The Magnetic North Part 95

"And Charlie said if I gave the other feller the tip, he wouldn't come.

And he'd get even with me, if it took a leg!"

"Well, it looks like he done it."

"Can't you prove an alibi? Thought you said you was along with the rest to Idaho Bar?" suggested Windy Jim.

"So I was."

"I didn't see you," Maudie flashed.

"When were you there?" asked the Judge.

"Last night."

"Oh, yes! When everybody else was comin' home. You all know if that's the time Charlie usually goes on a stampede!"

"You----"

If words could slay, Maudie would have dropped dead, riddled with a dozen mortal wounds. But she lived to reply in kind. Charlie's abandonment of coherent defence was against him. While he wallowed blindly in a mire of offensive epithet, his fellow-citizens came to dark conclusions. He had an old score to pay off against Maudie, they all knew that. Had he chosen this way? What other so effectual? He might even say most of that dust was his, anyway. But it was an alarming precedent. The fire of Maudie's excitement had caught and spread. Eve the less inflammable muttered darkly that it was all up with Minook, if a person couldn't go on a stampede without havin' his dust took out of his cabin. The crowd was pressing Charlie, and twenty cross-questions were asked him in a minute. He, beside himself with rage, or fear, or both, lost all power except to curse.

The Judge seemed to be taking down d.a.m.ning evidence on the dirty envelope. Some were suggesting:

"Bring him over to the court."

"Yes, try him straight away."

No-Thumb-Jack was heard above the din, saying it was all gammon wasting time over a trial, or even--in a plain case like this--for the Judge to require the usual complaint made in writing and signed by three citizens.

Two men laid hold of the Canadian, and he turned ghastly white under his tan.

"Me? Me tief? You--let me alone!" He began to struggle. His terrified eyes rolling round the little cabin, fell on b.u.t.ts.

"I don' know but one tief in Minook," he said wildly, like a man wandering in a fever, and unconscious of having spoken, till he noticed there was a diversion of some sort. People were looking at b.u.t.ts. A sudden inspiration pierced the Canadian's fog of terror.

"You know what b.u.t.ts done to Jack McQuestion. You ain't forgot how he sneaked Jack's watch!" The incident was historic.

Every eye on b.u.t.ts. Charlie caught up breath and courage.

"An' t'odder night w'en Maudie treat me like she done"--he shot a blazing glance at the double-dyed traitor--"I fixed it up with b.u.t.ts.

Got him to go soft on 'er and nab 'er ring."

"You didn't!" shouted Maudie.

With a shaking finger Charlie pointed out Jimmie, the cas.h.i.+er.

"Didn't I tell you to weigh me out twenty dollars for b.u.t.ts that night?"

"Right," says Jimmie.

"It was to square b.u.t.ts fur gittin' that ring away from Maudie."

"You put up a job like that on me?" To be fooled publicly was worse than being robbed.

Charlie paid no heed to her quivering wrath. The menace of the cotton-wood gallows outrivalled even Maudie and her moods.

"Why should I pay b.u.t.ts twenty dollars if I could work dat racket m'self? If I want expert work, I go to a man like b.u.t.ts, who knows his business. I'm a miner--like the rest o' yer!"

The centre of gravity had s.h.i.+fted. It was very grave indeed in the neighbourhood of Mr. b.u.t.ts.

"Hold on," said the Judge, forcing his way nearer to the man whose fingers had a renown so perilous. "'Cause a man plays a trick about a girl's ring don't prove he stole her money. This thing happened while the town was emptied out on the Little Minook trail. Didn't you go off with the rest yesterday morning?"

"No."

"Ha!" gasped Maudie, as though this were conclusive--"had business in town, did you?"

Mr. b.u.t.ts declined to answer.

"You thought the gold-mine out on the gulch could wait--and the gold-mine in my cabin couldn't."

"You lie!" remarked Mr. b.u.t.ts.

"What time did you get to Idaho Bar?" asked Corey.

"Didn't get there at all."

"Where were you?"

"Here in Rampart."

"What?"

"Wait! Wait!" commanded the Judge, as the crowd rocked towards b.u.t.ts: "P'raps you'll tell us what kept you at home?"

b.u.t.ts shut his mouth angrily, but a glance at the faces nearest him made him think an answer prudent.

"I was tired."

The men, many of them ailing, who had nearly killed themselves to get to Idaho Bar, sneered openly.

"I'd been jumpin' a claim up at Hunter."

"So had Charlie. But he joined the new stampede in the afternoon."

"Well, I didn't."

"Why, even the old cripple Jansen went on this stampede."

"Can't help that."