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Page 92
Three or four miles from San Juan Norton made out an approaching rider,
one who bent over his horse's mane, racing furiously. The figure,
growing rapidly distinct as it drew on from the north, grew erect as
the horseman saw Norton's posse. The rider jerked in his horse,
pausing a moment as though in doubt whether he were meeting friend or
foe. Then, when again he came on at the same headlong gallop, Norton
recognized him. It was Elmer Page.
"They're fighting back yonder!" cried the boy wildly, his eyes shining
with his excitement. "Brocky Lane sent me. . . . I haven't a rifle,
who will give me a rifle? I'll give a man a hundred dollars for a
rifle!"
"Easy, Elmer," said Norton sharply. "Tell us what Brocky sent you to
say. Where are they?"
"Along the arroyo just off to the east of Mt. Temple. About a mile
from the mountain . . . you know where the biggest boulders are all
strung out along the arroyo? It's there. Brocky and a lot of cowboys
are making a stand there, heading off the Kid and del Rio. So they
can't get with the others, you know. . . . Why didn't somebody tell me
about this?" he broke off, his voice shrill. "I haven't a rifle, just
a cursed revolver. Who will ..."
Again Norton interrupted sternly.
"Let's have it straight, Elmer," he commanded. "Brocky and his men are
along the arroyo, you say? And they're trying to keep between del Rio
and the Kid's crowd and the other crowd? Some of the others are still
on the mountain, then?"
"The mountain is full of them. They're pouring down and shooting as
they come; Brocky's in between. . . ."
"How many men are with him?"
"About twenty. But . . . my God! Rickard's men and del Rio's are
shooting from the east and the others are shooting from the west . . .
poor old Tommy Rudge got shot in the stomach and Denny Blain is down
and . . ."
"Del Rio and Rickard didn't come in machines did they?"
"No. Brocky said tell you they'd left their cars, sent them on filled
with loot toward the south, where a lot of other Greasers are waiting
for them; then the Kid and del Rio and about fifty men altogether
started a big herd of horses and cattle this way. Brocky tried to
stampede the herds, but the others are more than two to one, so he got
his men in the arroyo and they're giving 'em hell from there."
"Galloway's on the other side?"
"No. Brocky said tell you Galloway hadn't shown up yet. We think he
didn't expect things to get started so soon. One of Brocky's men
riding in a little while ago from the other side of San Juan thought
that he had seen Galloway and some one that looked like a girl riding
with him toward the old crossroads where the Denbar place used to be.
Brocky thinks maybe you can come in and head Galloway off and bust up
the whole play that way."
So Galloway and "some one who looked like a girl" had ridden toward the
old Denbar cross-roads. And Galloway had not yet joined his forces.
"Elmer," said Norton quickly, "ride on to San Juan. Tell John Engle
what you have told me about Galloway. Tell him . . ."
"I won't!" cried Elmer, on the verge of hysteria. "I won't do it. Do
it yourself; send some one else. I want to go with you; I want a
rifle, I tell you! Didn't I see Tommy Rudge go down with a bullet in
his belly? Didn't I see Denny when the Kid shot him?"
Norton laid a hand on Elmer's arm, speaking quietly.
"Listen, Elmer," he said. "We will do what we can where Brocky is.
But that isn't all of the devilment to-night. Galloway got Florrie
away somehow; she was the one riding with him toward the crossroads.
It's up to you to ride on and ride like the devil and tell John
Engle. . . . Come on, boys!"
Elmer sagged in his saddle as though he had been struck a heavy
physical blow.
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