Chapter 17

Dawn and her father had been out to Hot Creek earlier in the morning, and they were just as surprized as the Big 4 men had been to find the brands skinned off.“Mighty queer,” said Conley heavily. “I don’t understand it, Dawn.”“No one would,” replied Dawn.“The Big 4 is tryin’ hard to get me,” declared Conley.He seemed years older today, and he mounted his horse with difficulty.“Why don’t you sell out, Dad?” asked Dawn.It was the first time she had ever suggested such a thing, and he looked queerly at her.“I won’t be hounded out,” he said firmly. “I’ll never sell to the Big 4, Dawn.”“Sell to some one else. It will give us enough to take us away from here, and we can start in a new country.”“Oh, I don’t know. I feel old today; didn’t sleep much last night. I kinda expected the sheriff out to get me, I guess. Don’t know why he don’t come. The Big 4 killed them steers, Dawn. They cut the fence and drove ’em down here. They want to railroad me out of the country.“But I’m not goin’,” he said, after a pause. “I never done anythin’ wrong, and they can’t take me. I’ll shoot the first man that comes on my ranch.”“The first man might be a friend,” said Dawn softly.“I ain’t got a friend. They’re all ag’in’ me, Dawn. They got Pete into a poker game and stole his money. They knocked him down after they robbed him, and now they’ll try to hang him for killin’ a thief. Well, they can come and get the old man any time they feel like it—but they’ll know they’ve been to war.”They rode back to the house, where Dawn hitched a horse to the rickety old buggy and drove to town after groceries. She wanted to have a talk with Roaring Rigby about the dead steers and about her father. She knew her father meant what he had said about taking a shot at anybody who came after him.Roaring was not at the office, but Wind River Jim was there. With him was Jeff Ryker, the attorney. They both knew about the dead steers and were waiting for Roaring to return and tell them the rest of the story.Wind River told her that Roaring had ridden out to the Big 4 with Regan and Clayton the night before, and hadn’t returned yet. Ryker was very pleasant. In fact he was so pleasant that Wind River snorted aloud.Ryker did not know that Dawn’s mother had told her; but he hoped his suit was being looked upon with favor. Neither of them mentioned the dead steers, but Wind River told her that Jimmy Moran’s father was at the Big 4.“He probably came back to try and buy your father out,” said Ryker.Dawn shook her head.“He knows it’s no use,” she said. “Dad won’t sell out to the Big 4. They’ve tried enough times.”“So I understand.” Ryker rubbed his hands together, causing his celluloid cuffs to click. “Still,” he said thoughtfully, “I think he’d be wise to sell the place. Cutter would pay a good price. In fact, I think he made your father an offer, Miss Dawn.”“Idon’t know,” said Dawn. “Dad is queer about that old place. I wish he would sell. It isn’t pleasant living the way we do. I know I’d be willing to sell out.”“How does your mother feel about it?”“Mother doesn’t seem to care; it isn’t her nature.”They both knew what Dawn meant.“With Peter in trouble, I don’t think Dad would consider any offers,” said Dawn.“Yes, I understand that,” said Ryker.Dawn turned back to the door of the office.“I believe I’ll go out and have a talk with your father,” decided Ryker.Dawn shook her head quickly.“I don’t believe you better, Mr. Ryker. He said he’d kill the first man that comes on the ranch.”“But that is ridiculous, Miss Dawn!”“Perhaps. But I wouldn’t go out there to see how much truth there is in it, if I were you, Mr. Ryker.”Dawn left the office and went back up the street, while Wind River Jim leaned back in the old swivel chair and laughed at Ryker.“That’s a reg’lar family of home folks,” laughed the deputy. “Girl sticks up two mad punchers with a shotgun and takes away their guns. Then the old gent declares war ag’in’ the world. I only hope he don’t decide to attack. As far as I’m concerned, he can jist set there on his porch until the stock rots off his Winchester. I’ve seen that old pelican throw lead from his old forty-five-seventy, and I don’t want him to notch no sight on me.”“But that’s a ridiculous situation,” declared Ryker, waving his arms helplessly. “The man must be crazy.”“Put yourself in his place, Ryker. His son faces hangin’; they find a lot of Big 4 steers killed on his land, and they’re goin’ to try and git him for it. What would you do, eh? Wave your arms and talk about it bein’ ridiculous? Huh! You make me sick!”Ryker walked to the doorway and leaned a shoulder against the door-frame. Roaring Rigby, Franklyn Moran, Slim Regan and Hashknife Hartley were riding into the upper end of the street. Hartley and Regan rode in at the Black Horse Saloon hitch-rack, where they tied the three horses, while Moran and Regan came on down to the office. Moran shook hands with Ryker and Wind River Jim, and Ryker wanted to know all about the dead steers.Moran told him exactly what they had found, and Ryker whistled softly.“But you’re going to have Conley arrested, are you not?” he asked.“Haven’t made up my mind.”“You should; he’s out at his ranch, and he says he’ll kill the first man that comes out there.”“Yeah? Well, I’ll wait until somebody else takes the first chance.”

