Hugh Pendexter

“ No good talking about him,” uneasily interrupted Old Misery. “He's the big loser up to now. Let it go at that. But you broke your promise, Pretty Soon. Never believed you'd do it. You said you'd meet me at Stacy's store.”
“Well, I declare” exclaimed Pretty Soon. “But you sent the bartender to the store with word for me to come here and wait for you. I was to pack along a bag of flour and some other fixings. And I done it. You was to pay him for the grub before leaving Coloma to over take me.”
“Heyoka man, after all,” sighed Misery. “Just like a child. What time did you see the bartender?” ”

“ Then a slight noise at the window warned him York had attempted to pass that opening by keeping below the sill but had hit the bag containing the medicine-rock.
He leaped toward the window, straightening out his form, his outstretched hand sending the point of the long knife against something. Instantly the quiet of the place was shattered by a ferocious curse and the heavy bag struck the mountain man in the chest; and the next moment the bandit was closing in. Their knives found each other and slithered blade to blade until locked at the hilt. ”

“ No matter when I say, 'Go,' you scoot.”
“If I'm man enough to find a bag of gold I'm man enough to turn it in to the express office. Seems as if too many folks was mixing up in my business affairs,” retorted Pretty Soon.
“All the four bags held the same kind of stuff,” patiently replied Misery. “Already Murieta's spies along Deer crick have been told to watch out for any one carrying a bag of fifty-dollar slugs. That flour trail back in the valley has been follered. Right now they're probably trailing us to this spot. It's known you left Coloma same day as I did. ”

“ If it was my gold I'd blow it just as it comes from the bag, and be damned to any one that tried to stop me. But Jim's cur'ous. Most medicines don't work for him. All the way here from Illinoistown my new medicine's been trying to tell me that something is wrong. I won't feel safe 'bout that cuss till he's on the Isthmus boat.
“I ain't had time to git well acquainted with my new medicine. I can't figger out just what's wrong; but something's missed fire.”
“Nonsense, Misery! It's all as simple as cold-decking a greenhorn. That reminds me; how's your young friend getting along?” ”

“ I was lucky at Coloma; then the bartender told me I'd lost, and took my dust away.”
“No time to look at it now. Fetch your blankets and come with me. They'll miss that bag. That changes things. Even ghosts are better to face than Murieta when he's riled. He's expecting four bags. They found four. They won't dare go back and tell any ghost story. They've got to git that fourth bag. You carry it all the time seeing it's yours, and after we dig deep into the woods we'll have a powwow.”
Pretty Soon quickly secured his blankets and followed Old Misery up the slope of the valley and into the pines. ”

“ A man with property—”
“Never can cover the trail,” broke in Old Misery. “That's one thing to be thankful for: When you ain't got nothing you can't lose nothing.” And he pressed his foot heavily on Pretty Soon's toes.
“The squirrels oughter be done in less'n twenty minutes.”
“Then I'll look at my hoss and be back by that time,” said York.
The moment he passed through the door Old Misery was watching from the window. He saw the stranger make for a corral beyond the third cabin. ”

“ I'll keep the bag.”
“Seems to be a lot of secrecy.”
“Mighty good chance for you to git your long throat cut if you don't do as I say. My medicine tells me there's going to be trouble. When I give the word to-night for you to light out for Grass Valley you start without a yip. Reaching the valley, you're to make believe you're bu'sted and almost ready to go to work. You're just Pretty Soon Jim, down on his luck. Toward night you hoof it to Nevada City and go to Kelly's lodging-place. If I don't come along inside of two days you hunt up Mr. Peters, honest gambler, and tell the whole thing. ”

“ Peters in his room, completing his street toilet.
“How's our Injun-medicine man?” he heartily greeted, his fresh-shaven face beaming welcome and his thick hand extended in greeting.
“I've got a mighty strong medicine since I see you last,” gravely informed Old Misery. “Medicine-picter of the ridge north of my camp. Mebbe I'll show it to you sometime; after I find out if it's willing. Some medicines are mighty techy. Some don't seem to care how much they're looked at. Now, Peters, I'm going to s'prise you. I'm trying to dodge trouble and need a little help.” ”

“ George York, born in the State of New York. I'll be glad to share some cold meat and bread from my saddle-bags, Mr.—”
“Not any mister. Just Old Misery, the feller Old Man Trouble has been chasing for years. My friend here is Pretty Soon Jim. We're bound for the Yuba.”
“If I was afoot and not in a hurry I'd like to travel along with you,” said York. “Trail's getting unsafe for honest folks. Mill-men tell me there's been three murders within ten miles of here within the last twenty-four hours.” ”

“ He could discover nothing to cause alarm, and yet he knew it was time for him to be on guard against something. He dropped back and rested his head on the ground, and caught it—a faint thudety, thud of several horses coming at a hand gallop. ”

“ He's awful good comp'ny when he's well primed and having war-dreams. Last time we met afore I come over the ridge to this side we fought all of two days. But it can't be.” This very sorrowfully. “I've got work to do. My new medicine says something's wrong.”
Mr. Peters, immaculate in appearance and benevolent of visage, accompanied his friend to the bar for a bracer and then started for Kelly's lodging-house. They had gone but half-way when they met Pretty Soon Jim, and at first glance Old Misery believed the derelict for once had broken his promise and was drunk. ”

“ Then he picked up the buckskin bag and added:
“Keen to rob me. One of Murieta's men.”
“What'll happen to us when Murieta hears he was kilt here?” whispered the Pike County man.
“Hide the body in the ground. Saddle the hoss and lead it back to Kelly's Bar and turn it loose. That'll break the trail. Hoss'll be found on the ridge above the bar. Folks will think the rider was thrown off. Then all of you keep your mouths shet. I'm no hand to talk.”
The men retired outside the cabin and whispered for a few moments; then the spokesman told Misery:
“See here. You've brought trouble here. ”

“ She'd never run away if old Miguel hadn't lambasted her one day when I was up the ridge. Why send her back to live as 'Ana Benites'? Natural she should think Joaquin's a great man. Calls him the Great One. All the Mexicans on the coast think the same. He's the first greaser to scare a whole army of white folks. But she's living straight up there, and I won't turn her loose to be trapped any more'n I turn them panther kittens loose while they're babies. If you'll finish your war-paint we'll go down and trail Pretty Soon Jim. ”

“ If the feller hadn't been bu'sted I'd said he was crazy. There he was mooning round his claim and cussing his luck and bleating about all sorts of awful things that would happened to him 'less he could get some money together quick. ”

“ There! You know all about it. I ought to ask you questions. Maybe I'm unjust toward Jack. He did give me a bottle to take with me; but he made me promise not to open it till I got here. And I kept my word. But that promise didn't hold when it come to drinking from a bottle I found in the store, and it must have been lots later'n four o'clock when I woke up on the blankets. I was alone. ”