The Untamed - Max Brand
Mrs. Daniels ran ahead and lighted a lamp. They laid the body
carefully upon a bed. It made a ghastly sight, the bloodless face with
the black hair fallen wildly across the forehead, the mouth loosely
open, and the lips black with dust.
"Dad!" said Buck. "I think I've seen this feller. God knows if he's
livin' or dead."
He dropped to his knees and pressed his ear over Dan's heart.
"I can't feel no motion. Ma, get that hand mirror--"
She had it already and now held it close to the lips of the wounded
man. When she drew it away their three heads drew close together.
"They's a mist on it! He's livin'!" cried Buck.
"It ain't nothing," said Sam. "The glass ain't quite clear, that's
all."
Mrs. Daniels removed the last doubt by running her finger across the
surface of the glass. It left an unmistakable mark.
They wasted no moment then. They brought hot and cold water, washed
out his wound, cleansed away the blood; and while Mrs. Daniels and her
husband fixed the bandage, Buck pounded and rubbed the limp body to
restore the circulation. In a few minutes his efforts were rewarded by
a great sigh from Dan.
He shouted in triumph, and then: "By God, it's Whistlin' Dan Barry."
"It is!" said Sam. "Buck, they's been devils workin' tonight. It sure
took more'n one man to nail him this way."
They fell to work frantically. There was a perceptible pulse, the
breathing was faint but steady, and a touch of colour came in the
face.
"His arm will be all right in a few days," said Mrs. Daniels, "but he
may fall into a fever. He's turnin' his head from side to side and
talkin'. What's he sayin', Buck?"
"He's sayin': 'Faster, Satan.'"
"That's the hoss," interpreted Sam.
"'Hold us straight, Bart!' That's what he's sayin' now."
"That's the wolf."
"'An' it's all for Delilah!' Who's Delilah, Dad?"
"Maybe it's some feller Dan knows."
"Some feller?" repeated Mrs. Daniels with scorn. "It's some worthless
girl who got Whistlin' Dan into this trouble."
Dan's eyes opened but there was no understanding in them.
"Haines, I hate you worse'n hell!"
"It's Lee Haines who done this!" cried Sam.
"If it is, I'll cut out his heart!"
"It can't be Haines," broke in Mrs. Daniels. "Old man Perkins, didn't
he tell us that Haines was the man that Whistlin' Dan Barry had
brought down into Elkhead? How could Haines do this shootin' while he
was in jail?"
"Ma," said Sam, "you watch Whistlin' Dan. Buck an' me'll take care of
the hoss--that black stallion. He's pretty near all gone, but he's
worth savin'. What I don't see is how he found his way to us. It's
certain Dan didn't guide him all the way."
"How does the wind find its way?" said Buck. "It was the wolf that
brought Dan here, but standin' here talkin' won't tell us how. Let's
go out an' fix up Satan."
It was by no means an easy task. As they approached the horse he
heaved himself up, snorting, and stood with legs braced, and pendant
head. Even his eyes were glazed with exhaustion, but behind them
it was easy to guess the dauntless anger which raged against these
intruders. Yet he would have been helpless against them. It was Black
Bart who interfered at this point. He stood before them, his hair
bristling and his teeth bared.
Sam suggested: "Leave the door of the house open an' let him hear
Whistlin' Dan's voice."
It was done. At once the delirious voice of Dan stole out to them
faintly. The wolf turned his head to Satan with a plaintive whine, as
if asking why the stallion remained there when that voice was audible.
Then he raced for the open door and disappeared into the house.
"Hurry in, Buck!" called Sam. "Maybe the wolf'll scare Ma!"
They ran inside and found Black Bart on the bed straddling the body of
Whistling Dan, and growling at poor Mrs. Daniels, who crouched in a
corner of the room. It required patient work before he was convinced
that they actually meant no harm to his master.
"What's the reason of it?" queried Sam helplessly. "The damn wolf let
us take Dan off the hoss without makin' any fuss."
"Sure he did," assented Buck, "but he ain't sure of me yet, an' every
time he comes near me he sends the cold chills up my back."
