第26章

"What's the matter?" growled the other."Do you want to bring the whole posada out here?""I was only thinkin' what a skeer them innocent greenhorn passengers will get just ez they're snoozing off for the night, ten miles from here," responded his friend, with a chuckle."Wonder ef anybody's goin' up from here besides that patent medicine softy."Ezekiel stopped as if petrified.

"Ef the ---- fools keep quiet they won't be hurt, for our men will be ready to chip in the moment of the attack.But we've got to let the attack be made for the sake of the evidence.And if we warn off the passengers from going this trip, and let the stage go up empty, Bob would suspect something and vamose.But here's Johnson!"The door in the adobe wall had suddenly opened, and a figure in a serape entered the patio.Ezekiel, whose curiosity was whetted with indignation at the ignominious part assigned to him in this comedy, forgot even his risk of detection by the newcomer, who advanced quickly towards the compartment.When he had reached it he said, in a tone of bitterness:

"The game is up, gentlemen, and the whole thing is blown.The scoundrel has got some confederate here--for he's been seen openly on the road near Demorest's ranch, and the band have had warning and dispersed.We must find out the traitor, and take our precautions for the next time.Who is that there? I don't know him."He was pointing to Ezekiel, who had started eagerly forward at the first sound of his voice.The two occupants of the compartment rose at the same moment, leaped into the courtyard, and confronted Ezekiel.Surrounded by the three menacing figures he did not quail, but remained intently gazing upon the newcomer.Then his mouth opened, and he drawled lazily:

"Wa'al, ef it ain't Squire Blandford, of North Liberty, Connecticut, I'm a treed coon.Squire Blandford, how DO you do?"The stranger drew back in undisguised amazement; the two men glanced hurriedly at each other; Ezekiel alone remained cool, smiling, imperturbable, and triumphant.

"Who are YOU, sir? I do not know you," demanded the newcomer, roughly.

"Like ez not," said Corwin dryly, "it's a matter o' four year sense I lived in your house.Even Dick Demorest--you knew Dick?--didn't know me; but I reckon that Mrs.Blandford as used to be--""That's enough," said Blandford--for it was he--suddenly mastering both himself and Corwin by a supreme emphasis of will and gesture.

"Wait!" Then turning to the two others who were discreetly regarding the blank adobe wall before them, he said: "Excuse me for a few minutes, gentlemen.There is no hurry now.I will see you later;" and with an imperative wave of his hand motioned Ezekiel to precede him into the passage, and followed him.

He did not speak until they entered the stage office, when, passing through it, he said peremptorily: "Follow me." The few loungers, who seemed to recognize him, made way for him with a singular deference that impressed Ezekiel, already dominated by his manner.

The first perception in his mind was that Blandford had in some strange way succeeded to Demorest's former imperious character.

There was no trace left of the old, gentle subjection to Joan's prim precision.Ezekiel followed him out of the office as unresistingly as he had followed Demorest into the stables on that eventful night.They passed down the narrow street until Blandford suddenly stopped short and turned into the crumbling doorway of one of the low adobe buildings and entered an apartment.It seemed to be the ordinary living-room of the house, made more domestic by the presence of a silk counterpaned bed in one corner, a prie Dieu and crucifix, and one or two articles of bedchamber furniture.A woman was sitting in deshabille by the window; a man was smoking on a lounge against the wall.Blandford, in the same peremptory manner, addressed a command in Spanish to the inmates, who immediately abandoned the apartment to the seeming trespasser.

Motioning his companion to a seat on the lounge just vacated, Blandford folded his arms and stood erect before him.

"Well," he said, with quick, business conciseness, "what do you want?"Ezekiel was staggered out of his complacency.

"Wa'al," he stammered, "I only reckoned to ask the news, ez we are old friends--I--""How much do you want?" repeated Blandford, impatiently.

Ezekiel was mystified, yet expectant."I can't say ez I exakly understand," he began.

"How--much--money--do--you--want," continued Blandford, with frigid accuracy, "to get up and get out of this place?""Wa'al, consideren ez I'm travellin' here ez the only authorized agent of a first-class Frisco Drug House," said Ezekiel, with a mingling of mortification, pride, and hopefulness, "unless you're travellin' in the opposition business, I don't see what's that to you."Blandford regarded him searchingly for an instant."Who sent you here?""Dilworth & Dusenberry, Battery Street, San Francisco.Hev their card?" said Ezekiel, taking one from his waistcoat pocket.

"Corwin," said Blandford, sternly, "whatever your business is here you'll find it will pay you better, a ---- sight, to be frank with me and stop this Yankee shuffling.You say you have been with Demorest--what has HE got to do with your business here?""Nothin'," said Ezekiel."I reckon he wos ez astonished to see me ez you are.""And didn't he send you here to seek me?" said Blandford, impatiently.

"Considerin' he believes you a dead man, I reckon not."Blandford gave a hard, constrained laugh.After a pause, still keeping his eyes fixed on Ezekiel, he said:

"Then your recognition of me was accidental?""Wa'al, yes.And ez I never took much stock in the stories that you were washed off the Warensboro Bridge, I ain't much astonished at finding you agin.""What did you believe happened to me?" said Blandford, less brusquely.

Ezekiel noticed the softening; he felt his own turn coming."Ikalkilated you had reasons for going off, leaving no address behind you," he drawled.