All this being beyond me, and then some, I proceeded methodically to carry out my complicated plan; which was, it will be remembered, to eat supper and then to go and see about it in person. I performed the first part of this to my entire satisfaction but not to that of the rest. They accused me of unbecoming secrecy1; only they expressed it differently. That did not worry me, and in due time I made my escape. At the corral I picked out a good horse, one that I had brought from the Gila, that would stay tied indefinitely without impatience2. Then I lighted me a cigarette and jogged up the road. I carried with me a little grub, my six-gun, the famous black bag, and an entirely3 empty head.
The night was only moderately dark, for while there was no moon there were plenty of those candle-like desert stars. The little twinkling lights of the Box Springs dropped astern like lamps on a shore. By and by I turned off the road and made a wide detour4 down the sacatone bottoms, for I had still some sense; and roads were a little too obvious. The reception committee that had taken charge of my little friend might be expecting another visitor--me. This brought my approach to the blank side of the ranch5 where were the willow6 trees and the irrigating7 ditch. I rode up as close as I thought I ought to. Then I tied my horse to a prominent lone8 Joshua-tree that would be easy to find, unstrapped the black bag, and started off. The black bag, however, bothered me; so after some thought I broke the lock with a stone and investigated the contents, mainly by feel. There were a lot of clothes and toilet articles and such junk, and a number of undetermined hard things like round wooden boxes. Finally I withdrew to the shelter of a _barranca_ where I could light matches. Then I had no difficulty in identifying a nice compact little hypodermic outfit10, which I slipped into a pocket. I then deposited the bag in a safe place where I could find it easily.
Leaving my horse I approached the ranch under cover of the willows11. Yes, I remembered this time that I left tracks, but I did not care. My idea was to get some sort of decisive action before morning. Once through the willows I crept up close to the walls. They were twelve or fifteen feet high, absolutely smooth; and with one exception broken only by the long, narrow loopholes or transoms I have mentioned before. The one exception was a small wicket gate or door. I remembered the various sorties with torches after the chirping13 frogs, and knew that by this opening the hunting party had emerged. This and the big main gate were the only entrances to the enclosure.
I retired14 to the vicinity of the willows and uttered the cry of the barred owl15. After ten seconds I repeated it, and so continued. My only regret was that I could not chirp12 convincingly like a frog. I saw a shadow shift suddenly through one of the transoms, and at once glided16 to the wall near the little door. After a moment or so it opened to emit Old Man Hooper and another bulkier figure which I imagined to be that of Ramon. Both were armed with shotguns. Suddenly it came to me that I was lucky not to have been able to chirp convincingly like a frog. They hunted frogs with torches and in a crowd. Those two carried no light and they were so intent on making a sneak17 on the willows and the supposititious owl that I, flattened18 in the shadow of the wall, easily escaped their notice. I slipped inside the doorway19.
This brought me into a narrow passage between two buildings. The other end looked into the interior court. A careful reconnaissance showed no one in sight, so I walked boldly along the verandah in the direction of the girl's room. Her note had said she was constantly guarded; but I could see no one in sight, and I had to take a chance somewhere. Two seconds' talk would do me: I wanted to know in which of the numerous rooms the old man slept. I had a hunch20 it would be a good idea to share that room with him. What to do then I left to the hunch.
But when I was half way down the verandah I heard the wicket door slammed shut. The owl hunters had returned more quickly than I had anticipated. Running as lightly as possible I darted21 down the verandah and around the corner of the left wing. This brought me into a narrow little garden strip between the main house and the wall dividing the court from the corrals and stable yards. Footsteps followed me but stopped. A hand tried the door knob to the corner room.
"Nothing," I heard Hooper's voice replying to a question. "Nothing at all. Go to sleep."
The fragrant22 smell of Mexican tobacco reached my nostrils23. After a moment Ramon--it was he--resumed a conversation in Spanish:
"I do not know, senor, who the man was. I could but listen; it was not well to inquire nor to show too much interest. His name, yes; Jim Starr, but who he is----" I could imagine the shrug24. "It is of no importance."
"It is of importance that the other man still lives," broke in Hooper's harsher voice. "I will not have it, I say! Are you sure of it?"
"I saw him. And I saw his horse at the Senor Meigs. It was the brown that bucks25 badly, so I cut the quarter straps26 of his saddle. It might be that we have luck; I do not count on it. But rest your mind easy, senor, it shall be arranged."
"It better be."
"But there is more, senor. The senor will remember a man who rode in races for him many years ago, one named Artie----"
"Brower!" broke in Hooper. "What about him?"
"He is in town. He arrived yesterday afternoon."
Hooper ejaculated something.
"And more, he is all day and all night with this Sanborn."
Hooper swore fluently in English.
"Look, Ramon!" he ordered, vehemently27. "It is necessary to finish this Sanborn at once, without delay."
