Hugh Pendexter

“ Bending double, the mountain man made for the north side of the valley and found it dark night inside the timber. His unerring sense of location permitted him to penetrate the growth in a straight line to the opening; and, passing around to the west, he took up his position in the spot from which he had spied on Martin two hours before.
His ears rather than his eyes told him when the outlaw leader entered the opening. There came the sound of steel grating on stones and the softer sound of dirt being thrown aside. ”

“ If a posse stumbled on your camp you could fall back to this side of the ridge to this place. Then go up the slope when the posse went back to town. There's too much waiting in the way you fellers play the game.”
Snake Martin's voice sounded faint and thin as he assured Misery:
“My friend, there will not be much more waiting. Be patient.”
“H'ray! Knew you was sensible. Bad for a gang to have too much time on its hands. Men git out of temper and sour. Lots of action and blooding needed to keep a parcel of men up to top-notch. ”

“ Hope returned to the young man's heart when Martin shook his head firmly and declared:
“Impossible. You need too much room. There's not enough room for you and me in the same outfit. Your talk makes me think red. I'd have to shoot you to stop your tongue.”
“If I wasn't playing a lone hand I'd take you on in a second, old man,” said Williams. “But I couldn't take both of you even if I wanted a partner. Three's an awkward number. In a running fight always one has to go it alone. Might blab to save his neck. Then again, California isn't what it used to be. It's getting well organized. ”

“ No one in the gang knows where the stuff's hid now that Bernie's dead—from drinking whisky—and arsenic.”
Somes scratched his head, then scowled malignantly and gritted: “Snake Martin ain't got no charmed life!”
“Ah, Somes, you're mistaken. He has. No one in the gang will want him dead until it's known where the stuff is hid. Everick loses his share. The rest of us already have lost our shares unless we find the hiding place.”
“Ain't there 'nough of the boys to corner him and burn it out of him,” demanded Somes in a thick voice. ”

“ This opening oughter graze a few hosses.”
Martin pulled out Gilbert's knife and began sharpening twigs, and remarked:
“Men don't like this place. Superstitious fools. Afraid of a few graves. So we pasture the stock in an opening south of the valley. We plan to keep only our riding-horses in the valley.”
Old Misery stirred uneasily and confessed:
“I don't like graves. Don't mind a man drying in a tree, but to be put under ground! That's 'nough to make any ghost git up on his hind legs and hoot. I'm just like a Crow in that way; never want to be hid under ground. They some of your men?” ”

“ We can't go back over the ridge, and the road east is through a bad country. But remember this: Snake Martin is as bad a fiend as Joaquin Murieta. He'll kill just as quick, and he'll never give t'other feller any show at all. You saw them bows and arrers in the cabin? I got hold of one last night long enough to see it never was made by a Injun. They're 'nough to show me what sort of hellions we've stumbled on to. Murieta hates 'Mericans. ”

“ Bommer lowered the jug and hastily made for the door. Old Misery threw himself on a bunk and told Gilbert:
“If you wa'n't along I'd stay here and watch things bu'st up. Snake Martin's going to lose all his rattles if he ain't mighty careful.”
“I wouldn't stay here a minute longer than absolutely necessary for a million dollars!” muttered Gilbert.
“I wouldn't neither. Man with a million dollars needs a stronger medicine than I ever could scare up. I don't know just how much a million dollars is, but I know it's a million troubles ”

“ Old Misery filled his pipe and informed Martin:
“The younker can't read all the time. Not 'nough book and not 'nough throat. We're feeling rather cramped. We want to be walking 'bout a bit.”
Martin pulled Gilbert's pocket-knife from his pocket and shaved a dead branch to a needle point and stared thoughtfully at the mountain man. Finally he said:
“You're free to move around in this valley. You have no weapons, no food. You'd be fools to try and run away. If you act the fool you'll be caught and shot in your tracks. ”

“ Some started to drink, including Bommer and Somes.
Jason remarked: “It's the first I've heard tell you was one of us.”
“I was just wishing you well. You'll all need good wishes afore the season's over. If the younker 'n' me ain't in the gang we will be soon.”
Martin softly inquired: “Why do you think that?”
“I don't 'think.' I know,” stoutly replied Misery. “Lawdy! But you fellers need new blood. Same lot of you been so long together that you're splitting up in pairs. Every pair is feeling harsh toward the rest. You need new men to jumble you all together in one happy, band again. ”

