THE CLAIM-JUMPERS
The moment the three had passed out of sight, Sam Brewster jumped from
his horse and led him over to the great tree that caused the trail to
turn aside and run around it. He looped the reins over his arm and
placed his hands in his coat pockets. As he leaned against the
tree-trunk nibbling nonchalantly at a sprig of grass, a tenderfoot would
never have dreamed that his fingers were tensely held against the
triggers of the revolvers hidden in his pockets.
Soon after Mr. Brewster had taken his stand where he could see the first
appearance of any one coming up the trail, two riders approached eagerly
scanning the large trees, in evident search of something. As they came
to the giant tree where the rancher waited, both men started in
surprise.
"How-dy, friends? Out early this morning, eh?" was the greeting the two
amazed men received from the alert man at the tree.
"Oh--oh, yes!" stammered one, plainly uneasy.
"Hoh, it's Sam Brewster of Pebbly Pit, ain't it?" said the other, also
confused in his manner.
"Right you are, Hank. You see, when a man has to attend to the girls'
gold mine, he has to be up right early to forestall the plans of any
claim-jumpers who read the records at Oak Creek, yesterday, after we
left there. That's why I got a posse to guard the place. I reckon, now,
Hank, that your boss sent you-all on to help we-all up yonder, eh?"
laughed Mr. Brewster, tantalizingly, as he recognized Hank to be the
clerk at the filing office in Oak Creek.
The man Hank laughed also, but a discordant note rang through his forced
merriment. "We-all ain't claim-jumpers, Mr. Brewster, but it seemed so
quare to find Old Montresor's Mine hed ben found again, that Ah sez to
my pal, here, 'How'd you-all like to run up to the Slide and have a
squint at that cave?' An' havin' a day off, he reckoned he'd enjy the
trip. So here we-all are."
"Yes--so Ah see! Here you-all are. And Ah says to my girls and the
posse, says Ah: 'There'll be a lot of fools start off at night-fall, to
hit this trail to the Slide just out of dern-fool curiosity to have a
squint at Old Montresor's Mine. But human nature is human nature,
girls,' says Ah, so when they get that squint, they may forget one of
the Ten Commandments and want to covet their neighbor's property. And
seeing how they have lost a good night's sleep through climbing the Top
Notch Trail just to arrive early to have that squint, they will sort of
feel justified in stealing an acre, or so, of gold-land. That would make
them break another Commandment; so Ah felt it a duty, Hank, to send on a
regiment in advance, to save the souls of such curious sightseers." Sam
Brewster never changed a muscle of his serious face nor did his voice
have the slightest sign of any other feeling than a reverent desire to
help his fellow-man. But the two men knew Sam Brewster by experience as
well as from hearsay.
"Right-o! Hank told me what a good man you war," said the miner who
accompanied Hank. But his shifty eyes belied the tone.
Mr. Brewster smiled. "Yes. Ah did hate to see any one lose a good
night's sleep and then get thus far only to be mistaken for
claim-jumpers by the Sheriff's men up yonder. Of course, Hank and
you-all aren't going to take such chances with the law."
The miner glanced about uneasily but only saw two girls sitting on their
horses a short distance away. Hank's face lowered, however, and he
growled forth: "Ah don't see whose business it is whether we break the
Sheriff's law or not."
"Perhaps _you_ don't see--but Ah do, Hank. And when the Sheriff says,
'Keep the trail free from all trespassers till my posse can take
charge,' you know me--Ah'll see that his orders are carried out,"
returned Mr. Brewster sternly, his pockets moving suspiciously.
"You-all hain't got no orders, and thar hain't no posse up yander,
neither, 'cause they hain't a-comin' till after Simms leaves," exclaimed
Hank, unguardedly.
"Ah! So you and your man thought you'd get a lead on the Sheriff, eh?"
laughed Mr. Brewster. "Oh, but you are an easy tenderfoot to stuff,
Hank! Did you-all really believe such a story would have been told at
Oak Creek if the posse planned to wait for morning? Why, man, that is
just what they wanted to do--to catch a lot of rascals red-handed and
clean Oak Creek out, once for all! How do you know that there is a real
claim staked out up there--or whether it is the Sheriff's joke to land
a ring of crooks?"
