13 - Alcatraz - The Bargain

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Episode Transcript

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Chapter thirteen of Alcatraz by Max Brand. This LibriVox recording is in the public
domain. The bargain, But inspite of the dinner bell, Hervey made
for the corrals instead of the house, roped and saddled the fastest pony in
his string, jogged out to theeastern trail, and then sent his mount

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at a run into the evening haze. After a time, he drew back
to a more moderate gait, butstill the narrow firs shot smoothly and swiftly
past him for well over half anhour, until the twilight settled into darkness,
and the tree tops moved past thehorsemen against a sky alive with the

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brighter stars of the mountains. Hereached the hills, the trail tangled into
zigzag lines, tossing up and down, dodging here and there, and in
one of these elbow turns, ateam of horses loomed huge and black above
him and against the stars. Behindthe hilltop. It seemed as though the

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team was stepping out into the thinair. Behind them. Lou Hervey made
out the low body of the buckboard, and on the seat a squat
bunched figure with head dropped so lowthat the sombrero seemed to rest flat on
the shoulders. Hervey raised his handwith a shout of relief. Hey,

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Jordan. The brakes crashed home,but the impetus of the downgrade bore the
wagon to the bottom of the littleslope before it came to a stop,
and Hervey was choked by the cloudof dust. He fanned the clear path
for his voice. It's me Hervey, and he came close to the wagon.

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Well, lou queried the uninterested voiceof the master. Hervey leaned a
little from the saddle and peered anxiouslyat the big Boss. He counted on
creating a panic with his news.But a man past hope might very well
be a man past fear. Hopeless. Oliver Jordan certainly had been since his

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accident, hopeless and blind. Thatblindness had enabled Hervey to reap tidy sums
out of his management of the ranch, and now that the coming of the
sharp Eyed Girl had cut off hissources of revenue, he was ready to
fight hard put himself back in thesaddle as unquestioned master of the Valley of

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the Eagles. But he could onlywork on Jordan through fear and what capacity
for that emotion remained in the rancher. He struck at once. Jordan,
have you got a gun with you? Gun? Nope? What do I
need a gun for? Take this? Then it's my old gat. You
know it pretty near as well asI do. A nerveless hand accepted the

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heavy weapon and allowed it to sinkidly on his knee. How come drawled
Jordan, and the heart of LouHervey sank. This was certainly not the
voice of a man liable to panic. You and me got a bad time
comin Jordan. When we get tothe ranch, he's there, and he's
a devil for a fight? Whohim? You remember that fight you got

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into and that saloon up in Wyomingthe night you and me was at the
cross Roads saloon and you got offyour feed with red Eye. The figure
on the seat of the buckboard grewtaller. Do I remember, Aye?
And I'll never forget the one downrightbad thing I've ever done, Hervey.
It was the infernal red Eye thatmade me a crazy man. You should

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have let me go back and seehow bad he was hurt. Lou,
Nope, I was right. Bestthing a gent can do. After he'd
dropped his man is to climb ahorse and feed at leather. He didn't
have a gun, groaned Jordan heavily. But I forgot it. The red
eye got to workin on me.I was losing. It was the one

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rotten yellow thing I ever done,Lou, I know. And now he's
here. He's red Paris, RedParis, breathed Oliver Jordan, the man
Mary Anne sent for. Why,why it's like fate her bringing him right
to the ranch. Hervey was discreetlysilent, but cried Jordan suddenly, and

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there was a ghost of the oldring in his voice. I dropped them
once by a crooked play, andnow I'll drop him fair and square if
he's here looking for trouble. Idon't want your help, Lou. Mighty
fine of you to offer it,but I ain't plumb, forgot how to
shoot. I don't want help.Hervey waited a moment for that heat of

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defiance to die away. Then hesaid, with a quiet of certainty,
no use, Jordan, no useat all, Shorty, seeing this,
gent do someome shooting. On theway up to the ranch, he pulled
on a squirrel that dodged to crossthe trail. First slug knocked dust into
the squirrel's belly fur, and thesecond chipped off his tail. Both of

