Chapter V.
GATHERING CLOUDS.
More wrought up by the incident than he cared to let even Frank and Clell see, Jesse cursed savagely to himself as he turned his attention again to his victim in the tar kettle.
The buzz that rose from the assemblage told him that the men and women were aware that something had happened though their ignorance of exactly what was disclosed by cries of "Did he hurt you? Did he knife you?" that came from all directions.
"Thank goodness, they're not next," breathed Clell while his chief, straightening as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, responded: "He only pulled out a few whiskers."
Assured that their hero had received no injury, the crowd considered the matter a huge joke and laughed boisterously, offering all sorts of advice for the restoration of the beard.
But the great outlaw was in no mood for jesting. That someone had discovered that his whiskers were false the exclamation disclosed and the consequences might be far-reaching, especially as both he and his pals were ignorant of who had uttered it.
Consollas had ceased to struggle and was watching his tormentors with fascinated eyes.
"Give a hand here, boys," commanded Jesse. "We'll get this business through and go back to camp as soon as we can."
"Dump the feathers in a pile and we'll chuck the runt into them."
Quickly Clell sprang to the heap of bags, emptying them of their contents, while Frank laid hold of one shoulder of Fred's coat.
"Lift," exclaimed the bandit-chieftain.
With all their strength, the two outlaws pulled at the boy. For a moment he did not move, held fast by the cooling tar, then the strain told, and, with a loud sucking noise, he was hauled from the kettle.
A moment the desperadoes held him in the air that the crowd might see the unfortunate lad.
Covered with the shiny, glistening tar from his neck to the soles of his shoes, with generous daubs on his cheeks and in his hair, his appearance was ludicrous.
Howls of delight broke from the throats of the men and women and even Jesse was forced to smile at the forlorn sight.
"Get a firm hold so we can swing him," he directed his brother then raising his voice, addressed his victim: "I'm sorry we haven't got your father as well as you. Let this be a lesson to you. The next time you think of charging respectable strangers with stealing horses, don't do it. You may not get off so easily."
And while the people laughed at the advice, the great outlaw nodded to Frank, they swung Consollas back and forth several times to gain momentum, then sent him swirling, head over heels, into the stack of feathers.
As the fluffy things closed over him, the crowd cheered, rushing forward to join in the fun of rolling the lad about in them.
Struggling to his feet, Fred screamed and tore at the mass of tar and feathers, looking for all the world like some monster fledgling.
But his breathing spell was short. Grasping him by the heels, the men tumbled him into the heap again, repeating the performance as fast as he could scramble out.
"This'll be a good time to break away," suggested the brother of the bandit-chieftain as he watched the wild frolic.
"Right," returned Jesse and, without attracting attention to themselves, the three outlaws went to their horses, mounted and headed for the Springs.
Riding for a while in silence, when they were out of sight of the pasture Frank demanded:
"What was in that note?"
"A request from Miss Rozier," replied his brother and, taking the note from his pocket, he read it.
"Phew!" ejaculated Clell, "so she's sweet on the booby, eh? I'll bet old Rozier 'll try to make trouble for us for paying no attention to the appeal. He seems to think he's 'it' with a big I."
"Let him if he wants to. I've got a scheme to fix him all right, all right. What's worrying me at the present moment is who the person was who cried out when Consollas pulled my beard."
The matter that was uppermost in the minds of each thus broached, the trio discussed it from all sides. Well were they aware that if the unknown had really noticed the whiskers move from Jesse's face, their positions would be like that of men living among buried powder mines whose exact location they did not know—an explosion might come at any time.
The opinion that the exclamation was but the utterance of some overwrought spectator was hazarded. But the great outlaw disposed of it by asserting that the tone was that of some enemy gloating over an important discovery and his pals accepted his view.
"I don't like it," declared Frank at last. "If you take my advice, Jess, you'll break camp tonight. We've got trouble enough without exposing ourselves to hidden danger."
"I know that," returned his brother, "but to go away now would be the worst possible move. If the people of the Springs should wake up in the morning and find that we were missing, they would immediately become suspicious. Whoever it was who saw my beard move, if anyone did, would jump to the conclusion that we got frightened. He would spread the story, people would get to discussing it, some one would think of us and before you could say 'Jack Robinson' the alarm would be sent broadcast that Jesse James and his men were in the neighborhood and we'd have another game of hide and seek on our hands which I don't want, at least not till Cole and Texas show up.