Dawn and her father had been out to Hot Creek earlier in the morning, and they were just as surprized as the Big 4 men had been to find the brands skinned off.

“Mighty queer,” said Conley heavily. “I don’t understand it, Dawn.”

“No one would,” replied Dawn.

“The Big 4 is tryin’ hard to get me,” declared Conley.

He seemed years older today, and he mounted his horse with difficulty.

“Why don’t you sell out, Dad?” asked Dawn.

It was the first time she had ever suggested such a thing, and he looked queerly at her.

“I won’t be hounded out,” he said firmly. “I’ll never sell to the Big 4, Dawn.”

“Sell to some one else. It will give us enough to take us away from here, and we can start in a new country.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I feel old today; didn’t sleep much last night. I kinda expected the sheriff out to get me, I guess. Don’t know why he don’t come. The Big 4 killed them steers, Dawn. They cut the fence and drove ’em down here. They want to railroad me out of the country.

“But I’m not goin’,” he said, after a pause. “I never done anythin’ wrong, and they can’t take me. I’ll shoot the first man that comes on my ranch.”

“The first man might be a friend,” said Dawn softly.

“I ain’t got a friend. They’re all ag’in’ me, Dawn. They got Pete into a poker game and stole his money. They knocked him down after they robbed him, and now they’ll try to hang him for killin’ a thief. Well, they can come and get the old man any time they feel like it—but they’ll know they’ve been to war.”

They rode back to the house, where Dawn hitched a horse to the rickety old buggy and drove to town after groceries. She wanted to have a talk with Roaring Rigby about the dead steers and about her father. She knew her father meant what he had said about taking a shot at anybody who came after him.

Roaring was not at the office, but Wind River Jim was there. With him was Jeff Ryker, the attorney. They both knew about the dead steers and were waiting for Roaring to return and tell them the rest of the story.

Wind River told her that Roaring had ridden out to the Big 4 with Regan and Clayton the night before, and hadn’t returned yet. Ryker was very pleasant. In fact he was so pleasant that Wind River snorted aloud.

Ryker did not know that Dawn’s mother had told her; but he hoped his suit was being looked upon with favor. Neither of them mentioned the dead steers, but Wind River told her that Jimmy Moran’s father was at the Big 4.

“He probably came back to try and buy your father out,” said Ryker.

Dawn shook her head.

“He knows it’s no use,” she said. “Dad won’t sell out to the Big 4. They’ve tried enough times.”

“So I understand.” Ryker rubbed his hands together, causing his celluloid cuffs to click. “Still,” he said thoughtfully, “I think he’d be wise to sell the place. Cutter would pay a good price. In fact, I think he made your father an offer, Miss Dawn.”

“Idon’t know,” said Dawn. “Dad is queer about that old place. I wish he would sell. It isn’t pleasant living the way we do. I know I’d be willing to sell out.”

“How does your mother feel about it?”

“Mother doesn’t seem to care; it isn’t her nature.”

They both knew what Dawn meant.

“With Peter in trouble, I don’t think Dad would consider any offers,” said Dawn.

“Yes, I understand that,” said Ryker.

Dawn turned back to the door of the office.

“I believe I’ll go out and have a talk with your father,” decided Ryker.

Dawn shook her head quickly.

“I don’t believe you better, Mr. Ryker. He said he’d kill the first man that comes on the ranch.”

“But that is ridiculous, Miss Dawn!”

“Perhaps. But I wouldn’t go out there to see how much truth there is in it, if I were you, Mr. Ryker.”

Dawn left the office and went back up the street, while Wind River Jim leaned back in the old swivel chair and laughed at Ryker.

“That’s a reg’lar family of home folks,” laughed the deputy. “Girl sticks up two mad punchers with a shotgun and takes away their guns. Then the old gent declares war ag’in’ the world. I only hope he don’t decide to attack. As far as I’m concerned, he can jist set there on his porch until the stock rots off his Winchester. I’ve seen that old pelican throw lead from his old forty-five-seventy, and I don’t want him to notch no sight on me.”

“But that’s a ridiculous situation,” declared Ryker, waving his arms helplessly. “The man must be crazy.”

“Put yourself in his place, Ryker. His son faces hangin’; they find a lot of Big 4 steers killed on his land, and they’re goin’ to try and git him for it. What would you do, eh? Wave your arms and talk about it bein’ ridiculous? Huh! You make me sick!”

Ryker walked to the doorway and leaned a shoulder against the door-frame. Roaring Rigby, Franklyn Moran, Slim Regan and Hashknife Hartley were riding into the upper end of the street. Hartley and Regan rode in at the Black Horse Saloon hitch-rack, where they tied the three horses, while Moran and Regan came on down to the office. Moran shook hands with Ryker and Wind River Jim, and Ryker wanted to know all about the dead steers.

Moran told him exactly what they had found, and Ryker whistled softly.

“But you’re going to have Conley arrested, are you not?” he asked.

“Haven’t made up my mind.”

“You should; he’s out at his ranch, and he says he’ll kill the first man that comes out there.”

“Yeah? Well, I’ll wait until somebody else takes the first chance.”

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