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The Sheriff Of Siskyou
by
“Well, Tom, is it a go? You can trust ME, for you’ll have the thousand in your pocket before you start. I can trust YOU, for I’ll kill you quicker than lightning if you say a word of this to any one before I go, or play a single trick on me afterwards.”
Suddenly the two men were rolling over and over in the underbrush. The half-breed had thrown himself upon the major, bearing him down to the ground. The haversack strap for an instant whirled like the loop of a lasso in the air, and descended over the major’s shoulders, pinioning his arms to his side. Then the half-breed, tearing open his ragged blouse, stripped off his waist-belt, and as dexterously slipped it over the ankles of the struggling man.
It was all over in a moment. Neither had spoken a word. Only their rapid panting broke the profound silence. Each probably knew that no outcry would be overheard.
For the first time the half-breed sat down. But there was no trace of triumph or satisfaction in his face, which wore the same lowering look of disgust, as he gazed upon the prostrate man.
“I want to tell you first,” he said, slowly wiping his face, “that I didn’t kalkilate upon doin’ this in this yer kind o’ way. I expected more of a stan’ up fight from you–more risk in gettin’ you out o’ that hole–and a different kind of a man to tackle. I never expected you to play into my hand like this–and it goes against me to hev to take advantage of it.”
“Who are you?” said the major, pantingly.
“I’m the new sheriff of Siskyou!”
He drew from beneath his begrimed shirt a paper wrapping, from which he gingerly extracted with the ends of his dirty fingers a clean, legal-looking folded paper.
“That’s my warrant! I’ve kept it fresh for you. I reckon you don’t care to read it–you’ve seen it afore. It’s just the same as t’other sheriff had–what you shot.”
“Then this was a plant of yours, and that whelp’s troopers?” said the major.
“Neither him nor the sojers knows any more about it than you,” returned the sheriff slowly. “I enlisted as Injin guide or scout ten days ago. I deserted just as reg’lar and nat’ral like when we passed that ridge yesterday. I could be took to-morrow by the sojers if they caught sight o’ me and court-martialed–it’s as reg’lar as THAT! But I timed to have my posse, under a deputy, draw you off by an attack just as the escort reached the ridge. And here I am.”
“And you’re no half-breed?”
“There’s nothin’ Injin about me that water won’t wash off. I kalkilated you wouldn’t suspect anything so insignificant as an INJIN, when I fixed myself up. You saw Dawson didn’t hanker after me much. But I didn’t reckon on YOUR tumbling to me so quick. That’s what gets me! You must hev been pretty low down for kempany when you took a man like me inter your confidence. I don’t see it yet.”
He looked inquiringly at his captive–with the same wondering surliness. Nor could he understand another thing which was evident. After the first shock of resistance the major had exhibited none of the indignation of a betrayed man, but actually seemed to accept the situation with a calmness that his captor lacked. His voice was quite unemotional as he said:
“And how are you going to get me away from here?”
“That’s MY look out, and needn’t trouble you, major; but, seein’ as how confidential you’ve been to me, I don’t mind tellin’ you. Last night that posse of mine that you ‘skunked,’ you know, halted at the cross roads till them sojers went by. They has only to SEE THEM to know that I had got away. They’ll hang round the cross roads till they see my signal on top of the ridge, and then they’ll make another show against that pass. Your men will have their hands full, I reckon, without huntin’ for YOU, or noticin’ the three men o’ mine that will come along this ridge where the sojers come yesterday–to help me get you down in the same way. You see, major, your little trap in that gully ain’t in this fight–WE’RE THE OTHER SIDE OF IT. I ain’t much of a sojer, but I reckon I’ve got you there! And it’s all owing to YOU. I ain’t,” he added gloomily, “takin’ much pride in it MYSELF.”