Eleanor and Barbara were so interested in the way Mr. Brewster handled
the two rascals without telling a direct falsehood that they sighed when
the claim-jumpers backed their horses and withdrew to confer anxiously
on what they had heard. But Sam Brewster interpolated with:
"If it is curiosity that brought you-all to lose a night's rest, pass
right along and tell the Sheriff and Bill your yarn. They will not only
let you take a squint at what you think is a mine, but they will pay you
to remain and help arrest all the claim-jumpers who are already on the
way."
Even as he spoke, Mr. Brewster saw the sly move of Hank as he tried to
pull his gun from the holster; instantly a hand came from the rancher's
pocket and brought to light a cocked revolver. The other man suddenly
changed his mind when the bore of Brewster's gun was leveled so that the
clerk could look right down into his grave if he made the slightest
mistake in this outing of his.
But the miner became ugly; then he saw the other hand of Sam Brewster
come from his pocket and he knew that he was a dead rascal too, if he
made one false step. So his expression changed to a wily smile, and he
said:
"What you-all ha'r fur ef th' Sheriff's up thar guardin' th' precious
mine?"
"Told to warn away any foolish town-clerks who might be heading straight
to Kingdom Come! You know Bill likes to give every chump a loop-hole to
save himself, if possible," retorted Mr. Brewster.
"We ain't lookin' fer no argyment with Bill ner the Shuriff, so
we-all'll mosey back an' tell others we meet. Howsomever, you-all won't
find it so easy to git rid of curious folks when that miner-gang gits
ha'r. Ah happen to know who and how many are plannin' to come."
With that farewell, Hank turned his horse's head and led the way down
the trail, slowly followed by the unwilling miner.
"Oh, Mr. Brewster! hadn't we better ride after Mike and the girls before
the miners' gang gets here?" cried Barbara, fearfully.
Mr. Brewster laughed. "That was only a bluff of Hank's to make me ride
along so he and his pal might follow us. I haven't the least doubt but
that both of those cowardly rascals are hiding just out of sight where
they can watch my every movement. Should we start to ride along towards
the cave, they would follow and shoot us from the rear as sure as
anything."
In spite of his making light of Hank, however, Mr. Brewster kept a wary
eye open for an ambuscade. Nothing of moment happened, however, and Jeb
was just saying: "Maybe we-all had best ride for the cave," when a shot
rang out.
"Well!" gasped he, while the two girls trembled with fear.
"That sounded from Top Notch. It's either Simms and his party, or those
rascals. In either case, it won't be cowardly in us to hide behind a
clump of pines and await developments," suggested the rancher.
Mr. Brewster stationed Eleanor behind a close growth of young pine and
handed her a small rifle. Barbara was hidden deeper in the forest, and
then he and Jeb took their places behind a bowlder whence they could
watch the up-trail. With a revolver ready in each hand, they waited
anxiously.
But his wise precautions were unnecessary this time, for Bill soon rode
up, calling loudly as he came. Sam Brewster sighed with relief to find a
group of Oak Creek's leading citizens with the Sheriff.
"Bill, did you-all shoot, a time back?" queried Mr. Brewster the moment
the posse came up.
Bill laughed. "Ah'll explain in a minute. You-all see it wa'r this way:
After you-all left for home, yesterday, it wa'r found how some low-down
sneaks got wind of this claim and planned to ride up at once. It looked
a lot like claim-jumpin', so we-all got together mighty quick and rode
after them to spare the Lord any trouble in judgin' 'em. Also, we-all
reckoned to save your party any nonsense over the gold, 'specially as
thar wa'r four gals in it."
"But three rascals got a lead on you," interrupted Sam.
"Yeh, three are at large somewhere, Ah reckon; but two of the worst ones
out of that five are back yonder. Hank Johnson and his jail-bird pal are
down on Four Mile Blaze. When we get the other three, we'll rid Oak
Crick of five of its worst citizens."
"Rattle-Snake Mike came up with us, Bill. We rode up the Indian
Trail--that's how we got here so soon. But Mike went on to the cave with
Polly and her friend. They'll guard their claim, all right, unless those
three interfere," said Mr. Brewster, with an anxious note in his voice.