"We'll just lay low and keep our ears open. We—"
"By thunder! you don't suppose it was young Rozier, do you?" asked Clell, interrupting his leader as the thought came to him.
"Ha! I hadn't thought of him," returned the bandit-chieftain. "If it were he, we shall know it and mighty soon. Mad as he and his father will be at my refusal to heed the request of Miss Rozier, they'll soon show their hands if they have such information.
"When they do, we can act."
Never had the great outlaw spoken truer words. The banker and his son, their family pride incensed, showed their hands with a vengeance and in a manner so unexpected that when the outlaws woke to the reality, there was time for only the most desperate acts!
But all unconscious of the impending danger, the three desperadoes rode into the camp-ground, made their way to their tent, prepared their supper, ate it and set out to return their borrowed horses.
His mind inflamed with the slight put upon his sister by the ignoring of her intercession on behalf of Fred, young Rozier rode his pony like mad to report the insult to his father that methods might be devised for the atonement.
Clattering into the barn, he left his lather-dripping pony to the care of a groom and burst into the banker's study.
In no pleasant frame of mind at the disappearance of the merchant whose notes he had guaranteed, the president of the savings institution was thrown into a violent rage when his wife had informed him of their daughter's indiscretion.
With instructions that his son be sent to him instantly upon his return, he retired to his den.
As the sound of the rapid hoof-beats rang in the yard, he sprang to his feet and was pacing to and fro, like a caged lion, when the lad entered.
Pausing when the boy closed the door behind him, he snarled:
"Did you get it?"
"No."
So furious at the failure that, for a moment, he could only gurgle, the banker finally blurted:
"Why not?"
Abashed at his father's wrath, the heir to the Rozier wealth shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.
"Speak, you fool!" roared his sire. "I'll wager you botched it—as you do everything. Take that chair by my desk and tell me why you didn't recover the note—if you can." And dropping into his leather-upholstered chair, he glowered at his son.
Stung to the quick by the sneer in his parent's tone, young Rozier forgot his fear of the man staring at him and graphically and concisely related all that had occurred from the time his mother had sent him on his mission.
With beetling brows and frequent outbursts of profanity, the banker listened to the description of the manner in which the supposed miner had refused to give up the note and his pride-wounding comment that it's contents were of no importance.
"He thinks the request of a Rozier is 'nothing,' does he?" he snarled. "I'll teach him it is very much of a something."
But his rage was forgotten when his offspring told of Fred's struggle with his tormentor and the startling incident of the beard.
"Are you positive that you saw the whiskers clear of his face?" he demanded. "It might have seemed that way if Consollas pulled out a handful of hairs."
"I'm willing to take my oath that the beard is false, sir," returned the young man.
From under his bushy brows the banker scrutinized his son's face, thrumming on his desk the while.
What he saw made him believe that the boy was telling the truth to the best of his knowledge and at last he observed:
"I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised. I didn't like the man's looks from the first. He was too impudent when I offered to pay him for saving Sally, altogether too impudent."
"Well, you're so much in," rejoined his son, aware of his sire's weakness. "He might have asked you twenty-five thousand for doing it. You're lucky to get off so easy."
"So I am, so I am," repeated the elder man, but his voice sounded far away and from long experience the heir to his property knew that he was thinking deeply.
While the hands of the old-fashioned clock, that stood in one corner of the study, ticked off a quarter of an hour, the two sat in silence.
"Have you heard anything about these men being mine owners on their way to New York to raise capital?" inquired his father at last.
"Yes. They've told all 'round that they struck it rich in Colorado."
"They flashed a big roll of bills?"
"So I hear."
"Then that's why they're disguised," announced the banker with characteristic positiveness. "You mark my words, Forman, if these men have any mines, they obtained them by fraud or perhaps by even killing the rightful owners.
"By bringing them to book, we'll get revenge for their insults to our family."
"How?" inquired the boy, his eyes big with excitement at the prospect of proving the strangers criminals.
But his father was too busy writing to answer him and when he finished, he exclaimed:
"Take this message to the telegraph office and have it rushed. Stay there till you see the operator send it, then come back to me and I'll tell you my plan, for I'm going to use you as the decoy to lure our birds to their destruction."
Afire with curiosity, nevertheless young Rozier knew his father too well to linger and hurried to the telegraph office.
