THE TRAIL HERD
Kent Williams went to Lazette, and Sanderson spent the interval during
his departure and return in visiting the cattlemen and settlers in the
basin. The result of these visits was a sheaf of contracts for water,
the charge based on acreage, that reposed in Sanderson's pockets.
According to the terms of the contracts signed by the residents of the
basin, Sanderson was to furnish water within one year.
The length of time, Sanderson decided, would tell the story of his
success or failure. If he failed he would lose nothing, because of
having the contracts with the settlers, and if he won the contracts
would be valid.
Sanderson was determined to win. When after an absence of a week
Williams returned, to announce that he had made arrangements for the
material necessary to make a "regular" start, and that he had hired men
and teams to transport the material, Sanderson's determination became
grim. For Williams told him that he had "gone the limit," which meant
that every cent to Sanderson's credit in the Lazette bank had been
pledged to pay for the material the engineer had ordered.
"We're going to rush things from now on," Williams told Sanderson.
"Next week we'll need ten thousand dollars, at least."
Sanderson went into the house and had a long talk with Mary Bransford.
Coming out, he went to the corral, saddled Streak, and rode to Okar.
Shortly he was sitting at a desk opposite a little man who was the
resident buyer for an eastern live-stock company.
"The Double A has three thousand head of cattle," Sanderson told the
little man. "They've had good grass and plenty of water. They're fat,
an' are good beef cattle. Thirty-three dollars is the market price.
What will you give for them, delivered to your corral here?"
The resident buyer looked uncomfortable. "I've had orders not to buy
any more cattle for a time."
"Whose orders?" demanded Sanderson.
The resident buyer's face flushed and he looked more uncomfortable.
"My firm's orders!" he snapped.
Sanderson laughed grimly; he saw guilt in the resident buyer's eyes.
"Silverthorn's orders," he said shortly. At the other's emphatic
negative Sanderson laughed again. "Maison's, then. Sure--Maison's,"
he added, as the other's flush deepened.
Sanderson got up. "Don't take it so hard," he advised the resident
buyer. "I ain't goin' to bite you. What I'm wonderin' is, did Maison
give you that order personally, or did you get it from your boss."
The buyer shifted uneasily in his chair, and did not look at Sanderson.
"Well," said the latter, "it don't make a heap of difference.
Good-bye," he said, as he went out. "If you get to feelin' mighty
small an' mean you can remember that you're only one of the pack of
coyotes that's makin' this town a disgrace to a dog kennel."
Sanderson returned to the Double A and found Mary in the house.
"No go," he informed her. "Maison an' Silverthorn an' Dale have
anticipated that move. We don't sell any cattle in Okar."
The girl's disappointment was deep.
"I suppose we may as well give up," she said.
Sanderson lifted her face to his.
"If you're goin' to talk that way I ain't goin' to love you like I
thought I was," he grinned. "An' I'm sure wantin' to."
"I don't want to give up," she said.
"Meanin'?"
"Meaning that I'd like to have you beat those men. Oh, the miserable
schemers! They will go to any length to defeat you."
He laughed lowly and vibrantly. "Well, they'll certainly have to
travel _some_," he said. "About as fast as the man will have to travel
that takes you away from me."
"Is victory that dear to you?" she asked.
"I won't take one without the other," he told her his eyes glowing.
"If I don't beat Silverthorn and the others, an' keep the Double A for
you, why I----"
"You'll win!" she said.
"You are hopin' I will?" he grinned. "Well," he added, as she averted
her eyes, "there'll come a time when we'll talk real serious about
that. I'm goin' to tell the range boss to get ready for a drive to Las
Vegas."
"That is a hundred and seventy-five miles!" gasped the girl.
"I've followed a trail herd two thousand," grinned Sanderson.
"You mean that you will go yourself--with the outfit?"
"Sure."
Sanderson went out, mounted Streak, and found the range boss--Eli
Carter. Carter and the men were ordered to round up all the Double A
cattle and get ready to drive them to Las Vegas. Sanderson told Carter
he would accompany the outfit.
Cutting across the basin toward the ranchhouse, he saw another horseman
riding fast to intercept him, and he swerved Streak and headed toward
the other.
The rider was Williams, and when Sanderson got close enough to see his
face he noted that the engineer was pale and excited.