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Updated: May 6, 2025
As he reached the street he saw a girl on a horse talking with a man on the sidewalk. The girl was leaning over, and the man evidently was delivering a harangue. He was gesticulating wildly, and Rathburn could see that the girl was cowering. He paused on the hotel porch as the man stepped away from the horse and looked his way. He recognized Carlisle.
An' there's more of 'em!" He pointed westward where two riders were barely discernible on the crest of a ridge. They disappeared almost immediately in the timber below. "We'll turn back," Rathburn decided. "We'll ride with the trees between us an' the men up at the cañon, an' keep an eye out for the pair to the west. You might watch that side, an' I'll look out for the east an' south.
His gun leaped into his hand and he fired once, twice, three times the fourth shot cut the burning fuse, and with a sharp intaking of breath, he ran for his horse, mounted, and rode into the timber along the trail. Rathburn picked his way slowly through the timber around to the southeast and then directly down toward the town. It was slow going, and the man seemed to relish this fact.
At first Rathburn feigned ignorance of the Mexican's presence; but Gomez smiled at him, his white teeth glistening against his swarthy skin. Rathburn marveled at the audacity of the Mexican, who undoubtedly was one of those who had held up the stage the day before, in coming boldly into town.
"Yes, I brought it back, sheriff," said Rathburn cheerfully. "Well, I'll be frank and tell you, Rathburn, that if you expect leniency after what happened this morning you might just as well give up that idea. Any man can change his mind when he sees he can't get away." "That's up to you, sheriff," replied Rathburn, taking tobacco and papers from his shirt pocket.
Five minutes later Rathburn strode down the trail alone, while behind him, on the other side of the fast-shut cabin door, barked and scratched a frantic little yellow dog. Tuesday night, when Rathburn came home, the first sound that greeted him was a joyous bark, as a quivering, eager little creature leaped upon him from out of the dark.
"No no no!" sobbed the girl. "All right; fine, little girl. No one knows anything about it but me, an' I'm goin' away. But, listen, girlie, just what was Carlisle to you?" A spasm of weeping shook the girl. "Nothing I could help," she sobbed. "He I had to do as he said because oh, I hate him. I hate him!" "There, there," soothed Rathburn. "I suspected as much, girlie."
"Well, you had him in jail last night, and you can probably get him again, if you start right out after him." "What makes you think this fellow Rathburn is The Coyote?" demanded Mannix. "Carlisle knows him by sight, and he told me." "Then why didn't you tell me?" the deputy asked sternly. "Because Carlisle didn't tell me until after I told him what I'd done," Sautee evaded.
Rathburn recognized the voice of Mannix, and a moment later the deputy stepped between them. "What's the idea?" he asked coolly. "This gentleman you just called Carlisle seems to have appointed himself a reception committee to welcome me into the enterprising town of High Point," drawled Rathburn, with a laugh.
Rathburn called upon his horse for a last, heartbreaking burst of speed and the dun made good. At the beginning of the slope to the ridge, Rathburn veered sharply to the right and burst through the trees a scant rod or two from his man. His gun was leveled straight at the other, who had been caught momentarily off his guard. "Drop it!" shouted Rathburn, racing toward him.
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