Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

14 Later they sat around glumly while Rayburn handed round food. A rouijh cross, made with tno ijipres of wood roped together, marked tha -grave of ClufT; and Garth sat apart on a rock, staring at the sand. "Hey, Garth," Curly called, "get in out of the open. You gonna get yourself all filled up with Apache lead?" ■'He's taking it pretty hard," Mulford whis- pered. "Yeah, him an' Henry wont through the war together. Ain't never been apart till now." ~ "I"d like to get my hands on that ICaton," f'hic exclaimed angrily. "I'd wring his neck." ■'You're mighty brave about what you'd do to .some fellow that ain't here," Curly muttered. "Shut up, Dog-face! Get that bacon ready." Mulford turned on the scowling cow'ooy. "I don't think Eaton took the horses." "Huh, I siipjiose a man of your experience could even sive the sheriff a pointer or two, eh, Mulford?' Alulford flushed at the sneer in Chic's voice; but he held himself in, rose and walked away. "If yon ain't careful. Chic," said l^ayburn dryly, "you're gonna get yourself some trouble you ain't able to handle." "I'll handle any trouble that craves handlin'," f'hic blu.stered. "Why, that's fine—'cause there's plenty of it *cill around heie," Rayburn said, with a grim smile. Cp amongst the rocks. Garth had joined the sheriflE. They crouched in shelter, studying the lie of the land. "We're surrounded, ain't we, sheriff?" Garth mumbled. Cuminings nodded. "I figure we got just one chance." "I'll try to get through to-night," whispered Garth savagely. "We'll draw for it." "I said I'd go!" "I said we'd draw," Cummings persisted coolly. Garth shrugged. "Here comes young Mulford. Something tells me he's never been in a mess like thi.s before." "I expect not," said Cummings thoughtfully. "Couldrj't wo sorta have him on guard duly while we do the drawing?" "Somel.-t.ily's got to be on watch," Ciimming.9 agreed. They fell silent as Mulford, crouching down, joined them. "How !iad is it, sheriff?" he jjantod. "rihh ! Keep your voice down, son. We've come thro\igh a lot tighter ones, eh, Charlie?" "Yeah !" Garth clamped a blackened old clay pipe in his stubbly lips. "Do you really think Eaton took the horses?" Mulford demanded in troubled tone.s. "If I said 'Yes,' I'd bo admittin' that I'd made a mistake in a man," Cumrnings drawled. "If I said it was an Indian, it'd be going contrary to my experience with Apaches." '■What's that?" Mulford asked. "Apaches don't do night work," Cunmiings said nu-aningly. "It's against the rules of their gods, 'J'hey prefer the rosy dawn for murdei." Mulford i.ndded bitterly. Then ho began talking tiervously, accusing himself of being a Jonah. Everybody tangled up with him ran into trouble. Cummings patted his shoulder, calming him. "Apache Jack'd be awful mad if ho though!; vou were takinc all the credit," Garth gnuited. "Well, I'm telling you, I'm to blame for it! I'm a downright .Jonah !" "No. no 1 Look here, boy, we've run into some hard luck," the sheriff growled, "but that kinda Ihinking ain't gonna help none," "I'm ,sorry," Mulford whispered, "What's Jonah got to do with this?" Garth said. "He's just a gent that swallowed a whale!" He broke off and pointed up at the sharp line of the summits against the })hie .sky. Puffs of smoke were rising. "They can sure say a lot with a little smoke," ho nuit- tercd fhoughtfull.y. "Can you read it?" "Sure. They're invitin' all their fiiends and relative?! to a part.y." There w,i« a long silence. Then Garth .I.Tnuary 27tli, IMO. BOY'S CINEMA nudged the sheriff. Farther along the range answering signals billowed. "They've accepted (he invite," Garth said softly. GAMBLE WITH DEATH THE hot, windless day passed with no more alarms. Darkness came, intensif.ying the foeliiig of a hidden menace, a remorseless enemy, who could go on waiting, day after day, wearing down nerves, picking off man after man. Sheriff Cununings joined the group at the fire. "Mulford, go and relieve Garth," he said easily. " Yes, sir." IMulforu picked up his rifle and disappeared. Out on the riiu of the rocks, CJarth and Lopez crouched. The Mexican's face was set in lines of grief. He held crushed in his hand a handkerchief; it had belonged to his wife. (^unmiing-s waited until Garth arrived, then squatted in the circle of men. "I guess you all agree that a little blockade running is in order," he began. "A couple of us will try to get through for help." " What's the matter with all of us tryin' to get through together?" Curly Tom asked, shuffling his i)ack of cards. " Wc^ll, the best reason I can think of off- hand. Curly, is that it would be mass suicide." "What's the matter. Dog-face—scared?" As usual it was Chic Lyman, "No, I ain't .scared, you yappin' puppy," said Curly, without heat. "We'll cut the cards, see who's the lucky one," went on .Sheriff tJummings impel'tur- bably. "Give me the cards. Curly. High man drops out until there are two left. Does that suit ever.vbody?" "Wait a minute," rapped Chic L.yman, as the others murnuiied agreement. "What about Lopez and IMulford?" "We're counting them out of this," said Gaith heavily. " How come ? They're in this as much as we are." "Sure." nodded Billy Sweet. "If it hadn't been for that chili bean's wife, we wouldn't