Jimmy Moran rode away from Turquoise City, a grin on his lips. His right hand ached a little, but he minded it not. He could still see the vacant stare in English Ed’s eyes; he chuckled to himself. There had been a certain satisfaction in hitting the big gambler.“Mebby I can save a little money, if I get in bad with all the gamblers and rum sellers,” he told his horse.He had championed the cause of the son of his father’s ancient enemy, and he wondered what his father would say if he knew about it. He realized that he had put himself in bad with English Ed and his gang, which meant that he would be none too safe in Turquoise City.He forded the river that ran near the Hot Creek ranch and traveled along Moses Conley’s barbed-wire fence. About half-way along this side of the fence the road forked, turning to the left to Jimmy’s ranch. Only a short distance beyond the forks was Conley’s gate, where cottonwoods lined the road and grew along the fence.As Jimmy turned into his road, he caught the flash of a white dress in the moonlight near the gate. He turned his horse back to the main road, and went slowly up to the gate. The wearer of the white dress was Dawn Conley. She was holding the reins of her horse and had swung the gate partly open.“Well, bless my soul!” exclaimed Jimmy. “Dawn!”“Hello, Jimmy,” said the girl simply.Jimmy dismounted and dropped his reins, knowing that the chunky bay would stand as long as the reins hung down. Jimmy went close to her, his hat in his hand.“I was waiting for Dad,” she said. “I—I thought it was him. He went over to the 7AL this afternoon.”The 7AL was located about five miles east of Turquoise City.“I see,” said Jimmy. “You—you don’t think anythin’ has happened to him, do you, Dawn?”“Oh, no; but I—I—”“Uh-huh.”Jimmy swallowed heavily; he shifted uneasily. He wanted to put out a hand and touch her. Whenever he saw her he forgot that she was part Indian and daughter of his father’s enemy. Standing there in the moonlight, within half an arm’s reach of her, Jimmy hooked his thumbs over his belt and stared at her face.“Dawn,” he said hoarsely, “Dawn, you’re beautiful.”“Jimmy Moran, you—why say that?” She moved slightly away.“Don’t go away,” he said slowly. “It’s all right, Dawn; I had to say that. It ain’t wrong to say what you think. No, I’m not drunk; I never was more sober in my life. I’ve never seen you in my life when I didn’t think you was the most beautiful girl I ever seen.”“You mustn’t say that, Jimmy.”“Why not? It may not mean anythin’ to you, but it does to me. Standin’ here like a danged idiot, tellin’ you things like that is like drinkin’ liquor. It kinda makes me dizzy. Funny, ain’t it? I’m scared to tell you things like that, and still I’m doin’ it. It’s like doin’ things when you’re drunk—mebby you hadn’t ought to, but you do it just the same.”“Well,” said Dawn vaguely, “I don’t know.”“You wouldn’t,” said Jimmy softly. “You’ve got to love to feel that way, Dawn.”“To love?”“Yes, Dawn—I love you.”“You love me?” slowly.Neither of them saw Roaring Rigby. He came riding up the dusty road, his horse still dripping from the water of the ford, his horse’s hoofs muffled in the dust. But he saw them, and turned his horse into the shadow of the cottonwood. He dismounted and came ahead on foot, keeping close to the trees.“I swear I love you, Dawn,” said Jimmy. “I’ve never had a chance to tell you before. Oh, I know our fathers hate each other; but what has that to do with us?”“I’m Injun,” she said.“I’m Irish.”He did not try to go closer to her, and for a long time neither of them spoke. Then:“I heard that you might marry Roarin’ Rigby,” said Jimmy. “They say he’s been comin’ out to see you, Dawn.”“He’s a friend of Dad’s.”“But comin’ out to see you, Dawn.”“Perhaps; but he’s too old, Jimmy. Dad likes him.”“Do you like him, Dawn?”“He’s a nice man, but he is so homely, Jimmy—and old. No, I never could marry him. He looks funny.”Jimmy was silent for several moments. A breeze rattled the dry leaves of the cottonwoods.“Dawn, why were you anxious to meet your father?”“It was Peter,” she said anxiously. “He came home awhile ago. He had been fighting, Jimmy. His lips are bleeding and he looks awful. He wouldn’t tell me what had happened, and I was afraid. I wanted to have Dad go to town and find out. Oh, I hope it isn’t anything serious. You know how they feel about—half-breeds.”Jimmy laughed softly.