That thought sent him at a run for Captain Lorrimer's saloon. It was lighted brilliantly by the gasoline lamp within, but a short distance away from it he heard no sound and his imagination drew a terrible picture of the big, empty room, with three dead men lying in the center of it where the destroyer had reached them one by one. That was what took the blood from his face and made him a white mask of tragedy when he stepped into the door of the saloon. It was quiet, but half a dozen men sat at the tables in the corner, and among them were Ronicky and the other two. Sliver7 Waldron was in the very act of pulling back his chair, and perhaps all three had just come in. Perhaps Barry had come here to look for his quarry8 and found them not yet arrived; perhaps he was now hunting in other places through the town; perhaps he was even now crouched9 in the shadow near at hand and ready to attack.
It made the hand of Vic Gregg contract with a cruel pressure when it fell on the shoulder of Sliver Waldron.
He had no love for Vic Gregg since that day when the posse rode through the hills after him; neither had Ronicky or Gus Reeve, who rose from their chairs as if at a signal. “Come with me, gents,” said Vic. “An' come quick!”
They asked no questions and did not stay to argue the point for he had that in his face which meant action. He led them outside, and behind the horse shed of the saloon.
“We're alone?” he asked.
“Nothin' in sight.”
“Look sharp.”
“Gents, we may be alone now, but we ain't goin' to be alone long. Get your hosses and ride like hell. Barry is in town!”
“Vic, you're drunk.”
“I tell you, he's been seen—”
“Then by God,” growled13 Sliver Waldron, “lead me to him. I need to have a little talk with that gent.”
“Lead you to him?” echoed Vic Gregg. “Sliver, are you hungerin' to push daisies?”
“Look here, Bud,” answered the older man, and he laid a hand on the shoulder of Vic. “You been with this Barry, gent, and you've lived in his house. D'you mean to say you're one of the lot that talks about him like he was a ghost bullets couldn't harm? I tell you, son, they's been so much chatter14 about him that folks forget he's human. I'm goin' to remind 'em of that little fact.”
Vic Gregg groaned15. Even while he talked he was glancing over his shoulder as if he feared the shadows under the moon. His voice was half gasp16, half whisper.
“Sliver—Ronicky—don't ask me how I know—jest believe me when I say Dan Barry'll never die by the hand of any man. I tell you—he can see in the dark!”
A soft oath from Gus Reeve; a twitching17 of Ronicky's head told that this last had taken effect. Sliver Waldron suddenly altered his manner.
“The wisest thing you ever done, Sliver.”
“I'm feelin' the same way,” breathed Gus Reeve.
“S'long,” whispered Vic Gregg, and faded into the night, running.
The others, without a word among themselves, gathered their horses and struck down the valley out of Alder. The padding and swish of the sand about the feet of their mounts; the very creaking of the saddle leather seemed to alarm them, and they were continually turning and looking back. That is, Gus Reeve and Ronicky Joe manifested these signs of trouble, but Sliver Waldron, riding in the center of the trio, never moved his head. They were hardly well out of the town when a swift rush of hoof19 beats swept up from behind, and a horseman darted20 into the pale mist of the valley bending low over his pommel to cut the wind of his riding.
“Who is it?”
“Vic Gregg!” muttered Gus Reeve. “Stir, along, Sliver. Vic ain't lingerin' any!”
“Hearin' you talk, Ronicky,” he said, “you'd think you was really scared of Dan Barry.”
Ronicky Joe stiffened22 in his saddle and peered through the uncertain light to make out if Sliver were jesting. But the latter seemed perfectly23 grave.
“A gent would almost think,” went on Sliver, “that we three was runnin' away from Barry, instead of goin' out to set a trap for him.”
There was something nearly akin1 to a grunt10 from Gus Reeve, but Ronicky merely continued to stare at the leader.
“'S a matter of fact,” said Sliver, “when Vic was talkin' I sort of felt the chills go up my back. How about you, Ronicky?”
“I'll tell a man,” sighed Ronicky. “While Vic was talkin' I seen that devil comin' on his hoss like he done when he broke out of the cabin that night. I'll tell you straight, Sliver. I had my gun drilled on him. I couldn't of missed; but after I fired he kept straight on. It was like puncturin' a shadow!”
“Sure,” nodded Sliver. “Shootin' by night ain't ever a sure thing.”
Ronicky wiped his heated brow.
“So I sent Vic away before he had a chance to get real nervous. But when he comes back—well, boys, it'll be kind of amusin' to watch Vic's face when he saunters into town tomorrow and sees Dan Barry—maybe dead, maybe in the irons. Eh?”
