LEAD LAW

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 126, 31 May 1939, Page 21

LEAD LAW

By LESTER GREGORY

SHORT STORY

A stood alone at the rail of the Longhorn saloon in Pine Notch. He was leaning on his left elbow, half facing the door. On the bar, by his left hand, was a glass of whisky; it was nearlv lull. Behind the man at the rail, pressed well back against the faro-tables, was a knot of keen -evert men who were obvi-ou-ly 1 ved for trouble. The space between the man at the rail and the door was deserted. Even the bar-keeper was well back, out of angle range of anyone entering through the swing doors. One of the men in the crowd at the faro tables dragged a big silver watch tnun a pocket.

"Wants two minutes. Cal —then it's the dead-line.'' •Men caught (heir breath involuntarily. I hey knew they were gathered there to witness drama, swift, deadly, inexorable. I he man at the rail smiled with easy idolence. If the Ii«|iior was good two minutes wouldn't seem long—but it aint." The barkeeper laughed at the sall.v. but it was a false sound. He and the others, crowding back, knew that nothing could stop what would happen when those fatal two minutes had expired. Ihe Bradley* and the Shaws had been enemies since old man Shaw had pushed sheep up on to the Bradley's Bar B range, and the feud that had sprung up. born of tlie innate hatred of sheepmen and cattlemen, had taken heavy toll of both factions. Shaws had killed Bra die vs, and Bradley s had taken rc\etige. It had gone on for nearly a dozen years, but - now had flamed" to savage fierceness. Cal Bradley's eld-r brother had fenced off Bar B cattle, and with them springs which watered the Shaw flocks. The wire had been cut. and guns had flamed. Pack Bradley h.id died with a Shaw slug in his lungs. Retribution had ridden forth, demanding an eve for an eye, and a life had been taken for a life. Si Shaw had been killed in a pitched battle, and it was rumoured that Dick Shaw was wounded. But rumour is a notorious liar. A note had been delivered to Cal Bradlev:

"I'll be coming for you at the Longhorn in Pine Xotch on Thursday at midday. and I'll come smoking. Meet 111 c there, Bradley, if you've got the guts. — D. Shaw."

Cal Bradley was waiting, his air of indolent ease fooling no one. His right hand was at his cartridge belt, fingers hooked, ready for a swift grab at the butt of his six-gun. Cal was the last of the Bradleys. Twenty-six, blue-eyed, with tanned face, he stood six foot two, lean, muscular, without au ouuc of waste flesh 011 his supple figure.

"Another minute, Cal," called the timekeeper.

Cal nodded, said nothing, but his eyes contracted a little. pin-pointed, as though a stray ray of sunlight hurt them. Those men behind him were cattle men. In a way this feud was as much theirs as his. He stood forth as their champion against the intrusion of sheep 011 range land that had belonged to cattle men since the first Concord wagons had come West against the spears and fire-ripped arrows of the ochre-pa in ted Apache and the vermillioiistreaked Comanche. Leaning there against the bar, waiting for a man to enter with roaring and blasting six-gun, Cal Bradley stood for something in those men's lives.

Ther« was a swift hush as the swing doors p.-.rted a little, then slammed back. Into the saloon stepped a figure in bat wing chaps, plaid shirt, and roundtopped felt hat with wide, shadowing brim. Every man there knew that set of clothes. Dick Shaw had always dressed like a cow-man, though he lierded woollies. The figure iu the doorway held a gun. Men caught their breat'h. Cal Bradley couldn't beat the cards stacked against him. It wasn't humanly possible. They wnited to see him go down, blasted to death. But a seeming miracle hap|>ened. One moment Cal's hand had been empty, the next it was filled. He had snatched his gun from its scabbard with one deft eve-blurring movement. It seemed to the cowering men tfyat the guns blazed simultaneously, althoilgh Sling Lyman, the barkeeper, afterwards contended, that, amazing as it appeared, Cal Bradley's gun had crashed first. Ur jierhaps it was not so amazing. A bullet whipped past Cal. smashed a bottle on the bar. but the figure 111 thd doorway did not thumb a second shot. It suddenly crumpled, and hit the floor. Men released their stored breath. This was the law they knew and understood —lead law. A challenge had been made and accepted. Honours, even to death, were even. But Cal Bradley was running towards the crumpled figure. He had seen something the others had not. something that made ]iis heart pound like a trip-ham-mer. As his adversary fell he had caught a glimpse of soft curls under the wide-brimmed hat. It wasn't Dick Shaw —although the clothes were his. he ran forward he prayed that his bullet had not found a vital part. He had fired too rapidly to have taken careful aim. As the snout of his six-gun left leather he had thumbed the hammer. 1 The shot had been aimed only in a I general direction.

