Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-04-02
CHAPTER XII


Cody's outside door and hammered
at it hard with her knuckles. He was
asleep but came awake instantly,
and called out,
''Who's there? What's wanted?"
''It's me, Jenifer Edwards. Dress
quick and come out here. Bring
your gun, too"
'Well?" he demanded when he
stepped out close to Aunt Jeni-
fer's shadowy form.
81 don't know" she said calmly
if eagerly. II don't trust that Rance
Waldron; he's got mean eye All
day long he has kept his door locked,
and all day I've known that he had
somebody he's been hiding. I've
been watching, figuring with all this
secrecy he'd be anxious to get his
friend out of the house when he was
sure everybody was in bed. Just
now he and another man sneaked
out and went to their horses that
were saddled and hidden in a willow
thicket."
What about it?" demanded Cody,
about as amiable as most men rude
ly awakened from a deep sleep all
for the sake of mere trifle. what
affair is it of mine? Or of yours,
either?"
Part of it is this: Rance Wal
dron has had this man hid in the
house behind locked door all day;
that's a mystery, young man, and
don't like mysteries. Then it's shady,
their sneaking out of the house this
time of night, speaking in whispers.
And someone shot Early Bill few
days ago; and in case there was
no will, Rance Waldron would have
inherited ranch, cash, and every
thing. Another thing; the stage was
held up yesterday by someone who
knew that Bucktooth jenkins was
bringing ten thousand dollars in cash
to Early Bill Cole. And you fired a
few shots at the robbers and thought
you hit one of them. And the man
with Waldron limped so bad that he
could hardly walk. Is that an ear
full, or just child's chatter?"
(Which way did they ride?" asked
Cody, grown brisk now.
Straight north, along the creek on
this side"
you'd better get to bed, Aunt
Jenifer. It's dawning on me that
you're pretty wonderful woman,
but you can't keep going day and
night"
You bet III go to my room, Bill
Cole Cody, and lock my door. Darn
it, I'm scared. And you come back
as soon as you can; I'll hear you,
and I'll creep out into the living
room to make sure it is you Now
poke along
He hurried down to the ranch
tree, and a horse.
Cal, Weakened and appraised of the
situation, was out of the door still
buttoning his overalls and drawing
his belt about his lean middle. Cole
Cody was ahead of him at the sta
BILE; they saddled swiftly and took
the trail Aunt Jenifer had specified,
north along the creek.
''If they want to hide they can
make themselves hard to find in
this country" said Cal Roundtree.
l know the most likely place to
look for them, since they must have
thought that no one had seen their
getaway and so no one would be fol-
lowing them so soon. Likely they'll
get under roof tonight, anyhow,
and maybe poke on tomorrow
night"
AS they rode. Cole Cody told Cal
in detail Aunt Jenifer's information,
her suspicious and surmises.
Cal led the way, and the darkness
did not matter to him; moreover,
his horse soon discovered where he
was going and thereafter needed no
touch on the reins. They kept close
to the creek for a mile, and though
they rode swiftly they heard no
sound of hoofbeatS ahead. Then Cal
swung to the right where a small
tributary brook came tumbling
down, and presently they passed
into the mouth of a steep-Walled
ravine. 1t was about half hour
after entering the ravine that Cal
Roundtree called softly over his
shoulder,
We've run 'em down, pardner.
There's log cabin up there at the
head of the canyon where an old
prospector used to hang out; no.
body's been in it for three-four year,
but there's light there now"
They rode slowly, keeping their
~, at Ia c,iIne
of the trail so that all hoofbeats
were muffled. Thus they drew with
in hundred yards of the log cabin.
There Cal Roundtree gave signal
to stop, and both dismounted. They
led their horses score of PAGES into
the thick timber fringing the creek,
and removed their spurs to hang
them on their saddle horns Then
walking in silence, lifting their boot
ed feet as does a cat in wet grass,