ROBBERS’ ROOST

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 11 October 1935, Page 10

ROBBERS’ ROOST

by ZANE GREY

CHAPTER VI. After supper Hays 1 leaned back and surveyed the company. “Fellers, we’ve a pow-wow on hand. Clear the table. Fetch another lamp. We’ll lay out the cards an’ some coin, so we can pretend to be settin’ in a littlte game if anybody happens along. But the game we’re really settin’ in is the biggest ever dealt in Utah. “Talk low, everybody,” instructed Hays. “An’ one of you step out on the porch now' an’ then. Heeseman might be slick enough to send a scout over here. ’Cause we’re going to do thet little thing to him. . . . Happy, dig up thet box of cigars I’ve been savin’.” “Hank, trot out some champagne, jeered Brad Lincoln. “Nothin’ to drink, fellers,” returned Hays. “We’re a sober outfit. No arguin’ or figlitin’. . . . Any of you who doesn’t like thet can walk out now'.” They were impressed by his cool force.

“All right. Wal an’ good. We’re set,” he went on. “To-day I changed my mind about goin’ slow with this job.” Jim Wall luld a flash of divination as to this sudden right-about-face. “Herrick reckons there are upwards of ten thousand head of stock on the range. Some of these ranchcis he bought out sold without a count. I got half a dozen herds for Herrick. An’ I underestimated say, rough calculatin’, around two thousand head. So there’s twelve thousand good. Tliet’s a herd, fellers. Air there any of you who wouldn’t care to play a game for twelve thousand head of cattle at forty dollars per?” There did not appear to be a single one. “Ahull. Wal, thet’s okay. Now' cau we drive such a big herd?”

“Boss, listen to this idee,” spoke up Smoky. “Most of these Star cattle range down the valley twenty miles below here. How’d it do for, say, five of us to quit Herrick an’ hide below somewhere? Meanwhile you go to Grand Junction an’ arrange to have your buyers expect a bunch of cattle every week. A thousand to two thousand head. We’d make the drives an’ keep it up as long as it worked. You’re boss, an’ Wall here is foreman. You could keep the cowboys close to the ranch.” “Smoky, it’s shore a big idee,” declared Hays enthusiastically. “But what about Heeseman?” “Let’s clean out his bunch.” Hays shook his head. “Fellers, if we pick a fight with thet outfit some of us will get killed an’ others crippled. Then we couldn’t pull the deal. A better idee is for one of us to kill Heeseman.” “Beckon it would be. Thct’d bust the outfit.” “Who’d you pick on to do thet, Hank?” Jeff Bridges boomed out: ■"'‘Why, Smoky, of course, or Brad.” “Nope,” said Hays, shaking his head. “With all thet’s due Smoky an’ Brad I wouldn’t choose either. Jim, here, is the man for the* job.” ‘ ‘ Mebbe we could drive off six or eight thousand head of stock before Heeseman ever found out,” put in Smoky. “What’s the sense of fightin’ it out till we have to?” The suggestion found instant favour on all sides. “But we don’t want Heeseman trailing us,” expostulated Hays. “You mean after we pull the deal?” queried Brad incredulously. “Shore I mean after.” “Wal, what in thunderation do we care for him, when we’ve got the coin an’ are on our way to thet roost we’re due to find?” “I don’t just like the idee, fellers,” replied Hays evasively. Jim Wall, studying the robber leader closely, imagined that Hays was not exposing all the details of his plot. “Let’s put my idee to a vote,” said Smoky. When this suggestion was solemnly complied with, making use of the deck of cards, it was found that Slocum had won.

“So far so good,” said' Hays, as if relieved. “Now let’s cee. . . . Smoky, to-morrow you take your gang, inclulin’ Brad, an’ quit. Pack a slew of grub an’ grain, an’ hide out below. Cache what you don’t need. I’ll go to Grand Junction for new hands. See? But all I’ll come back with will be instructions for you to follow. Then you can go drivin’.” “Good. An’ how about the cash?” “Wal,'them buyers won’t pay mo in advance, you can gamble on tliet. But they’ll pay you. Just divide with your outfit an’ save our share.” “Short an’ sweet. I like it more all the time,” declared Smoky. “We’ll want to know wh4re your camp is,” weut on Hays. “Reckon I’d better ride out with you to-mor-row.” “No. You rustle for Grand Junction. We’ll see thet Happy an’ Jim know where to find our camp.” Jim thought of something: “Men, has it occurred to you that you can’t drive cattle up this road and through the rainjh?” “Shofe. No need. It’d be a seventymile drive if we came this way. But we'll drive round by Limestone, an’ up the other valley road. About the same distance to Grand.” The conference ended.. Hays turned to the open fire, and seeking a seat in the shadow by the chimney he pondered. It was .Tim’s opinion that the chief had vastly more on his mind than ho had divulged. Lincoln gave him a suspicious stare. The others seemed eminently pleased with the vutlook, though no more was said in

