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The deputy turned abruptly away and addressed the cowboys: "Come on, boys, let's git this character under lock an' key so I kin breathe easier." Even Endicott joined in the laugh that greeted the man's words and, detaining a cowpuncher to ride on either side of the prisoner, the officer solemnly led the way toward town.
But the cowpuncher was desperate and knew how to handle her. None but Arizona would have attempted such a feat with a horse of her description; but he must have speed if he was going to save his friend's life, and he knew she could give it. Daylight was breaking when the jaded Lady Jezebel and her double freight raced into the ranch.
Bob must be one of those who had gone over the ledge. One of Sheahan's troopers on scout duty reported. "Indians making for a gulch at the end of the willows, sir. Others swarming up into the bushes at the edge of the mesa." A cowpuncher familiar with the country volunteered information. "Gulch leads to that ridge over there. It's the highest point around here."
"What's that?" demanded the cowpuncher, his face flaming instantly, and his black eyes sparkling. She had reproved him before his mates, and the young man was angry on the instant. But Frances was angry first. And, moreover, she had good reason for distrusting Ratty. The incident was one lent by Fortune as an excuse for his discharge. "You are not fit to handle stock," said Frances, bitingly.
He tugged at the bag and made believe to Silver that his sole trouble was with his pillow. "By cripes, that damn' jelly glass digs right into my ear," he complained aloud, to help along the deception. "You go back, old-timer I'm all right. I'm a rell ole cowpuncher; ain't I, old-timer? We're makin' a dry-camp, just like Happy Jack.
But when Nash stepped across the room behind Bard, the latter turned and was busy with the folding of his blankets at the foot of his bunk, his face toward the cowpuncher and when Bard, slipping off his belt, fumbled at his holster, Nash was instantly busy with the cleaning of his own gun.
Billie was still patient with her. "I don't think you'd better stay, Miss Lee. I know just how you feel. But there are a lot of folks won't understand howcome you to take up with yore father's enemies. They'll talk a lot of foolishness likely." The cowpuncher blushed at his own awkward phrasing of the situation, yet the thing had to be said and he knew no other way to say it.
"Company for you, Riley," said the sheriff, as the tall cowpuncher rose. The other's back was turned, and thereby the sheriff was enabled to pass a significant gesture and look to Sinclair. With that he left them. In the outer room he found his deputy much alarmed. "You ain't turned them two in together?" he asked. "Why, Sinclair'll kill that gent in about a minute.
Women and children and old men dribbled out from the houses, all eager for the news. "Billie he found Miss Lee in the Mal-Pais. That boy sure had his lucky pants on to-day. She's all right too. I done seen her myself just a mite tuckered out, as you might say," explained the former cowpuncher. Live-Oaks shook hands with itself in exuberant joy. For an hour the school bell pealed out the good news.
Because they had no human means of knowing anything about the black automobile that bad whirled across the mesa to the southeast and left its mysterious passengers in one of the arroyos that leads into the Sandias Mountains near Coyote Springs, nine cowpuncher deputy-sheriffs bored their way steadily through sun and wind and thirst, traveling due northwest, keeping always on the trail of the six horses that traveled steadily before them Always a day's march behind, always watching hopefully for some sign of delay for an encouraging freshness in the tracks that would show a lessening distance between the two parties, Luck and his Happy Family rode from dawn till dusk, from another dawn to another dusk.
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