Sudden, peering through the grimy panes of the saloon window, watched Roden ride past, evidently making for the western exit of the town.
"Looks like he's changed his mind 'bout leavin' us after all. Anyways, time spent watching him won't ever be wasted."
Devoutly thankful for a meal already eaten, he secured his rifle and saddle, and in a few moments, was on his way. The guardian of the gate regarded him with respect and lost not an instant in opening; the man who had slain Butch was not to be kept waiting.
"Yep, Scar's just ahead," he said in reply to a question. "Which road? There ain't but one till you come to the fork, an' you'll catch him afore then."
The puncher had his own opinion about this, but he made a show of haste until the first bend afforded concealment, dropping then to a more leisurely pace; Scar had not appeared to be in any hurry. Fortunately for his purpose, curves in the trail--a mere shelf along the mountainside--were frequent, enabling him to approach his quarry unseen. Presently he saw that they were nearing the fork, the left prong of which headed westwards into the hills. Hidden behind a jutting spur of rock, he waited until Scar had swung into it, and then followed. It proved to be a mere bridle-track, winding amongst miniature mountalns, through brush-cluttered ravines and thickets of birch and scrub-oak. Only at rare intervals did he get a glimpse of the man in front, but this did not worry him; the path was plain.
The miles fell behind and Sudden was beginning to speculate as to whether the ruffian was really bidding farewell to Hell City when he noticed they were climbing again. Through a break in the trees he could see that the ascent ended in a ragged rim of bare rock like the broken battlements of a great fortress, the approach to which was masked by a scanty covering of mesquite, catclaw, and other thorny growths.
He waited until he saw Scar disappear behind a boulder and then toiled laboriously up the slope. It took longer than he expected, for the trail twisted serpent-like around patches )f cactus, the dreaded cholla, its cruel spines glistening frostily in the sunshine. Arrived at the top, he saw a breach in the stone rampart, and through it, a scene which drew from him a low whistle of wonderment.
Before him lay an almost circular hollow, thickly carpeted with grass, and divided by a line of willows which indicated a running stream, from which the ground rose gently at first, and then steeply, to a saw-toothed ring of grey cliff. The place, as he learned later, was known as the Devil's Bowl, and me look told him that it was an ideal spot from a rustler's point of view. So the presence of a herd of cattle, grazing near _he water, did not surprise him. He was too far away to decipher the brands.
"Must be over five hundred head," he muttered.
He watched Roden ride along the side of the valley to a log shack built in the shade of a group of pines, heard his hail, and aw two men run out to meet him. Their attire told him they vere Mexicans, and the visitor appeared to be welcome, the nore so when on dismounting, he produced a couple of bottles from his saddle-bags, for one of them slapped his comrade on the back. Seating themselves on a grassy bankoutside the hut the three fell to drinking. Sudden could see no way of overhearing the conversation, and having learned what he wanted, left them to it.
Instead of taking the back trail he worked southwards round the Bowl, and presently, as he had expected, came upon a cattle-track leading up to another break in the wall of the valley. He noted that all the hoof-prints pointed in one direction--towards the hiding-place; this was where the stolen steers had been brought in, and therefore ... A humorous quirk creased the corners of his mouth as he urged his mount along the tell-tales traces.
"Step lively, Nig," he said. "We've a fine chance to give Mister Satan a kick where he sits if that Twin Diamond fella ain't dippy."
For an hour he followed the trodden road, which ran through low hills like a carelessly flung rope, winding this way and that, to avoid obstacles likely to hinder the progress of a herd, and came to a broad stretch of powdery sand, the surface swept smooth by the wind; on the edge of this the hoof-prints ceased abruptly.
This diminutive desert was not extensive, for he could see more hills and broken country on the far side, but it was big enough to make the task of finding where the cattle had entered it a long and tiring one. The puncher decided it was not worth while, and skirting the arid area, headed for where he believed the Twin Diamond ranch to be. Mile after mile he rode, trusting to his plainsman's sense of direction, and presently pulled up outside the dilapidated homestead. His shout brought its owner to the door, a pistol in one hand, an oily rag in the other. At the sight of the gun the visitor's eyes narrowed.
"Just cleanin' her up," the rancher explained. "Thought I reckernized the hoss but there's other blacks in this neck o' the woods. Light an' help yoreself to a seat."
He laid his weapon on the bench as he spoke. Sudden got down and trailed his reins.
"Do yu allus clean a gun when she's loaded?" he asked sardonically.
"Me, I'm a poor liar," Merry laughed. "Fact is, I warn't just lookin' for yu to call--yu left us a shade abrupt the other night."
"My neck suits me the way it is, an' I don't reckon Keith can improve it any."
"Yu can take it I ain't got no ambition thataway. What's yore errand?"
"I thought mebbe yu'd like to get yore cows back."
The other's face grew hard. "Double-crossin' yore new boss, huh?" he said, and when the cowboy's eyebrows rose, "Yo're wearin' his brand."
"Shore forgot that, an' yu'd better do the same--I ain't explainin'," Sudden shrugged. "If yu want the steers, I can tell yu where to find 'em."
"What's yore price?" the rancher asked.
The puncher stood up. "I allowed yu had sense, which is why I took a chance an' came here. Yu can go to blazes."
"Wait a minute," Merry cried. "I take that back. I guess I'm thick in the head as well as body, but I don't savvy yore game."
"Keith hired me to fight Hell City, an' when things looked ugly he turned me down--cold," Sudden pointed out. "I didn't know about the rustlin' till I heard it from him--as yu said just now, there's other black hosses around. Well, he may be finished with me, but I ain't finished with the fella who framed me."
"I get yu," Merry replied, after a moment's pause. "Ken is a square man but he can't help rememberin' he was once a little Gawd A'mighty on his plantation. Where are the cattle?"
Sudden described the spot and his journey to the Twin Diamond in detail. The fat man nodded understandingly.
"That's clear; they're usin' the Devil's Bowl, an' it's one damned good place for the purpose, too. Five hundred head, yu say, an' all wearin' Ken's brand or mine, I'll bet a stack."
"I couldn't get near enough to see."
"On'y two Greasers in charge, huh? Why, it'll be easy as takin' a drink, which reminds me ..." He shouted an order, and at once the pigtailed cook appeared with bottle and glasses. "Here's how," he toasted, adding, "This'll put yu right with Ken."
"I'll he obliged if yu don't mention me," Sudden said. "He needn't to know how yu got wind o' the herd."
"But, damn it all, man, he thinks "
The puncher smiled coldly. "What he thinks ain't lost me any sleep so far, an' I'd ruther he warn't told."
"Well, have it yore way."
"Yu'll need to strike quick," Sudden warned. "Roden's visit may mean the herd is to be moved."
"We'll start in less'n an hour--with on'y two to handle there'll be no need to trouble Ken." He pushed out a paw. "I'm obliged to yu--Jim. If yu get in a tight place, an' can send word, we'll be along."
Sudden thanked him, and set out on his return to Hell City with a feeling of grim satisfaction; he had prepared a blow for the bandit chief and found another friend. From the first he had liked this tubby little man, with the twinkling, genial eyes, and his support meant a great deal.