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14 - Bransford Of Rainbow Range by Eugene Manlove Rhodes · Bransford Of Rainbow Range

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: After thirteen, the siege of Double Mountain continued. If the
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: bowl had been stronger, my tail had been longer, mother goose.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: When the sun peeped over Rainbow Range, Captain Griffith bent
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: over Toby Long's bed. His eyes were aching, burned and sunken.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: The lids twitched. His face was haggard and drawn. But
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  Speaker 1: he had arrived at an unalterable decision. This thing could
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  Speaker 1: not and should not go on. His brain reeled. Now
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: another such night would entitle him to state protection. He
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: shook mister Long roughly to hear, I believe your Bransford himself.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: Thus taking off his guard, Long threw back the bedding,
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  Speaker 1: rose to one elbow, still half asleep, and reached for
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  Speaker 1: his shoes, laughing and yawning alternately. Then, as he woke
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  Speaker 1: up a little more, he saw a better way to dress,
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  Speaker 1: dropped the shoes and unfurled his pillow, which by day
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  Speaker 1: he wore as over all. Fumbling behind him where the
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  Speaker 1: pillow had lain, he found a much soiled handkerchief and
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  Speaker 1: tenderly dabbed at his swollen eye. Better steal in my
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: eye from a drill head, he explained, geminy, But it's sore, plainly.
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  Speaker 1: He took the accusation as a pleasantry, calling for no answer.
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  Speaker 1: I mean it, I want to keep you under guard,
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  Speaker 1: said Captain Griffith, bitingly. Poor sleepy Toby, half way into
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  Speaker 1: his overalls, stared up at mister Griffith. His mouth dropped open.
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  Speaker 1: He was quite at a loss for words. The captain
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  Speaker 1: glared back at him. Toby kicked the overalls off and
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  Speaker 1: cuddled back into bed. Bully, he said, then I won't
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: have to get breakfast. Girdon Steel sat up in bed
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  Speaker 1: a happy man. His eye gave mister Long a discreetly
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  Speaker 1: confidential look, as of one who restrains himself out of
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  Speaker 1: instinctive politeness. From a sympathetic and meaningful tap of one's forehead.
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: A new thoughts ruck mister Long. He reached over behind
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  Speaker 1: Steel for the rifle at the bed's edge and thrust
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  Speaker 1: it into the latter's hands. Here, boy, scout, watch me,
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: he whispered. Don't let me escape while I sleep A
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: few lines. I'm Bransford. Gertie rubbed his eyes and giggled,
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: don't you mind, Rex, that's the worst of this pipe abbit.
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  Speaker 1: You never can tell how they'll break out next. Yeah, laugh,
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  Speaker 1: you blind bat, said Rex bitterly. I've got him all
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  Speaker 1: the same, and I'm going to keep him while you
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  Speaker 1: go to Escondido. His rifle was tucked under his arm.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: He patted the barrel significantly. It slowly dawned upon mister
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  Speaker 1: Long that Captain Griffith was not joking after all, and
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  Speaker 1: an angry man was he? He sat up in bed.
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  Speaker 1: Oh piffle, oh fudge, oh pickled moonshine If I'm Bransford,
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: what the deuce am I doing here? Why you was
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  Speaker 1: both asleep? I could have shot your silly heads off
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  Speaker 1: and you'd never woke up. You make me he tired.
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  Speaker 1: Don't mind him Long, He'll feel better when he takes
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: a nap, said Gurd joyfully. He has poor spells like this,
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: and he misses his nurse. We always make allowances for him.
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: Mister Long's indignation at last overcame his politeness, and in
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  Speaker 1: his wrath he attacked friend and foe indiscriminately. Do you
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  Speaker 1: mean to tell me you two pueling infants are out
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  Speaker 1: hunting down a man you never saw. Don't the men
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  Speaker 1: at the other side know him either? By James, you
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  Speaker 1: hike out o this after breakfast and send for some
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  Speaker 1: grown up men. I want part of that reward, and
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: I'm going to have it. Look here, he turned blackly
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  Speaker 1: to Gerdon. Are you sure that Fransford or any one
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  Speaker 1: else came in here at all yesterday? Or did you
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: dream it? Or was it all a damn fool kid? Joe,
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  Speaker 1: listen here, I worked like a dog yesterday. If you
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  Speaker 1: had me stand guard three hours, tired as I was,
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  Speaker 1: for nothin', there's going to be more to it. What
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: kind of a sackin snipe trick is this? Anyway? You
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  Speaker 1: just come one at a time and I'll lick the
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  Speaker 1: stuffin out of both of you. I ain't feelin like
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  Speaker 1: any schoolboy Prank's death now, No, No, that part's all straight.
