“No, I don’t see it,” Flatray answered hotly. “I can take what’s coming to me, can’t I? But if you save my life that way you make me as low a thing as he is. I say I’ll not have it.”
Melissy could stand it no longer. She began to sob. “I—I—Oh, Jack, I’ve got to do it. Don’t you see? Don’t you see? It won’t make any difference with me if I don’t. No difference—except that you’ll be—dead.”
She was in his embrace, her arms around his neck, whispering the horrible truth in his ear brokenly. And as he felt her dear young fragrance 304 of hair in his nostrils, the warm, soft litheness of her body against his, the rage and terror in him flooded his veins. Could such things be? Was it possible a man like that could live? Not if he could help it.
Gently he unfastened her arms from his neck. MacQueen was standing a dozen feet away, his hands behind his back and his legs wide apart. As Flatray swung around the outlaw read a warning in the blazing eyes. Just as Jack tore loose from his guards MacQueen reached for his revolver.
The gun flashed. A red hot blaze scorched through Jack’s arm. Next instant MacQueen lay flat on his back, the sheriff’s fingers tight around his throat. If he could have had five seconds more the man’s neck would have been broken. But they dragged him away, fighting like a wild cat. They flung him down and tied his hands behind him.
Melissy caught a glimpse of his bleeding arm, his torn and dusty face, the appalling ferocity of the men who were hammering him into the ground. She took a step forward blindly. The mountains in front of her tilted into the sky. She moved forward another step, then stumbled and went down. She had fainted.
“Just as well,” MacQueen nodded. “Here, Rosario, look after the young lady. Lift Flatray to a horse, boys, after you’ve blindfolded him. Good enough. Oh, and one thing more, Flatray. You’re covered by a rifle. If you lift a hand to slip that 305 handkerchief from your eyes, you’re giving the signal for Jeff to turn loose at you. We’re going to take you away, but we don’t aim to let you out of the Cache for a few days yet.”
“What do you mean?”
MacQueen jeered at his prisoner openly. “I mean, Mr. Sheriff, that you’ll stay with us till the girl does as she has promised. Understand?”
“I think so, you hellhound. You’re going to hold me against her so that she can’t change her mind.”