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The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle, a novel by Laura Lee Hope |
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Chapter 18. In The Shadows |
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_ CHAPTER XVIII. IN THE SHADOWS Allen was acting in two capacities at this time--that of lawyer and that of private detective. He probably would not have taken this role for anybody but Betty and her family, but in order to serve them he was willing to do pretty nearly anything. So he had taken to scouting around the northern end of the ranch after dark, in the hope that he might possibly discover something that would help him in his theory that there was really gold on the ranch and, also, that Peter Levine and his cronies, whoever they were, knew of it. However, as the days passed, bringing no new developments, the young fellow began to think that he had let his imagination run away with him. He even began to formulate plans by which he could lure the unsuspecting Peter Levine into telling what he knew. And then--just when he was beginning to despair of being any help at all to Betty and her family--fate or luck, or whatever one wishes to call it, chose to smile upon him once more. He was prowling around when quite unexpectedly he found himself confronted by Andy Rawlinson. He had struck up quite a liking for the head cowboy, and the two walked along together. Gradually they neared a patch of timber near the northern boundary of the ranch. The cowboy said he was looking for two calves that had strayed away. "And it ain't no use to follow 'em into the woods on hossback," he explained. "I have an object in coming here," declared Allen, at last. "I am watching out for Peter Levine." He felt he could trust Rawlinson. "I thought as much," replied the head cowboy, with a chuckle. "Believe me, I wouldn't trust Levine out o' my sight, if I was the boss. I've seen him prowlin' around here several times." "Then you think he has some secret motive in getting hold of the ranch?" "Sure as shootin'. That feller is a bad one--take it from me." "Please don't make too much noise around here," went on Allen. "I was thinking he might come again in the dark some night--to do a little prospecting, or something like that." "I get you. It would be just like him. Quiet it is." And after that the pair spoke only in whispers. Nothing was seen of the calves, and presently Rawlinson was on the point of going back, when, all at once, something occurred to make him remain. The night was intensely dark; not a star twinkled through the storm clouds that scudded across the sky. Allen had just stubbed his toe on a projecting root and had muttered something uncomplimentary to the darkness of the night when an unusual sound caught the ears of the two young men and stopped them dead in their tracks. Some one was coming through the brush. Some one, like Allen, had stumbled and was muttering under his breath. "Shut up, can't you?" a second voice growled, and Allen's hand instinctively went to Rawlinson's arm to quiet him. "Two of them," he thought exultantly, as he held himself and the cowboy against the trunk of a tree. "There may be some action after all." The two strangers passed close enough to Allen and Rawlinson to have touched them. But they did not notice the young men. Allen and the cowboy, their blood tingling with excitement, followed the pair, and when, some hundred yards on, the strangers stopped, they stopped too, keeping within the shadow of the trees. The strangers were bending over some sort of paper which they were examining by the light of an electric torch. "Here's the place, Jim," one of the men said, pointing first to the paper and then into the shadow of the woods. "There's gold running wild around here, man. I've tested the bed of the creek that runs down there, and it's chock full of yellow men. Why, if we can get hold of this ranch we're rich men--rich over night, I tell you!" "Huh!" grunted the other, noncommittally. "How are you goin' to get hold of this ranch? Ain't done it yet, so's any one could notice it." "No, that's where you come in, Jim," replied the other, and as he turned eagerly to his companion Allen and Rawlinson recognized the features of Peter Levine. "This woman, this Mrs. Nelson who owns the place, won't sell. I'm afraid she may have an idea that there's gold here. And she suspects me, for some reason." The other man laughed unpleasantly. "'Tain't hard for most of us to guess the reason for that, Pete." And at the sneer Levine gave a grunt. "You must have your little joke, Jim," he said. "But now let's get down to business. The woman distrusts me and she has sent for this insolent cub lawyer--Washburn, his name is. He's been to see me already, the unwhipped pup," he went on, while in the shadows Allen's hands gripped themselves into fists, "trying to find out more about my client and John Josephs. Say, that's a good joke, Jim. Here they are after that imaginary ranchman, John Josephs, and my client who they think are crooks, when all the time little Peter Levine is their meat and they don't know it." "You didn't let on you wuz the one that wanted the place?" questioned Jim, who was evidently able to appreciate this joke. "You wuz just the lawyer, and so nowise interested except jest in the fee?" "Righto!" chuckled the other. "And a good-sized fee it will be if once I can get my hands on it." "Which you ain't--yet," the other reminded him. "Get busy, Pete, and tell us your scheme. I don't want to be standin' around here all night." He gave an uneasy glance over his shoulder, and Allen and Rawlinson shrank still further into the shadows. They were not yet ready to make their presence known. "All right," said Peter Levine, speaking hurriedly. "If you'll agree to my suggestion, you're in for easy money, Jim. All you have to do is to approach this Mrs. Nelson and make her an offer for the ranch--for yourself, you understand. She doesn't know you, and she may have become tired of mooning around here by now, and there's just a chance that she'll take you--that is, if you handle the cards right. No eagerness, you understand--just sort of