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  Speaker 1: Bransford's in there all right, protested Gurdon. If you hadn't
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  Speaker 1: been working in the tunnel, you'd have seen him when
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  Speaker 1: he went by. Here's the note he left, and his
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  Speaker 1: horse and saddle are up at the spring. We left
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  Speaker 1: the horse there because he was lame and about all in.
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: Bransford can't get away on him. Rex is just excited,
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  Speaker 1: That's all the matter with him, hankering for glory. I
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  Speaker 1: told him last night not to make a driveling idiot
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  Speaker 1: of himself. Here read this insolent note. Will you long
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: glowered at the note and flung it aside anybody? Cutter
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  Speaker 1: wrote that I'm oughta know this thing. Ain't some more
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  Speaker 1: of your funny streaks. You take these horses to water
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  Speaker 1: and bring back Bransford's horse and saddle, and then I'll
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  Speaker 1: know what to believe. Be damn sure you bring them
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  Speaker 1: to or we'll go producing glory right here, great gobs
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  Speaker 1: and chunks of it. You, Griffith, put down that gun
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  Speaker 1: or I'll knock your fool head off. I'm taking charge
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  Speaker 1: of this outfit now, and don't you forget it. And
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  Speaker 1: I don't want no maniac wanderin round me with a gun.
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: You go to gatherin up wood as fast as ever.
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  Speaker 1: God let you say I was mistaken, said the deposed leader,
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  Speaker 1: thoroughly convinced. Once more, you do look like Bransford, you know,
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  Speaker 1: he laid down his rifle obediently. Look like your grandmother's
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  Speaker 1: left hind foot, sneered the outraged miner. My eyes is
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  Speaker 1: brown and sow's Bransford's outside of that. No, but you
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  Speaker 1: do a little, said his allies deal. I noticed it
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  Speaker 1: myself last night. Not much, but still there's a resemblance.
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  Speaker 1: Poor cat Griffith just let his nerves and imagination run
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  Speaker 1: away with him. That's all, Long sniffed. Funny. I never
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  Speaker 1: heard of it before, he said. He was somewhat mollified. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 1: and while cooking breakfast, he received very graciously a stammered
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  Speaker 1: and half hearted apology from young mister Griffith, now reduced
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  Speaker 1: to the ranks. Ah, that's all right, kid, but say
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  Speaker 1: you be careful and don't shoot your partner when he
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  Speaker 1: comes back. Gerdon brought back the sorrow horse and the saddle,
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  Speaker 1: thereby allaying mister Long's wrathful mistrust that the whole affair
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  Speaker 1: was a practical joke. I told you butter wouldn't suit
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  Speaker 1: the works, said Rex triumphantly, and watched the working of
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  Speaker 1: his test with a jealous eye. Long knew his alice,
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  Speaker 1: but it was the best butter, he said. He surveyed
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  Speaker 1: the sorrow horse, his eyes brightened. We'll whack up that
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  Speaker 1: blood money yet, he announced confidently. Now I'm going to
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  Speaker 1: walk over to the south side and get one of
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  Speaker 1: those fellows to ride sign round the mountain. You boys
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  Speaker 1: can sleep, turn and turn about till I get back.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: Then I want Steele to go to Escao and wire
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  Speaker 1: up to Arcadia that we got our bear by the tail,
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  Speaker 1: and want helped to turn him loose, and tell Pappy
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  Speaker 1: Sanders to send me out some grub or I'll skin him.
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  Speaker 1: Pappy's putting up for the mine, you know. I'll stay
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  Speaker 1: here and keep an eye on Griffith. He gave that
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  Speaker 1: luckless warrior a jeering look, as one who has forgiven
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  Speaker 1: but not forgotten. Why don't you ride one of our horses,
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: said Girdon. Want to keep 'em fresh. Then if Bransford
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  Speaker 1: gets out over the cliffs, you can run him down
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  Speaker 1: like a mad dog, said Toby. Besides, if I ride
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  Speaker 1: a fresh horse in here, he'll maybe shoot me to
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  Speaker 1: get the horse. And if he could catch you lads
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  Speaker 1: away from shelter, maybe so he'd make a dash for it,
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  Speaker 1: a shootin' see here. If I was dodgin' in here
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  Speaker 1: like him, now what i'd do. I'd just shoot a
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  Speaker 1: few lines on general principles to draw you away from
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  Speaker 1: the gates. Then if you went in to sea about it,
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  Speaker 1: I'd either kill you if I had to, or slip
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  Speaker 1: out if you give me the chance. You just stay
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  Speaker 1: right here. Whatever happens, keep under shelter, and keep your
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  Speaker 1: horses right by you. We got him bottled up, and
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  Speaker 1: we won't draw the cork till the sheriff coum. I'll
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  Speaker 1: tell him to do the same way at the other end,
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  Speaker 1: I won't take any gun with me, and I'll stick
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  Speaker 1: to the main road. That way, Bransford won't feel no
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  Speaker 1: call to shoot me. Likely he's way up in the cliffs. Anyhow,
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  Speaker 1: ride the sorrel horse, then, why don't you. He isn't
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  Speaker 1: lame enough to hurt much, but he's lame enough that
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  Speaker 1: Bransford won't want him. Thus, mister Griffith again dissimulating every
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  Speaker 1: detail of mister Long's plan. For Stall's suspicion that these
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  Speaker 1: measures were precisely calculated to disarm. Suspicion now occurred to
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  Speaker 1: Griffith's stubborn mind, for he had a stubborn mind. The
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  Speaker 1: morning's coffee had cleared it of cobwebs, and it clung
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  Speaker 1: more tenaciously than ever to the untenable, And thrice exploded
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  Speaker 1: theory that Long and Bransford were one and inseparable. Now
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  Speaker 1: and forever. He meditated an ungenerous scheme for vindication, and
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  Speaker 1: to that end wished mister Long to ride the sorrow horse.