Only a deep silence answered him, but in the interest which his words excited the terror seemed to have left Ronicky and Gus. They rode close, their heads toward Sliver alone.
“There goes Vic,” mused24 Sliver. “There he goes—go on. Mac, you old fool!—scared to death, ridin' for his life. And why? Because he believes some ghost stories he's heard about Dan Barry!”
“Ghost stories?” echoed Reeve. “Some of 'em ain't fairy tales, Sliver.”
“Jest name one that ain't!”
“Well, the way he trailed Jim Silent. We've all heard of Silent, and Barry—was too good for him.”
“Bah,” sneered25 Sliver. “Too good for Silent? Ye lied readily enough: booze done for Silent long before Barry come along.”
“That right?”
“I'll tell a man it is. Mind you, I don't say Barry ain't handy with his gun; but he's done a little and the gents have furnished the trimmin's. Look here, if Barry is the man-eater they say, why did he pick a time for comin' down when the sheriff was out of town?”
“By God!” exclaimed Ronicky. “I never thought of that!”
“Sure you didn't,” chuckled26 Sliver. “But this sucker figures that you and Gus and me will be easy pickin's. He figures we'll do what Vic did—hit for the tall pines. Then he'll blow around how he ran the four of us out of Alder. Be pleasant comin' back to talk like that, eh?”
There was a volley of rapid curses from the other two.
“We'll get this cheap skate, Sliver,” suggested Ronicky. “We'll get this ghost and tie him up and take him back to Alder and make a show of him.”
“We will,” nodded Sliver. “Have you figured how?”
“Lie out here in the bush. He'll hunt around Alder all night and when the mornin' comes he'll leave and he'll come out this way. We'll be ready for him where the valley's narrow down there. They say his hoss and his dog is as bad as any two ordinary men. Well, that's three of them and here's three of us. It's an even break, eh?”
“Ronicky,” murmured Sliver, “I always knowed you had the brains. We'll take this gent and tame him, and run him back to Alder on the end of a rope.”
So the three reached the point where the shadowy walls of the valley narrowed, drew almost together. There they placed the horses in a hollow near the southern cliff, and they returned to take post. There was only one bridle28 path which wound through the gulch29 here, and the three concealed30 themselves behind a thicket31 of sagebrush to wait.
They laid their plan carefully. Each man was to have his peculiar33 duty: Gus Reeve, an adept34 with the rope, would wait until the black stallion was cantering past and then toss his noose35 and throw the horse. At the same instant, Ronicky Joe would shoot the wolf-dog, and Sliver Waldron would perforate Dan Barry while the latter rolled in the dust, unless, indeed, he was pinioned36 by the fall of his horse, in which case they would have the added glory of taking him alive.
By the time all these details were settled the pale moonlight was shot through with the rose of dawn. Then, rapidly, the mountains lifted into view, range beyond range, all their gullies deep blue and purple, and here and there sharp triangles of snow. There was not a cloud, not a trace of mist, and through the crisp, thin air the vision carried as if through a telescope. They could count the trees on the upper ridges37; and that while the floor of the valley was still in shadow. This in turn grew brilliant, and everywhere the sage32 brush glittered like foliage38 carved in gray-green quartz39.
It was then that they saw Dan Barry, while the dawn was still around them, and before the sun pushed up in the east above the mountains. He came winding40 down the bridle path with the dawn glittering on the side of Satan, and a dark, swift form spiriting on ahead.
“Look at him!” muttered Sliver Waldron. “The damned wolf is a scout41. See him nose around that hummock42? Watch him smell behind that bush. The black devil!”
Bart, in fact, wove a loose course before his master, running here and there to all points of vantage, as if he knew that danger lurked43 ahead, but where he came close, with only the narrow passage between the cliffs, he seemed to make up his animal brain that there could be no trouble in so constricted44 a place, and darted straight ahead.
“They're ours,” whispered Waldron. “Steady, boys. Gus, get your rope, get ready!”
Gus tossed the noose a little wider, and gathered himself for the throw, but it seemed as if the wolf saw or heard the movement. He stopped suddenly and stood with his head high; behind him the rider checked the black horse; all three waited.
“He's tryin' to get the wind,” chuckled Waldron, “but the wind is ag'in' our faces!”
It was only a slight breeze, but it came directly against the lurking45 three; and moreover the scent of the sage was particularly keen at this time of the day, and quite sufficient to blur46 the scent of man even in the keen nostrils47 of Black Bart. Only for a second or so he stood there sniffing48 the wind, a huge animal, larger than any wolf the three had ever seen; his face wise in a certain bear-like fashion from the three gray marks in the center of his forehead. Now he trotted49 ahead, and the stallion broke into a gallop50 behind.