Having decided that he might safely trust them to touch Dan's body,
the great wolf went the round and sniffed them carefully, his hair
bristling and the forbidding growl lingering in his throat. In the end
he apparently decided that they might be tolerated, though he must
keep an eye upon their actions. So he sat down beside the bed and
followed with an anxious eye every movement of Mrs. Daniels. The men
went back to the stallion. He still stood with legs braced far apart,
and head hanging low. Another mile of that long race and he would have
dropped dead beneath his rider.
Nevertheless at the coming of the strangers he reared up his head a
little and tried to run away. Buck caught the dangling reins near
the bit. Satan attempted to strike out with his forehoof. It was a
movement as clumsy and slow as the blow of a child, and Buck easily
avoided it. Realizing his helplessness Satan whinnied a heart-breaking
appeal for help to his unfailing friend, Black Bart. The wail of the
wolf answered dolefully from the house.
"Good Lord," groaned Buck. "Now we'll have that black devil on our
hands again."
"No, we won't," chuckled Sam, "the wolf won't leave Dan. Come on
along, old hoss."
Nevertheless it required hard labour to urge and drag the stallion
to the stable. At the end of that time they had the saddle off and a
manger full of fodder before him. They went back to the house with the
impression of having done a day's work.
"Which it shows the fool nature of a hoss," moralized Sam. "That
stallion would be willin' to lay right down and die for the man
that's jest rode him up to the front door of death, but he wishes
everlastingly that he had the strength to kick the daylight out of you
an' me that's been tryin' to take care of him. You jest write this
down inside your brain, Buck: a hoss is like a woman. They jest
nacherally ain't no reason in 'em!"
They found Dan in a heavy sleep, his breath coming irregularly. Mrs.
Daniels stated that it was the fever which she had feared and she
offered to sit up with the sick man through the rest of that night.
Buck lifted her from the chair and took her place beside the bed.
"No one but me is goin' to take care of Whistlin' Dan," he stated.
So the vigil began, with Buck watching Dan, and Black Bart alert,
suspicious, ready at the first wrong move to leap at the throat of
Buck.
CHAPTER XXVII
NOBODY LAUGHS
That night the power which had sent Dan into Elkhead, Jim Silent,
stood his turn at watch in the narrow canyon below the old Salton
place. In the house above him sat Terry Jordan, Rhinehart, and Hal
Purvis playing poker, while Bill Kilduff drew a drowsy series of airs
from his mouth-organ. His music was getting on the nerves of the other
three, particularly Jordan and Rhinehart, for Purvis was winning
steadily.
"Let up!" broke out Jordan at last, pounding on the table with his
fist. "Your damn tunes are gettin' my goat. Nobody can think while
you're hittin' it up like that. This ain't no prayer meetin', Bill."
For answer Kilduff removed the mouth-organ to take a deep breath,
blinked his small eyes, and began again in a still higher key.
"Go slow, Terry," advised Rhinehart in a soft tone. "Kilduff ain't
feelin' none too well tonight."
"What's the matter with him?" growled the scar-faced man, none too
anxious to start an open quarrel with the formidable Kilduff.
Rhinehart jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
"The gal in there. He don't like the game the chief has been workin'
with her."
"Neither do I," said Purvis, "but I'd do worse than the chief done to
get Lee Haines back."
"Get Haines back?" said Kilduff, his voice ominously deep. "There
ain't no chance of that. If there was I wouldn't have no kick against
the chief for what he's done to Kate."
"Maybe there's _some_ chance," suggested Rhinehart.
"Chance, hell!" cried Kilduff. "One man agin a whole town full? I say
all that Jim has done is to get Whistlin' Dan plugged full of lead."
"Well," said Purvis, "if that's done, ain't the game worth while?"
The rest of the men chuckled and even Kilduff smiled.
"Old Joe Cumberland is sure takin' it hard," said "Calamity"
Rhinehart. "All day he's been lightin' into the girl."
"The funny part," mused Purvis, "is that the old boy really means it.
