the seventh man-第29部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃If　you　cry　once　more；　munner　whip！〃

And　Joan　was　silent；　staring　with　wonder　and　defiance。

When　they　came　close　to　the　cabin；　Lee　Haines　drew　rein；　but　Kate　motioned　him　on。

〃Where　to？〃　he　called。

〃Back　to　the　old　ranch；〃　she　answered。　〃We've　got　to　have　help。〃

He　nodded　in　grim　understanding；　and　they　headed　on　and　down　the　slope　towards　the　valley。



Chapter　XXIX。　Billy　The　Clerk

If　Sheriff　Pete　Glass　had　been　the　typical　hard…riding；　sure…shooting　officer　of　the　law　as　it　is　seen　in　the　mountain…desert；　his　work　would　have　died　with　his　death；　but　Glass　had　a　mind　as　active　as　his　hands；　and　therefore；　for　at　least　a　little　while；　his　work　went　on　after　him。　He　had　gathered　fifteen　practiced　fighters　who　represented；　it　might　be　said；　the　brute　body　of　the　law；　and　when　they；　with　most　of　Rickett　at　their　heels；　burst　down　the　door　of　the　Sheriff's　office　and　found　his　body；　they　had　only　one　thought；　which　was　to　swing　into　the　saddle　and　ride　on　the　trail　of　the　killer；　who　was　even　now　in　a　diminishing　cloud　of　dust　down　the　street。　He　was　riding　almost　due　east；　and　the　cry　went　up：　〃He's　streakin'　it　for　the　Morgan　Hills。　Git　after　him；　boys！〃　So　into　the　saddle　they　went　with　a　rush；　fifteen　tried　men　on　fifteen　chosen　horses；　and　went　down　the　street　with　a　roar　of　hoof…beats。　That　was　the　body　and　muscle　of　the　sheriff's　work　going　out　to　avenge　him；　but　the　mind　of　the　law　remained　behind。

It　was　old　Billy；　the　clerk。　No　one　paid　particular　attention　to　Billy；　and　they　never　had。　He　was　useless　on　a　horse　and　ridiculous　with　a　gun；　and　the　only　place　where　he　seemed　formidable　was　behind　a　typewriter。　Now　he　sat　looking；　down　into　the　dead　face　of　Pete　Glass；　trying　to　grasp　the　meaning　of　it　all。　From　the　first　he　had　been　with　Pete；　from　the　first　the　invincibility　of　the　little　dusty　man　had　been　the　chief　article　of　Billy's　creed；　and　now　his　dull　eyes；　bleared　with　thirty　years　of　clerical　labor；　wandered　around　on　the　galaxy　of　dead　men　who　looked　down　at　him　from　the　wall。　He　leaned　over　and　took　the　hand　of　the　sheriff　as　one　would　lean　to　help　up　a　fallen　man；　but　the　fingers　were　already　growing　cold；　and　then　Billy　realized　for　the　first　time　that　this　was　death。　Pete　Glass　had　been；　Pete　Glass　was　not。

Next　he　knew　that　something　had　to　be　done；　but　what　it　was　he　could　not　tell；　for　he　sat　in　the　sheriff's　office　and　in　that　room　he　was　accustomed　to　stop　thinking　and　receive　orders。　He　went　back　to　his　own　little　cubby…hole；　and　sat　down　behind　the　typewriter；　at　once　his　mind　cleared；　thoughts　came；　and　linked　themselves　into　ideas；　pictures；　plans。

The　murderer　must　be　taken；　dead　or　alive；　and　those　fifteen　men　had　ridden　out　to　do　the　necessary　thing。　They　had　seemed　irresistible；　as　they　departed；　indeed；　no　living　thing　they　met　could　withstand　them；　human　or　otherwise；　as　Billy　very　well　knew。　Yet　he　recalled　a　saying　of　the　sheriff；　a　thing　he　had　insisted　upon：　〃No　man　on　no　hoss　will　ever　ride　down　Whistlin'　Dan　Barry。　It's　been　tried　before　and　it's　never　worked。　I've　looked　up　his　history　and　it　can't　be　done。　If　he's　goin'　to　be　ran　down　it's　got　to　be　done　with　relays；　like　you　was　runnin'　down　a　wild　hoss。〃　Billy　rubbed　his　bald　head　and　thought　and　thought。

