In the Shadow of the HillsShedd, George C. (George Clifford)
General
In the Shadow of the Hills
Shedd, George C. (George Clifford)
Fiction
Thus he stood for a time, hands on hips, motionless, his cruel
hatchet-like face directed towards the scene further along the street.
Presently a man came running to him, Miguel, his bartender, who had
been one of the two men serving out whiskey to the workmen at the old
adobe house and who at the break-up of the spree had hastened back to
town to report to his employer. Now, it seemed, he had fresher news to
give.
"Yes, it is the engineer, for a certainty," he exclaimed panting, as
he stopped before Vorse. "The sheriff arrested him and he now lies in
jail there. It is said he fought and tried to shoot Madden, but that
the sheriff was too quick and shot the gun out of his hand. It is said
also that the dam is blown into a million little stones, but men are
riding there on horses to see for themselves. They will soon return.
Anyway a fight there was up there undoubtedly, for Madden brought in
not only the engineer but three other men, bound and handcuffed and
struggling furiously, trying to strike and bite the crowd like mad
dogs. From time to time the sheriff had to beat them on the heads with
his pistol, especially the engineer, who is the worst. I did not see
them, but those who did said their faces were streaming with blood."
"All right. Go find José Molina and 'Silver' Leon."
"Are they not up in the hills with their bands of sheep?"
"No. They are here. Look around till you find them; then send them to
me."
"That means something lively to happen, eh?" Miguel said with a
laugh.
He did not wait, however, for an answer, but set off at once for the
court house.
"I hope Meyers shows up soon with more men," Madden said to Weir.
"Those two sheepherders of Vorse's are a pair of snakes; he always
hires that kind; and they probably have some fellows with them like
themselves."
"Meyers is on the way with twenty men or so by this time. They had to
come in wagons, as we had the cars. Atkinson ought to be able to stand
off the crowd with the half dozen boys he has until the others
arrive."
While they had conducted this brief exchange of opinions they had kept
their gaze on the saloon-keeper, who continued to stand before his
door. The cold and merciless character of the man was never more
revealed than now as he waited for his hired assassins to come to
receive orders. Possessing already a full knowledge of the plot, Weir
and Madden were able to guess what culmination was now contemplated
and measure the true depth of the conspirators' infamy. The sheriff
especially boiled with inward wrath that they should expect to make
him not only a dupe but a tool in their crime.
"It's clear they never intended you should come to trial when
arrested," he said to his companion.
"Certainly not. That isn't the way they play the game. And I suppose
Vorse there imagines the cards are all falling his way at this
moment."
"He's going in."
"Good. Now then!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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