Yet Stowe had always been a coldly cautious man. There had never been anything of the reckless, heedless, hell-for-leather cowhand in him.
How much had his character changed?
“Laine, you’ve got to hide,” Shevlin said now. “You’ve got to stay out of sight, and this is the best place I can think of. There’s some grub in my duffel–it isn’t much, but your best bet is to stay right here where they won’t dream of hunting you.” “And you?” “I’m taking the gold out, Laine. Ben Stowe offered me a deal–he offered me Gentry’s piece of the operation.” Her eyes searched his face. “That could mean a lot, couldn’t it?” He took her by the shoulders. “Yes,” he agreed, “it could mean a lot. He’ll try to kill me; in fact, he will probably try before I reach the end of the trip, or at any rate, just after I do; but if I can stay with it, I could come out of it a rich man. The only thing is, it wouldn’t give me what I want most.” “And what would that be?” “Y.” She made no effort to draw away from him, no effort to escape his hands. She just looked up at him, her eyes cool and almost appraising.
He had thought of her, too often, these past few days and had called himself a fool for thinking what he did. He had told himself over and over that he would never have the nerve to say anything to her; but now here it was, and he had said it, and she was not laughing at him. That was something, at least.
“Mike,” she was saying, “how are you going to manage it?” “I’m going out with them. I’m going to take that gold out, and somehow or other I’ve got to stay alive and keep that gold for you. Right now everything hinges on it.” “Mike, I’m afraid.” “You just wait here. I’ll be back. If Ben Stowe doesn’t have that gold, he doesn’t have anything. He can’t buy the mine, he can’t pay off his men; everything will fall apart for him and for Clagg Merriam too. Merriam’s mortgaged everything to put up the money to buy the gold.” “They will fight.” “Yes, I think so.” “Then be careful. You’ll be all alone, Mike.” He looked at her and smiled, a little wistfully. “When haven’t I been alone?” he said.
“Wasn’t there ever anybody, anybody at all?” “No… not really. Maybe that was why I kept moving. It’s easier to be alone if you keep moving, because it seems natural not to know people or be close to anybody in strange country.” “Mike,” she pleaded, “please don’t go.
Let’s just ride away from here. We can go to the capitol and talk to the governor, then let him investigate.” “Laine, by that time they’d have your gold out of here and everything covered up. You might get Ben Stowe out of his job and take the mines back, but you can be sure he’d dynamite the approaches to the high-grade, so that you might spend all you have, just looking for it–at least he’d try.” Mike Shevlin hesitated, and then he said, “Laine, I came here to find out the truth about Eli Patterson, to clear his name, and to put the man who killed him where he should be–in prison.” “You’d not kill him?” “Not unless he pushed it on me. The law is coming to this country, and the sooner the better. Men can’t live without law, and each of us should do his part to help the men who enforce it. After all, they are our servants, and without them we’d live in anarchy. Take it from me, because I’ve seen it both ways.” At the door he paused. “Keep that gun close by, and don’t answer the door if anybody knocks.” He went out, and the door closed behind him. He was gone from the hall before she realized she had forgotten to bring her gun with her.
She propped a chair under the doorknob, then she sat down on the bed, and took off her shoes.
She must make no noise. It would not do to have anyone wondering who was in Mike Shevlin’s room after he had gone out.
It was no use to worry about Dottie Clagg, either. Dottie would be frightened, and worried sick, but if Laine went back to the doctor’s house she would only bring more trouble with her. She must trust in Shevlin, and wait.
She considered Shevlin. Although almost nothing personal had passed between them, a feeling existed that needed no words. From the first, she had been drawn to him. Lean and savage as he was, there was an odd gentleness in him, too, and a curious respect for her.
She tried to recall everything Uncle Eli had said about him, and thinking of this, she lay back on the bed. She did not see the knob turn slowly, did not hear the slight creak as pressure was put on the door to open it.
The chair under the knob remained firm, and the person outside the door ceased trying. Had she been awake, she might have heard his breathing, might have heard the soft creak of the floor boards as he retreated down the hall. But she was fast asleep.
CHAPTER 18
Rafter Crossing crouched in the darkness like a waiting cat. And like a waiting cat, its eyes missed nothing–or almost nothing. Mike Shevlin, refreshed after only three hours of sleep, walked toward the lighted window of Ben Stowe’s office. Around him there was a rustle of movement in the night–notothing a man could actually hear if he stopped to listen, but something of which he would be keenly aware.
Ben Stowe looked up when the door opened, and his eyes became wary when he recognized Mike Shevlin.
Mike leaned his big fists on the table.
“Ben,” he said, “I’ll move your gold if you have it ready before daybreak.” Stowe rolled his cigar in his mouth while he took a minute to consider what this might mean.
What had happened to settle Shevlin’s mind so quickly? Could he have heard of the seizure of Doc Clagg and his party? That was unlikely because, as Stowe happened to know, Shevlin had gone to his hotel and had not left it until now.
“Look at it this way, Ben,” Mike continued. “If Hollister is still around, he will have spies in town. I’ve a hunch they won’t suspect me, but if we start now we can get into safe country before Hollister can get word and start moving.” “That’s likely,” Ben agreed. He sat back in his chair and looked up at Shevlin.
“Have you got any men you want to take along?” “No, that’s your play. I’ll ramrod the job, you furnish the men. Let’s face it, Ben. With Gentry gone, I don’t have a friend in the country. I’ll take my cut from this deal and ride out.” “All right, Mike. You be at the mouth of Parry’s canyon an hour from now. The gold will be there.” “I’ll want pack mules–thirty or forty of them. That much gold, at present prices, will weigh a ton.” “Any special reason for mules rather than a wagon?” “They’ll be looking for a wagon, and I can take mules where no wagon could go.” Shevlin lowered his voice. “I’m going over the ridge, Ben.” “You’re crazy! There’s no trail.” “Ben, I punched cows all over this country, much more than you ever did, and I know a trail that even Ray Hollister won’t know.” “All right.” Ben pushed back his chair and stood up.
“Don’t try anything, Mike. I need you, but I don’t trust you. You go along with me, and you’ll be in at the payoff. But try a double-cross, and you won’t live twenty-four hours.” “Don’t be foolish, Ben. Where else could I get that kind of money?” Shevlin walked to the door, then turned. “By the way, Ben, who is Burt Parry? Is he your man?” “Parry? Just an eastern pilgrim who thinks he knows mining.” Suddenly Ben Stowe read something else into the question. “Why do you ask?” “Just wondered, that’s all. That claim where he had me working… there isn’t a sign of mineral over there, and I don’t think there ever was.” When Mike Shevlin had gone, Stowe sat very still for a long time. He smoked his cigar for a while, then let it go out, and chewed for a while longer on the dead butt.
Burt Parry had seemed so much what he was supposed to be that after a few days of doubt, Stowe had largely ignored him. From time to time he heard that Parry was having a drink with Clagg Merriam, but it seemed of no importance.
Clagg had lived much of his life in the East, and Parry was an easterner, so what was more natural than some casual talk between them? But suppose it was more than that? Suppose Parry had been imported by Merriam? Imported for a specific job–to watch over the gold, and perhaps to handle another task later?