him.
The trailer door banged open. A shaft of light illuminated the yard but mercifully did not reach to the spot where Sandy crouched.
“Shut up, you idiotic mutts!” Cavanaugh yelled. Then to Pepper, who appeared in the doorway behind him, “Can’t you make those confounded dogs keep quiet? They’re driving me insane.”
“I’m sorry, Red,” Pepper answered. “You brought the dogs here to guard the trailer.”
“‘Red. Red. Red!” snarled the big man, who plainly was feeling the effects of the beating Ralph had given him. “I’m sick of your crawling and fawning. Why weren’t you at Window Rock tonight when the whole town ganged up on me?”
“When Andy quit today, you told me to stay here and take care of the beam, Red,” Pepper answered patiently. “I’m sorry, Red.”
“From now on, call me Mister Cavanaugh,” his boss raged.
“Yes, Mister Cavanaugh…sir.” Pepper’s voice still was soft but Sandy could see his fists clench.
“And stop that confounded record. Highbrow music gives me the willies. Always has! Call Elbow Rock and see if the message has come through.”
“Yes, sir. At once, sir.” The door slammed and the voices became a mumble.
Sandy tried to still the beating of his heart as he whined canine terror at this outburst. The “other” dogs whimpered uncertainly. Finally they crept back to their sleeping places. Evidently their master didn’t approve of their warning. In that case… Sandy could almost feel them relax as they turned round and round in their nests, trying to find the most comfortable spots for slumber.
Carefully he edged forward until he was lying among them. Then he turned the switch that fed power from a series of flashlight batteries into the transistors mounted on the “ear,” adjusted the headphones, and listened.
“Calling Elbow Rock. Calling Elbow Rock. Over,” he heard Pepper say.
There was no answer.
“Calling Elbow Rock. Window Rock calling Elbow Rock. Over,” Pepper repeated.
Still no answer.
“Come in, Elbow Rock!” Cavanaugh’s voice barked through the phones. “Why don’t you answer, Elbow Rock?”
“I read you, Window Rock,” a faraway voice answered at last. “Something’s coming in from Gallup. Stand by.”
“This is it!” Cavanaugh’s yell almost split Sandy’s ears. “Get out of the way, can’t you, Pepper? I’ll take this. Go to bed or something. It makes me sick just to look at your silly face… All right, Elbow Rock. I’m ready when you are.”
The minutes slid by while only the mutter of static filled Sandy’s earphones. Beside him, he felt the Dobermans flinch and shiver in their restless sleep. The cold night wind seeped under the bottom of the trailer and set his teeth to chattering uncontrollably. Now he knew what the phrase “a dog’s life” really meant.
“Elbow Rock calling Window Rock.” The phones clattered into life. “Over.”
“I read you loud and clear, Elbow Rock,”
Cavanaugh’s voice replied. “What is the message from Gallup?”
“You want it coded, like it was relayed from Washington, or straight?” the distant voice inquired.
“Straight, you fool. Nobody listens in on a light beam.”
“You never know,” said the man at Elbow Rock. “Well, here’s your message, as well as I can dope it out. It’s from your ‘keyhole man,’ Mr.—”
“Never mind his name,” Cavanaugh snapped. “Just give me the message.”
“O.K.! O.K.! Take it easy, will you, boss? Here ’tis: Quote: Have picked up leak from strictly official source. Next month U.S. government starts buying uranium ore from all comers again. Expanding space ship and power reactor program has increased demand for atomic fuels to such an extent that existing mills no longer can supply it—Are you reading me all right, boss?”
“Clear as a bell,” Cavanaugh crooned. “This is wonderful. Go on. Go on.”
“Here’s the rest of it: Quote: Announcement of policy change withheld until middle of next month so it won’t upset bids to be opened tomorrow at Window Rock and similar places. Happy hunting. Unquote. Over.”
“Whoopee!” Cavanaugh yelled the word into the microphone so loudly that Sandy’s earphones rattled. “Boy! This came through just in time. Otherwise, I’d have had to cancel all of those high bids I made today or go bankrupt tomorrow. Now I’ll be in clover with most of the good leases sewed up at rock-bottom prices before the boom starts. Thank you, Elbow Rock. There’s a bonus for you in this. Over and out.”
“Roger!” came the delighted answer.
“Did you hear all of that, Pepper?” Cavanaugh asked.
“Was I supposed to, Mister Cavanaugh…sir?” Pepper answered off-mike. His voice was bitter.
“Oh, don’t be sore, boy.” Cavanaugh roared with laughter. “If you’d taken the beating I took tonight from Hall’s gang of toughs, you’d have been grouchy, too. And no more of that ‘Mister Cavanaugh’ stuff. Just call me ‘Red.’ We’re pals.”
“Are we?”
“Sure we are. We’ll both get rich out of this. And even better, we’ll do the Indian Agency and the whole Navajo nation in the eye. If they accept my bids—and they’ll have to, because they’re higher than those of anyone else—we’ll get those leases for a half, or even a third, of what’d they’d sell for next month when the policy change is announced.”
In his hiding place under the trailer floor, Sandy was boiling with fury. Momentarily he had forgotten all about being a dog. The Dobermans sensed the difference instantly. Perhaps they caught a subtle change in his body odor. His anger was making him perspire despite the cold.
The lead dog barked sharply and scrambled to its feet. The others followed suit. Sandy tried to croon reassurance to them, but failed. They were becoming thoroughly aroused and making an awful racket. He had to get out of there—and quickly—before Cavanaugh came to investigate.
He scrambled from under the trailer and sprinted for the jeep. The dogs broke into full cry-now, and streaked after him. This was a human! And an enemy human too! They were out to make him pay dearly for his deceit.
The trailer door banged open as the bedlam rose. Moments later, a spotlight picked up the running boy and the dogs that leaped and snapped at his bare heels.
“Stop, thief!” Cavanaugh yelled. “Stop or I’ll fire!”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Showdown
At that moment, Sandy tripped over a branch, flung up his arms as he fell headlong. The rifle bullet meant for his head merely creased him instead, from shoulder to elbow.