I think he'd of sawed off his right hand to keep her from goin' to
Whistlin' Dan."
"An' her sittin' white-faced an' starin' at nothin' an' tryin' to
comfort _him!_" rumbled Kilduff, standing up under the stress of his
unwonted emotion. "My God, she was apologizin' for what she done, an'
tryin' to cheer him up, an' all the time her heart was bustin'."
He pulled out a violently coloured bandana and wiped his forehead.
"When we all get down to hell," he said, "they'll be quite a little
talkin' done about this play of Jim's--you c'n lay to that."
"Who's that singin' down the canyon?" asked Jordan. "It sounds
like--"
He would not finish his sentence as if he feared to prove a false
prophet. They rose as one man and stared stupidly at one another.
"Haines!" broke out Rhinehart at last.
"It ain't no ways possible!" said Kilduff. "And yet--by God, it is!"
They rushed for the door and made out two figures approaching, one on
horseback, and the other on foot.
"Haines!" called Purvis, his shrill voice rising to a squeak with his
excitement.
"Here I am!" rang back the mellow tones of the big lone rider, and in
a moment he and Jim Silent entered the room.
Glad faces surrounded him. There was infinite wringing of his hand and
much pounding on the back. Kilduff and Rhinehart pushed him back into
a chair. Jordan ran for a flask of whisky, but Haines pushed the
bottle away.
"I don't want anything on my breath," he said, "because I have to talk
to a woman. Where's Kate?"
The men glanced at each other uneasily.
"She's here, all right," said Silent hastily. "Now tell us how you got
away."
"Afterwards," said Haines. "But first Kate."
"What's your hurry to see her?" said Kilduff.
Haines laughed exultantly.
"You're jealous, Bill! Why, man, she sent for me! Sent Whistling Dan
himself for me."
"Maybe she did," said Kilduff, "but that ain't no partic'lar sign I'm
jealous. Tell us about the row in Elkhead."
"That's it," said Jordan. "We can't wait, Lee."
"Just one word explains it," said Haines. "Barry!"
"What did he do?" This from every throat at once.
"Broke into the jail with all Elkhead at his heels flashing their
six-guns--knocked down the two guards--unlocked my bracelets (God
knows where he got the key!)--shoved me onto the bay--drove away with
me--shot down two men while his wolf pulled down a third--made my
horse jump a set of bars as high as my head--and here I am!"
There was a general loosening of bandanas. The eyes of Jim Silent
gleamed.
"And all Elkhead knows that he's the man who took you out of jail?" he
asked eagerly.
"Right. He's put his mark on them," responded Haines, "but the girl,
Jim!"
"By God!" said Silent. "I've got him! The whole world is agin him--the
law an' the outlaws. He's done for!"
He stopped short.
"Unless you're feelin' uncommon grateful to him for what he done for
you, Lee?"
"He told me he hated me like hell," said Haines. "I'm grateful to him
as I'd be to a mountain lion that happened to do me a good turn. Now
for Kate!"
"Let him see her," said Silent. "That's the quickest way. Call her
out, Haines. We'll take a little walk while you're with her."
The moment they were gone Haines rushed to the door and knocked
loudly. It was opened at once and Kate stood before him. She winced at
sight of him.
"It's I, Kate!" he cried joyously. "I've come back from the dead."
She stepped from the room and closed the door behind her.
"What of Dan? Tell me! Was--was he hurt?"
"Dan?" he repeated with an impatient smile. "No, he isn't hurt. He
pulled me through--got me out of jail and safe into the country. He
had to drop two or three of the boys to do it."
Her head fell back a little and in the dim light, for the first time,
he saw her face with some degree of clearness, and started at its
pallor.
"What's the matter, Kate--dear?" he said anxiously.
"What of Dan?" she asked faintly.
"I don't know. He's outlawed. He's done for. The whole range will be
against him. But why are you so worried about him, Kate?--when he told
me that you loved me--"
She straightened.
"Love? _You?_"
His face lengthened almost ludicrously.
"But why--Dan came for me--he said you sent him--he--" he broke down,
stammering, utterly confused.
