"Come back to the office," said Lee bluntly. And well in front of
Carson and Hampton, who stared wonderingly at the paper in his hand, he
went to the office telephone and called for Tripp.
"How's your hand?" he asked when Tripp answered.
"All right," replied Tripp. "Why?"
"Get it hurt?"
"No."
"Did you write Miss Sanford a hurry-up note within the last few days?"
"No."
"Sure of that, Doc? Typewritten note?"
"Of course I'm sure," snapped Tripp. "What's wrong?"
"God knows," answered Lee shortly. "But you'd better come up here and
come on the jump. Also, keep your mouth shut until you can get a
chance to talk with me or Carson."
He clicked up the receiver and turned terrible eyes on the two men
watching him.
"They've got her," he said slowly. "They've got her, Carson. They've
had her since Saturday night!"
Carson read the note. Only then did it pass into Hampton's hands. The
boy, angered at the way in which he had been ignored, insulted in his
sense of dignity by those words of Lee's to Tripp, "Talk with me or
Carson," seeing the reins of power being snatched from his hands, was
speechless with wrath.
"You fellows have butted in all I'll stand for!" he cried at them, his
shut fists shaking. "I tell you I'm running this outfit and what I say
goes. I don't believe that Trevors or any man living would do a trick
like that. I tell you it's ridiculous. And, no matter where Judith
is, when she is not here I run the ranch. I need money; she needs
money; we've got a fair chance to sell; I've passed my word we are
going to sell; and by God, we are going to sell."
In another mood, Hampton would not have spoken this way. In another
mood and with time for argument, Bud Lee would have expostulated with
him. Now, however, Lee said tersely:
"Carson, it's up to you and me. Get the boys out, to the last man of
them. Turn every hoof of cattle and horses back into the Upper End.
We've got to do it to-night. Get them into the little valley above the
plateau. We can hold them there, even if they try to force our hands,
which will be like them. I take this to be Trevors's last big play.
And, by thunder, he has mighty near gotten away with it!"
"Don't you dare do it!" blazed out young Hampton. "Carson, you take
orders from me. Get out of this house and leave the stock where they
are. In the morning----"
"Go ahead, Carson," cut in Lee's hard voice. "I'll take care of
Hampton here."
"You will, will you?" cried Hampton.
With one bound he was at the table, jerking open a drawer. As his hand
sought the weapon lying there, Bud Lee was on him, throwing him back.
Carson looked at them a moment, then went to the door.
"You're right, Bud," he said calmly as he went out.
Lee, forcing himself to show a calmness like Carson's, said gently to
Hampton:
"Can't you see the play? It's up to you to kick in and stop it.
There's a telephone; call up the buyers in Rocky Bend. They're there
now, or at least their drivers are, if they're coming out here in the
morning. Tell them the deal is off."
"Can't I see?" said Hampton, writhing out of Lee's hands, on his way to
the door. "You bet I can see! If you and Carson think that you can
run me----"
Then, for good and all, Lee gave over trying to reason with Hampton.
There was too much to be done to waste time. He drew Hampton back,
forcing him against the wall. As he tried to call out, Lee's hand over
his mouth smothered his words.
"You're coming with me," he said sharply. "Right now."
Though he struggled, Hampton was little more than a baby in the horse
foreman's muscular grip. Tripped, with a heel behind his calf, he fell
heavily, Lee upon him. Both arms were pinioned behind him, and Lee's
neckerchief thrust into his mouth. He writhed in impotent rage. His
outcries died in his throat, the loudest of them not reaching Marcia's
ears above the creaking of her rocking-chair. Lee still held Hampton's
tied hands gripped in his own. So the two men went out the back door,
down toward the corrals.
Seeing men hurrying from the bunk-house to the stables under Carson's
snapping orders. Lee called out for Tommy Burkitt. And in a moment,
with bulging eyes, Burkitt came running.
"Bring out three horses, Tommy," Lee commanded, giving no explanation.
"Hurry, and keep your mouth shut."
Burkitt obeyed Lee as he always did, silently and unquestioningly.
Very soon he returned, riding, leading two saddled horses.
"Get into the saddle, Hampton," said Lee sternly. "There's no time for
nonsense. Get up or I'll put you up."
"Curse you," Hampton said in smothered anger, his tone making clear the
meaning of the indistinct mutter. But he climbed into the saddle.
"Come on, Tommy." Lee, too, was up, his hand on Hampton's reins.
"We're going up to the old cabin. You're going to ride herd on Hampton
while I do something else. I'll tell you everything when we get there."
So they rode into the night, headed toward the narrow passes of the
Upper End, Hampton and Lee side by side, Tommy Burkitt staring after
them as he followed. No longer were Bud Lee's thoughts with his
captive, nor with the herds Carson's men were driving back to the
higher pastures. They were entirely for Judith, and they were filled
with fear. She had been gone for three full days; she was somewhere in
the clutch of Trevors or of one of his cutthroats. He thought of her,
of Quinnion's red-rimmed, evil eyes, and as he had not prayed in all
the years of his life Bud Lee prayed that night.