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  Speaker 1: For mister Long, if he were indeed the murderer, as
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  Speaker 1: of course he was, would indubitably, upon some plausible pretext,
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  Speaker 1: attempt to pass the guards at the farther end of
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  Speaker 1: the trip, where was no clear eyed Griffith on guard.
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  Speaker 1: What more plausible that a modification of the plan already
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  Speaker 1: rehearsed for Long to tell the wardens that Griffith had
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  Speaker 1: sent him to telegraph to the sheriff. Let him once
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  Speaker 1: pass those warders on any pretext that would be final betrayal.
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  Speaker 1: For all his shrewdness, there was no possibility that Long
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  Speaker 1: and Bransford could complete their escape on that lame sorrow.
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  Speaker 1: He would not be allowed to get much of a start,
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  Speaker 1: just enough to betray himself. Then he Griffith would bring
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  Speaker 1: him back in triumph. It was a good scheme, all
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  Speaker 1: things considered. It reflected great credit upon mister Griffith's imagination.
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  Speaker 1: As in Poe's Game of Odd or Even, where you
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  Speaker 1: must outguess your opponent and follow his thought, mister Rex
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  Speaker 1: Griffith had guessed correctly in every respect. Such indeed had
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  Speaker 1: been mister Long's plan, only Rex did not guess quite
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  Speaker 1: often enough. Mister Long had guessed just one layer deeper,
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  Speaker 1: namely that mister Griffith would follow his thought correctly and
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  Speaker 1: also follow him. Therefore, mister Long switched again. It was
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  Speaker 1: a bully game, better than poker. Mister Long enjoyed it
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  Speaker 1: very much, just as Rex expected. Toby allowed himself to
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  Speaker 1: be over persuaded and rode the sorrel horse he renamed
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  Speaker 1: the sorrel horse Goldie on the spot, saddled him awkwardly,
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  Speaker 1: mounted in like manner, and rode into the shadowy depths
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  Speaker 1: of Double Mountain. Once he was out of sight, mister
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  Speaker 1: Griffith followed, despite the angry protest of mister Steele, alleging
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  Speaker 1: falsely that he was going to try for a deer.
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  Speaker 1: Toby rode slowly up the crooked and brush lined canyon.
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  Speaker 1: Behind him, cautiously hidden came Griffith, the hawk eyed Avenger,
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  Speaker 1: waiting at each bend until mister Long had passed the
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  Speaker 1: next one for closer observation of how mister Long bore
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  Speaker 1: himself in solitude. Mister Long bore himself most disappointingly. He
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  Speaker 1: rode slowly and awkwardly, scanning with anxious care the hillsides
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  Speaker 1: before him. Not once did he look back, lest he
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  Speaker 1: should detect mister Griffith. Near the summit, the Goldie horse
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  Speaker 1: shied and jumped. It was only one little jump, whereunto
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  Speaker 1: Goldie had been privately instigated by mister Long's thumb. Thumbing
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  Speaker 1: a horse, as done by one conversant with equine anatomy,
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  Speaker 1: produces surprising results. But it caught mister Long unawares and
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  Speaker 1: tumbled him ignominiously in the dust. Mister Long sat in
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  Speaker 1: the sand and rubbed his shoulder. Goldie turned and looked
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  Speaker 1: down at him in unqualified astonishment. Mister Long then cursed
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  Speaker 1: mister Bradford's sorrel horse. He cursed mister Bransford for bringing
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  Speaker 1: the sorrow horse. He cursed himself for riding the sorrow horse.
