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Chapter XII

Stark Fear

When Beaudry climbed the canon wall to the Rothgerber pasture he
breathed a deep sigh of relief. For many hours he had been under a
heavy strain, nerves taut as fiddle-strings. Fifty times his heart had
jumped with terror. But he had done the thing he had set out to do.

He had stiffened his flaccid will and spurred his trembling body
forward. If he had been unable to control his fear, at least he had
not let it master him. He had found out for Ryan where Dingwell was
held prisoner. It had been his intention to leave the park as soon as
he knew this, report the facts to the friends of Dave, and let them
devise a way of escape. He had done his full share. But he could not
follow this course now.

The need of the cattleman was urgent. Somehow it must be met at once.
Yet what could he do against two armed men who would not hesitate to
shoot him down if necessary? There must be some way of saving Dingwell
if he could only find it.

In spite of his anxiety, a fine spiritual exaltation flooded him. So
far he had stood the acid test, had come through without dishonor. He
might be a coward; at least, he was not a quitter. Plenty of men would
have done his day's work without a tremor. What brought comfort to
Roy's soul was that he had been able to do it at all.

Mrs. Rothgerber greeted him with exclamations of delight. The message
of Rutherford had frightened her even though she did not entirely
understand it.

"Hermann iss out looking for you. Mr. Rutherford--the one that owns
the horse ranch--he wass here and left a message for you."

"A message for me! What was it?"

With many an "Ach!" she managed to tell him.

The face of her boarder went white. Since Rutherford was warning him
against Tighe, the danger must be imminent. Should he go down to the
horse ranch now? Or had he better wait until it was quite dark? While
he was still debating this with himself, the old German came into the
house.

"Home, eh? Gut, gut! They are already yet watching the road."

Roy's throat choked. "Who?"

This question Rothgerber could not answer. In the dusk he had not
recognized the men he had seen. Moreover, they had ridden into the
brush to escape observation. Both of them had been armed with rifles.

The old woman started to light a lamp, but Roy stopped her. "Let's eat
in the dark," he proposed. "Then I'll slip out to the bunkhouse and
you can have your light."