“Don’t worry, Dawn. I can tell you what happened.”Without giving himself any credit, he told her about the poker game and about the stolen king of hearts.“Oh, Jimmy, I’m glad you took his gun!” she exclaimed. “It would go hard with him if he used that gun. I’m glad that’s all there is to it.”“That’s all, Dawn. Pete was right. Mallette stole that card.”“English Ed came out here a few days ago,” she said.“He did, eh?” Jimmy’s tone was belligerent. “What’d he want?”“Nothing, I guess.”“Nothin’?”Dawn laughed.“I didn’t meet him. Dad talked to him. He asked Dad about me. And he told Dad that you were almost broke.”“What did your dad say, Dawn?”“He said that was good.”Jimmy laughed softly.“I suppose they talked a lot about me, eh?”“Quite a lot, Jimmy. Dad said that for a college-educated man, you were the biggest fool in the world; he said it was in your blood and that college brought it out.”Jimmy laughed chokingly.“College!” he exclaimed. “Good Lord, that’s a long time back, it seems. I’ve even forgotten how to talk English. I’m as much a part of this country as if I had been born and raised here. I think like a cowboy, Dawn. Mebby I am goin’ broke. I know now that English Ed’s games are crooked. That knowledge will save me money. I’ve been a fool, but I hope to outgrow it. I owe money, gosh! I owe money to the Turquoise City Bank and I owe money to English Ed; but I can pay it all back some day. Your father hates me, because I’m a son of my father. That’s a foolish hate, Dawn. He hates the Big 4. That’s nothin’—so do I. Dad owns the Big 4, and I ought to be loyal to the darned place, but I can’t. I don’t like Slim Regan, the foreman. Dad thinks he’s a wonder. And there you are. Will you marry me, Dawn?”But before Dawn could answer they heard theplop-plop-plopof horse’s hoofs, and turned to see the dark bulk of a horse and rider coming up to the gate. It was Roaring Rigby.“Well, if it ain’t Jimmy Moran and Dawn Conley,” he exclaimed.“Hello, Roarin’,” said Jimmy quickly.“Good evening, Mr. Rigby,” said Dawn.“Nice night,” said Roaring. His voice sounded as if he had a bad cold. He cleared his throat harshly.“Is Pete at home, Dawn?” he asked thickly.“Pete? Why, yes, he’s at home, Mr. Rigby.”“Uh-huh.” He appeared miserable.Roaring turned in his saddle and looked back toward the ford. He felt that it wouldn’t be long before some of the Black Horse gang would be riding out that way.“If it’s any of my business—what do you want Pete for?” asked Jimmy.“It’s kinda tough,” said Roaring slowly. “You know that I’m sheriff now, don’tcha?”“I know Randall resigned,” said Jimmy.“And I’m sheriff now, Jimmy. You was in that poker game in the Black Horse tonight, wasn’t you?”“I was. If you mean the trouble between Pete and Mallette, I know all about it, Roaring.”“Mebby not, Jimmy. A while ago they found Mallette over near the end of redlight row, with a bullet square between his eyes.”“My God!” exclaimed Dawn.Jimmy remained silent. He had seen Pete Conley go out the back door of the saloon, carrying that big Colt gun in his hand. Only a few moments before that, Mallette had gone out through the same door.“So you see,” said Roaring slowly, “you might not know it all, Jimmy.”“Mallette robbed him,” declared Jimmy.“English Ed said you wasn’t sure about it, Jimmy.”“English Ed said that; but I’m sure, Roarin’. Right at the time I hesitated. You hate to be sure of a thing like that. I was confused, excited; but, as soon as I had a chance to think about it, I remembered turnin’ my cards toward Pete, and I had that king of hearts. I threw my cards over toward Mallette. Mebbe one of ’em turned so he saw what it was. I remember he dealt one-handed, dropping the cards several inches, and one kinda skidded away. It was his way of gettin’ that king. And he upsets his chips. That was done to draw our attention away while he got that card.”“I know,” sighed Roaring, “it was crooked work; but Mallette didn’t have a gun on him tonight.”“You mean they’ll call it murder, Roarin’?”“Looks that way, Jimmy. And Mallette was one of English Ed’s men. That means they’ll try to take the law in their own hands.”“Well, what’s to be done, Roarin’?”“Let’s go and see Pete.”“Will you put him in jail?” asked Dawn anxiously.“I wish I had him there now,” said Roaring. “He’d be safe in jail. Let’s go and have a talk with him. Where’s your pa, Dawn?”“He went to the 7AL this afternoon and hasn’t come home yet.”“All right; let’s see Pete.”
