The Max Brand Megapack. Max Brand

response made even Buck forget her pallor. Outside the house there was a faint buzz of whispers.

      “Keep it up!”

      “I’ll do my best,” she said faintly.

      Buck leaned back and burst into uproarious laughter.

      “That’s a good one!” he cried, slamming the broad palm of his hand against the table so that the tin dishes jumped. “I never heard the beat of it!” And in a whispered tone aside: “Laugh, damn it!”

      Her laughter rang true enough, but it quavered perilously close to a sob towards the close.

      “I always granted Jim Silent a lot of sense,” he said, “an’ has he really left you alone all this time? Damn near died of homesickness, didn’t you?”

      She laughed again, more confidently this time. The board was suddenly replaced at the window.

      “Now I got to go out to them,” he said. “After what Silent has seen he’ll trust me with you. He’ll let me come back.”

      She dropped her soft hands over his clenched fist.

      “It will be soon? Minutes are greater than hours.”

      “I ain’t forgot. Tonight’s the time.”

      Before he reached the door she ran to him. Two arms went round his neck, two warm lips fluttered against his.

      “God bless you!” she whispered.

      Buck ran for the door. Outside he stood bareheaded, breathing deeply. His face was hot with shame and delight, and he had to walk up and down for a moment before he could trust himself to enter the ranch house. When he finally did so he received a greeting which made him think himself a curiosity rather than a man. Even Jim Silent regarded him with awe.

      “Buck,” said Jordan, “you don’t never need to work no more. All you got to do is to walk into a town, pick out the swellest heiress, an’ marry her.”

      “The trouble with girls in town,” said Buck, “is that there ain’t no room for a man to operate. You jest nacherally can’t ride a hoss into a parlour.”

      Lee Haines drew Buck a little to one side.

      “What message did you bring to her, Buck?” he said.

      “What d’you mean?”

      “Look here, friend, these other boys are too thick-headed to understand Kate Cumberland, but I know her kind.”

      “You’re a little peeved, ain’t you Lee?” grinned Buck. “It ain’t my fault that she don’t like you.”

      Haines ground his teeth.

      “It was a very clever little act that you did with her, but it couldn’t quite deceive me. She was too pale when she laughed.”

      “A jealous feller sees two things for every one that really happens, Lee.”

      “Who was the message from?”

      “Did she ever smile at you like she done at me?”

      “Was it from Dan Barry that you brought word?”

      “Did she ever let her eyes go big an’ soft when she looked at you?”

      “Damn you.”

      “Did she ever lean close to you, so’s you got the scent of her hair, Lee?”

      “I’ll kill you for this, Daniels!”

      “When I left she kissed me good-bye, Lee.”

      In spite of his bravado, Buck was deeply anxious. He watched Haines narrowly. Only two men in the mountain-desert would have had a chance against this man in a fight, and Buck knew perfectly well that he was not one of the two.

      “Watch yourself, Daniels,” said Haines. “I know you’re lying and I’m going to keep an eye on you.”

      “Thanks,” grinned Buck. “I like to have a friend watchin’ out for me.”

      Haines turned on his heel and went back to the card table, where Buck immediately joined the circle.

      “Wait a minute, Lee,” said Silent. “Ain’t it your turn to stand guard on the Cumberlands tonight?”

      “Right—O,” answered Haines cheerfully, and rose from the table.

      “Hold on,” said Buck. “Are you goin’ to spoil all the work I done today with that girl?”

      “What’s the matter?” asked Silent.

      “Everything’s the matter! Are you goin’ to put a man she hates out there watchin’ her.”

      “Damn you, Daniels,” said Haines fiercely, “you’re rolling up a long account, but it only takes a bullet to collect that sort of a bill!”

      “If it hadn’t been for Haines, would the girl’s father be here?” asked Buck. “Besides, she don’t like blonds.”

      “What type does she like?” asked Silent, enjoying the quarrel between his lieutenant and the recruit.

      “Likes ’em with dark hair an’ eyes,” said Buck calmly. “Look at me, for instance!”

      Even Haines smiled, though his lips were white with anger.

      “D’you want to stand guard over her yourself?” said the chief.

      “Sure,” grinned Buck, “maybe she’d come out an’ pass the time o’ night with me.”

      “Go ahead and take the job,” nodded Silent. “I got an idea maybe she will.”

      “Silent,” warned Haines, “hasn’t it occurred to you that there’s something damned queer about the ease with which Buck slid into the favour of the girl?”

      “Well?”

      “All his talk about manhandling her is bunk. He had some message for her. I saw him speak to her when she was struggling in his arms. Then she conveniently fainted.”

      Silent turned on Buck.

      “Is that straight?”

      “It is,” said Daniels easily.

      The outlaws started and their expectant grins died out.

      “By God, Buck!” roared Silent, “if you’re double crossin’ me—but I ain’t goin’ to be hasty now. What happened? Tell it yourself! What did you say to her?”

      “While she was fightin’ with me,” said Buck, “she hollered: ‘Let me go!’ I says: ‘I’ll see you in hell first!’ Then she fainted.”

      The roar of laughter drowned Haines’s further protest.

      “You win, Buck,” said Silent. “Take the job.”

      As Buck started for the door Haines called to him:

      “Hold on, Buck, if you’re aboveboard you won’t mind giving your word to see that no one comes up the valley and that you’ll be here in the morning?”

      The words set a swirling blackness before Buck’s eyes. He turned slowly.

      “That’s reasonable,” said Silent. “Speak up, Daniels.”

      “All right,” said Buck, his voice very low. “I’ll be here in the morning, and I’ll see that no one comes up the valley.”

      There was the slightest possible emphasis on the word “up.”

      On a rock directly in front of the shanty Buck took up his watch. The little house behind him was black. Presently he heard the soft call of Kate: “Is it time?”

      His eyes wandered to the ranch house. He could catch the drone of many voices. He made no reply.

      “Is