Oliver Strange - Sudden Westerns 06 - Sudden Gold-Seeker(1937) (29 page)

 
          
“He
isn’t expectin’ opposition, an’ would reckon on me an’ Snowy—as yet,” Sudden
argued. “There’s six of ‘em anyway who’d admire to bump me off. I’d feel like Daniel
in the lions den on’y they’s just coyotes.” He closed with a word of comfort: “Keep
a-smilin’; she looked real disappointed when yu didn’t show up. Adios.”

 
          
The
next morning brought feverish activity to the camp in the ravine, and the washing
of the first pan of dirt was witnessed by the whole company. When Snowy—who
himself officiated—triumphantly pointed to the resulting pinch of yellow
particles, a chorus of satisfaction greeted him, and no further spur was
needed. Blinded by the golden gleam, the men snatched up tools and began to dig
with eager energy. But as the day waned so did the enthusiasm. Gold was found
in trifling amounts only. Husky, the most experienced miner, save Snowy, put
the matter plainly:

 
          
“We’re
findin’ plenty `colour’ an’ that’s all.” Lesurge took the disappointment badly.
“You appear to
brought
us on a fool’s errand, Phil,”
he said irritably, as they sat over the evening meal.

 
          
“If
you knowed as much as I do ‘bout gold-minin’—which you never will—you’d talk
different,” Snowy returned calmly.

 
          
“The
stuff is there, you’ve seen it, but we ain’t just struck when.
it’s
thickest. Did you expect to put a spade in an’ fetch it
out loaded with nuggets? That on’y happens in the story-books-an’ dreams. Mebbe
we’ll have better luck to-morrow.”

 
          
“I
hope so,” Paul replied. “
Where’s
Green—and Lora?”

 
          
“Jim’s
gone for meat, an’ Miss Lesurge elected to go along.”

 
          
“She
said she was tired of doing nothing,” Mary explained.

 
          
“You
don’t feel like that?”

 
          
“No,
I think it is all very interesting and exciting.” He stooped over her and
whispered, “I want you always to be contented when we’re together, Mary.” The
warmth in his tone stirred her, brought the blood to her cheeks, but she had a
sense of something lacking and could not say the words she knew he was hoping
to hear. But her smile satisfied him.

 
          
Sudden
had not been pleased to have company—he would not be able to pay the Rocking
Stone a visit, but his objection that there might
he
danger had been met with a merry laugh.

 
          
“We’ve
faced it all together before,” Lora reminded.

 
          
“Yeah,
an’ I’d have thought once would ‘a’ been a-plenty,” he replied.

 
          
“You
don’t know how fascinating you are, Jim,” she mocked.

 
          
“I
reckon yore brother is some disappointed,” he said.

 
          
“I
didn’t come to discuss Paul; I want to talk about you.” He looked at her
quizzically:

 
          
“Well,
I can’t stop yu, but I don’t have to listen.”

 
          
“That
is mean of you,” she cried. “If I knew the way back…”

 
          
“I’ll
show yu,” he offered instantly.

 
          
To
his surprise, she laughed. “No, you are too anxious to get rid of me, my
friend. Why?”

 
          
“I’ve
work to do.” A little later he pulled up. “Wait here,” he told her, “I won’t be
far off.

 
          
No,
yu needn’t to hold Nigger—he’ll stay put.” He dropped the reins to the ground,
took his rifle, and slipped noiselessly into the brush. She heard the shot, and
soon he was back, carrying his spoil. The woman looked at the limp, sleek body
of the deer and shivered. Such a little time ago it had been full of life, and now
… With an uncanny instinct he sometimes showed, he read her thought.

 
          
“I
warned yu not to come,” he said.

 
          
She
did not speak until they were nearly back at the camp, and then: “Jim, do you
ever think of—Logan?”

 
          
“On’y
when thoughtless folk remind me,” he said harshly.

 
          
“I
killed a man once,” she went on in a low voice. “I suppose you heard? I didn’t
intend to; he was—horrible to me. I meant to frighten him, but—he died.”

 
          
“Forget
it,” the cowboy said. “Yu had a right to protect yoreself, an’ by all accounts,
the fella got what he deserved.”

 
          
“Death,
when one thinks seriously of it, seems terrible,” she mused.

 
          
“Shucks,
it’s just goin’ to sleep an’ not wakin’ up, that’s all,” he said lightly.

 
          
She
shook her head. “I’m afraid,” she confessed.

 
          
“What
of?” Sudden asked.

 
          
“I
don’t know—which is the worst kind of fear,” she said, and, with an effort at a
smile, as the camp-fires came in view, “I’ve been a doleful Dinah this evening,
Jim. I’ll be all right in the morning.” She walked listlessly to the tent. The
puncher unsaddled and turned loose the horses, hung the meat on a branch out of
reach of four-footed prowlers, and went down to the shack in search of supper.
He found an air of savage dejection, and soon realized that in the bitter
condemnation of Snowy, he himself was included.

 
          
“Allus
knowed he was a romancer,” Rodd remarked. “Hell if that of geezer opened his
mouth much more he’d be liable to swatter hisself.”

 
          
“Yeah,
you can’t tell him nothin’ ‘bout gold, an’ he fetches us out here on this shadder-huntin’
play,” Lem supplemented.

 
          
“Anybody
might think yu’d paid him for the chance,” Sudden said. “How much has any o’ yu
lost?”