"Ah reckon we'd better make for that cave, then! Thar may be some work
cut out fer us thar," whispered Bill, seeing the two city girls now
ride out from cover and come over to join the group.
"Where's Mrs. Brewster?" asked Eleanor, anxiously.
"This is Bill's party--they left Oak Creek last night," explained Mr.
Brewster.
"Then where is Simms and your wife?" asked Barbara.
"You see it will take the others much longer to ride up from Lone Pine
than it took us to climb the trappers' trail, so they can't possibly
arrive for some time yet. We-all just got here, and we left Oak Creek at
midnight," explained one of the men, encouraging the two girls.
"But we-all stopped on the way and cooked breakfast and fed our hosses.
Simms and his party will ride right up and ought to be ha'r pritty soon,
now," said Bill.
"How about leavin' some one here at Four Mile Blaze to direct the Simms'
party, while we-all ride on with Sam to hunt those three claim-jumpers,"
suggested one of the posse.
"Barbara and I will wait here with Jeb if you leave us each with a gun,"
offered Eleanor, eagerly.
Barbara gasped at the very idea, but Eleanor added:
"We don't want to be mixed up in a fight with rascals, and we are safer
here than up there."
"The gal's right, Sam. They'd onny be in the road if we-all have to
chase them men," said Bill.
"But they can't shoot! Why give them any guns?" asked Mr. Brewster,
anxiously.
"I just bet I could kill you at forty paces, if you were a claim-jumper
and looked at me the way Hank looked at you!" declared Eleanor,
emphatically.
The men laughed, and Bill wagged his head approvingly. "Ah say, Sam, let
the gals take a crack at the Four Mile tree--and see."
"Well, even the sight of guns will make the villains respect us, even if
we can't shoot!" added Barbara, who felt that the lesser of the two
dangers would be to remain with Eleanor and Jeb where they now were.
After many instructions and warnings had been given to Jeb and the two
city girls, Mr. Brewster spurred his horse on to ride after his
companions who were already up the trail. But he had not far to go.
At the bend of the trail, where there was a small clearing, he saw the
men standing up in their stirrups, intent on something ahead. He urged
his horse up to join them, and just before reaching the group, he
called out: "What's wrong?"
The horses were tossing their heads, pawing the ground, and acting
restive. Bill turned half-way around in the saddle and replied:
"D'you-all smell anything, Sam?"
Mr. Brewster noticed then, that the men held faces up and were sniffing
in different directions. He then sniffed carefully himself and
exclaimed: "Smells like smoke."
But even as he spoke, the thought reached him: "A forest fire!" His face
went white and he murmured a prayer to himself for Polly and Anne.
"Yeh, Sam. Comin' down from the Slide," was all Bill said.
"My Gawd, men! what shall we do?" cried one of the posse.
"We-all must ship them two gals an' Jeb down trail, right away, and then
the rest of us'll ride up to see if anything kin be done to stop it.
Mebbe it hain't got a headway yet," replied Bill.
But the two girls were now seen riding up the trail as fast as their
horses could travel. Barbara rode first and Eleanor after her, shouting
aloud in a frantic voice. The men waited fearfully to hear what new
trouble assailed them.
Barbara almost ran down Mr. Brewster's horse in her blind fear, and
when questioned, could not speak. Eleanor then rode up and looked so
angry that she could scarcely explain.
"Bob declared she heard noises behind us and on one side, and then,
without giving me or Jeb any warning, she started her horse at a run, to
come and meet you men. She cried that it would be safer with a crowd
than alone with only Jeb and me and the rifles we knew nothing about. I
had to ride after her to see that she reached you safely. Now I'll go
back and keep guard again."
"Stop, Nolla! Although you are a brave little girl, it will be of no use
to keep guard now. Jeb and you will have to ride down Top Notch Trail as
fast as you can, and meet Simms who is coming up with Mrs. Brewster.
Send Simms and the men on to help us, but you three women take Jeb and
go right on down. There's a forest fire." Mr. Brewster added the last
portentous words in an awed voice.