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them slugs would have landed dead centerin a target as big as the body
of a man. He paused again. He could hear the heavy breathing of
Oliver Jordan, and the figure ofthe driver swayed a little back and forth
in the seat, as a manwill do when his mind is swinging from
one alternative to another. He donethat shooting from the hip, added Hervey,

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as though by afterthought there was agas from Jordan. Good God,
Lou, you don't mean that that'swhat he done the shooting for, to
show Shorty how to get off aquick shot. Shorty said, he got
his gun out and fired inside thetime, and take a common gunman to
wink twice. And that's why youand me have got to face him together.

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Chief. You know I ain't particularyellow, but I'd as soon tackle
a machine gun with a PEA shooterhas run into this Paris all by myself.
He's bad medicine, Chief, twoto one, that'd be worse than
murder Loo. Neither you nor mecould ever hold up a head around these
parts again. If the two ofus jumped one gent I know it,

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said Hervey solemnly. But it's betterto be shamed than to be dead.
That's the way I figure, andI ain't so sure that both of us
together could win out. There wasanother interval of silence, far more important
than many words. Through the hush, Hervey, with a beating heart,
strove to peer into the mind ofthe rancher. I'll go back and face

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him all by myself, said Jordan, huskily. I'll let him rub out
that old score if he finishes me. Well, what good am I in
the world anyway? No good,lou, I'm done for just as much
as though somebody had plugged me witha gat. Let Paris finish the job,
he added hastily. But these fiveyears have changed me a lot.

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Maybe he won't know me. Youain't changed that much, Jordan. Look
at Howlin's He hadn't seen you foreight years. He knew you right off,
Aye, growled Jordan. That's trueenough, But what makes you so
sure that Paris is so hot afterme? Ain't there been time enough for
him to cool down? With theskill of a connoisseur save in his choicest

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morsel for the end, Hervey waitedfor the most favorable opportunity before striking home
with his most convincing item. Youremember you drilled him in the leg,
Chief, I remember everything, thewhole damned the fair has never been out
of my head for a whole day. I've gone over every detail of it

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a thousand times, Lou so IsParis, answered lou Hervey solemnly, that's
slug of yours. When the doctorcut it out of his leg, he
had it fixed up, and nowhe wears it for a fob, so
he won't forget the gent that shothim down that night when he wasn't armed.
Most likely that's why he's practiced somuch with a gun, muttered Jordan.

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He's been getting ready for me,most like, said the gloomy Hervey,
but his voice well nigh trembled withgratification. The head of Jordan bowed
again. But this time has Herveyshrewdly guessed It was in thought, not
in despair? Why chuckled Jordan?At last, what we wasted all this

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full time about? You just slippedback to the ranch and fire Paris In
the favoring dark. Hervey threw backhis head and made a grimace of joy.
Exactly as he had prefigured, thistalk was going. Every card was
being played into his hand, asthough his wishes were subconsciously entering and ruling

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the mind of the chief. Ican't do it, he answered firmly.
You can't. Ain't you foreman?No, said Hervey, and a trace
of bitterness came into his voice.I used to be, but you know
as well as me that I'm onlya straw boss. Now. Miss Marianne
is running things big and small.Besides, she's picked up Paris and she

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won't let him go easy. Itell you what do you mean by that,
Hervey? I see in her facewhen she met him. I was
standing outside the bunk house, andshe sure was tolerable, pleased to see
him. A tremendous oath burst fromJordan. You mean she's sweet on this,
this Paris, but he added,why should that rile me? Maybe

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he's all right. He's one ofthem flashy dressers, said lou Hervey.
Silk shirts and swell bandannas, andhe wears shop made boots and keep em
all shined up. Besides, it'sdead easy for him to talk to a
girl. He's the kind that geton with him pretty well. The innu