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: He cursed mister Griffith with one last, longest, heartfelt, crackling,
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  Speaker 1: hair raising, comprehensive and masterly curse for having persuaded him
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  Speaker 1: to ride the sorrow horse. Then he tied the sorrel
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  Speaker 1: horse to a bush and hobbled on foot, saying it
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  Speaker 1: all over backward. Poor Griffith experienced the most intense mortification
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  Speaker 1: except one of his life. This was conclusive. Bransford was
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: reputed the best rider in Rainbow. This was Long. He
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  Speaker 1: was convinced positively, Finally, and irrevocably. He did not even
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  Speaker 1: follow mister Long to the other side of Double Mountain,
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  Speaker 1: but turned back to camp, keeping a sharp eye out
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  Speaker 1: for traces of the real Bransford, to no effect. It
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  Speaker 1: was only by chance, a real chance, that, clambering on
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  Speaker 1: the gate post's cliffs to examine a curious whirl of nights,
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  Speaker 1: he happened to see mister Long. As he returned. Mister
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: Long came afoot leading the sorrel horse. Just before he
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  Speaker 1: came within side of camp, he led the horse up
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  Speaker 1: beside a boulder, climbed clumsily into the saddle, clutched the
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: saddle horn, and so rode into camp. The act was
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  Speaker 1: so natural a one that Griffith, already convinced, was convinced again,
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  Speaker 1: the more so because Long preserved a discreet silence as
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: to the misadventure with the sorrel horse. Mister Long reported
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: profanely that the men on the other side had also
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: been disposed to arrest him, and had been dissuaded with difficulty.
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: Though I guess I must look some like Bransford, though
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: I would never a guessed it, reckon, nobody knows what
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: they really look like. Chances are a feller wouldn't know
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: himself if he met him in the road. That squares you, kid,
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: No hard feelin's not a bit. I certainly thought you
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: were Bransford at first, said Griffith. Well, the black eyed
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: one a stone. He's coming round on the west side now,
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: cutting a sign. You'll be all ready to start for
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: as Candido as soon as he gets here. Gr say,
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: you don't want to wait for the sheriff if he's
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: up on Rainbow. You wire a lot of your friends
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: to come on the train at nine o'clock tonight. Sheriff
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: can come when he gets back. There ain't but a
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: few horses, said Escondido. You get Pappy Sanders to send
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: your gang out in a wagon such as can't find horses.
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: Better take in both of ours, gird, said Griffith. He
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: knew Long was all right, as has been said, but
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: he was also newly persuaded of his own fallibility. He
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: had been mistaken about Long being Bransford. Therefore he might
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: be mistaken about Long. Being long in this spirit of humility,
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: he made the suggestion recorded above, and was grieved that
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: Long indorsed it. And I want you to do two
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: errands for me. Kid. You give this to Pappy Sanders,
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: the storekeeper you know here he produced the little eopus
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: from his pocket, and tell him to send it to
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: a jeweler for me, and get a whole board in
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: it so it'll balance. Want to use it for a
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: watch charm when I get a watch. And if we
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: pull off this Bransford affair, I'll have me a watch now.
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: Don't you lose that. It's turquoise, worth a heap of money. Besides,
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: he's a lucky little horse. I'll put him in my
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: pocket book. Said good. Better give him to Pappy first off,
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: else you're liable to forget about him. He's so small.
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: Then you tell Pappy to send me out some grub.
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: I won't make out, no Bill, he's grub steak in
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: the mine. He'll know what to send you. Just tell
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: him I'm about out of patience. Tell him I want
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: about everything there is, and I want it quick and
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: a jar for sour dough. I broke mine and get
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: some newspapers. He hesitated perceptibly. See here, boys, I hate
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: to mention this, but oh, Pappy, him and this Jeff
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: Bransford is pretty good friends. I reckon, Pappy won't much
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: like it to furnish grub for you while you're puttin
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: the ki wash on. Jeff, you'd better get some of
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: your own. Yet, see how it is, don't you tain't
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: like it? Was? My Chuck Stone came while they saddled.
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: He spoke apart with Griffith as to mister Long and
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: a certain favor he bore to the escaped bank robber,
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: But Griffith, admitting his own self to set in that line,
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: outlined the history of the past. Unhappy night, Stone, who
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: had suffered only a slight misgiving, was fully satisfied. As
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: Steel started for the railroad. Mister Stone set out to
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: complete the circuit of Double Mountain, in the which he
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: found no runaway tracks, and Griffith and Long, sleeping alternately.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: Especially Griffith, kept faithful ward over the gloomy gate of
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: Double Mountain. End of Chapter thirteen