double-crosser."
CHAPTER 14
Markert finished his recital and stared bitterly at the smashed wheel. Hobe had recovered his breath. He limped to the canted wagon and squatted down to examine the damage, shaking his head and muttering to himself.
"It's no use, Hobe," the banker said. "This is the end of the line for us. If we had time we could get a new wheel and a wagon jack, but they'll be coming after us any minute now."
"How would they know which way you went?" Dandy asked.
"They'll know. Apachito has paid informers everywhere. Besides, most of those who stayed behind when the decent people fled town are saddle bums and sneak thieves who would tell him anything to get into his good graces. No, our only hope would be to hide the chest some place where they couldn't possibly find it. The bank would gladly pay a twenty-five-thousand-dollar reward to anyone who could keep it from falling into their hands."
Dandy's eyes went wide. He gasped, "Twenty-five thou—"
"Hold it," Shadrach interrupted harshly. "I know what's going through your mind, Dandy, and it's no good. If they so much as suspect you've hidden the chest, they'd tear everything apart. Or, more likely, Apachito would simply torture the women until you talked. I know how he operates."
"If there was time," the hunter mused, "we could rig some kind of pack saddle to carry the chest on one of your horses. Or open the chest and pack the money in bags the horses could carry."
From the direction of Hangville came a single gun shot. Shadrach shook his head.
"It was a good idea, but that sounds as if your time is just about to run out."
The hunter snapped his fingers. "Unhitch one of the horses from the wagon. Then climb into your saddle and head west, leading it and making all the time you can. Being part Indian, Apachito will read sign and keep after you, figuring the second horse has got to be carrying the money. Meantime, we'll hide the chest somewhere, maybe in one of those willow thickets along the stream. You can head into the hills and shake off pursuit, then hole up until it's safe to come back for the chest."
"The coffin," Markert said. "The one your daughter gets into and vanishes. The chest should just fit inside. I don't know how the trick is worked, but could you make the chest disappear the same way?"
"Y-Yes," Dandy stuttered, looking stunned at the idea, "But—but..."
Hobe interrupted with a yell. "Here they come a-hellin'!" He pointed a shaking hand toward town.
The horses and riders were not yet visible but a cloud of dust was smoking up in the direction of Hangville and moving rapidly northward.
Hobe was unsnapping the tugs, unhitching the near horse from the wrecked wagon. Markert swung into the saddle and grabbed the rein tossed up to him for a lead line. Hobe finished unhitching the horse and scrambled on to its back, clinging for dear life to the harness.
"I ain't stickin' around here to get kilt," he yelled. "Git the hell goin'."
Markert drove in his spurs and the two decoys burst into a run, heading south along the rim of the gully toward the road that crossed it and ran west to the cavalry outpost.
Dandy yelled, "Bring the chest. I'll get the coffin ready."
He galloped down the sloping side of the gully. The hunter and Shadrach ran to the broken-down wagon. The chest was built somewhat like a foot locker, with stout handles on either end. They hoisted it out of the wagon bed and ran down the slope, carrying it between them.
"How far do you think Dandy can be trusted with this?" the hunter panted.
"Where money's involved," Shadrach said, "I make it a rule never to trust anyone else. And when the stake is a half million, I wouldn't even trust myself. But I can't see that we've got much choice right now."
Laura in her tights and Cora in her clown outfit were holding the tent flaps open. Dandy, aided by Molly and Hunk, was wheeling the coffin on its catafalque out to the entrance. As he lifted the lid a faint chorus of angry yells
CHAPTER 14
Markert finished his recital and stared bitterly at the smashed wheel. Hobe had recovered his breath. He limped to the canted wagon and squatted down to examine the damage, shaking his head and muttering to himself.
"It's no use, Hobe," the banker said. "This is the end of the line for us. If we had time we could get a new wheel and a wagon jack, but they'll be coming after us any minute now."
"How would they know which way you went?" Dandy asked.
"They'll know. Apachito has paid informers everywhere. Besides, most of those who stayed behind when the decent people fled town are saddle bums and sneak thieves who would tell him anything to get into his good graces. No, our only hope would be to hide the chest some place where they couldn't possibly find it. The bank would gladly pay a twenty-five-thousand-dollar reward to anyone who could keep it from falling into their hands."
Dandy's eyes went wide. He gasped, "Twenty-five thou—"
"Hold it," Shadrach interrupted harshly. "I know what's going through your mind, Dandy, and it's no good. If they so much as suspect you've hidden the chest, they'd tear everything apart. Or, more likely, Apachito would simply torture the women until you talked. I know how he operates."
"If there was time," the hunter mused, "we could rig some kind of pack saddle to carry the chest on one of your horses. Or open the chest and pack the money in bags the horses could carry."
From the direction of Hangville came a single gun shot. Shadrach shook his head.
"It was a good idea, but that sounds as if your time is just about to run out."
The hunter snapped his fingers. "Unhitch one of the horses from the wagon. Then climb into your saddle and head west, leading it and making all the time you can. Being part Indian, Apachito will read sign and keep after you, figuring the second horse has got to be carrying the money. Meantime, we'll hide the chest somewhere, maybe in one of those willow thickets along the stream. You can head into the hills and shake off pursuit, then hole up until it's safe to come back for the chest."
"The coffin," Markert said. "The one your daughter gets into and vanishes. The chest should just fit inside. I don't know how the trick is worked, but could you make the chest disappear the same way?"
"Y-Yes," Dandy stuttered, looking stunned at the idea, "But—but..."
Hobe interrupted with a yell. "Here they come a-hellin'!" He pointed a shaking hand toward town.
The horses and riders were not yet visible but a cloud of dust was smoking up in the direction of Hangville and moving rapidly northward.
Hobe was unsnapping the tugs, unhitching the near horse from the wrecked wagon. Markert swung into the saddle and grabbed the rein tossed up to him for a lead line. Hobe finished unhitching the horse and scrambled on to its back, clinging for dear life to the harness.
"I ain't stickin' around here to get kilt," he yelled. "Git the hell goin'."
Markert drove in his spurs and the two decoys burst into a run, heading south along the rim of the gully toward the road that crossed it and ran west to the cavalry outpost.
Dandy yelled, "Bring the chest. I'll get the coffin ready."
He galloped down the sloping side of the gully. The hunter and Shadrach ran to the broken-down wagon. The chest was built somewhat like a foot locker, with stout handles on either end. They hoisted it out of the wagon bed and ran down the slope, carrying it between them.
"How far do you think Dandy can be trusted with this?" the hunter panted.
"Where money's involved," Shadrach said, "I make it a rule never to trust anyone else. And when the stake is a half million, I wouldn't even trust myself. But I can't see that we've got much choice right now."
Laura in her tights and Cora in her clown outfit were holding the tent flaps open. Dandy, aided by Molly and Hunk, was wheeling the coffin on its catafalque out to the entrance. As he lifted the lid a faint chorus of angry yells
Similar Books
