down from high Olympus--the poorimmortals--and turned away, disconsolate, to the cheerless fields ofasphodel.

  "But they're not going away," said Breslin after a suitable interval."They're waiting; and the Major's waving his hat at us."

  "I'll go see what they want," said Anastacio.

  In a few minutes he was back, rather breathless and extremely agitatedin appearance.

  "Well? Spill it!" said Nueces. "Get your breath first. What's thetrouble?"

  "Applegate's dead. Joe Espalin, I arrest you for the murder of RichardMarr! Applegate confessed!"

  "He lied! He lied!" screamed Espalin. "I was with Ben till daylight,at the monte game; they all tell you. The sheriff he try to make mekeel heem--he try to buy me to do eet--he keel Dick Marr heemself!"

  "That's right!" spoke Creagan, suddenly white and haggard. His voicewas a cringing whine; his eyes groveled. "Marr was at Lisner's house.We all went over there after the fight. Lisner waked Marr up--he'dbeen tryin' to egg Marr on to kill Foy all day, but Marr was toodrunk. He was sobering up when we waked him. Lisner tried to rib himup to go after Foy and waylay him--told him he had been threateningFoy's life while he was drunk, and that Foy'd kill him if he didn'tget Foy first. Dick said he wouldn't do it--he'd go along to helparrest Foy, but that's all he'd do. The sheriff and Joe wentout together for a powwow. The sheriff came back alone, black asth
under--him and Dick rode off together----"

  The sheriff sprang to his feet, his heavy face bloated and blotchedwith terror.

  "He cursed me; he tried to pull his gun!" he wailed. His eyesprotruded, glaring; one hand clutched at his throat, the other spreadout before him as he tottered, stumbling. "Oh, my God!" he sobbed.

  "That will do nicely," said Anastacio. "You're guilty as hell! I'llput your own handcuffs on you. Oddly enough, the law provides thatwhen it is necessary to arrest the sheriff the duty falls to thecoroner. It is very appropriate. You must pardon me, Mr. Lisner, if Iseem unsympathetic. Dick Marr was your friend! And you have not beenentirely fair with Foy, I fear.... Creagan, we'll hold you and Joe forcomplicity and for conspiracy in Foy's case. We'll arrest Applegate,too, when we get to camp. He'll be awfully vexed."

  "What!" shrieked the sheriff, raising his manacled hands. "Liar!Murderer!"

  "So Applegate's not dead? Well, I'm just as well pleased," saidPringle.

  "Not even hurt badly. I was after the Man Lower Down. What the Majortold me was that the Barelas were at the ranch--more than enough tohold Lisner's crowd down. They come at daylight. I was expecting that,and waiting. As I told you, that's the best thing I do--waiting."

  "But how did you know?" demanded Breslin, puzzled.

  "I didn't know, for sure. I had a hunch and I played it. So I killedpoor Applegate--temporarily. It worked out just right and nothing tocarry."

  "One of the mainest matters with the widely-known world," said Pringlewearily, "is that people won't play their hunches. They haven't spunkenough to believe what they know. Let me spell it out for you in wordsof two cylinders, Breslin: You saw that I knew Creagan and Applegate,while they positively refused to know me at any price; you heardthe sheriff deny that I was at the Gadsden House before I'd claimedanything of the sort. Of course you didn't know anything about thefight at the Gadsden House, but that was enough to show you somethingwasn't right, just the same. You had all the material to build a niceplump hunch. It all went over your head. You put me in mind of thelightning bug:

  "_The lightning bug is brilliant, But it hasn't any mind; It wanders through creation With its headlight on behind_.

  "Come on--let's move. I'm fair dead for sleep."

  "Just a minute!" said Anastacio. "I want to call your attention to thebig dust off in the north. I've been watching it half an hour. Thatdust, if I'm not mistaken, is the Bar Cross coming; they've heard thenews!"

  "So, Mr. Lisner, you hadn't a chance to get by with it," said Pringleslowly and thoughtfully. "If I hadn't balked you, the Barelas stoodready; if the Barelas failed, yonder big dust was on the way; halfyour own posse would have turned on you for half a guess at the truth.It's a real nice little world--and it hates a lie. A good many peoplelay their fine-drawn plans, but they mostly don't come off! Men arebut dust, they tell us. Magnificent dust! This nice little old worldof ours, in the long run, is going right. You can't beat the Game!Once, yes--or twice--not in the long run. The Percentage is allagainst you. You can't beat the Game!"

  "It's up to you, Sheriff," said Anastacio briskly. "I can turn youover to the Bar Cross outfit and they'll hang you now; or I can turnyou over to the Barelas and you will be hung later. Dick Marr was yourfriend! Take your choice. You go on down, Pringle, while the sheriffis looking over the relative advantages of the two propositions. Ithink Miss Vorhis may have something to say to you."

  * * * * *

  She came to meet him; Foy and the Major waited by the horses. "John!"she said. "Faithful John!" She sought his hands.

  "There now, honey--don't take on so! Don't! It's all right! You knowwhat the poet says:

  "Cast your bread upon the waters And you may live to say: 'Oh, how I wish I had the crust That once I threw away!'"

  Her throat was pulsing swiftly; her eyes were brimming with tears,bruised for lost sleep.

  "Dearest and kindest friend! When I think what you have done forme--that you faced shame worse than death--guarded by unprovablehonor--John! John!"

  "Why, you mustn't, honey--you mustn't do that! Why, Stella, you'recrying--for me! You mustn't do that, Little Next Door!"

  "If you had been killed, taking Chris--or after you gave him up--noone but me would have ever believed but that you meant it."

  "But you believed, Stella?"

  "Oh, I knew! I knew!"

  "Even when you first heard of it?"

  "I never doubted you--not one instant! I knew what you meant to do.You knew I loved him. The led horse was for you. I thought Chris wouldbe gone. Why, John Wesley, I have known you all my life! You couldn'tdo that! You couldn't! Oh, kiss me, kiss me--faithful John!"

  But he bent and kissed her hands--lest, looking into his eyes, sheshould read in the book of his life one long, long chapter--that boreher name.

  THE END

  THE COME ON