The Rustlers of Pecos County

ounted at the porch, but Sally went on with me to the corrals.

Sally. Her voice wa

what Miss Sampson sai

eard Steele tell her he loved

understand why she appealed to St

ard her say she had wronged him. Then

something-help them somehow. Yes, it's sure a t

" Sally

ou won it. And I-well, I'm no good, you say. But their love! My God, what a tragedy! You

trouble had sunk into insignificance. I did not look up at her, though she was so close I could feel her little, restless foot touching me. The horses in the

Then her voice and the way her hand stole to my shoulder shou

at, didn't you?"

ild and reckless when you drink. Mrs. Hoden said su

ook up at her. I heard her swing herself ar

sliding out of the saddle, and then her face was very close to mine. "Russ!" she whispered. It was torment, wistfulness, uncertainty, and yet tenderness all in one little whisper. It caught me off guard or indifferent to consequences. So I kissed her, without passion, with all regret and sadness. She uttered a little cry that m

inks of her spurs ceased. I laughed somewhat ruefully and hoped she wo

wind rustled the leaves and tore through the vines on the old house. The fact that I had seen and heard so little during my constant vigilance did not

e darkness. Wright crossed the threshold, the door closed, and all was dark again outside. Not a ray of light escaped from the window. This w

ut a foot wide between the old and new walls, and this ran from the outside through to the patio. I had discovered the entrance by accident, as it was concealed by vines and shrubbery. I crawled in there, upon an opportune occasion, with the intention of boring a small hole through the adobe bricks. But it was not necessary to do that, for the wall was crack

on, and this fact gave rise to the thought that in case of a necessary and hurried exit I would do best by working toward the patio. It seemed a good deal of time was consumed in reaching my vantage-point. When I did get ther

disturbed; he sat stroking his mustache; his brow was clouded. Wright's

as saying. "That's what I came for. That's w

re?" protested Sampson impatiently. "I

any. You've lost your nerve since that Ranger hit

she's got a mind of her own. I told you I was willing for her to marry you. I tried to persuade her.

her marry me,"

ive son-in-law, George. But if Diane loved you I would consent. We'd all go away together before this damned miserable business is out. Then she'd never know. And

over her. I'll have her or die. Don't you think if she was my wife I'd soon pull myself together? Since she came

in right now," replied Sampson, rising. "Com

to him. But I could guess what it would be. Wright appeared to be all I had thought of him, and I believed I was going to find o

y interest and anxiety. Finally I heard heavy steps. Wright came in alone. He was leaden-face

ejection of Wright's proposal. "Don't fume about it, George," he said. "You see I can't help it. We'r

her marry me," decl

ow

you-the deal that made you

I'd forget," repl

, with haggard face and shadowed eyes. He had no shame. He was simply in the grip of passion. Sampson gazed with dark, controlled fury at his relat

ad gone forever, both in intent on Sampson's part and in possibility. Wright, like the great majority of evil and unres

ver know I'm a rustler, a thief, a red-handed ruler of th

t sooner or later. I tell you she knows now there's something wrong out here. She's got eyes. And that meddling cowboy of hers is smarter

s rustler. Diane's concerned about what she calls my duty as mayor. Also I t

moment showed an absence of his usual nervous excitement. "Sampson, that may well be true," he said. "No doubt all you say is true. But it doesn't help me. I w

ience in reading men under stress of such emotion. I had no means to vindicate my judgment, but my conviction was that Sampson right then and there decided that the thing to do

ined he was talking to smooth Wright's passion for the moment. Wright no more caught the fateful significance of

ng conditions of Pecos County? The answer was perhaps, that Sampson had guided him, upheld

ppiness if you rush Diane. She might be won. If you told her who I am sh

your drinking. She despises that. Let's plan to sell out here, stock, r

"The gang won't stand for our going. It can't b

Go without their knowing? Leave

n just

ang to let me off I'll stay and face the music. All the same, Wright, did i

ve been any. You've had cold feet, Owens says, es

rustling was laughed at. But as our greed grew so did our boldness. Then came the gang, the regular trips, and one thing and another till

uit. They all think, and I think, we can't be touched. We

oger Sampson with a rustler gang? I've changed my mind. I've begun to think. I've reasoned out things. We're crooked and we can't last. It's the na

l the stock-all the ga

split

tles that," added

ot increased his calmness, and he now showed more than impatience. A dull glint gleamed deep

name was a match applied to powder. "Haven't

mpson sarcastically. "I inquired, too just how t

ere to kil

ce him with a ghost of a show-he'll never get a chance at Steele's back. Th

w why?" demanded

. You've seen the

queried Wright,

ed it, if th

amned Ranger I will," replie

've been with Blome and Snecker when they killed their men. You've been present at many fights. But you never saw a man like Steele. You haven't got sense enough to see him

't care much if Steele did drop some of them

't," returned the other bluntly

s intelligence. He was not at all quick-witted. I had never seen a va

replied Sampson quickly. He stood up then, cool and quiet, wi

ere," went on Wright, unconsciously cowed by

eans, except

t make her

mpson, his voice sti

. Then I'l

ted no more words. I knew what Wright never dreamed of, and that wa

upon the porch. I might have been mistaken, but

necker's burly shoulders and another Bo Snecker's stripling shape. I did recognize Blome in spite of his mask, because his fair skin and hair, his garb and air of

another man-a stranger to me. If he had entertained a hope of freeing himself from his band, of getting aw

the table. Low voices spoke, queried, answered, argued. By straining my ears I caught a word here and there. They were planning. I did not attempt to get at the meaning of the few words and phrases I disting

n, dealt by Bo Snecker, who evidently worked in the dark like a ferret. Any other person known to be communing with Steele, or interested in him, or suspected of either, was to be silenced. Then the town was to suffer a short deadly spell o

er and his son. The others, however, remained. Blome removed his mask, which action was duplicated by the two rustlers who had stayed with him. They were both young, bronzed, hard of countenance, not unlike cowboys. Evidently this was now a so

nicative and unsociable. He smoked fiercely and drank continually. All at

. My own strained ears were per

in relief. Strange how any sudden

ing becam

rattlesnake to

e. I could scarcely credit my senses. But the rattle inside Sampson's room was mingling with little dull thuds of falling dirt. The adobe wall, merely dr

hell!" excl

st," said B

drop down from my perch, yet d

a step?" que

th a crash. I began to squeeze my body th

elled Wright.

and speed of desperation. I was not shirking a fight, but to be cornered like a trapped coyote

the court. Thumping footsteps turned me back. While there was a chance to get away I did not want to meet odds in a fight. I thought I heard some one running int