"_Bueno_, senor."
"It must not go over a single day."
"Haste makes risk, senor."
"The risk must be run."
"_Bueno_, senor. And also this Artie?"
"No! no! no!" hastened Hooper. "Guard him as your life! But send a trusty man for him to-morrow with the buckboard. He comes to see me, in answer to my invitation."
"And if he will not come, senor?" inquired Ramon's quiet voice.
"Why should he not come?"
"He has been much with Sanborn."
"It's necessary that he come," replied Hooper, emphasizing each word.
"_Bueno_, senor."
"Who is to be on guard?"
"Cortinez, senor."
"I will send him at once. Do me the kindness to watch for a moment until I send him. Here is the key; give it to him. It shall be but a moment."
"_Bueno_, senor," replied Ramon.
He leaned against the corner of the house. I could see the half of his figure against the sky and the dim white of the walls.
The night was very still, as always at this ranch. There was not even a breeze to create a rustle28 in the leaves. I was obliged to hold rigidly29 motionless, almost to hush30 my breathing, while the figure bulked large against the whitewashed31 wall. But my eyes, wide to the dimness, took in every detail of my surroundings. Near me stood a water barrel. If I could get a spring from that water barrel I could catch one of the heavy projecting beams of the roof.
After an apparently32 interminable interval33 the sound of footsteps became audible, and a moment later Ramon moved to meet his relief. I seized the opportunity of their conversation and ascended34 to the roof. It proved to be easy, although the dried-out old beam to which for a moment I swung creaked outrageously35. Probably it sounded louder to me than the actual fact. I took off my boots and moved cautiously to where I could look down into the court. Ramon and his companion were still talking under the verandah, so I could not see them; but I waited until I heard one of them move away. Then I went to seat myself on the low parapet and think things over.
The man below me had the key to the girl's room. If I could get the key I could accomplish the first step of my plan--indeed the only step I had determined9 upon. The exact method of getting the key would have to develop. In the meantime, I gave passing wonder to the fact, as developed by the conversation between Hooper and Ramon, that Brower was not at the ranch and had not been heard of at the ranch. Where had Tiger dumped him, and where now was he lying? I keenly regretted the loss of a possible ally; and, much to my astonishment36, I found within myself a little regret for the man himself.
The thought of the transom occurred to me. I tiptoed over to that side and looked down. The opening was about five feet below the parapet. After a moment's thought I tied a bit of stone from the coping in the end of my silk bandana and lowered it at arm's length. By swinging it gently back and forth37 I determined that the transom was open. With the stub of the pencil every cowboy carried to tally38 with I scribbled39 a few words on an envelope which I wrapped about the bit of coping. Something to the effect that I was there, and expected to gain entrance to her room later, and to be prepared. Then I lowered my contraption, caused it to tap gently a dozen times on the edge of the transom, and finally swung it with a rather nice accuracy to fly, bandana and all, through the opening. After a short interval of suspense40 I saw the reflection of a light and so knew my message had been received.
There was nothing to do now but return to a point of observation. On my way I stubbed my stockinged foot against a stone _metate_ or mortar41 in which Indians and Mexicans make their flour. The heavy pestle42 was there. I annexed43 it. Dropped accurately44 from the height of the roof it would make a very pretty weapon. The trouble, of course, lay in that word "accurately."
But I soon found the fates playing into my hands. At the end of a quarter hour the sentry45 emerged from under the verandah, looked up at the sky, yawned, stretched, and finally sat down with his back against the wall of the building opposite. Inside of ten minutes he was sound asleep and snoring gently.
I wanted nothing better than that. The descent was a little difficult to accomplish noiselessly, as I had to drop some feet, but I managed it. After crouching46 for a moment to see if the slight sounds had aroused him, I crept along the wall to where he sat. The stone pestle of the _metate_ I had been forced to leave behind me, but I had the heavy barrel of my gun, and I was going to take no chances. I had no compunctions as to what I did to any one of this pack of mad dogs. Cautiously I drew it from its holster and poised47 it to strike. At that instant I was seized and pinioned48 from behind.
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secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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detour
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| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
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ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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irrigating
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| 灌溉( irrigate的现在分词 )； 冲洗（伤口） | |
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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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chirp
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| v.(尤指鸟)唧唧喳喳的叫 | |
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chirping
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| 鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 ) | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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hunch
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| n.预感，直觉 | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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bucks
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| n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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rigidly
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| adv.刻板地，僵化地 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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whitewashed
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| 粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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outrageously
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| 凶残地； 肆无忌惮地； 令人不能容忍地； 不寻常地 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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tally
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| n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致 | |
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scribbled
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| v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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pestle
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| n.杵 | |
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annexed
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| [法] 附加的，附属的 | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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pinioned
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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