But —— He bent over the fig're, slipped an arm under the slim t loulders, and ■pushed back the hat, to btare into the pale features of Dale Shaw, sister of the man who had challenged hiin. The other men saw now what Cal had seen segonds before. They ran forward, excited, then suddenly shy, throwing startled glances at one another. This was against all the known rules. They were not men who made war on women. Women comprised part of a hard and fixed eode, that was chivalrous in the extreme, but here, in one dramatic moment, something 'had happened which was without parallel in the experience of any of them. They were suddenly quiet, watchful. Cal was saying, "Why did you do it*'' thankful in his heart that his bullet had not ended the plucky girl's life. She opened her eyes, smiled thinly. "I had to —I had to," she murmured. "But why?" repeated Cal. "Dick sent that note. He was rariif mad to shoot. Crazy wild he was. And then his horse threw him and he couldn't ! come. I had to. Don't you see? This I thing is too deep, it's between Shaw and Bradley, and—and Dick couldn't have I anyone but a Shaw take his place. Folks I would have said he'd quit—otherwise. And—and we Shaw's ain't quitters."

She broke off, struggling in Oil's arms for nreath. He turned, threw words over hi* shoulder. "(Jut Doc Stanley. Sling, open that hack door. I'm taking her through. And bring towels and hot water." Sling brought the utensils Cal demanded, and without delay the boss of the Bar B tore open the girl's shirt. Her face flamed. "Cal Bradley—" Cal's face was set. "This is 110 more than I'd do for any —any sheep.he muttered tensely. Slit; closed her eyes and bit her lips as he sponged clean the wound. A few minutes later Doc Stanley came in. and took charge. It was half an hour later that lie came out and announced to a waiting throng of men that he had finished his task and was pleased with it. ;

"The bullet went between a coupla ribs." iie said, "and fetched up in her back, it's knocked her out for a while, but it ain t fatal—not bv a long wavs. But she d better be got home and put to rest."' The men regarded .one another. "Hell!" said scrawny Tom Fletcher. "Who s gonna take her up to the Shaws' place? Tliev's gonna get a smoky reception, I guess." "That's fixed," said Cal Bradley. '"Von don't mean. Cal " began Sling, but the cattleman nodded. "Sure I mean it. I'm responsible. If Dick Shaw sends his sister— Doe Stanley interrupted. "Hold that. Cal. Dick Shaw didn't know a tiling about this. It was her own crazy idea, at that. She told me. She jest took Dick Shaw's clothes and came rid : n' i to keep that note. Damn it. I do.,' ; now which is the crazier! Best tiling yuh c'li do is to see that no word of what's happened leaks to the Shaw place before —" Tize Williams, who rode for the Bar B. interrupted. "Too late fer that. do". T miiv Chad Farrow, one of the Shaw herders light in' out after the gun play. I reckon the Shaw place will lie alight." Tom Fletcher turned to the others. "I hat s fixed, 100, boys." he announced. "We ride witli C'al."