Entering the room, he unfolded the message to read it before giving it to the sender and as his eyes ran through the lines, he quivered with amazement.
"Monegaw Springs, Mo.
Pinkerton Detective Agency,
Kansas City, Mo.Send six of your best men to me here immediately. Wire train they leave on.
Forman A Rozier."
Obedient to his orders, the young aristocrat waited till the portentous despatch had been sent, then hurried to his home, eager to learn the details of the part he was to play.
Finding his father at supper upon his return, the youth was forced to curb his curiosity as best he might till the meal, which was served with pomp and ceremony ill-befitting the country village in which they were, was at an end.
Sally, her face and eyes showing traces of weeping, though whether from the scolding of her mother or the refusal of "Mr. Howard" to heed her appeal only she could tell, ate in silence, answering the few remarks addressed to her in monosyllables.
Usually the life of elaborate meals, with her caustic comments on her companions and merry prattle, her reticence cast a gloom over the others and they finished the repast as soon as possible.
"Sally is not to go to the hop tonight," declared the banker to his wife as he rose from the table. "If anyone calls to see me, I am engaged, but be sure they leave their names. Come, Forman." And he led the way to his study, locking the doors and stuffing the key holes with paper.
Surprised at the unusual precautions, the boy looked at his father.
"You never can be too careful about the servants," observed the latter, interpreting the unasked question.
"If our talk should be overheard, it might defeat my plans."
If anything were needed to strain the boy's wonder to the breaking point, the mysterious words and actions furnished it and eagerly he demanded:
"Why have you sent for detectives?"
"Ah, you read my message," smiled his father. "Well, I suppose it's natural. I sent for them because I want to use them in the role of friends of mine of great wealth."
"Then where do I come in?"
"Just have patience and I'll tell you," returned the banker, lighting a cigar.
"Now listen attentively. If there's anything that isn't clear to you, ask about it. I've time to explain now, and later I might not have.
"In the morning you are to drop around to this 'Howard's' tent. I don't believe that's his right name, but never mind. You are to forget all unpleasantness and to act as though you wished to be friendly with him.
"During the course of your conversation you can mention that you have heard that he and his companions have some rich mines in Colorado. Ask him where they are and get him to talk about them as much as he will.
"And be sure you remember where he says they are."
"But suppose he won't talk?"
"Then you are to say that you have some money you want to invest and that when you heard he was on his way to New York to raise money to buy some more mines you spoke to me about it and that I told you if Mr. Howard could prove that the mines were all right, show us his maps, and by the way, make a special point of that, I would let you put in your money and might interest some of my friends.
"In this way, we can find out where the supposed mines are and wire out there to see if anyone by the name of Howard is known."
"But if they are swindlers won't they get wise and jump before you can receive a reply?"
"Not if I know it. That's where the detectives will come in.
"When they get here, I shall let it be known that they are capitalists come to arrange some deals with me. When I have laid the case before them, we'll call on this Howard, giving as an excuse my supposed friends' desire to get a chance at the mines.
"When the detectives have seen the strangers, some of them will keep them under surveillance all the time.
"If you do your part and find out where the properties are, one of them will be stationed at the telegraph office to await the reply.
"Should they take alarm and try to get away, it will be evidence that they are guilty of fraud and we'll arrest them on the spot. If the answer proves that the men are what they pretend to be and that the mines really exist, no one will be the wiser. The detectives can say they have decided to put their money nearer home and go back to Kansas City.
"But I don't believe the answer will say they are known!"
"Now, is what you are to do clear in your mind?"
Ere his son could reply, however, there was a knock on the door and a servant announced that a telegram had arrived for Mr. Rozier.
Noiselessly removing the paper from the keyhole and unlocking the door, the banker took the despatch.
"The messenger boy wants to know if there's any answer," said the maid.
Hastily tearing open the envelope, the president of the savings institution glanced at the contents, then replied:
"Tell him 'no.'"
When the retreating footsteps of the servant sounded on the hardwood floor of the hall, the banker turned to his son.
"It's all right. The message says the men will leave tonight and arrive about seven in the morning.
"Now leave me. I have some other matters to attend to. Don't stay out late to-night for you'll need a clear head and all your wits about you in the morning.
"The unmasking of the scoundrels and the revenge for the insults to our family rest practically on you."
Clouds were gathering about the heads of the bandits of which they were unwitting.