"This is why I sent him!" she answered, and throwing open the door
gestured to him to enter.
He followed her and saw the lean figure of old Joe Cumberland lying on
a blanket close to the wall.
"That's why!" she whispered.
"How does he come here?"
"Ask the devil in his human form! Ask your friend, Jim Silent!"
He walked into the outer room with his head low. He found the others
already returned. Their carefully controlled grins spoke volumes.
"Where's Silent?" he asked heavily.
"He's gone," said Jordan.
Hal Purvis took Haines to one side.
"Take a brace," he urged.
"She hates me, Hal," said the big fellow sadly. "For God's sake, was
there no other way of getting me out?"
"Not one! Pull yourself together, Lee. There ain't no one for you to
hold a spite agin. Would you rather be back in Elkhead dangling from
the end of a rope?"
"It seems to have been a sort of--joke," said Haines.
"Exactly. But at that sort of a joke nobody laughs!"
"And Whistling Dan Barry?"
"He's done for. We're all agin him, an' now even the rangers will
help us hunt him down. Think it over careful, Haines. You're agin him
because you want the girl. I want that damned wolf of his, Black Bart.
Kilduff would rather get into the saddle of Satan than ride to heaven.
An' Jim Silent won't never rest till he sees Dan lyin' on the ground
with a bullet through his heart. Here's four of us. Each of us want
something that belongs to him, from his life to his dog. Haines, I'm
askin' you man to man, was there any one ever born who could get away
from four men like us?"
CHAPTER XXVIII
WHISTLING DAN, DESPERADO
It was an urgent business which sent Silent galloping over the hills
before dawn. When the first light came he was close to the place
of Gus Morris. He slowed his horse to a trot, but after a careful
reconnoitring, seeing no one stirring around the sheriff's house, he
drew closer and commenced to whistle a range song, broken here and
there with a significant phrase which sounded like a signal. Finally a
cloth was waved from a window, and Silent, content, turned his back on
the house, and rode away at a walk.
Within half an hour the pounding of a horse approached from behind.
The plump sheriff came to a halt beside him, jouncing in the saddle
with the suddenness of the stop.
"What's up?" he called eagerly.
"Whistlin' Dan."
"What's new about him? I know they're talkin' about that play he made
agin Haines. They's some says he's a faster man than you, Jim!"
"They say too damned much!" snarled Silent. "This is what's new.
Whistlin' Dan Barry--no less--has busted open the jail at Elkhead an'
set Lee Haines free."
The sheriff could not speak.
"I fixed it, Gus. I staged the whole little game."
"_You_ fixed it with Whistlin' Dan?"
"Don't ask me how I worked it. The pint is that he did the job. He got
into the jail while the lynchers was guardin' it, gettin' ready for a
rush. They opened fire. It was after dark last night. Haines an' Dan
made a rush for it from the stable on their hosses. They was lynchers
everywhere. Haines didn't have no gun. Dan wouldn't trust him with
one. He did the shootin' himself. He dropped two of them with two
shots. His devil of a wolf-dog brung down another."
"Shootin' at night?"
"Shootin' at night," nodded Silent. "An" now, Gus, they's only one
thing left to complete my little game--an' that's to get Whistlin' Dan
Barry proclaimed an outlaw an' put a price on his head, savvy?"
"Why d'you hate him so?" asked Morris curiously.
"Morris, why d'you hate smallpox?"
"Because a man's got no chance fightin' agin it."
"Gus, that's why I hate Whistlin' Dan, but I ain't here to argue. I
want you to get Dan proclaimed an outlaw."
The sheriff scowled and bit his lip.
"I can't do it, Jim."
"Why the hell can't you?"
"Don't go jumpin' down my throat. It ain't human to double cross
nobody the way you're double crossin' that kid. He's clean. He fights
square. He's jest done you a good turn. I can't do it, Jim."
There was an ominous silence.
"Gus," said the outlaw, "how many thousand have I given you?"
The sheriff winced.
"I dunno," he said, "a good many, Jim."
