dick hawkridge, standing on the ground, looked up in the bronzed face of duke vesey, sitting in the saddle.
at every window on the lower floor were faces watching the two men that had thus met under a flag of truce. from the ridge on the right, and the undulating ground to the left, peered the rustlers, intensely interested in the actions of the couple, whose words were spoken in tones too low to reach the ears of any on either side. no actors ever had a more attentive audience than they.
when hawkridge announced to vesey that his proffer was rejected (for it was useless to report first to capt. asbury, as he had been told to do), the horseman said:
"dick, you would have been a cur to accept such terms, though i would do anything to even matters with that asbury; but i want to get a message to mont sterry."
"you can trust me to carry it."
"it is for him alone; i have it in writing. well, good-by."
he leaned over from the saddle and extended his hand. as hawkridge took it he felt something in his palm.
"i understand," he said; "it shall be delivered."
no one watching the couple, as nearly all were doing, suspected this little by-play. they saluted, and vesey spurred his pony to a gallop, passing up the ridge and joining his friends to report, while hawkridge was admitted through the door, which was immediately closed and secured behind him.
to the captain and the others who crowded around he quickly told what had passed.
"your order was to let you know the terms before giving an answer," he added, addressing the leader, "but you see it wasn't necessary."
a buzz of commendation left no doubt of the wisdom of his course.
"but what about his threat to burn the building?" asked sterry, addressing no one in particular.
"he will do it, or at least will try it," replied hawkridge, "for he doesn't intend any one shall have time to interfere, as may be the case if he delays too long."
"to set fire to the house," remarked the captain, who had given much thought to the question, "they must first reach it, and that manoeuvre will prove a costly one to them. i suspect that some other firing will take place about that time—eh, boys?"
the response revealed the feelings of the men, who were chafing under their restraint.
"but, surely," continued sterry, "they do not mean to burn the building while mrs. whitney and her daughter are within?"
"as was said some time ago," replied hawkridge, "that makes little difference, since it is not to be supposed that even we will stay inside during the conflagration. the firing is meant to drive us out, and it will do it."
"but there must be considerable shooting, and the ladies will be in danger."
"i think inman will order us to send them out, so as to prevent harm to them."
"if they were sioux or crows they might launch burning arrows and fire-balls; but they can't do that, and will have to run some risk in getting the flames under way."
"there are signs of a storm, and if the night proves dark it will be much in their favor and against us."
"suppose they fire the stables," suggested one of the men.
"they are too far off to place us in danger, unless a strong wind should blow directly this way."
"well, boys," said capt. asbury, hopefully, "the thing isn't through yet. i think inman will give us another message before opening the ball, so you may rest easy until he makes his next move."
meanwhile hawkridge had managed to deliver the little twist of paper, placed in his hand by vesey. inasmuch as the matter had been managed with so much care, he deemed it right that no one should see the transfer to his friend.
sterry was surprised and glanced down at the object, but, quick to catch on, closed his palm again and took part in the conversation. it was some minutes before he gained a chance to examine the contents unobserved. when he did so, they proved so important that he called hawkridge and the captain aside and showed the letter to them. each read it in turn, the contents being as follows:
"friend sterry: you acted square with me, and i will do the same
with you. inman doesn't expect you folks to accept his terms, for
if you do it will be good-by to yourself and capt. asbury. it
would suit me very well to see him go, as he will if we get a
chance at him, but i can't bear the idea of anything bad happening
to you after the way you stood by me last night when that asbury
meant to shoot me.
"so my advice is this: get out of where you are and leave as fast
as you know how. queer advice, you'll think, but i'll show you how
you can follow it. a friend of mine, whom we can both trust, and
i, will be on watch to-night at the stables. it looks as if it is
going to be as dark as a wolf's mouth.
"it won't do to move before 10 o'clock. when everything is ready i
will light a cigarette and flirt the match around my head once, as
if to put it out. that will mean that the way is open. steal out
of the back door and dodge to the stables; your mare will be
ready, and when another chance opens you can make a break. no one
can overtake you, and i don't think it will be suspected who you
are.
"if you succeed, i hope you will have sense enough to stay out of
wyoming, at least until this flurry is over. if you are detected
while trying to reach the stables you can dart back, for i don't
think anyone will shoot at you, since we have orders not to do
that until after you folks begin the rumpus.
"inman means to set fire to the house to-night. he won't be able
to hold back the boys much longer. when ready, he will send word
and ask the two ladies to come out to him, where he will hold them
beyond reach of fire and bullet. he expects there will be the
hottest kind of shooting, and it will be a bad thing for you
folks. capt. asbury may as well make his will, for i'm not the
only one that will lay for him.
"don't forget my directions. it will not be before 10 o'clock, and
may be a little later. don't let any one see this, and don't drop
a hint to asbury. it is meant for your good, and you will act like
a sensible man.
"d.v."
