Читать книгу The Mystery at Dark Star Ranch - Percy Keese Fitzhugh - Страница 8

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It was not a very loud cry, yet it seemed to echo like a bell through the deep silence of the woods. Somewhere near, Hal could hear the crackling of dry underbrush under someone’s running feet. He picked up his puttees and shoes and leaped barefoot into Pal’s saddle.

“Beat it for home, boy,” he whispered excitedly into the stallion’s silken ear.

They were over the creek and had left a thin film of spray behind before Hal saw, from the corner of his eye, a tall, sturdy man emerge from the trees and run toward the edge of the bank. He waved his arms and shouted but Hal urged Pal straight for the trail and did not look back again.

A shot sounded and instinctively Hal bent low over the stallion’s neck. A bullet screamed past his head and he saw it bury itself in the trunk of a tree not three feet distant. Pal gained more and more speed after that and went racing down past Pine Creek in less than ten minutes.

He did not pause there, but turned straight for the ranch and Hal had all he could do to hold on with his one free hand, and keep his puttees and shoes intact in the other. His socks, he happened to remember, were still lying on the far side of the creek where he had laid them along with his other things when he had paused to light the cigarette. Somehow he had neglected to pick them up.

He chuckled. “Darn lucky I was able to pick myself up,” he said aloud.

As he came in view of the corral, he saw a slim, gray-flannel clad figure waving to him. Richard Merrivale! He knew him by the glistening blond head which nodded to him welcomingly.

He waved and shouted and Pal whinnied, then slowed down.

“Hal Keen! If I’m not glad to see you!” Richard Merrivale exclaimed as the stallion pulled up beside him. Suddenly he noticed Hal’s barefoot condition and his brown eyes looked up questioningly. “You rascal—what on earth....”

Hal jumped down and put out his hand to Richard. “You old sea-cook, you! Who thought I’d ever really come to the Dark Star and meet you like this! Now, Rich,” he said in his quizzical way, “why I’m in this state of undress is a long story. I started out fully dressed, I assure you—witness my shoes and puttees.”

“I’ve already witnessed them,” Richard chuckled in his soft, well-modulated voice. “It is true—who thought I’d ever see you again—much less like this? I wanted you to come when I invited you last summer, but I didn’t think you really would.” He smiled. “After all there was no reason for you to come really. My sister Aida is twenty-eight.”

“Now, Rich! I’d have come just the same if she was eighteen and you know it! But seriously, I thought your invitation was just a general one. That’s why I never gave another thought about it until I received Lee’s note last week telling me that you needed some help.”

Richard Merrivale was of only average height and stood well under Hal’s broad shoulders. He looked up at his tall guest and a grateful smile lighted his smooth tanned face.

“A friend in need, eh, Hal? Lee said you were that kind and believe me, I’ll appreciate it. I’m ... well, I am in need of a friend and a fellow like you. It sounds odd to say so, but the Merrivales are a house divided against itself just at present.”

“I’ve heard something about that,” Hal admitted readily. “The rest I’ve guessed myself.”

“Sen told you?”

“Buck Perry gave it to me roughly as he drove me up here. Sen gave it to me thoroughly and your Slim wound up the story. But Sen gave the best version, Rich. Maybe it’s because his interest in it is personal. He’s loyal to you, and how!”

“Loyalty is no word for it, Hal. My father left Sen enough money to live on comfortably for the rest of his life. But do you think he’ll leave that kitchen of ours? Not much! He says he’d die without meals to get and kitchen work to do. The real reason is he won’t leave that kitchen until I leave the ranch. He was just as devoted to my brother Elly. Good old fellow, he wants to lend me every red cent of his.”

“And you won’t take it?”

“Of course not. It’ll take hundreds of thousands to save this ranch now, Hal. Only a miracle can save it and help me to get that much together by next Christmas. You see, I need the whole amount or nothing—that’s how things stand now. My main idea is to keep a strict eye out for Tuck Liggett and see that he doesn’t do anything that will force me to sell it to him. When the time comes that I have to sell it, I’ll find a buyer worthy of this lovely place.”

“It is lovely, Rich,” Hal said sympathetically. “But cheer up! Who knows what may happen. You have some darn good reason, I suppose, for not wanting Tuck Liggett to have the Dark Star?”

“The best reason in the world,” answered Richard heatedly. “I love the Dark Star—every inch of it. It’ll break me up awfully if I do have to let it go. The love of it must be in my blood. Elly felt that way about it too. Guess we took after my father for that. Clark and Aida don’t give a hoot about it. All they want is to see that it produces some money for them to get away from it for good and for all. But I’ll fight—oh, I forgot about Liggett. I love the place too much to let him ever get his dirty hands on it.”

“Dirty?”

“They’re mucked up with dishonesty, that’s what! He’s the kind of scoundrel who’ll profane anything he lays his hands on. Everything must yield the dollar regardless of what he profanes in doing so. Well, he won’t profane the Dark Star—never!”

“And you want me to help you to keep him from getting it?” Hal asked, puzzled.

“No—that is, unless you could find time to give me some help that way too. You cleared that mystery at the Creek so fine, Hal, that I thought maybe——”

“Yes?”

“I thought perhaps you could find out what really happened to Elly. I know—I just know that his death was not an accident!” He looked at Hal, his brown eyes blazing. “I’ve a feeling that Tuck Liggett fired that shot that killed my brother.”

“Think he’s as bad as that?”

“I just think so, Hal,” Richard answered, lowering his voice, “and I’m asking you to help me find out for certain if I’m right. Think it can be done after two months have gone?”

“Murder,” Hal answered, pulling on his shoes and puttees with a nonchalant air, “will out. Even after a hundred years.”

Richard smiled grimly. “Then there’s hope after a two months’ lapse. But tell me, Hal—you still haven’t told me why your barefoot return.”

“I haven’t, have I?” Hal returned, looking up. “Well, Rich, I’ll tell you, but first I want to know something.”

“Yes?”

“Has this Tuck Liggett a sister?”

“Yes, and much as I hate to admit anything good about the Liggett family she doesn’t look as if she could be as bad as her brother. She’s only about twenty, I believe, and she’s rather sweet looking. But I suppose that’s only on the surface anyhow. Why do you ask?”

“Do you know whether she’s been educated in the east?”

“Yes, Corinne Liggett’s been in eastern schools most of her life. Her mother and father were killed in an accident shortly after she was born. Tuck hasn’t had hardly any education and I guess she notices it.”

“She certainly does!” Hal agreed reminiscently.