"An' now you're goin' to lay down on me?"
Another pause.
"People are gettin' pretty excited nowadays," went on Silent
carelessly. "Maybe they'd get a lot more excited if they was to know
jest how much I've paid you, Gus."
The sheriff struck his forehead with a pudgy hand.
"When a man's sold his soul to the devil they ain't no way of buyin'
it back."
"When you're all waked up," said Silent soothingly, "they ain't no
more reasonable man than you, Gus. But sometimes you get to seein'
things cross-eyed. Here's my game. What do you think they'd do in
Elkhead if a letter came for Dan Barry along about now?"
"The boys must be pretty hot," said the sheriff. "I suppose the
letter'd be opened."
"It would," said the outlaw. "You're sure a clever feller, Gus. You
c'n see a white hoss in the sunlight. Now what d'you suppose they'd
think if they opened a letter addressed to Dan Barry and read
something like this:
"'Dear Dan: You made great play for L.H. None of us is going to
forget it. Maybe the thing for you to do is to lay low for a while.
Then join us any time you want to. We all think nobody could of worked
that stunt any smoother than you done. The rest of the boys say that
two thousand ain't enough for the work you've done. They vote that you
get an extra thousand for it. I'm agreeable about that, and when you
get short of cash just drop up and see us--you know where.
"'That's a great bluff you've made about being on my trail. Keep it
up. It'll fool everybody for a while. They'll think, maybe, that what
you did for L.H. was because he was your personal friend. They won't
suspect that you're now one of us. Adios,
"'J.S.'"
Silent waited for the effect of this missive to show in Morris's face.
"Supposin' they was to read a letter like that, Gus. D'you think maybe
it'd sort of peeve them?"
"He'd be outlawed inside of two days!"
"Right. Here's the letter. An' you're goin' to see that it's delivered
in Elkhead, Morris."
The sheriff looked sombrely on the little square of white.
"I sort of think," he said at last, "that this here's the death
warrant for Whistlin' Dan Barry."
"So do I," grinned Silent, considerably thirsty for action. "That's
your chance to make one of your rarin', tarin' speeches. Then you hop
into the telegraph office an' send a wire to the Governor askin' that
a price be put on the head of the bloodthirsty desperado, Dan Barry,
commonly known as Whistlin' Dan."
"It's like something out of a book," said the sheriff slowly. "It's
like some damned horror story."
"The minute you get the reply to that telegram swear in forty deputies
and announce that they's a price on Barry's head. So long, Gus. This
little play'll make the boys figger you're the most efficient sheriff
that never pulled a gun."
He turned his horse, laughing loudly, and the sheriff, with that
laughter in his ears, rode back towards his hotel with a downward
head.
* * * * *
All day at the Daniels's house the fever grew perceptibly, and that
night the family held a long consultation.
"They's got to be somethin' done," said Buck. "I'm goin' to ride into
town tomorrow an' get ahold of Doc Geary."
"There ain't no use of gettin' that fraud Geary," said Mrs. Daniels
scornfully. "I think that if the boy c'n be saved I c'n do it as well
as that doctor. But there ain't no doctor c'n help him. The trouble
with Dan ain't his wound--it's his mind that's keepin' him low."
"His mind?" queried old Sam.
"Listen to him now. What's all that talkin' about Delilah?"
"If it ain't Delilah it's Kate," said Buck. "Always one of the two
he's talkin' about. An' when he talks of them his fever gets worse.
Who's Delilah, an' who's Kate?"
"They's one an' the same person," said Mrs. Daniels. "It do beat all
how blind men are!"
"Are we now?" said her husband with some heat. "An' what good would it
do even if we knowed that they was the same?"
"Because if we could locate the girl they's a big chance she'd bring
him back to reason. She'd make his brain quiet, an' then his body'll
take care of itself, savvy?"
"But they's a hundred Kates in the range," said Sam. "Has he said her
last name, Buck, or has he given you any way of findin' out where she
lives?"
"There ain't no way," brooded Buck, "except that when he talks about
her sometimes he speaks of Lee Haines like he wanted to kill him.
