Securing a wire-cutter with pincher jaws, he began to work at the bullet. It slipped out with unusual ease, and the contents of the case spilled into his hand. He did not need to use a match to prove that it was not powder. He knew what the stuff was at first glance--ron filings, to give the proper weight to the cartridge from which the powder had been removed.
At that moment he heard someone enter the outer room, and recognized the firm, easy tread of Sheriff Middleton. Corcoran went into the office and Middleton turned, hung his white hat on a nail.
--cNab tells me McBride killed Ace Brent!----ou ought to know!--Corcoran grinned. He tossed the bullet and empty case on the table, dumped the tiny pile of iron dust beside them.
--rent spent the night with you. You got him drunk, and stole one of his cards to show to McBride. You knew how his cards were marked. You took a cartridge out of Brent-- gun and put that one in place. One would be enough. You knew there-- be gunplay between him and McBride, when you showed McBride that marked card, and you wanted to be sure it was Brent who stopped lead.----hat-- right,--agreed Middleton.--haven't seen you since early yesterday morning. I was going to tell you about the frame I-- ribbed, as soon as I saw you. I didn't know McBride would go after Brent as quickly as he did.
--rent got too ambitious. He acted as if he were suspicious of us both, lately. Maybe, though, it was just jealousy as far as you were concerned. He liked Glory Bland, and she could never see him. It gouged him to see her falling for you.
--nd he wanted my place as leader of the Vultures. If there was one man in the gang that could have kept us from skipping with the loot, it was Ace Brent.
--ut I think I--e worked it neatly. No one can accuse me of having him murdered, because McBride isn't in the gang. I have no control over him. But Brent-- friends will want revenge.----miners--court will acquit McBride on the first ballot.----hat-- true. Maybe we-- better let him get shot, trying to escape!----e will like hell!--rapped Corcoran.--swore he wouldn't be harmed while he was under arrest. His part of the deal was on the level. He didn't know Brent had a blank in his gun, any more than Brent did. If Brent-- friends want his scalp, let--m go after McBride, like white men ought to, when he's in a position to defend himself.----ut after he's acquitted,--argued Middleton,--hey won't dare gang up on him in the street, and he'sl be too sharp to give them a chance at him in the hills.----hat the hell do I care?--snarled Corcoran.--hat difference does it make to me whether Brent-- friends get even or not? Far as I-- concerned, he got what was comin'tto him. If they ain't got the guts to give McBride an even break, I sure ain't goin'tto fix it so they can murder him without riskin'ttheir own hides. If I catch--m sneakin'taround the jail for a shot at him, I--l fill--m full of hot lead.
--f I-- thought the miners would be crazy enough to do anything to him for killin'tBrent, I-- never arrested him. They won't. They--l acquit him. Until they do, I-- responsible for him, and I--e give my word. And anybody that tries to lynch him while he's in my charge better be damned sure they--e quicker with a gun than I am.----here-- nobody of that nature in Wahpeton,--admitted Middleton with a wry smile.--ll right, if you feel your personal honor is involved. But I--l have to find a way to placate Brent-- friends, or they--l be accusing me of being indifferent about what happened to him.-- VI
VULTURES--COURT
Next morning Corcoran was awakened by a wild shouting in the street. He had slept in the jail that night, not trusting Brent-- friends, but there had been no attempt at violence. He jerked on his boots, and went out into the street, followed by McBride, to learn what the shouting was about.
Men milled about in the street, even at that early hour--for the sun was not yet up--surging about a man in the garb of a miner. This man was astride a horse whose coat was dark with sweat; the man was wild-eyed, bare-headed, and he held his hat in his hands, holding it down for the shouting, cursing throng to see.
--ook at--m!--he yelled.--uggets as big as hen eggs! I took--m out in an hour, with a pick, diggin'tin the wet sand by the creek! And there-- plenty more! It-- the richest strike these hills ever seen!----here?--roared a hundred voices.
--ell, I got my claim staked out, all I need,--said the man,--o I don't mind tellin'tyou. It ain't twenty miles from here, in a little canyon everybody-- overlooked and passed over--Jackrabbit Gorge! The creek-- buttered with dust, and the banks are crammed with pockets of nuggets!-- An exuberant whoop greeted this information, and the crowd broke up suddenly as men raced for their shacks.
--ew strike,--sighed McBride enviously.--he whole town will be surgin'tdown Jackrabbit Gorge. Wish I could go.----imme your word you--l come back and stand trial, and you can go,--promptly offered Corcoran. McBride stubbornly shook his head.
--o, not till I--e been cleared legally. Anyway, only a handful of men will get anything. The rest will be pullin'tback in to their claims in Wahpeton Gulch tomorrow. Hell, I--e been in plenty of them rushes. Only a few ever get anything.-- Colonel Hopkins and his partner Dick Bisley hurried past. Hopkins shouted:--e--l have to postpone your trial until this rush is over, Jack! We were going to hold it today, but in an hour there won't be enough men in Wahpeton to impanel a jury! Sorry you can't make the rush. If we can, Dick and I will stake out a claim for you!----hanks, Colonel!----o thanks! The camp owes you something for ridding it of that scoundrel Brent. Corcoran, we--l do the same for you, if you like.----o, thanks,--drawled Corcoran.--inin't too hard work. I--e got a gold mine right here in Wahpeton that don't take so much labor!-- The men burst into laughter at this conceit, and Bisley shouted back as they hurried on:--hat-- right! Your salary looks like an assay from the Comstock lode! But you earn it, all right!-- Joe Willoughby came rolling by, leading a seedy-looking burro on which illy-hung pick and shovel banged against skillet and kettle. Willoughby grasped a jug in one hand, and that he had already been sampling it was proved by his wide-legged gait.
----ay for the new diggin't!--he whooped, brandishing the jug at Corcoran and McBride.--it along, jackass! I--l be scoopin'tout nuggets bigger-- this jug before night--if the licker don't git in my legs before I git there!----nd if it does, he'sl fall into a ravine and wake up in the mornin'twith a fifty pound nugget in each hand,--said McBride.--e-- the luckiest son of a gun in the camp; and the best natured.------ goin'tand get some ham-and-eggs,--said Corcoran.--ou want to come and eat with me, or let Pete Daley fix your breakfast here?------l eat in the jail,--decided McBride.--want to stay in jail till I-- acquitted. Then nobody can accuse me of tryin'tto beat the law in any way.----ll right.--With a shout to the jailer, Corcoran swung across the road and headed for the camp-- most pretentious restaurant, whose proprietor was growing rich, in spite of the terrific prices he had to pay for vegetables and food of all kinds--prices he passed on to his customers.
While Corcoran was eating, Middleton entered hurriedly, and bending over him, with a hand on his shoulder, spoke softly in his ear.
----e just got wind that that old miner, Joe Brockman, is trying to sneak his gold out on a pack mule, under the pretense of making this rush. I don't know whether it's so or not, but some of the boys up in the hills think it is, and are planning to waylay him and kill him. If he intends getting away, he'sl leave the trail to Jackrabbit Gorge a few miles out of town, and swing back toward Yankton, taking the trail over Grizzly Ridge--you know where the thickets are so close. The boys will be laying for him either on the ridge or just beyond.