offhand and careless, as if you didn't care much whether she took you or not." "Huh!" said the other, with his noncommittal grunt. "Sounds easy, don't it? But what do I get out of it, ef I pull this deal off, eh?" "Half of all the gold we find, Jim," said the other, waving his hand largely. "You'll never regret it if you put this thing through. You'll be a rich man." "All right, I'm on," said Jim. "Then I guess it's about time we got back," returned Peter Levine, and the two men moved as if to leave that vicinity. "We don't want them to get away," Allen whispered excitedly to Rawlinson. "I want to get hold of that paper if possible." "I reckon that will be easy, Washburn," returned the head cowboy. "I'm armed, you know, and I'll take my chances against those two rascals any time. Just follow me." Without waiting for Allen to reply to this, Andy Rawlinson ran forward swiftly and silently, and in a few seconds had confronted the rascally pair. He had drawn his pistol, but he did not raise the weapon. "Halt, both of you!" he cried, sharply. "Hands up there!" "Hi! what's the meaning of this?" cried Levine, in astonishment. "Who are you?" "It's Rawlinson, the head man here," muttered the man called Jim. "Right!" answered the cowboy. "And here is a particular friend of yours, Levine," he added, as Allen stepped closer. "Washburn!" muttered the rascally lawyer from Gold Run. And then he added quickly: "Have you been spying on us?" "If we have, that's our affair," answered Allen coolly. "You'd better keep those hands up," he went on quickly, as he saw the two rascals making a move as if to start something. "They'll keep 'em up all right enough," broke in Rawlinson. "I reckon you know me," he went on sternly. "And I'll stand for no foolin'." "We haven't been doing anything wrong," came from Levine, lamely. "Oh, no! Of course not!" said Allen sarcastically. "Only trying to get hold of a bonanza for next to nothing!" "Wait a minute, Washburn," came from the head cowboy. "Just relieve 'em of their weapons first. Then maybe we'll be able to talk with more satisfaction." With Rawlinson confronting them, Levine and his companion did not dare offer any resistance, and quickly Allen took their weapons from them and handed the firearms to Rawlinson. "Now I'll thank you, Levine, for that paper you were examining so carefully just a few minutes ago," went on the young lawyer. "This is robbery!" fumed Peter Levine. "I'll have you before the courts for this." Allen eyed him steadily. "Do you represent the law in this place?" he asked. "If so, I am sorry for the inhabitants. But there is no use in prolonging this discussion, Levine. I want that paper. Hand it over at once." The rascally lawyer from Gold Run attempted to argue, but the sight of Rawlinson's weapon subdued him, and presently he handed over the crumpled sheet, which Allen seized with much satisfaction. During this transaction Jim remained sullenly silent. "Now I guess that's about all," said Allen to the cowboy. "If that's the case I guess we can bid you skunks good-evening," came quickly from Rawlinson. "Both of you beat it. And don't ever let me ketch you around here again." "What about my gun?" came feebly from Jim. "I'll send the guns over to Levine's office to-morrow," answered the head cowboy. "Now clear out, and be quick about it." And a moment later the two rascals stumbled away through the darkness. "This is certainly what I call luck," cried Allen excitedly, as he gazed at the scrap of paper Levine had passed over. "Rawlinson, you have certainly helped me do a good night's work. If what that scoundrel said is true, this will mean a fortune for Betty and her mother." "I'm glad I chanced along, Washburn," answered the head cowboy. "After this I think I'll set a guard. If it leaks out that there is gold on this ranch there will be all sorts of fellows beside those skunks trying to locate claims around here." "Will you go up to the house with me?" "No. I'll stick around here a while and see if those fellows come back. Besides, I want to see if I can get any trace of those strayed-away calves. You go ahead. You can tell me about it later. You can take their guns with you if you will." Half running, half stumbling, in his eagerness, Allen reached the house, took the steps of the porch three at a time, and burst into the big homelike kitchen, where he found the family assembled. "We've got 'em, folks!" he cried, waving the scrap of paper over his head, while they stared at him as though they thought he had gone mad. "I've been out hunting and brought home a prize. Come look at it." He went over to the table beside which Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were sitting and laid the two captured pistols upon the table. Infected by his excitement, the girls crowded around, demanding an explanation. [Illustration: THE GIRLS CROWDED AROUND, DEMANDING AN EXPLANATION. _The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle._ _Page 163_] "Pistols!" cried Betty, her eyes wide with dislike of the things. "Where did you get them, Allen?" "Oh, just picked them off the trees by the roadside," said Allen airily. Then, suddenly becoming serious, he laid the scrap of paper beside the weapons on the table. "There," he said, dramatically, "is the key that may open your door to a fortune." "A map," said Mrs. Nelson, her eyes glistening. "Oh, Allen, you've found out something wonderful. Tell us about it, please." And so Allen recounted what had taken place during that fruitful half hour in the shadows of the trees. His audience listened breathlessly. "Then this thing," said Mr. Nelson, taking the bit of paper which was crossed and criss-crossed with a number of lines and dotted with numbers until it seemed more like a jig-saw puzzle than a map, "is supposedly a map which will point out the probable location of gold." "Yes, sir," said Allen. "Then," said Mr. Nelson, feeling the thrill of adventure in his own blood, "we'll begin to look for this gold to-morrow. That is--" He paused and looked quizzically about at the group of tense young faces. "If everybody is willing." "Oh-h," was all that they could say--just then. _ |
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