|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 60
Bud turned quickly to Polly. "Did Jack pay off the mortgage last
week?" he almost shouted at the girl.
Polly stamped her foot in anger at what seemed to her to be a
totally irrelevant question to the love-making she expected: "How
do I know?" she angrily replied. "If that is all you came to see
me for, you can go and ask him. It makes me so dog-gone mad!"
Polly, with flushed face and knitted brow, left the bewildered
Bud standing in the center of the room, asking himself what it
was all about.
The sound of the voices of disputing men floated in from the
corral. Bud heard them, and comprehended its significance.
"It's all up with me," he cried, in mortal terror. "Buck McKee
has stirred up the suspicion against Jack Payson. Jack paid off
his mortgage, and they wanted to know where he raised the money.
Well, Jack can tell. If he can't, I'll confess the whole
business. I won't let him suffer for me. Buck sha'n't let an
innocent man hang for what we've done."
The sound of footsteps on the piazza and the opening of the door
drove Bud to take refuge in an adjoining room, where he could
overhear all that was happening. He closed the door as the
cow-punchers entered with Slim at their head.
CHAPTER XI
Accusation and Confession
Buck McKee had not been idle in the days following the slaying of
'Ole Man' Terrill. Having learned that Slim and his posse had
discovered only the fact that the murderer had ridden a pacing
horse to the ford, McKee took full advantage of this fact. In
the cow-camps, the barrooms, and at the railroad-station he
hinted, at first, that a certain person every one knew could tell
a lot more about the death of the old man than he cared to have
known. After a few days he began to bring the name of Payson
into the conversation. His gossip became rumor, and then common
report. When it became known that Jack had paid off the mortgage
on his ranch, Buck came out with the accusation that Payson was
the murderer. Finding that he was listened to, Buck made the
direct charge that Payson had killed the station-agent, and with
the proceeds of the robbery was paying off his old debts.
Gathering his own men about him, and being joined by the idle
hangers-on, which are to be found about every town, Buck lead his
party to the ranch on the Sweetwater to accuse Jack, and so throw
off, in advance, any suspicions which might attach to himself.
Fortunately, Slim happened to be at Jack's ranch at the time.
When he entered the corral he found Jack's accusers and defenders
rapidly nearing a battle.
Jack was taking the charges coolly enough, as he did not know
what support McKee had manufactured to uphold the charges he
made. Slim informed McKee he would listen to what he had to say,
and if afterward he thought Jack guilty, he would place him under
arrest. For all concerned it would be better to go into the
house. The Sweetwater boys surrounded Jack as they followed Slim
into the living-room. Lining up in opposing groups, Slim stood
in the center to serve as judge and jury, with Buck and Jack at
his right and left hand.
Inside the door Jack said: "Keep as quiet as you can, boys. I
don't want to alarm my wife. Now what is it?"
The punchers hushed their discussion of the charge, and listened
attentively to what the men most interested had to say.
"Well, darn it all," apologized the Sheriff to Jack, "it's all
darn fool business, anyway. Buck here he started it."
Jack smiled sarcastically, and, glancing at McKee, remarked:
"Buck McKee's started a good many things in his day--"
Buck began to bluster. He could not face Jack fairly. Already
placed on the defense, when he had considered he would be the
accuser, McKee took refuge in the plea of being wronged by false
suspicion.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|