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window brought a huge roar from OliverJordan. By God, Lou, do
you think that's what it means?I thought she talked pretty strong about this
Paris. Maybe I've said too much, said Hervey. Not a word too
much, said Jordan heartily, andreaching through the night, he found the
hand of Hervey and wrung it heartily. I know how square you are,

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Lou, I know how you've stoodby me. I'd stake my last dollar
on you. Hervey blessed again themercy of the darkness, which concealed the
crimson that spread hotly over his face. There was enough truth in what the
ranchers said to make the untruths themore painful. Before the accident, Hervey

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had indeed been all that any onecould ask in a manager. But when
too much authority came into his hands, owing to the crippling of his chief,
the temptation proved too strong for resistance. It was all so easy.
A few score of cows run offhere and there were never noted, and
his share in the profit was fiftyfifty. Indeed, as the hand of

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Jordan crushed over his own, hecame perilously near to making a clean breast
of everything, but the memory ofhis fat and growing bank account gagged the
confession. If that's the way thingsare standing, Jordan was saying, we've
got to get rid of this skunk. Paris good looking as I remember him,

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and Marianne is so darned lonely onthe ranch that she might begin to
take him serious. And Hervey,I'll give you a written note. That'll
be authority. I'll give you anote to Marianne telling her that I've got
to go across the mountains and thatI want you to have the running of
the place till I get back.I guess that'll give you a free hand.

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Lou You fire that Paris, andwhen he's gone, send me word
over to the hotel in Lawrence.That's where I'll go. Hervey appeared dubious,
with great skill. I'll take thenote, Jordan, he said,
putting all the despair he could summoninto his tone. But it sure goes
hard the idea of losing my placeup here. I've been in the valley

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so long, you see that it'slike a home to me. And who
the devil said anything about you,leavin Ain't I just now about to give
you a note to run the ranchwhile I'm gone. Sure you are,
and I'll take it and fire Paris. But when you come back, that's
the end of me. What youknow, how your daughter is, she'll

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plumb hate me when I come backwith orders to run things. She'll think
I asked for em. I'll tellher different. Were you ever able to
vinceir Once she made up her mind, hum growled Jordan. And she'll never
rest till things are so hot forme that I've got to get out.
Not that i'd grudge it, Jordan. I'd give up more than this job

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for your sake. Only it suremakes me homesick to think about starting out
at my time of life and writingheard for a strange outfit. You ride
for another outfit, said Jordan.After you've worked this game on Paris for
me, I'll tell you what,Lou. If you get Paris safe off
the ranch, you can stop worrying. You're foremin for life. You have

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my word for it. But supposeprotested hervey faintly, suppose nothing. You
have my word. Besides, I'mtired of talking with well acted diffidence.
Lou held out the paper which OliverJordan snatched and smoothed on his knee.
Then Hervey rode closer light at amatch, and held it so that the

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rancher could see. To write,Dear Mary Anne, scrawled the pencil.
This is to let you know thatI have to go on business too.
Better not tell her where, suggestedHervey. She might send after and ask
a lot of bothersome questions. Youknow the way a woman is. You've
sure got a fine head for business. Lou nodded Jordan, and continued his

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note to a town across the mountains. And it may be a few days
before I get back. I metLou on the road, so I'm letting
him take this note back to you. Another thing, I've told Lou about
several things I want done while I'mgone. Easier than explaining them all to
you, honey, he can dothem himself and tell you later. Affectionately.

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Has he scrawled the signature, Herveysuggested softly, Suppose you put down
at the bottom. This will serveas authority to Lou Hervey to act in
my while I'm away, Sure,nodded Jordan. Has he scribbled the dictated
words. Maryanne is a stickler forform. She'll want something like that.

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To convince her. He shoved thepaper into the trembling hand of Lou Hervey
and sighed with weariness. Chief mutteredHervey, finding that even in the darkness
he could not look into the tired, pain worn face of the rancher.
I sure hope you never have nocall to be sorry for this. Sorry,

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I ain't botherin about that so long, Lou. But Lou Hervey had
suddenly lost his voice. He couldonly wave his adieu. End of Chapter thirteen.