But Bradley had something to say. and' from his face it was plain to his hearers that he meant what lie said. "I don't take any escort, fellers," lie said quietly. "If they's trouble, then I'm meetin' it more than half-way, but I'm not takin' any man to a bullet harvest. This is my liee, an' I'm honin' to be settlin' it in my own way." "But, Cal —" There was a pleading look 011 Tize Williams sun-bronzed face. "Sorry, Tize. If they's trouble, I guess you c'll tell the boys how I made out, an', anyway, the attorney over to Santa Rosina knows what to do with tiie ranch-house an' stock." Men accepted this in heavy silence. "That's final. Cal°" asked" Fletcher. "Final, Tom." said Cal. An hour later, driving a buekboard out of Pine Notch, Cal Bradley turned cast out of the small cow-town along the trail that led through the Pine Xotch hills to Deep Valley, where the Shaw's homestead snuggled among pines and cedars. Holding the reins with one hand, he built himself a cigarette, ripped tight the string of his makings bag with his teeth, and struck a match along his boot. "You're crazier '11 a coot, Cal Bradley," said the girl sitting propped at his side. "If Chid Farrow's told his tale the way I aim, my brother will be gun--I.in' for you right now, if he has tuh cr.i-vl tn do it." Cal dragged at his cigarette and said nothing. The girl's eyes watched his lean, determined jaw. She had heard much about this Cal Bradley. He had a reputation in the Pine Xotch country. But she had not seen much of him iu the past. What she had seen now she had to admit she liked. "I guess," he said at length, "there's no use talking, ma'am, but —" He turned his face towards her and his eyes met hers. They were bright as stars when the moon was new over Pine Peak, and their brightness tugged at his heart. In rare moments he had thought of a woman who could play a man's part in this country; and at last he had found her —her—with a smoking gun in his hand! ".Jeepers!" he grunted. "I could shake yuh for bein' such a goddamn' fool." and turned his gaze stubbornly back to the trail. He did not see the quick smile that curved her red mouth, nor the quick, darting light that laced her clear grey eyes. He would not have understood if he had. They dropped into silence, and slowly the bucklioard's wheels turned over the miles until they were dropping into wooded valley slope# that sank towards Deep Valley. She*said, "Leave me now. I reckon I c'n drive in from here."

"An" open that wound Doc Stanley's ! set? Xo ma'am. I'm takin' yuh right home." " j She seemed angry. "But f— tell you to, Cal Bradley. I don't want murder on my hands." He looked at her slim white hands anil smiled primly. "Xo. ma'am. I guess not.'' he said. and then his lifting gaze found her eyes again. aw starry as before, ami again something tugged at his heart, made breathing difficult. Sin? persisted, cajoling, threatening, nut wit limit effect. He. was determined. t<> take her to her home. The lmckboard Wats less than a mile from the Shaw homestead. and already they had passed through knots of wandering sheep, when lie stopped. "I'm going oil alone from this point," lie told her. "L shan't lie long." ' Why?'' slie demanded, suddenly curious. "Oil. jest a notion, I guess." But her searching- mind found the reason, and her faced paled quickly. '"You're goin' in case Dick might have drv-gulched you, an' —an' you don't want a bullet to touch me."' she said levelly. "You're goin' forward because you won't drive me through any danger, Cal Bradley." There was a tight smile 011 his lips. "•Test a woman's guess." Her heart stilled. Words seemed to break hiirtfully in her throat, not the words she wanted to say. "Listen. Cal Bradley, I think you're — she paused. breathing hard. "Mull?" "I'luinb crazy!" Xo. not the words she wanted to say. but she couldn't tell him then what was in her mind, in her heart: knowledge that was disturbing her \ery soul just as it amazed. "Mebbe." lie said, and strode on. He had walked more than half a mile, eyes watchful, scrutinizing every clump of bru<h. every tree, when he heard something snap to his right. He wheeled, to see a man rising from behind a large boulder, and recognised the blunt, furious features of Dick Shaw. "By (jiod. Bradley, I'm gettin' yuh fer this! Warrin' 011 women. This c'ji onlv lie settled bv lead —settled filial."

It was unjust, but equally useless to argue, make resort to winds that would have no meaning here. But the ruthless urge of years had gone from Cal Braillev. He saw Dick Shaw, propped again-t the rock where he had dragged himself to wait, on his face an expression as dire as death itself; but he also saw a pair of clear eyes, lit with dancing, appraising light, and those clear eyes seemed brighter to Cal Bradley than the hate mid malice stamped on the face of Dick Shaw.