Gunsight Pass (Musaicum Western Mysteries). William MacLeod Raine

where he lay, almost entirely protected, all he had to do was to pick his opponent off at his leisure. If his hand were forced he would do it. And the law would let him go scot free, since Doble was a fighting man and had been seen to start in pursuit of the boy.

      "Come outa there and shell out that eighteen dollars," demanded Doble.

      "Nothin' doin', Dug."

      "Don't run on the rope with me, young fellow. You'll sure be huntin' trouble."

      "What's the use o' beefin'? I've got the deadwood on you. Better hit the dust back to town and explain to the boys how yore bronc went lame," advised Dave.

      "Come down and I'll wallop the tar outa you."

      "Much obliged. I'm right comfortable here."

      "I've a mind to come up and dig you out."

      "Please yoreself, Dug. We'll find out then which one of us goes to hell."

      The foreman cursed, fluently, expertly, passionately. Not in a long time had he had the turn called on him so adroitly. He promised Dave sudden death in various forms whenever he could lay hands upon him.

      "You're sure doin' yoreself proud, Dug," the young man told him evenly. "I'll write the boys how you spilled language so thorough."

      "If I could only lay my hands on you!" the raw-boned cattleman stormed.

      "I'll bet you'd massacree me proper," admitted Dave quite cheerfully.

      Suddenly Doble gave up. He wheeled his horse and began to descend the steep slope. Steadily he jogged on to town, not once turning to look back. His soul was filled with chagrin and fury at the defeat this stripling had given him. He was ready to pick a quarrel with the first man who asked him a question about what had taken place at the pass.

      Nobody asked a question. Men looked at him, read the menace of his sullen, angry face, and side-stepped his rage. They did not need to be told that his ride had been a failure. His manner advertised it. Whatever had taken place had not redounded to the glory of Dug Doble.

      Later in the day the foreman met the owner of the D Bar Lazy R brand to make a detailed statement of the cost of the drive. He took peculiar pleasure in mentioning one item.

      "That young scalawag Sanders beat you outa eighteen dollars," he said with a sneer of triumph.

      Doble had heard the story of what Dave and Bob had done for Crawford and of how the wounded boy had been taken to the cattleman's home and nursed there. It pleased him now to score off what he chose to think was the soft-headedness of his chief.

      The cattleman showed interest. "That so, Dug? Sorry. I took a fancy to that boy. What did he do?"

      "You know how vaqueros are always comin' in and chargin' goods against the boss. I give out the word they was to quit it. Sanders he gets a pair of eighteen-dollar boots, then jumps the town before I find out about it."

      Crawford started to speak, but Doble finished his story.

      "I took out after him, but my bronc went lame from a stone in its hoof. You'll never see that eighteen plunks, Em. It don't do to pet cowhands."

      "Too bad you took all that trouble, Dug," the old cattleman began mildly. "The fact is—"

      "Trouble. Say, I'd ride to Tombstone to get a crack at that young smart Aleck. I told him what I'd do to him if I ever got my fists on him."

      "So you did catch up with him."

      Dug drew back sulkily within himself. He did not intend to tell all he knew about the Gunsight Pass episode. "I didn't say when I told him."

      "Tha's so. You didn't. Well, I'm right sorry you took so blamed much trouble to find him. Funny, though, he didn't tell you I gave him the boots."

      "You—what?" The foreman snapped the question out with angry incredulity.

      The ranchman took the cigar from his mouth and leaned back easily. He was smiling now frankly.

      "Why, yes. I told him to buy the boots and have 'em charged to my account. And the blamed little rooster never told you, eh?"

      Doble choked for words with which to express himself. He glared at his employer as though Crawford had actually insulted him.

      In an easy, conversational tone the cattleman continued, but now there was a touch of frost in his eyes.

      "It was thisaway, Dug. When he and Bob knocked Steelman's plans hell west and crooked after that yellow skunk George Doble betrayed me to Brad, the boy lost his boots in the brush. 'Course I said to get another pair at the store and charge 'em to me. I reckon he was havin' some fun joshin' you."

      The foreman was furious. He sputtered with the rage that boiled inside him. But some instinct warned him that unless he wanted to break with Crawford completely he must restrain his impulse to rip loose.

      "All right," he mumbled. "If you told him to get 'em, 'nough said."