"Oh, my goodness! Will we be hurt?" cried Barbara.
But Eleanor thought not of herself. She immediately cried: "Are Polly
and Anne safe?"
"Polly--whar's she?" demanded Bill, suddenly realizing that the girl was
not one of the party.
"She went to the cave with Mike to watch there, in case any
claim-jumpers tried to stake their ground," groaned Sam Brewster.
"Is the cave far from here?" added Bill, quickly.
"Not as far as Top Notch Trail," replied Eleanor, seeing a possible way
for her to get to Polly and Anne.
"But some one ought to send Simms on to us and then ride on down trail
to signal the forest-rangers' lookout so's they could come and help
fight the fire," said another man.
"Can't Bob and I join Polly and Anne in the cave where we will be safe
from any fire, and you send Jeb down to signal Simms and the
forest-rangers?" asked Eleanor excitedly, seeing how urgent was the need
for instant action.
"All right; take this young man for protection, and get to the cave as
quick as you can. You gals wait in the cave till you-all hear from us
again. Send Mike down trail to Jeb to hurry Simms and then escort Mrs.
Brewster home. We're ridin' up yander to work," ordered Bill,
authoritatively.
Eleanor turned her horse's head to a faint trail that she was sure would
bring them to the cave. Barbara and the cow-boy followed, while Bill
and his men urged the horses to their utmost up the steep Slide.
"Thar's one good thing about this fire--it seems to be comin' down, and
it don't travel near so quick that way, like-as-how it do when it goes
upward. Mebbe we-all kin choke it in its first stages," explained Bill.
Eleanor and her two followers now reached the end of the little erosion
made by a storm. Then the city girl found it really was no trail at all.
They sat their horses looking helplessly about while Barbara began to
whimper with fear.
Even courageous Eleanor began to quail at what would befall them if they
were lost, when Mike suddenly appeared in the distance, climbing the
steep slope before them. His broncho came on recklessly through the
bushes and wild undergrowth until he was within speaking distance then
he shouted:
"Mike hear shoots! Gals in cabe alle-right. Mike smell fire. He go see
who burn. Fin' tree bad miner--One gone happy hunting-groun',--two sleep
f'm much fire-water. Tree hosses hobble on down trail." As he spoke he
acted his words so that it was plain that he had found the three
claim-jumpers who were dead drunk, and their mounts which were trying
to break away in sheer fear of the fire.
"Mike, Bill and Mr. Brewster said you were to leave us in the cave, if
it is safe there, and then ride down trail to meet Jeb and go on to stop
Simms' party. Warn the lookout on the forest-ranger's post and then come
back to us, but Jeb is to ride home with the Missus!" exclaimed Eleanor,
excitedly.
Mike frowned. "Indian no like squaw job!"
"That's just what I was going to say, Mike. Now if you will put us on
the right trail, we three can find the way to the cave. We will stay
there with the other girls, and let you do as you think best, _after_
you send Jeb away to meet Simms," said Eleanor.
"Mike mus' tell Boss and Bill 'bout fire. Him eat down-hill, udder side
Slide. No burn dis side."
Meantime, the Indian was leading the way to the trail that would bring
the girls out at the ravine where the cave was. Once on the right trail,
the youth whom Bill had sent with the girls, said he could keep to it
without going astray.
Mike waited but a moment to assure himself that they would be safe along
the trail, then he started his horse up the steep side. His keen Indian
scout habits now stood him in good stead. He soon had the Sheriff's
party tracked and was riding after them. His young broncho galloped
along until the group of men bound for the Slide, were hailed by a
war-whoop.
Bill turned and saw the Indian close behind. He called a halt, and when
the party stopped, the messenger was already in their midst.
"Fire up lodge-pole pine side. Eatin' down--dat way!" cried Mike, waving
a hand at the side of the mountain away from them and the cave.
"Mike go see an' fin' tree miner. Dey hab big fight--two shoot one. Him
dead. Udders drunk--gone 'sleep. Hosses tie up."
"Mike, you lead! Men fall in--we-all fight the fire first, then find the
drunken miners and arrest them for manslaughter," ordered Bill, and thus
the posse rode away.