 
          
“We’re
riskin’ our ha’r an’ wastin’ time,” Berg argued.

 
          
“Like
the rest of us,” Sudden pointed out. “Did yu expect to find the dust packed up
in sealed boxes ready for yu?” He was watching Fagan as he spoke, and saw the
sinister face darken. Husky—who did not understand the allusion—laughed and
said, “Even Ducane didn’t promise that. Arter all, it’s a blow in the breakfast
for him too, but we may hit on her yet—you never know ‘bout claims.” His
optimism evoked only scowls and sneers. Sudden finished his meal, said good
night to the big miner, and sought his blankets. He did not sleep at once. Lora’s
mood, so unlike her confident, cynical self, puzzled him. Was it another trick
of an accomplished coquette or could there be real reason for fear? Possible
she had recognised Hank. But her brother would protect her. Then
came
the amazing thought that Paul might be the cause of her
apprehension, but he dismissed it as absurd.

 
          
The
morrow brought no encouragement to the fortune hunters; the ravine was tested
from end to end and the results were meagre indeed. Even Snowy had to admit
that it was useless to continue work there. He appeared to be dazed by the
disappointment, wandering from one point to another like a man who had lost
something precious. Only Sudden caught and read the malicious gleam of joy
which sometimes crept into his narrowed eyes.

 
          
“Damned
if I can understand it,” he said to Lesurge. “There’s the shack I lived
in ”

 
          
“Ducane
lived in,” Paul reminded.

 
          
“O’
course, I meant that,” the other assented. “But here’s the ravine, an’ the
marks when he tried her out.”

 
          
“The
directions Mary gave you indicated this place?”

 
          
“Shore
they did. How else would I find it?” Paul turned away impatiently; it would be
just like the doddering old idiot to have made a mistake. He went in search of
the girl and found her sitting on a tree-stump, absorbing the view. Though the
frown had vanished, his face was worn and worried; finding the mine meant
everything to him. Nevertheless, he forced a smile to his lips as he answered
her question.

 
          
“No
better news. I’m beginning to fear that Ducane’s memory has served him ill and
that he has brought us to the wrong spot.” Mary had known this as soon as they
arrived, but the promise to her uncle had kept her silent. But surely now that
they were away from Deadwood and she was to wed Paul, there was no more need
for secrecy. Pity for him impelled her to speak; she did not see that he was
watching her narrowly.

 
          
“I
am afraid you are right, but Uncle seemed so sure,” she replied. “There was
mention of a kind of cup with cliff-walls, a rock peak which somehow
threatened, and a hidden entrance. I think, from what I can remember
,
that we came the right way, and that it should be near
here.”

 
          
Though
he questioned her closely, she would tell him nothing more definite. “Possibly
these particulars may stir your uncle’s sluggish memory,” he said, and cursed
below his breath.
at
the thought that the old man
could know no more than himself.

 
          
“I
hope so,” she replied. “It will break his heart to fail.” On his way back to
the camp he met Lora, and gave an order: “When that cowboy goes hunting tonight
you stay here.”

 
          
“And
why?” she inquired, raising mutinous eyebrows.

 
          
“Because
it is necessary,” he snapped, “unless you wish to remain a pauper.” She gave a
weary gesture. “Oh, I’m tired of it,” she cried. “I’m afraid you were right,
Paul; he is too strong for me.”

 
          
“Well,
it doesn’t matter now; I can handle Mister Green myself,” he said harshly.

 
          
An
hour after the puncher had departed on his foraging expedition, Rodd come
rocketing into camp and drew Lesurge aside.

 
          
“Boss,
we’re bein’ sold out,” he said. “I follered Green, saw him git the meat, an’
then, ‘stead o’ turnin’ back, he goes on. An’ he ain’t just wanderin’ neither,
but makin’ for a fixed point. Next, cuss the luck, I
loses
him.”

 
          
“Blundering
jackass,”
came
the angry comment.

 
          
“Warn’t my fault.
We
comes
to an
open stretch o’ grass an’ that black o’ his leaves mine a-standin’ still. I’ll
swear he never got a peep at me; it was just a smart dodge, in case.”

 
          
“All right.
When he returns, you know what to do.” The spy
had been correct—Sudden had no suspicion that he was being trailed, but he was
taking no chances. At the Rocking Stone he found the work proceeding merrily
and the gold was being got out with all speed.

 
          
“Somethin’s
bound to
happen
to-morrow,” he told Gerry, as he was
leaving. “The ravine’s busted wide open an’ there ain’t enough dust to pay one
o’ the gang. Snowy’s a born actor but Paul is gettin’ suspicious.”

 
          
“Mebbe
he’ll throw the hand in an’ go back to Deadwood?”

 
          
“What
the of
man is hopin’ for, I expect, but it won’t be
that easy. Keep a sharp look-out, an’ don’t light a fire—smoke can be seen a
long ways off in the daylight.”

 
          
“Now
I’ll tell one,” Gerry said. “Yu had a gran’mother.” Sudden stared at him. “What
th’—?” he began.

 
          
“Don’t
deny it fella. Yore gran’mother could suck eggs, an’ I’m bettin’ yu taught her
how.”

 
          
“Awright, I take it back,” the other Iaughed.
“I keep
forgettin’ yo’re near growed up.”