“My God,” whispered Sliver to Gus, “don't spoil that hoss when you daub the rope on him! Look at that action; like runnin' water!”
They came more rapidly. As if the rider knew that a point of danger was there to be passed, he spoke51 to his mount, and Satan lengthened52 into a racing53 gait that blew the brim of the rider's hat straight up. On they came. The wolf-dog darted past. Then as the horse swept by, Gus Reeve rose from behind his bush and the rope darted snakelike from his hand. The forefeet of Satan landed in the noose, and the next instant the back-flung weight of Gus tightened54 the rope, and Satan shot over upon his side, flinging the master clear of the saddle.
It sent him rolling over and over in the dust, and Sliver Waldron was on his feet with both guns in action, sending bullet after bullet towards the tumbling body. Gus Reeve was running towards the stallion, his rope in action to entangle55 one of the hindfeet and make sure of his prey56; Ronicky Joe had leaped up with a yell and blazed away at Black Bart.
It was no easy mark to strike, for the moment the rope shot out from the hand of Gus, the wolf-dog whirled in his tracks and darted straight for the scene of action. It was that, perhaps, which troubled the aim of Ronicky more than anything else, for wild animals do not whirl in this fashion and run for an assailant. He had expected to find himself plugging away at a flying target in the distance; instead, the black monster was rushing straight for him, silently. Indeed, all that followed was in silence after that first wild Indian yell from Ronicky Joe. His gun barked, but Black Bart was running like a football player down a broken field, swerving57 here and there with uncanny speed. Again, again, Joe missed, and then flung up his arm toward the flying danger. But Black Bart shot from the ground to make his kill. He could bring down the strongest bull in the herd58. What was the arm of a man to him? His snake-like head shot through that futile59 guard; his teeth cut off the screams of Ronicky Joe. Down they went. The gun flew from the hand of Ronicky; for an instant he struggled with hands and writhing60 legs, and then the murderous teeth of Bart sank deeper, found the life. The dead body was limp, but Bart, shaking his hold deeper to make sure, glared across to the fallen master.
The third man had died for Grey Molly.
All this had happened in a second, and the body of Barry was still rolling when a gun flashed in his hand, drawn61 while he tumbled. It spat62 fire, and Sliver Waldron staggered forward drunkenly, waved both his armed hands as if he were trying to talk by signal, and pitched on his face into the dust.
The fourth man had died for Grey Molly.
No gun was destined63 for Gus Reeve, however. Black Bart had left the lifeless body of his victim and was darting64 towards the third man; the master was on his knee, raising his gun for the last shot; but Gus Reeve was blind to all that had happened. He saw only the black stallion, the matchless prize of horseflesh. He tossed a loop in the taut65 rope to entangle a bind66 foot, but that slackening of the line gave Satan his instant's purchase, and a moment later he was on his feet, whirled, and two iron-hard hoofs67 crushed the whole framework of the man's chest like an egg-shell. The impact lifted him from his feet, but before that body struck the ground the life was fled from it. The fifth man had died for Grey Molly.
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1
akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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2
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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3
alder
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| n.赤杨树 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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5
shacks
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| n.窝棚，简陋的小屋( shack的名词复数 ) | |
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6
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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7
sliver
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| n.裂片，细片，梳毛；v.纵切，切成长片，剖开 | |
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8
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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9
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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11
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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12
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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13
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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14
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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15
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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16
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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17
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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18
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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19
hoof
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| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
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20
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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21
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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22
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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23
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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24
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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25
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
whooped
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| 叫喊( whoop的过去式和过去分词 )； 高声说； 唤起 | |
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28
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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29
gulch
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| n.深谷，峡谷 | |
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30
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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31
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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32
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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33
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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adept
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| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
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35
noose
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| n.绳套，绞索（刑）；v.用套索捉；使落入圈套；处以绞刑 | |
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36
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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37
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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38
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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39
quartz
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| n.石英 | |
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40
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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41
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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42
hummock
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| n.小丘 | |
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43
lurked
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| vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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44
constricted
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| adj.抑制的，约束的 | |
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45
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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46
blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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47
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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48
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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49
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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50
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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51
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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52
lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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54
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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55
entangle
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| vt.缠住，套住；卷入，连累 | |
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56
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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57
swerving
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的现在分词 ) | |
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58
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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59
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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60
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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61
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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62
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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63
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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64
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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65
taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
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66
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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67
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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