CHAPTER XXXVI.DISAPPOINTED ROAD AGENTS.
Black John had not come in time to lead the gang in the attack on the stage. In his absence, Toby Sam was the leader; and the fact that Toby Sam was the leader accounted in large measure for the precipitate haste of the men engaged in the holdup.
They were in such a hurry that they did no very thorough job. When they could not find the emeralds on Clayton, they simply bundled him on a horse and rode off with him, sure he had them concealed in his clothing, and that they could search him at their leisure, where there was no danger of rifle bullets.
Toby Sam was a coward. That was the explanation of this singular action. Like leader, like man; all were cowards when he led them.
When they had ridden at a sharp gallop for a couple of miles, they stopped their headlong pace and crowded around the prisoner, whose feet were tied under his horse’s belly, and whose hands were tied behind his back.
Toby Sam flashed a glittering revolver and pointed it at him.
“Cough up, now!” he commanded. “We ain’t got no time to fool with you. We want them emeralds you’re carryin’, and we’re goin’ to have ’em. If you don’t fork ’em out, er tell us where to find ’em quick, we’ll tear the clothes off of ye, and cut you into ribbons. Understand, we’re goin’ to have ’em!”
Bruce Clayton smiled disdainfully.
“I haven’t got them,” he said.
“I s’pose you’ll say you don’t know anything about ’em?”
“No, I won’t say that, since you seem to know better; but I haven’t got them.”
“You did have them!”
“Not on this stage trip.”
“No? Do you mean it?” Toby Sam howled the words, and his comrades crowded angrily round the young man. “Who had ’em, then?”
“When I get ready, I’ll tell you that,” Bruce said coolly. “You know so much, I shouldn’t think you’d need to ask me anything.”
“Search him!” yelled Toby Sam.
Some of the road agents threw themselves on their helpless prisoner and searched him thoroughly, doing it in the roughest fashion. However, they failed to find the emeralds.
“He ain’t got ’em!” they yelled.
Toby Sam threw up his revolver again. He was brave enough when his enemy was tied, and could not possibly harm him.
“Tell us where them em’rulds aire!” he ordered. “And do it mighty quick, er you’ll do no more talkin’ in this world.”
There was such menace in his words and tone that Bruce hesitated.
“I’ll tell you,” he said, “if you’ll let me go.”
“Boyees, you hear him?” said Toby Sam.
“After ther boss comes, we’ll let him go, if he tells the truth,” said one of the men.
“Yes, after the boss comes!” others shouted.
“Say, you fellows,” said the young man coolly, “couldn’t you just whisk those masks aside, so that I can see your faces? I always like to know who I’m talking with. Strikes me this is a one-sided affair; you know me, but hanged if I do you.”
“But you’d like to?”
“Well, yes; I’d like to.”
“Tell us where them emeralds aire!” yelled Toby Sam.
“Then you’ll let me go free.”
“We will, when the boss comes, if you speak honest. Them emeralds aire the things we’re after.”
“That’s your solemn promise?”
“Yes. Now, where aire they?”
Toby Sam still held his revolver cocked.
“Those emeralds are in the possession of Miss Forest. I can tell you that now, for she is on the stage, and the stage has got such a start of you that you couldn’t overtake it, no matter how hard you might try. She has got them; and they’re safe.”
A roar of surprise and anger arose.
“But, see here,” said Toby Sam argumentatively, “I was under her house when she and Buffler Bill war talkin’ of how they war goin’ to send them emeralds on; and I heard her say that she would give ’em to you to carry, ’cause then they’d be safer, fer no one would be expectin’ you to have ’em. What about that? Ain’t that right?”
“I don’t doubt you were sneak enough to crawl underthe house and listen in that way, since you admit it.”
“But ain’t that right? Didn’t she say that?”
“I think she did; but she is a woman, and a woman has an everlasting right to change her mind whenever she wants to. She changed her mind.”
“And she carried ’em, instead of you?”
“That’s right; she carried them.”
“Why was you along, then?” Toby Sam howled. “Answer me that!”
“As her escort. I meant to go East with her.”
“What for, if not to carry the emeralds?”
The young man’s face flushed.
“I intended to marry her when we reached the East,” he admitted.
When some further sharp questions and threats did not change the prisoner’s story, Toby Sam and some of his men drew aside and discussed the matter.
“Better wait fer the comin’ of the boss.”
“But if we wait, then the chance of hittin’ the stage may be lost,” was the answer to this advice.
After they had talked a while they came back to Clayton.
“Young feller,” said Toby Sam, “we aire fer the present believin’ what you’ve told us about them emeralds. We’re goin’ to hold you, because, if you’ve lied, then we’ll have a happy settlement with you later; and, further, because we wants to hear what the boss says about it. But we’re goin’ to send a man to the railroad. He’ll manage to git into communication with the young lady you’re sweet on; and he’ll say to her:‘We’re holdin’ the man you expect to marry. You’ve got certain emeralds we’re interested in. Hand over them emeralds, and we’ll let your feller go free. Otherwise, we cuts short his career with a swift bullet!’”
“And now, to furnish proof to her that we have really got you, and aire meanin’ bizness, we’re goin’ to ask ye to write her a little letter—jes’ a few words from you to her, to that effeck. If she does hand over the emeralds to our man, well and good fer you; but if she don’t, then we ruther think that we’ll snuff out your life lamp in a hurry. What d’ye say?”
Bruce took time to consider this.
“May I write what I please,” he asked, “or what I’m ordered?”
“You writes what we tells you.”
“Then I refuse to write anything.”
He set his jaws stubbornly.
Toby Sam’s big revolver appeared again, threatening him.
“That’s all right,” said Clayton. “Shoot me, if you want to, and then you’ll never get those emeralds.”
“What’ll you write?” Toby Sam demanded.
There were harsh and angry cries from the other men.
“I’ll write to her to sell enough of the gems to get a thousand dollars, and to pay it over only after I’m released.”
“Well, you don’t! We has all them emeralds, or we has your life!”
“Crack away!” said Clayton defiantly. “If you kill me, remember that you won’t get anything.”