The Quest by Max Brand

Author:Max Brand
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781628738964
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2014-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

IX

The storm of the posse poured up about the cabin, and what a storm. It seemed as if half the riders in Jumping Creek must have made up this mob.

“Yell out!” he called to Pendleton.

Rory Pendleton rose magnificently to the part.

“Who’s there? Hold on! Keep out of this house! Who’s there?” thundered Rory Pendleton.

“We’ll show you damn’ soon!” called several in answer.

“Keep back or I’ll shoot!” said Pendleton.

“Who are you?” said voices from among the crowding figures at the doorway.

“Rory Pendleton.”

“You are, are you? Has your son come back?” demanded the panting voice of Wallace Taggert.

“Come back from where?”

“From Jumping Creek. Is he there?”

“He’s where he’s been all night. He’s in his bed. No, he’s up now. Al, don’t let them in. There’s bad blood in the air.”

“Here . . . I’ll take charge,” said Timothy Drayton, getting to the front at last, for his weight had made his horse backward. He stood at the door of the cabin, breathing hard.

“Al Pendleton, are you in there?” he called.

“Hello!” said Paradise Al. “That you?”

“Yeah. It’s me,” said Drayton.

“Come in,” said the young man. “It’s all right, Father. It’s the sheriff.”

“Sheriff or not, it’s a Drayton,” said Pendleton. “I don’t like this business.”

“Stuff,” said Al. “It’s Molly’s father.”

“Don’t count on that,” broke in the sheriff. “I’m here in the name of the law. I want you for burglary . . . the worst kind. I want you for robbing the Taggert Bank!”

Paradise Al whistled. “Robbing the Taggert Bank?” he said. “That’s all right, too. Light that lantern, Father, will you, beside your bunk?”

The lantern was lighted. It revealed Paradise Al in the act of stepping into his trousers. He paused to wave one hand in greeting toward the excited, dusty, curious faces.

It had not been expected that things would go this way. Paradise Al was a fighting man.

But there they were, with guns in their hands, and there was he, disarmed and helpless before them, actually rising from his bed and dressing.

Wallace Taggert, with a burning eye, stared at Paradise Al. How would this rascal attempt to escape from him, an eyewitness, backed by the power of twenty armed men?

Al was completing his dressing without haste as the sheriff laid a strong brown hand on his shoulder, saying: “Al, I hate to do it, but I arrest you in the name of the law. Anything you say may be used against you. I gotta warn you of that. I’m sorry about this.”

“Yes,” murmured Al, looking calmly into the eyes of Tim Drayton, “I know how sorry you’d be to see me in the soup. I know how happy you’ve been about Molly’s plan to marry a Pendleton. I know all about it.” And he laughed a little, but without great malice. He went on: “When was this bank robbed? I never heard of Taggert losing a penny in his life.”

“The bank was robbed tonight, son,” said Taggert, thrusting out his long, lean jaw as he spoke. “And you’re puttin’ up a wonderful bluff, but the bluff ain’t good enough.

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