Jimmy Moran rode away from Turquoise City, a grin on his lips. His right hand ached a little, but he minded it not. He could still see the vacant stare in English Ed’s eyes; he chuckled to himself. There had been a certain satisfaction in hitting the big gambler.
“Mebby I can save a little money, if I get in bad with all the gamblers and rum sellers,” he told his horse.
He had championed the cause of the son of his father’s ancient enemy, and he wondered what his father would say if he knew about it. He realized that he had put himself in bad with English Ed and his gang, which meant that he would be none too safe in Turquoise City.
He forded the river that ran near the Hot Creek ranch and traveled along Moses Conley’s barbed-wire fence. About half-way along this side of the fence the road forked, turning to the left to Jimmy’s ranch. Only a short distance beyond the forks was Conley’s gate, where cottonwoods lined the road and grew along the fence.
As Jimmy turned into his road, he caught the flash of a white dress in the moonlight near the gate. He turned his horse back to the main road, and went slowly up to the gate. The wearer of the white dress was Dawn Conley. She was holding the reins of her horse and had swung the gate partly open.
“Well, bless my soul!” exclaimed Jimmy. “Dawn!”
“Hello, Jimmy,” said the girl simply.
Jimmy dismounted and dropped his reins, knowing that the chunky bay would stand as long as the reins hung down. Jimmy went close to her, his hat in his hand.
“I was waiting for Dad,” she said. “I—I thought it was him. He went over to the 7AL this afternoon.”
The 7AL was located about five miles east of Turquoise City.
“I see,” said Jimmy. “You—you don’t think anythin’ has happened to him, do you, Dawn?”
“Oh, no; but I—I—”
“Uh-huh.”
Jimmy swallowed heavily; he shifted uneasily. He wanted to put out a hand and touch her. Whenever he saw her he forgot that she was part Indian and daughter of his father’s enemy. Standing there in the moonlight, within half an arm’s reach of her, Jimmy hooked his thumbs over his belt and stared at her face.
“Dawn,” he said hoarsely, “Dawn, you’re beautiful.”
“Jimmy Moran, you—why say that?” She moved slightly away.
“Don’t go away,” he said slowly. “It’s all right, Dawn; I had to say that. It ain’t wrong to say what you think. No, I’m not drunk; I never was more sober in my life. I’ve never seen you in my life when I didn’t think you was the most beautiful girl I ever seen.”
“You mustn’t say that, Jimmy.”
“Why not? It may not mean anythin’ to you, but it does to me. Standin’ here like a danged idiot, tellin’ you things like that is like drinkin’ liquor. It kinda makes me dizzy. Funny, ain’t it? I’m scared to tell you things like that, and still I’m doin’ it. It’s like doin’ things when you’re drunk—mebby you hadn’t ought to, but you do it just the same.”
“Well,” said Dawn vaguely, “I don’t know.”
“You wouldn’t,” said Jimmy softly. “You’ve got to love to feel that way, Dawn.”
“To love?”
“Yes, Dawn—I love you.”
“You love me?” slowly.
Neither of them saw Roaring Rigby. He came riding up the dusty road, his horse still dripping from the water of the ford, his horse’s hoofs muffled in the dust. But he saw them, and turned his horse into the shadow of the cottonwood. He dismounted and came ahead on foot, keeping close to the trees.
“I swear I love you, Dawn,” said Jimmy. “I’ve never had a chance to tell you before. Oh, I know our fathers hate each other; but what has that to do with us?”
“I’m Injun,” she said.
“I’m Irish.”
He did not try to go closer to her, and for a long time neither of them spoke. Then:
“I heard that you might marry Roarin’ Rigby,” said Jimmy. “They say he’s been comin’ out to see you, Dawn.”
“He’s a friend of Dad’s.”
“But comin’ out to see you, Dawn.”
“Perhaps; but he’s too old, Jimmy. Dad likes him.”
“Do you like him, Dawn?”
“He’s a nice man, but he is so homely, Jimmy—and old. No, I never could marry him. He looks funny.”
Jimmy was silent for several moments. A breeze rattled the dry leaves of the cottonwoods.
“Dawn, why were you anxious to meet your father?”
“It was Peter,” she said anxiously. “He came home awhile ago. He had been fighting, Jimmy. His lips are bleeding and he looks awful. He wouldn’t tell me what had happened, and I was afraid. I wanted to have Dad go to town and find out. Oh, I hope it isn’t anything serious. You know how they feel about—half-breeds.”
Jimmy laughed softly.
“Don’t worry, Dawn. I can tell you what happened.”
Without giving himself any credit, he told her about the poker game and about the stolen king of hearts.