be here " Ra.yburn's cold voice cut in; his hand had dropped to his gun. "Eat that, Billy—or I'll blow you inside out." Billy lounged back insolentlv. "Sure, sure; I forgot you was a little squeamish about womenfolk " ' Rayburn leaped to his feet. " I said, eat it!" Bill.y, carving away at his bit of wood, eyed him up and down, then drawled: "All right, I take it back." "The reason we're leaving Lopez and Mul- ford out." said Cummings as calm was restored, "is because neither of them has a chance of getting through." "Lopez is plumb off his centre-plate," said Garth. "He'd j\unn the first Injun he saw, and Mulford—he's just a green kid." "Any more objections?" asked Cummings, and was greeted by silence. They started cutting. In the flickering firelight they played on, gambling with death. One after the other they dropped o>it, until two men were left—Garth and Billy Sweet. Ruefull.v they looked at one another. Garth calmly put his card on the fire, and lit his pipe with it. Billy Sweet went oti carving his little figure. •Sheriff ('umrnings shrugged and strode off to have a look at Mulford. He met Mulford hastening towards him. "Say, (here's something out there!" the yoiuigster whispered. "Rayburn!" called the sheriff. '"Veah! What's up?" "T don't know. Come on!" Cummings and Rayburn joined Mulford be- hind the pile of rocks which had been his post. "It came from over there." Midford pointed to the shadows where the rough trail climf)ed. The.v listened, holding their breath. They could hoar the faint clip-clop of hoofs—slowly coming nearer, "Hoy, it's coming this way," Mulford whis- pered excitedly. Every Tuesday "Don't shoot! You two sta.y here." Cummings slipped away soundlessly, half- crouching. They saw his shadow Hitting acro.ss a gap, then he luul merged with the blackness of an overhanging cliff. Rayburn and Mulford waited tensely. 'Then they heard him return- ing' and the sound of hoofs merged with the tinkle of his spurs. He loomed up, leading a horse—his own horse. A dim, shapeless bundle was tied to the saddle. "I wouldn't go back there if I were you, son," he said sadly to Mulford, as the young man went to step round the horse. And he added, as Mulford spotted a man's boots hang- ing below the animal's belly: "And, by the way, Eaton duln't take the horses," By the light of the moon, Eaton was buried beside Cluft', A second rough cross throw its shadow. The posse was quiet as Garth and Billy Sweet prepared to leave on their des- perate attempt. " Either of you boys is welcome to m.y hor£.e if you want him," Cummings rumbled. "It's a lot slower under foot, but you're under cover." "No, thanks, sheriff." said Billy with grim humour. "If that Apache Jack gets after ma, 1 don't want to be held back by any horse." "Good luck," said Cummings. "There's a regimental outpost about twenty-five miles due north." The.v shook hands, and Billy handed Cum- mings his carving—the tiny figure of a dancing girl. "And, sheriff, if the worst does come to the worst, save the last bullet for Minnie!" Side by side, without a glance back, Billy Sweet and Garth strode away into the shadows. Silence fell on the camp. The night moved on. Sheriff' Cummings came upon Curly Tom, pacing up and down, his gun hanging from his hand. "Take it eas.v, Cui-ly," he said gently. " I got to keep moving, sheriff, or I'll go craz.y. Charlie and Billy out there—I keep ex- pecting to hear something." "I know, but it's better if we don't hear anything." As he fiiushed speaking they both heard a strange howling in the distance—then Lopez shouting something. The Mexican had been jerkeil from his sleep by that sound, awakening Mulford, who was lying near him. "They're torturing her!" he yelled, and rose to his feet like a sleepwalker. Mulford grabbed him. "Wait a minute, Lopez. That wasn't your girl!" "Get out of my way." Lopez snarled, "or I'll kill .vou. Get out!" Mulford lashed out, knocking him down, as Cummings came nuniing, "Sorry, had to wallop him to keep him here," Mulford grunted. "We heard that queer sound, and " " Wh.v, that's just a big cat!" "Oh, it didn't s.ound like any mountain lion I've ever heard," began Mulford uneasily. "Shut up!" roared Cummings angrily. "Don't try to tell me. You don't know atiy- thing!" He became aware that Mulford was staring at him, and got a grip on himself, " I'm sorry, kid; guess I wouldn't be human if I didn't get a little jumpy along with the rest of you." he said awkwardly. "It's enough to make—to make a stone man jumpy trying to hold out against something vou can't even get a look at. Sorry I spoke sharp." "Where's everybody?" asked Mulford, "Chic, Rayburn and Curley are on guariil." The sheriff hesitated, "Garth and Sweet are out scouting. You'd better get some sleep." THE SHERIFF HITS OUT NEAR dawn, Lopez rose slowly from the ground. His e.yes were wide open, but ho saw nothing, TJiere was a queer light gli:itiug in them, arul he was murmuring, over and over again, the name of his dead wife. He walked stifHy away from the camp, and down past Curly's post. "Takin' your constitutional, Lopez?" Curl.y Tom drawled, hi(ching his shoulder away from the rock he was loaning against. The Mexican's queer manner struck him. He grabbed Lopez' arm. "I wouldn't go too far out there—Lopez I"