Rock and Steelman had come in place of McLennon. He had thrown his cigarette away and had seen those men behind the rocks, seen the sunlight flashing on their rifle barrels. He had yelled and then dropped, but not fast enough. He had been hit in the head, and he had been hit in the body at least once.
How long ago was that? He turned his head and found himself in a square stone room. One side of the room was native rock, and so was part of another side. The rest had been built up from loose stones gathered and shaped to fit. Besides the wide bed on which he lay there was a table and a chair. He turned slightly and the bed creaked. The door opened, and he looked up into the eyes of Connie Duane.
"Connie?" He was surprised. "Where am I? What's happened?"
"You've been unconscious for days," she told him, coming to the bedside. "You have had a bad concussion and you lost a lot of blood before Laredo and Bob McLennon found you."
"What about the others?"
"Both of them were dead. By all rights, you should have been."
"But where are we?"
"It's a cliff dwelling, a lonely one, and very ancient. It is high up in the side of the mountain called Thieving Rock. McLennon knew where it was, and he knew that if word got out that you were alive they would be out to complete th e job at once. So McLennon and Shad brought you here."
"Are they still here?"
"Shad is. He hunts and goes to Yellow Butte for supplies, but he has to be very careful because it begins to look like they are beginning to get suspicious."
"McLennon?"
"He's dead, Tom. Dornie Shaw killed him. He went to Mustang to find a doctor for you. He encountered Dornie on the street. Bob was very fast, you know, but Dornie is incredible. He killed Bob before he could get a shot off."
"How did you get here?"
"Bob McLennon and Shad had talked -about it, and they knew I was against the company, and also that Uncle John had been killed so they came to me. I came out here right away. I knew a little about nursing, but not much. Laredo has been wonderful, Tom. He's a true friend."
Kedrick nodded. "Who did the shooting? I thought I saw Poinsett."
"He was one of them. I heard them talking about it but was not sure until later. Poinsett was there, Goff, Fessenden, Clauson and Shaw."
"Anything else happen?"
"Too much. They burned Yellow Butte's saloon and livery stable, and they have driven almost half the people off. Their surveyors are on the land now, checking the survey they made previously. A handful of the squatters have drawn back into the mountains somewhere under Pit Laine and that friend of yours, Dai Reid. They are trying to make a stand there."
"What about Sue?"
She looked at him quickly. "You liked her, didn't you? Well, Sue has taken up with Keith. They are together all the time. He's a big man, now. They've brought in some more gunmen, and the Mixus boys are still here. Right now Alton Burwick and Loren Keith have this country right under their thumbs. In fact, they even called an election."
"An election?"
"Yes, and they counted the ballots themselves. Keith was elected mayor, and Fessenden is sheriff. Burwick stayed out of it, of course, and Dornie Shaw wouldn't take the sheriff's job."
"Looks like they've got everything their own way, doesn't it?" he mused. "So they don't know I'm alive?"
"No. Shad went back there and dug three graves. He buried the other two, and then filled in the third grave and put a marker over it with your name on it."
"Good(" Kedrick was satisfied. He looked up at the girl. "And how do you get out here and back without them becoming curious?"
She flushed slightly. "I haven't been back, Tom. I stayed here with you. There was no chance of going back and forth. I just left everything and came away."
"How long before I can be up?"-
"Not long, if you rest. And you've talked enough now."
Kedrick turned over the whole situation in his mind. There could be no more than a few days before the sale of the land would come off, and if there
How long ago was that? He turned his head and found himself in a square stone room. One side of the room was native rock, and so was part of another side. The rest had been built up from loose stones gathered and shaped to fit. Besides the wide bed on which he lay there was a table and a chair. He turned slightly and the bed creaked. The door opened, and he looked up into the eyes of Connie Duane.
"Connie?" He was surprised. "Where am I? What's happened?"
"You've been unconscious for days," she told him, coming to the bedside. "You have had a bad concussion and you lost a lot of blood before Laredo and Bob McLennon found you."
"What about the others?"
"Both of them were dead. By all rights, you should have been."
"But where are we?"
"It's a cliff dwelling, a lonely one, and very ancient. It is high up in the side of the mountain called Thieving Rock. McLennon knew where it was, and he knew that if word got out that you were alive they would be out to complete th e job at once. So McLennon and Shad brought you here."
"Are they still here?"
"Shad is. He hunts and goes to Yellow Butte for supplies, but he has to be very careful because it begins to look like they are beginning to get suspicious."
"McLennon?"
"He's dead, Tom. Dornie Shaw killed him. He went to Mustang to find a doctor for you. He encountered Dornie on the street. Bob was very fast, you know, but Dornie is incredible. He killed Bob before he could get a shot off."
"How did you get here?"
"Bob McLennon and Shad had talked -about it, and they knew I was against the company, and also that Uncle John had been killed so they came to me. I came out here right away. I knew a little about nursing, but not much. Laredo has been wonderful, Tom. He's a true friend."
Kedrick nodded. "Who did the shooting? I thought I saw Poinsett."
"He was one of them. I heard them talking about it but was not sure until later. Poinsett was there, Goff, Fessenden, Clauson and Shaw."
"Anything else happen?"
"Too much. They burned Yellow Butte's saloon and livery stable, and they have driven almost half the people off. Their surveyors are on the land now, checking the survey they made previously. A handful of the squatters have drawn back into the mountains somewhere under Pit Laine and that friend of yours, Dai Reid. They are trying to make a stand there."
"What about Sue?"
She looked at him quickly. "You liked her, didn't you? Well, Sue has taken up with Keith. They are together all the time. He's a big man, now. They've brought in some more gunmen, and the Mixus boys are still here. Right now Alton Burwick and Loren Keith have this country right under their thumbs. In fact, they even called an election."
"An election?"
"Yes, and they counted the ballots themselves. Keith was elected mayor, and Fessenden is sheriff. Burwick stayed out of it, of course, and Dornie Shaw wouldn't take the sheriff's job."
"Looks like they've got everything their own way, doesn't it?" he mused. "So they don't know I'm alive?"
"No. Shad went back there and dug three graves. He buried the other two, and then filled in the third grave and put a marker over it with your name on it."
"Good(" Kedrick was satisfied. He looked up at the girl. "And how do you get out here and back without them becoming curious?"
She flushed slightly. "I haven't been back, Tom. I stayed here with you. There was no chance of going back and forth. I just left everything and came away."
"How long before I can be up?"-
"Not long, if you rest. And you've talked enough now."
Kedrick turned over the whole situation in his mind. There could be no more than a few days before the sale of the land would come off, and if there
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