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Jim’s hearing. They joked and smoked. Jim bade them good-night and went out. His last glimpse of Hays was thought-provoking. Lighting another cigar, Jim strolled up and down the porch, revolving in mind the conference. It was a spring night, starry, with an edge on the mountain ail* that meant frost in the morning. Was it possible that this lanterneyed robber had evil intentions toward Herrick’s sister? Jim scouted the suspicion. ‘ ‘ Hang the girl part of it, anyhow,” he muttered, flinging his half-smoked cigar out into the noisy brook. Why did a woman have to come along to upset the best-laid plans of men? The next morning brought sombre faces an 3 action. Five of Hays’ outflt rode away with six of the pack horses and most of the supplies. Hays watched them until they disappeared among the cedars. “Wal, now I’ll brace the boss,” he said.

“What excuse will you give him?” asked Jim.

“Anythin’ would do to tell Herrick. But Heeseman will see through me, I’m afeared.” “Very well. You tell Herrick that your outfit split over me.” “Over you? dog-gone! Thet ain’t so poor. But w r hy?” “Both Slocum and Lincoln are sort of touchy about gun-throwing, aren’t they? Well, tell him how queer that brand of gunman is—how he instinctively hates the real gunman. And that Slocum and Lincoln made you choose between them and me.” “Ahull. -Sort of so the idea will get to Heeseman’s ears that in a pinch with guns I’d father have you backin’ me than them?” “Exactly.” Not long afterwards Hays returned to the cabin jubilant. “You’d never guess, Jim. That Englisher laughed like the very devil. An’ he ordered me to ride off after some desperadoes who’re not afraid of Jim Wall. “Ha! Ha! But Heeseman won’t get a laugh out of it.” “Shoot the lights out of him,” said Hays fiercely. “Wal, I’m off for Grand. Happy, pack me a snack of grub.”. “How long will it take you to ride over?” “plight hours, I reckon. An’ I’ll be back to-morrow night.” “Certainly these buyers will know you’re selling stolen cattle?”

“Oh, shore.” After Hays had gone Jim settled himself to pass the hours away. “Mebbe it won’t be so tedious,” observed Happy Jack, dryly. “We’ve got three rifles an' a sack of shells right handy. So let ’em come.” Jim half expected a visit from Herrick, but the morning dragged by without any sign of anyone. About midafternoon, however, six riders appeared coming down the lane along the bench. The sight made Jim start. How often had he seen the like—a compact little company of riders, dark-garbed, riding dark horses! It was tremendously suggestive to a man of his experience. He reached the door and, drawing out his rifle, advanced to the front of the porch. CHAPTER VII. When the group or riders reached the poiut where the laho crossed the brook, just out of pistol range, they halted, and one, evidently the leadei, came on to the bridge. “Hi, thar,” he yelled, reining liis horse. “Hi yourself,” shouted back Jim. The man, whom, of course, Jim took to be Heeseman, walked his horse half the intervening distance and stopped again. At this juncture Happy. Jack emerged from the cabin and carelessly propped a rifle against the wall. “Who’s callin’?” he boomed. “I don’t know,” replied Jim. “I’m Bill Heeseman, an’ I come over to talk,” called the visitor. “Friendly talk?” queried Jim. “Wal, if it aint’ you’ll be to blame.” “Come right over.”

Jim leaned his rifle against the rail and stood aside. Heeseman did not look up as he mounted the steps. He took off an old sombrero to disclose the tanned, clear-skinned face of a man under forty with narrow, blue eyes reddened by wind and dust. It was a more open visage than Jim had ex-' pected to see. Certainly Heeseman was a more prepossessing man, at first sight, than Hays. “Mind if I set down?” he asked. “Make yourself at home,” replied Jim. “Air you Wall?” “Yes, that’s my name. And this is Happy Jack, another of Hays’ outfit.” Heeseman nodded to Jack, who replied with, a civil “Howdy,” and went back into the cabin. Then Heeseman leaned against the wall and treated Jim to a frank, shrewd gaze. “You’re Hays’ right-haud man, just late from Wyomin’.?” “Last is correct, anyhow.” “Do you know him?” queried Heeseman, in lower voice. “Perhaps not so well as you,” replied Jim, who suddenly reminded himself that he knew Hays but slightly. “I’m goin’ to tell you somethin’.” “Heeseman, you’ll only waste your breath,” declared Jim, impatiently. “ Wal, I don’t waste much of thet,” drawled the other. “But if you wasn’t new to Utah I’d save myself this trouble. An’ you’re going to believe what I tell you.” “Why will I?” “Because it’s true.” No argument could gainsay that; moreover, the man had truth in his blue slits of eyes and in his voice. (To be continued.)