“Oh, Jimmy, I’m glad you took his gun!” she exclaimed. “It would go hard with him if he used that gun. I’m glad that’s all there is to it.”
“That’s all, Dawn. Pete was right. Mallette stole that card.”
“English Ed came out here a few days ago,” she said.
“He did, eh?” Jimmy’s tone was belligerent. “What’d he want?”
“Nothing, I guess.”
“Nothin’?”
Dawn laughed.
“I didn’t meet him. Dad talked to him. He asked Dad about me. And he told Dad that you were almost broke.”
“What did your dad say, Dawn?”
“He said that was good.”
Jimmy laughed softly.
“I suppose they talked a lot about me, eh?”
“Quite a lot, Jimmy. Dad said that for a college-educated man, you were the biggest fool in the world; he said it was in your blood and that college brought it out.”
Jimmy laughed chokingly.
“College!” he exclaimed. “Good Lord, that’s a long time back, it seems. I’ve even forgotten how to talk English. I’m as much a part of this country as if I had been born and raised here. I think like a cowboy, Dawn. Mebby I am goin’ broke. I know now that English Ed’s games are crooked. That knowledge will save me money. I’ve been a fool, but I hope to outgrow it. I owe money, gosh! I owe money to the Turquoise City Bank and I owe money to English Ed; but I can pay it all back some day. Your father hates me, because I’m a son of my father. That’s a foolish hate, Dawn. He hates the Big 4. That’s nothin’—so do I. Dad owns the Big 4, and I ought to be loyal to the darned place, but I can’t. I don’t like Slim Regan, the foreman. Dad thinks he’s a wonder. And there you are. Will you marry me, Dawn?”
But before Dawn could answer they heard theplop-plop-plopof horse’s hoofs, and turned to see the dark bulk of a horse and rider coming up to the gate. It was Roaring Rigby.
“Well, if it ain’t Jimmy Moran and Dawn Conley,” he exclaimed.
“Hello, Roarin’,” said Jimmy quickly.
“Good evening, Mr. Rigby,” said Dawn.
“Nice night,” said Roaring. His voice sounded as if he had a bad cold. He cleared his throat harshly.
“Is Pete at home, Dawn?” he asked thickly.
“Pete? Why, yes, he’s at home, Mr. Rigby.”
“Uh-huh.” He appeared miserable.
Roaring turned in his saddle and looked back toward the ford. He felt that it wouldn’t be long before some of the Black Horse gang would be riding out that way.
“If it’s any of my business—what do you want Pete for?” asked Jimmy.
“It’s kinda tough,” said Roaring slowly. “You know that I’m sheriff now, don’tcha?”
“I know Randall resigned,” said Jimmy.
“And I’m sheriff now, Jimmy. You was in that poker game in the Black Horse tonight, wasn’t you?”
“I was. If you mean the trouble between Pete and Mallette, I know all about it, Roaring.”
“Mebby not, Jimmy. A while ago they found Mallette over near the end of redlight row, with a bullet square between his eyes.”
“My God!” exclaimed Dawn.
Jimmy remained silent. He had seen Pete Conley go out the back door of the saloon, carrying that big Colt gun in his hand. Only a few moments before that, Mallette had gone out through the same door.
“So you see,” said Roaring slowly, “you might not know it all, Jimmy.”
“Mallette robbed him,” declared Jimmy.
“English Ed said you wasn’t sure about it, Jimmy.”
“English Ed said that; but I’m sure, Roarin’. Right at the time I hesitated. You hate to be sure of a thing like that. I was confused, excited; but, as soon as I had a chance to think about it, I remembered turnin’ my cards toward Pete, and I had that king of hearts. I threw my cards over toward Mallette. Mebbe one of ’em turned so he saw what it was. I remember he dealt one-handed, dropping the cards several inches, and one kinda skidded away. It was his way of gettin’ that king. And he upsets his chips. That was done to draw our attention away while he got that card.”
“I know,” sighed Roaring, “it was crooked work; but Mallette didn’t have a gun on him tonight.”
“You mean they’ll call it murder, Roarin’?”
“Looks that way, Jimmy. And Mallette was one of English Ed’s men. That means they’ll try to take the law in their own hands.”
“Well, what’s to be done, Roarin’?”
“Let’s go and see Pete.”
“Will you put him in jail?” asked Dawn anxiously.
“I wish I had him there now,” said Roaring. “He’d be safe in jail. Let’s go and have a talk with him. Where’s your pa, Dawn?”
“He went to the 7AL this afternoon and hasn’t come home yet.”
“All right; let’s see Pete.”