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Come out from cover, Hugh Roush." He stopped, and took the matter up from another angle. "You're a liar, you coyote. I'm not runnin' away. Two to one ... two to one ... I'll ride back an' gun you both. I'm a-comin' now." He pulled up and turned his horse. Faintly there came to Billie the thudding of horses' hoofs. In five minutes it would be too late to save either the sick man or himself.
I got all day to this job, but I aim to do it thorough," jeered Clanton. A bullet flattened itself against the rock wall ten feet below the boy. In despair the man was shooting wildly with his revolver. He knew there was no use in pleading, that his day of judgment had come. Young Clanton laughed in mockery. "Try again, Roush. You ain't quite got the range."
The young Southerner had a definite motive in his jeering. He wanted to drive his enemies to attack him before they could come at him from two sides. "You you killed Ranse?" "You heard me say it once." The eyes of the boy flashed for a moment to the red-headed man. "Whyfor are you dodgin' back of the bar, Hugh Roush?
I'll leave him in charge of this bunch of stock overnight on. the berrendo. He'll run like a scared deer at the first shot. Hustle the beeves over the pass an' keep 'em movin' till you come to Lost Cache." Crouched over the blanket, they discussed details and settled them. Yankie rose to leave and Roush followed him to his horse. "Don't git a notion I'm scared of Albeen, Joe," he explained.
He knew that the other Roush, crouched behind the bar, had been firing at him through the woodwork. Now a bullet struck the wall back of his head. The red-headed man had fired looking through a knot-hole. The boy's weapon covered a spot three inches above this. He fired instantly. A splinter flew from a second hole just above the first.
"You won't be alive to tell me unless you talk right sudden." They watched each other, the man and the boy. Neither as yet made any motion to draw his gun, the younger one because he was not ready, Roush because he did not want to show any premature alarm before the men taking in the scene.
But she nursed her anger against her father, fed her resentment with the memory of all his wrongs to her. When at last she crept through the window to the dark porch trellised with wild cucumbers, she persuaded herself that she was going only to tell Dave Roush that she would not join him. Her heart beat fast with excitement and dread.
But when he rose, his breakfast forgotten, it was won. He would let Roush go unhurt. He would do it for the sake of Polly Roubideau, who had been such a good friend to him. Devil Dave, ghastly with fear, was still pleading for his life. Clanton, who had heard nothing of what the fellow had been saying in the past ten minutes, came to a sudden alert attention.
"An' an' my marriage was all a lie?" "Did ye think Dave Roush would marry a Clanton? He's a bad lot, Dave is, but he ain't come that low yet." For the first and last time in her life 'Lindy fainted. Presently she floated back to consciousness and the despair of a soul mortally stricken. She saw it all now. The lies of Dave Roush had enticed her into a trap.
"What are you doin' here, Dave Roush?" the girl demanded. "Are you crazy?" "I'm here because you are, 'Lindy Clanton," he answered promptly. "That's a right good reason, ain't it?" The pink splashed into her cheeks like spilled wine. "You'd better go. If dad saw you " He laughed hardily. "There'd be one less Roush or one less Clanton," he finished for her.
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