Tredway to treat them, at gunpoint, and started shooting when we entered. Naturally, I had to shoot back.”
“Slight understatement, but it’ll pass,” chuckled Doc Tredway. He stepped to the still open door.
“All right, you loafers,” he shouted. “This way.”
Another moment and half a dozen men crowded into the office, with more to follow. They stared, volleyed questions. Mayor Cardena did the answering. Suddenly somebody voiced a remark that struck the gathering of curious to silence—
“Betcha they belonged to the Starlight Riders.”
Furtive glances were exchanged, and one or two began edging toward the door. Then abruptly a big fellow stepped up to Slade and stuck out his hand.
“Feller,” he said in a deep and growling voice, “put ’er there! My name’s Hodges, John Hodges, and I’m here to say you did a raunchin’ good chore. And if those two skunks belonged to the blankety-blank Starlight Riders, you did a still better one. Them’s my sentiments and I aim to back ’em up. Put ’er there!”
Slade “put ’er there” and supplied his own name. They shook hands vigorously.
“Thank you, Mr. Hodges,” he said, and turned the full force of his pale, cold eyes on the silent gathering.
“Gentlemen,” he said, “You cannot stamp out evil by fleeing from it. If you display fear, you strengthen the grip it would appear a criminal organization has on this section. I have good reason to believe that the Starlight Riders, as they are called, plan to move into your town, as it would seem they have already moved into El Paso. If you knuckle under, you will ultimately find yourselves helpless to combat their depredations. But honest men who show a bold front always come out on top, sooner or later. Tell the Starlight Riders to do their damndest and go jump in the Rio Grande. That will give them pause, and I promise you I’ll do all in my power to help you fight this thing.”
“And that’ll be puhlenty!” rumbled Hodges. “What you say, boys, goin’ to crawl for that bunch of mangy sidewinders? Or are you goin’ to string along with Mr. Slade, here, like I’m going to do?”
Faces were hardening, those who had edged toward the door halted, turned back.
“Men,” Cardena put in, “your fathers and grandfathers, and mine, fought the Apaches and Comanches and bandits from south of the River to a standstill and made this valley a decent place to live in. I figure we’re not showing much respect to their memory if we don’t keep it that way. Who’s with us to fight this thing to a finish?”
There was a hearty chorus of assent.
“What you want us to do, Mr. Slade?” a voice called.
“If anybody approaches you and demands a portion of your wages or of the profits of your business, bend a gun barrel over his head and get in touch with me or Sheriff Serby pronto,” Slade replied.
“We’ll do it,” voices declared. “We ain’t going to knuckle under to a bunch of hyderphobia skunks. We’ll do it.”
Cardena grinned and chuckled. “You’ve got ’em,” he whispered to Slade. “They’ll follow where you lead, come hell or high water. How in blazes do you do it? They were scared silly a minute ago.”
“They just thought they were,” Slade answered with a smile. “Now let’s dispose of those carcasses so Doc can get to bed.”
“Uh-huh, I’d better get a mite of rest while I’ve got a chance,” said Tredway. “With you in the section, I figure to be a busy man for a while.”
“There are a couple of stretchers in my barn,” Cardena said. “Some of you fetch ’em, and we’ll pack the carcasses back to the barn. Tell Pedro, the keeper, I sent you; he’ll understand.”
The crowd, which was constantly being augmented by new arrivals, filed out to attend to the chore. Slade and Cardena were left alone with the doctor.
Old Doc twinkled his eyes at Slade, cast a questioning glance at Cardena. Slade nodded.
“How’s McNelty?” Doc asked. “Haven’t seen him in a coon’s age.”
“He’s fine,” Slade answered. “Will be glad to hear from you.”
“Jim’s all right,” said the doctor. “And he sure knows how to pick ’em. Sends us El Halcon, the notorious outlaw, to uphold the law. As the British band played at Yorktown when Cornwallis surrendered, ‘The World’s Upside Down’!”
Slade and Cardena both laughed at the sally. Old Doc chuckled creakily.
“Now what?” he said.
“Everything appears to be under control here, so Tomas and I will head for the railroad telegraph office and send Sheriff Serby a wire,” Slade decided. “After that, I’m going to bed.”
“You’ll sleep at my casa, you’ve been there before,” said Cardena. “Take the room you had last time—first at the head of the stairs. My criados will let you in—they never go to bed. Then I’ll amble back to the cantina before the barkeeps rob me blind. They won’t put anything over on the customers, but they figure I’m fair game. Let’s go!”
“See you tomorrow, Doc, and tell you about the run-in I had with that pair, down on the trail,” Slade said.
“He knew you right off but didn’t let on a mite,” Cardena remarked as they left the office.
“Yes, he didn’t know for sure how much you knew,” Slade replied. “I met him first over in Pecos—he’s always on the move. How long has he been here?”
“Four or five months,” Cardena replied.
“About time for his feet to get itchy,” Slade laughed. “He’ll stay so long as things are lively here, though. Thrives on excitement, and he’s seen plenty in his seventy-odd years. Fine old fellow, a real square shooter with plenty of sand in his craw.”
“Yes, he’s all of that,” agreed Cardena. “Say, wonder what became of that fellow you believe those hellions wounded?”
“I wish I knew,” Slade answered. “Perhaps we’ll learn something relative to him, before long, if he managed to survive and get in the clear. I wish, too, that I knew where the third member of the bunch is; he wasn’t hurt, so far as I could see.”
“If he was in town and heard what happened to the other two, I’ve a notion he made himself scarce pronto,” Cardena predicted. “Chances are about now he’s telling a mighty angry yarn about you to some others of the bunch, if they happen to be anywhere around. Well, here’s the railroad station. I’ll send the wire, and then you head for a session of ear pounding; you look tired. And Pete knows you’ve had enough excitement for one day to satisfy even you.”
4
IN A COMFORTABLE BED, Slade slept soundly until midmorning, arising much refreshed after the first real night’s rest he had enjoyed for some days.
“The patron, who still sleeps, ordered that you be not awakened,” said the smiling young Mexican who served
