CAPTIVES
The auto containing the three girls came to a dead stop. The driver
turned to his companion, an old woman in a dress resembling a Gypsy’s
gown.
“This the place, Cleopatra?”
The woman nodded. Then she turned on him fiercely.
“My name Clovita! You no call me that other. Clovita my mother’s name,
and her mother’s name before her. You no—”
“All right, all _right_! I’ll call you Clove for short. That do?
_Cloves_ would just about suit you.”
The woman made no reply, but, instead, turned and gazed stolidly at the
three girls who sat in the rear seat and who were listening to this
conversation with wildly beating hearts. Half an hour ago they had known
that the man driving was not taking them home, but he had put them off
with excuses that he had to stop some place first. Now Belle leaned
forward and looked at him squarely.
“Mr. Richmond,” she said firmly, “we want to know the meaning of this.
We are not going home. This is nowhere near the X Bar X. Where are you
taking us?”
“Well, now, I wouldn’t just say you’re not goin’ home,” the man drawled.
“Let’s say you’re not goin’ home yet. That sounds better. Now what else
did you want to know?”
Belle felt the blood leave her face. She turned to the others.
“Don’t be frightened,” she said in a low voice. “He may be just trying
to scare us. He won’t dare keep us away long. Dad would kill him!”
“He would, hey?” The man laughed nastily. “So sure of that, Miss
Spitfire? Maybe there’s others around that can do a little killin’ on
their own hook.”
Ethel gave a slight scream and began to tremble. Nell, taking her cue
from Belle, clenched her teeth and remained silent.
The man spoke to the woman at his side.
“When were they coming?”
“T’ree ’clock.”
“Well, it’s four now. Sure this is the right place? If you’re foolin’
me, I’ll—”
“Listen!”
The man bent his head sideways. In the distance sounded the beat of
horses, evidently traveling toward the car, as the noise increased
rapidly. The woman, not troubling to speak, jerked one thumb in the
direction of the approaching ponies. The man nodded.
Belle, taking her courage in both hands, suddenly alighted from the car.
She saw, out of the corners of her eyes, that the man had opened the
door on his side and had slid himself out a bit from under the steering
wheel. Belle knew that any attempt at escape would be met with instant
violence, and she had no notion of giving this man an opportunity of
tying her up. She simply stood by the side of the car and looked about
her.
The place they had come to was familiar. It was the entrance to Thunder
Canyon. Belle felt her heart give a jump of anxiety, for this was many
miles from the X Bar X. She had known that something unusual was
happening as soon as the car had stopped and had taken on the old woman,
whom the driver explained by saying she was a relative of one of the
cowboys and was going over to see him.
The woman, thinking such subterfuge unnecessary, had cackled shrilly,
only to be silenced by a fierce frown from the man. It was then that
Belle realized the turn affairs had taken. But she had refrained from
alarming Nell and Ethel, both because it would be useless and because
she hoped that if their driver could be lulled into thinking his motives
were unsuspected, the girls might have a chance to escape. For it was
certain that Richmond was no puncher on the X Bar X.
It had all happened so casually and so naturally that it was some time
before the girls had become suspicious. The man had called at the 8 X 8
in the flivver with a note which Belle Ada was certain had been sent by
her mother. The explanation, too, was natural.
The girls, eager for a change, had hurriedly packed and gotten in the
car, chatting merrily and not paying much attention to the driver who,
it was remembered now, had regarded them grimly as he drove off with
them.
So merry had the trio been, anticipating much fun with Roy and Teddy at
the Manley ranch, that they scarcely noted the direction taken by the
driver. It was not until he stopped at a hut in a lonely place and the
gaudily attired woman came out that Belle Ada glanced at Ethel and Nell
strangely.
Then, with the woman in the car with them, had followed a long ride with
suspicions increasing.
Belle realized that they were in a serious predicament—just how serious
she could not yet tell, for, except for the knowledge that the driver
was not connected with the X Bar X Ranch and that the note had been a
forgery, the girl was as much in the dark as ever. But she did not lose
heart.
Swiftly she glanced about her. Those hoofbeats were coming closer, and
she knew if an escape were to be attempted, it must be soon.
“Mr. Richmond,” Belle said slowly, turning toward the front seat, “I
suppose it is useless to ask you for an explanation.”
Before the man answered, he hitched up his belt, and Belle saw the butt
of a revolver protruding over the door of the car. She pretended not to
notice, and waited for his reply.
“What’s the matter—ain’t you comfortable?” the man countered. “I even
brought Cleopatra along to—all right, Clovita, then! Don’t go bitin’ my
ear off. I say I brought Clove along to keep you company. She’ll make a
fine travelin’ companion, won’t you, Cleo—won’t you, Clove?”
Ethel, who was almost as pale as her white collar, put her hand to her
throat.
“Traveling—traveling companion?” she faltered. “What do you mean? Where
are you taking us? Oh, Nell, I’m so frightened!”
