CHAPTER XXIV

IN THE OPEN

Roderick Norton, every fibre of his body alive and eager, his blood riotous with the certain knowledge that the long-delayed hour had come, rode a foam-flecked horse into San Juan shortly after moonrise.  Galloway was striking at last; at last might Norton lift his own hand to strike back.  As he flung himself down from the saddle he was thinking almost equally of Jim Galloway, striking the supreme blow of his career, and of Billy Norton, whose death had come to him at Galloway’s command.  Galloway was gathering his forces, had delivered an initial blow, was staking everything upon the one throw of the dice.  And he must believe them loaded.

At the clank of spur-chain and rowel Struve came hastily into the hallway from his office.  He saw the look in the sheriff’s, eyes and demanded quickly: 

“What is it?  What’s happened?”

There were grim lines about Norton’s mouth, his quiet voice had an ominous ring to it.

“Hell’s to pay, Julius,” he retorted.  “And there’s little telling where it’ll end unless we’re on the jump to meet it.  Galloway’s come out into the open.  Kid Rickard and ten men with him, all Mexicans or breeds, crossed over into the next county yesterday, raided the county jail late this afternoon, shot poor Roberts, freed Moraga, and got away in a couple of big new touring-cars.  Every man of them carried a rifle and side-arms.”

“Killed Roberts, huh?” Struve’s frown gathered.

“He’s badly hurt, if not dead.  The Kid did the shooting.”

“Sure it’s Galloway’s work and not just the Kid’s?”

“Yes.  Only a couple of hours ago a lot of Galloway’s crowd was gathering up in the mountains.  They’ve gone to his cache for the rifles.  I have sent word for Brocky Lane and his and my cowboys.  It begins to look as though he were up to something bigger than we’ve been looking for.  And he’s sure of himself, Struve, or he wouldn’t have started things by daylight.”

Virginia had heard and came into the hallway from her room, her face white, her eyes filled with trouble.  Struve turned back into his room abruptly, going for his rifle.

“You heard?” asked Norton quietly.  “It’s the big fight at last, Virginia.  But we’ve known it was coming all along.”

“Yes, Rod.” she said half listlessly.  “I’ll be glad when it’s all over.”

He sketched for her briefly what little more he knew and suspected.  Throughout the county where there was telephone communication the wires were buzzing.  Over them the word had come to him of Kid Rickard’s attack on Roberts and the freeing of Moraga.  But in many places the lines were reported “out of order” and towns were isolated by cut wires.  Already men were riding sweating horses, carrying word from him.  He knew that del Rio had gathered a crowd of men at Las Vegas; he was certain that del Rio was working hand in glove with Galloway; further that the Mexican had been with Galloway on his recent trip below the border and among the revolutionists.