“ Man to man they'll stack up better'n Joaquin's. Take him away and Three-Fingered Jack, and the rest are so many rabbits. More I see of this outfit the more I know I'm going to like it. Nothing like a little roughness to sweeten life. Do they ever settle a argument with knives, left arms tied together? A good way, as there's never no doubt 'bout the winner. And some mighty funny things always happen when two men git to whirling round, each trying to get behind t'other.”
“I've tried it twice. It works well,” quietly replied Martin, replacing the knife and dusting his hands. ”

“ Then the mountain man was galloping for the growth, a hand on Gilbert's bridle, and when he halted their flight they had passed through the timber and were several miles from the cabin.
Slipping to the ground, he remarked:
“That was a fuss worth while. Too dark for a man to do his best. Snake Martin's one of the niftiest knife-fighters I ever fit with. Now we can sleep in peace. ”

“ But he's bad. He's got to be killed.
“Now Snake Martin never was whipped that I know of. He's 'Merican blood, and he kills 'Mericans. Them bows 'n' arrers tell me he rigs his men up like Injuns and raids wagon-trains. Leaves arrers in the dead. If any one gits away from the train he'll say Injuns did it. Then the Utes are blamed. So, in a way, he's worse'n Murieta.”
“But what will become of us? We can't even pretend to join them,” muttered Gilbert as they walked along the edge of the growth. ”

“ We mustn't be hit by any of the pieces. We've got to get away, but not make it a running fight less we have to. They've got to think we're bad ones. We must make Martin hanker to be rid of us without killing us. No matter what I do, or say, you sit tight. It's a bad mess. Worse'n I thought at first. But I started to make a mountain man out of you, and I'll do it if I have to make hell hoot and hum. Now take out that book and make believe you're reading to me. Don't look round. We'll soon have comp'ny.”
Gilbert pulled out his story-book and began reading in an undertone. ”

“ Martin sends 'em to dog our steps. Now if you was Tobin we'd lay for them two and take their guns and hustle round and bag the third man, and then hold up the cabin and clean out the whole gang. As it is you 'n' me might jump the two and do for 'em and take their guns and run for it! But that wouldn't give us hosses, or grub. Besides, Solid Comfort is back in the cabin, and it's a wakan gun and I won't leave it. We'll trail along a bit and let 'em pass us.”
When near the end of the valley the mountain man halted in a group of stunted pines. ”

“ Some one ran into the house and brought out blazing brands, and others tossed on light fuel that soon dispelled much of the darkness. Then the group waited in silence for the horseman to emerge from the black wall and enter the light. ”

“ It's got so a man to make a decent living must work fast and sly and ride alone.”
“Then what about Murieta?” anxiously asked Old Misery.
“Think you were wise to cross the ridge,” promptly replied Williams. “They're bound to get him. Think they'll get him this season. His band is too big. Rewards offered for him dead or alive are growing too fast. Too many posses after him.”
Old Misery gravely asked Martin:
“When can we start? We're ready any time. S'long as you don't want us the quicker we're 'bout our business the better.”
Gilbert drew his first free breath since coming to the cabin. ”

“ That bag must be worth more'n a thousand dollars.”
“Let's forget the gold and get away from here,” begged Gilbert. “I'm more afraid of these men, especially that Martin, than I'd ever be of Indians. He gives me the shivers.
“We'll clear out soon's we can. But this gang isn't of much account, 'cept in talk. Blood-hungry all right, but they can be tamed,” calmly assured Old Misery. “My medicine has pulled us through this far. I've made them think we're their kind, and I've made Martin hanker to have us go. He made one bad mistake. He oughter been white 'nough to hand back my bag of nuggets. ”

“ Some time the chief will visit the hiding-place. It's near here. He and Bernie were gone only a few hours from the cabin. He probably kept away that long to make us think they had traveled some distance. But the pack-mule hadn't wet a hair. I was quick to see that much.”
“Eddication again!” enthusiastically murmured Somes.
“This game is about up. Once Murieta goes under we'll stop running off stock. While he lives and takes the blame we can keep on buying from him and stealing direct. Murieta can't last much longer. They're bound to get him. When we can't steal stock we must bu'st up. ”

“ He never see you,” cautioned Old Misery to his companion.
And, pulling his ragged hat low over his eyes, he left the doorway and swaggered toward the horses.
“Climb into the saddle and get out,” ordered Martin.
Bommer advanced a torch so the men could make sure the mule-pack was correctly adjusted, and, as the additional light revealed the mountain man, Rockmore gave an incredulous cry and demanded:
“Wait a minute! My God! I'm not mistook! That man's the friend of Peters, the gambler, in Nevada City. Peters sent the posses out after our boys. ”

“ But folks' idees about time don't always hitch. S'pose you fire two shots when it's time for us to be showing in the open? The younker here believes things happen in the East hours before they happen here, and yet happen just the same time. ”