“You nice lady,” came from the old woman, who was grinning widely. “You
no get scared. Everyt’ing all right. You maybe go on a visit for a
little while with me, and I show you pretty things. See!” and she held
out her hand. Nell took from it a bracelet, apparently of finely wrought
gold. Out of curiosity the girls examined it until they felt Richmond
observing them strangely. With a shudder Nell handed it back. The moment
the woman had it in her hand again Richmond seized it viciously.
“Tryin’ to get away with somethin’, hey?” he snarled. “We was to go
fifty-fifty on all stuff you picked up, an’ you know it. Where’d you get
this, hey? Some fool lady who wanted her fortune told, I reckon.”
The woman nodded, and grinned. Then she shrugged her shoulders and
spread her hands wide—disdainfully.
“What would you? I must live. People say Clovita has the gift of
prophecy. As to that—”
She was interrupted by the arrival of four men on ponies. They rode
swiftly up, looked at the car and its occupants for a moment, then
turned to Richmond.
“Good work,” one of them said. “Yuh shore know yore doggies, Jack. We
all set?”
“Yep. Hey, Clove, pile out. Here’s where you get yore liver shook up
good. Sheldon, slide off that war horse an’ let a lady up. Come on,
Cleo, shake yore stumps. When you get up there, hang on. Don’t let ’er
throw yuh. Ready? _Alley-oop!_”
With a groan, the old woman, assisted by Sheldon and Richmond, climbed
to the back of the pony Sheldon had just quit. Once in the saddle, she
took the reins with a practiced hand and settled her dresses about her
with supreme confidence. Evidently she had been a rider in her day, but
now she made a strange picture sitting proudly on the horse, her head
thrown back, surveying with a scornful eye those on the ground.
Richmond grinned widely.
“Quite a gal,” he said to Sheldon. “Feel O.K., Clove? That bronc’s
gentle, an’ you won’t have no trouble with her. If she rears, sock her
on the head.”
“Clovita know,” the woman replied with dignity. “But I not hit a horse
on the head—never. They die from that. Clovita rode horses before you
were born. Wild horses, that ran like fire! No one could ride like
Clovita, I—”
“Hang it up,” Richmond said brutally. Then: “Miss Manley, I must ask you
to change cars at this station. Sorry, but the road ain’t so good fer
autos. The other young gals too. Boys, pile off. We go back in the car.
You girls ride with Clove. We’ll see you later, so don’t pine too much
when we leave. And now—_adios_.” He bowed mockingly.
“What do you mean?” Belle demanded, the blood coming to her cheeks like
a flame. “You won’t dare take us! We must go home immediately! If my
father hears about this, you’re life won’t be worth a plugged nickel!”
Unconsciously she had quoted Roy. “Dad’ll kill you!”
Richmond looked at her, a grudging admiration in his eyes.
“Just take it easy, girlie,” he said gently. “Nothin’ is goin’ to happen
to you or your friends. You’ll be as safe here as if you were home. This
is just a little matter between yore father an’ us, an’ we take this way
to settle it. See? But don’t get fretful. We may be rustlers an’ all
that, but we’re men. I just want to add one thing.” His eyes narrowed.
“As long as you behave yourselves, you can do pretty much as you please
an’ nobody will touch you. But if you try to escape—” He took a heavy
gun from his pocket and handed it up to Clovita as she sat on the pony.
“Clovita,” he continued sternly, “take a pot shot at that hunk of wood
stickin’ out by that rock.”
The gun roared. Wide eyed, the girls looked to where Richmond pointed.
The stick had disappeared.
“That white blaze on the tree over there.”
Another roar. A tiny dot appeared in the center of the blaze.
“I guess you girls see she can shoot some. Clovita, you know what I told
you. Let ’em ride ahead an’ keep their distance. If they bolt, bring
down the horse an’ let ’em walk the rest of the way. If they start to
run, just nip ’em a _leetle_ bit. Then you won’t have no more trouble.
You know where to head for. We’ll meet you there later.”
He stopped and looked at the girls, who stood by the car, Belle defiant,
Ethel frankly trembling, Nell pale, but game.
“I’m sorry to have to do this, but you’ll understand why later,”
Richmond went on. “When we hear from yore dad an’ if he answers the way
we think he will, you’ll be home right soon. If not—” He shrugged his
shoulders. “But I’m not worrying about that. Now, climb aboard, you
girls. I guess you all can ride. If not, you’ll have to learn quick. The
ponies are gentle an’ won’t buck none. Come on, boys.” He entered the
car. From behind the wheel he stuck his head out. “Clove,” he called
sharply, “remember what I told you! Don’t let ’em get funny, or you’ll
wish you hadn’t! Keep that gun out! Hop in here, you birds. We got to
get this car back. Well, girls—” and he grinned and removed his
hat—“see you later! So long! Have a nice trip!”