With　that　orderliness　which　had　become　his　habit　of　mind；　from　work　with　reports　and　papers；　sorting　and　filing　away；　Billy　went　back　to　the　beginning。　Dan　Barry　was　fleeing。　He　started　from　Rickett；　and　nine　chances　out　of　ten　he　was　heading；　eventually；　towards　those　practically　impenetrable　mountain　ranges　where　the　sheriff　before　had　lost　the　trail　after　the　escape　from　the　cabin　and　the　killing　of　Mat　Henshaw。　Towards　this　same　region；　again；　he　had　retreated　after　the　notorious　Killing　at　Alder。　There　was　no　doubt；　then；　humanly　speaking；　that　he　would　make　for　the　same　safe　refuge。

At　first　glance　this　seemed　quite　improbable；　to　be　sure；　for　the　Morgan　Hills　lay　due　east；　or　very　nearly　east；　while　the　place　from　which　Barry　must　have　sallied　forth　and　to　which　be　would　return　was　somewhere　well　north　of　west；　and　a　good　forty　miles　away。　It　seemed　strange　that　he　should　strike　off　in　the　opposite　direction；　so　Billy　closed　his　eyes；　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　and　summoned　up　a　picture　of　the　country。

Five　miles　to　the　east　the　Morgan　Hills　rolled；　sharply　broken　ups　and　downs　of　countrybad　lands　rather　than　real　hills；　and　a　difficult　region　to　keep　game　in　view。　That　very　idea　gave　Billy　his　clue。　Barry　knew　that　he　would　be　followed　hard　and　fast；　and　he　headed　straight　for　the　Morgan's　to　throw　the　posse　off　the　final　direction　he　intended　to　take　in　his　flight。　In　spite　of　the　matchless　speed　of　that　black　stallion　of　which　the　sheriff　had　learned　so　much；　he　would　probably　let　the　posse　keep　within　easy　view　of　him　until　he　was　deep　within　the　bad…lands。　Then　he　would　double；　sharply　around　and　strike　out　in　the　true　direction　of　his　flight。

Having　reached　this　point　in　his　deductions；　Billy　smote　his　hands　together。　He　was　trembling　with　excitement　so　that　he　filled　his　pipe　with　difficulty。　By　the　time　it　was　drawing　well　he　was　back　examining　his　mental　picture　of　the　country。

West　of　Rickett　about　the　same　distance　as　Morgan　Hills；　ran　the　Wago　Mountains；　low；　rolling　ranges　which　would　hardly　form　an　impediment　for　a　horseman。　Across　these　Barry　might　cut　at　a　good　speed　on　his　western　course；　but　some　fifteen　or　twenty　miles　from　Rickett　he　was　bound　to　reach　a　most　difficult　barrier。　It　was　the　Asper　river；　at　this　season　of　the　year　swollen　high　and　swift　with　snow…watera　rare　feat　indeed　if　a　man　could　swim　his　horse　across　such　a　stream。　There　were　only　two　places　in　which　it　could　be　forded。

About　fifty　miles　north　and　a　little　east　of　the　line　from　Rickett　the　Asper　spread　out　into　a　broad；　shallow　bed；　its　streams　dispersed　for　several　miles　into　a　number　of　channels　which　united　again；　farther　down　the　course；　and　made　the　same　strong　river。　Towards　this　ford；　therefore；　it　was　possible　that　Dan　Barry　would　head；　in　the　region　of　Caswell　City。

There　was；　however；　another　way　of　crossing　the　stream。　Almost　due　west　of　Rickett；　a　distance　of　fifteen　miles；　Tucker　Creek　joined　the　Asper。　Above　the　point　of　junction　both　the　creek　and　the　river　were　readily　fordable；　and　Barry　could　cross　them　and　head　straight　for　his　goal。

It　was　true　that　to　make　Tucker　Creek　he　would　have　to　double　out　of　the　Morgan　Hills　and　brush　back　perilously　close　to　Rickett；　but　Billy　was　convinced　that　this　was　the　outlaw's　plan；　for　though　the　Caswell　City　fords　would　be　his　safest　route　it　would　take　him　a　day's　ride；　on　an　ordinary　horse；　out　of　his　way。　Besides；　the　sheriff　had　always　said：　〃Barry　will　play　the　chance！〃

