their distant pursuers on the main trail. De Spain and his scouts now felt assured of their escape. The foot-hills contingent was left far behind, and, though their remaining pursuers rode in at times with a show of rushing, the chase was a stern one, and could be checked whenever necessary. Halting at times in this way to breathe their horses, or to hold off the rear pursuit, de Spain with his two companions and their prisoner rode into Sleepy Cat, locked Sassoon up, and went to the Mountain House for breakfast.
CHAPTER VII MAINTAINING A REPUTATION
Experienced men, therefore, in the high countrymen of that class who, wherever found, are old in the ways of the world, and not promptly moved by new or youthful adventuredismissed the incident after hearing the details, with the comment or the conclusion that there would hardly be for de Spain more than one additional chapter to the story, and that this would be a short one. The most active MorgansGale, Duke, and the easy-going Satterleewere indeed wrought to the keenest pitch of revengeful anger. No question of the right or wrong of the arrest was discussedjustification was not considered. It was an overwhelmingly insolent invasionand worst of all, a successful invasion, by one who had nothing but cool impudence, not even a budding reputation to justify his assault on the lifelong prestige of the Gap clan. Gale Morgan strode and rode the streets of Sleepy Cat looking for de Spain, and storming.
De Spain himself, somewhat surprised at the storm he had kicked up, heeded the counsel of Scott, and while the acute stage of the resentment raged along the trail he ran down for a few days to Medicine Bend to buy horses. Both Gale and Duke Morgan proclaimed, in certain public places in Sleepy Cat, their intention of shooting de Spain on sight; and as a climax to all the excitement of the week following his capture, the slippery Sassoon broke jail and, after a brief interval, appeared at large in Calabasas.
This feat of the Morgan satellite made a loud laugh at de Spains expense. It mitigated somewhat the humiliation of Sassoons friends, but it in no wise diminished their expressed resolve to punish de Spains invasion. Lefever, who as the mixer among the stage men, kept close to the drift of public sentiment, decided after de Spains return to Sleepy Cat that the stage-line authorities had gained nothing by Sassoons capture.
We ought to have thought of it before, Henry, he said frankly one night in Jeffriess office, but we didnt think.
Meaning just what, John? demanded de Spain without real interest.
Meaning, that in this country you cant begin on a play like pulling Sassoon out from under his friends noses without keeping up the pacewithout a second and third act. You dragged Sassoon by his hair out of the Gap; good. You surprised everybody; good. But you cant very well stop at that, Henry. You have raised hopes, you have led people to invest you with the faint glimmerings of a reputation. I say, the glimmerings, because such a feat by itself doesnt insure a permanent reputation, Henry. It is, so to say, merely a demand reputationone that men reserve the right to recall at any moment. And the worst of it is, if they ever do recall it, you are worse off than when before they extended the brittle bauble to you.
Jingo, John! For a stage blacksmith you are some spieler. De Spain added an impatient, not to say contumelious exclamation concerning the substance of Lefevers talk. I didnt ask them for a reputation. This man interfered with my guardin fact, tried to cut his throat, didnt he?
Would have done it if Frank had been an honest man.
That is all there is to it, isnt it? If Sassoon or anybody else gets in the way of the stages, Ill go after them againthats all there is to it, isnt it?
Lefever tapped the second finger of one fat hand gently on the table. Practically; practically all, Henry, yes. You dont quite understand, but you have the right idea. What I am trying to hammer into your dense
cocoanut is, that when a man has, gets, or is given a reputation out in this country, he has got to live up to it.
What do you want me to doback a horse and shoot two guns at once up and down Main Street, cowboy style?
Lefever kept his patience without difficulty. No, no. Youll understand.
Scott advised me to run down to Medicine Bend for a few days to let the Morgans cool off.
Right. That was the first step. The few days are a thing of the past. I suppose you know, continued Lefever, in as well-modulated a tone as he could assume to convey information that could not be regarded as wholly cheerful, that they expect to get you for this Sassoon job.
De Spain flushed. But the red anger lasted only a moment. Who are they? he asked after a pause.
Deaf Sandusky, Logan, of course, the Calabasas bunch, and the Morgans.
De Spain regarded his companion unamiably. What do they expect Ill be doing while they are getting me?
Lefever raised a hand deprecatingly. Dont be overconfident, Henry; thats your danger. I know you can take care of yourself. All I want to do is to get the folks here acquainted with your ability, without taking unnecessary chances. You see, people are not now asking questions of one another; they are asking them of themselves. Who and what is this newcomeran accident or a genuine arrival? A common squib or a real explosion? Dont get excited, he added, in an effort to soothe de Spains obvious irritation. You have the idea, Henry. Its time to show yourself.