Sometimes he's dreamin' of havin' Lee by the throat. D'you honest
think that havin' the girl here would do any good, ma?"
"Of course it would," she answered. "He's in love, that poor boy is,
an' love is worse than bullets for some men. I don't mean you or Sam.
Lord knows you wouldn't bother yourselves none about a woman."
Her eyes challenged them.
"He talks about Lee havin' the girl?" asked Sam.
"He sure does," said Buck, "which shows that he's jest ravin'. How
could Lee have the girl, him bein' in jail at Elkhead?"
"But maybe Lee had her before Whistlin' Dan got him at Morris's place.
Maybe she's up to Silent's camp now."
"A girl in Jim Silent's camp?" repeated Buck scornfully. "Jim'd as
soon have a ton of lead hangin' on his shoulders."
"Would he though?" broke in Mrs. Daniels. "You're considerable young,
Buck, to be sayin' what men'll do where they's women concerned. Where
is this camp?"
"I dunno," said Buck evasively. "Maybe up in the hills. Maybe at the
old Salton place. If I thought she was there, I'd risk goin' up and
gettin' her--with her leave or without it!"
"Don't be talkin' fool stuff like that," said his mother anxiously.
"You ain't goin' near Jim Silent agin, Buck!"
He shrugged his shoulders, with a scowl, and turned away to go back to
the bedside of Whistling Dan.
In the morning Buck was hardly less haggard than Dan. His mother, with
clasped hands and an anxious face, stood at the foot of the bed,
but her trouble was more for her son than for Dan. Old Sam was out
saddling Buck's horse, for they had decided that the doctor must be
brought from Elkhead at once.
"I don't like to leave him," growled Buck. "I misdoubt what may be
happenin' while I'm gone."
"Don't look at me like that," said his mother. "Why, Buck, a body
would think that if he dies while you're gone you'll accuse your
father an' mother of murder."
"Don't be no minute away from him," urged Buck, "that's all I ask."
"Cure his brain," said his mother monotonously, "an' his body'll take
care of itself. Who's that talkin' with your dad outside?"
Very faintly they caught the sound of voices, and after a moment the
departing clatter of a galloping horse. Old Sam ran into the house
breathless.
"Who was it? What's the matter, pa?" asked his wife, for the old
cowpuncher's face was pale even through his tan.
"Young Seaton was jest here. He an' a hundred other fellers is combin'
the range an' warnin' everyone agin that Dan Barry. The bullet in his
shoulder--he got it while he was breaking jail with Lee Haines. An' he
shot down the hosses of two men an' his dog pulled down a third one."
"Busted jail with Lee Haines!" breathed Buck. "It ain't no ways
nacheral. Which Dan hates Lee Haines!"
"He was bought off by Jim Silent," said old Sam. "They opened a letter
in Elkhead, an' the letter told everything. It was signed "J.S." an'
it thanked Dan for gettin' "L.H." free."
"It's a lie!" said Buck doggedly.
"Buck! Sam!" cried Mrs. Daniels, seeing the two men of her family
glaring at each other with something like hate in their eyes. "Sam,
have you forgot that this lad has eat your food in your house?"
Sam turned as crimson as he had been pale before.
"I forgot," he muttered. "I was scared an' forgot!"
"An' maybe you've forgot that I'd be swingin' on the end of a rope in
Elkhead if it wasn't for Dan Barry?" suggested Buck.
"Buck," said his father huskily, "I'm askin' your pardon. I got sort
of panicky for a minute, that's all. But what are we goin' to do with
him? If he don't get help he'll be a dead man quick. An' you can't go
to Elkhead for the doctor. They'd doctor Dan with six-guns, that's
what they'd do."
"What could of made him do it?" said Mrs. Daniels, wiping a sudden
burst of tears from her eyes.
"Oh, God," said Buck. "How'd I know why he done it? How'd I know why
he turned me loose when he should of took me to Elkhead to be lynched
by the mob there? The girl's the only thing to help him outside of a
doctor. I'm goin' to get the girl."