Billy　would　have　ventured　his　life　that　the　fugitive　would　strike　straight　for　the　Creek　as　soon　as　he　doubled　out　of　Morgan　Hills。

Doors　began　to　bang；　a　hundred　pairs　of　boots　thudded　and　jingled　towards　Billy；　the　noise　of　voices　rolled　through　the　outer　hall；　poured　through　the　door；　burst　upon　his　ears。　He　looked　up　in　mild　surprise；　the　first　wave　of　Rickett's　men　had　swept　out　of　the　courthouse　to　take　the　trail　of　the　fugitive　or　to　watch　the　pursuit；　in　this　second　wave　came　the　remnants；　the　old　men；　the　women；　great…eyed　children。　In　spite　of　their　noise　of　foot　and　voice　they　appeared　to　be　trying　to　walk　stealthily；　talk　so　softly。　They　leaned　about　his　desk　and　questioned　him　with　gesticulations；　but　he　only　stared。　They　were　all　dim　as　dream　people　to　Billy　the　clerk；　whose　mind　was　far　away　struggling　with　his　problem。

〃Pore　old　Billy　is　kind　of　dazed；〃　suggested　a　woman。　〃Don't　bother　him；　Bud。　Look　here！〃

The　tide　of　noise　and　faces　broke　on　either　side　of　the　desk　and　swayed　off　towards　the　inner　office　and　vaguely　Billy　felt　that　they　should　not　be　therethe　sheriff's　privacythe　thought　almost　drew　him　back　to　complete　consciousness；　but　he　was　borne　off　from　them；　again；　on　a　wave　of　study；　pictures。　Off　there　to　the　east　went　the　fifteen　best　men　of　the　mountain…　desert　on　the　trail　of　the　slender　fellow　with　the　black　hair　and　the　soft　brown　eyes。　How　he　had　seemed　to　shrink　with　aloofness；　timidity；　when　he　stood　there　at　the　door；　giving　his　name。　It　was　not　modesty。　Billy　knew　now；　it　was　something　akin　to　the　beasts　of　prey；　who　shrink　from　the　eyes　of　men　until　they　are　mad　with　hunger；　and　in　the　slender　man　Billy　remembered　the　same　shrinking；　the　same　hunger。　When　he　struck；　no　wonder　that　even　the　sheriff　went　down；　no　wonder　if　even　the　fifteen　men　were　baffled　on　that　trail；　and　therefore；　it　was　sufficiently　insane　for　him；　Billy　the　clerk；　to　sit　in　his　office　and　dream　with　his　ineffectual　hands　of　stopping　that　resistless　flight。　Yet　he　pulled　himself　back　to　his　problem。

Considering　his　problem　in　general；　the　thing　was　perfectly　simple：　Barry　was　sure　to　head　west；　and　to　the　west　there　were　only　two　gatesfording　the　creek　and　the　river　above　the　junction　in　the　first　place；　or　in　the　second　place　cutting　across　the　Asper　far　north　at　Caswell　City。

If　he　could　be　turned　from　the　direction　of　Tucker　Creek　he　would　head　for　the　second　possible　crossing；　and　when　he　drew　near　Caswell　City　if　he　were　turned　by　force　of　numbers　again　he　would　unquestionably　skirt　the　Asper；　hoping　against　hope　that　he　might　find　a　fordable　place　as　he　galloped　south。　But；　going　south；　he　might　be　fenced　again　from　Tucker　Creek；　and　then　his　case　would　be　hopeless　and　his　horse　worn　down。

It　was　a　very　clever　plan；　quite　simple　after　it　was　once　conceived；　but　in　order　to　execute　it　properly　it　was　necessary　that　the　outlaw　be　pressed　hard　every　inch　of　the　way　and　never　once　allowed　to　get　out　of　sight。　He　must　be　chased　with　relays。　In　ordinary　stretches　of　the　mountain…desert　that　would　have　been　impossible；　but　the　country　around　Rickett　was　not　ordinary。

Between　the　Morgan　Hills　and　Wago　there　were　considerable　stretches　of　excellent　farm　land　in　the　center　of　which　little　towns　had　grown　up。　Running　north　from　the　country　seat；　they　were　St。　Vincent；　Wago；　and　Caswell　City。　Coming　south　again　along　the　Asper　River　there　were　Ganton　and　Wilsonville；　and　just　above　the　junction　of　the　river　with　Tucker　Creek　lay　the　village　of