‘You still want to take that bet?’ Cassidy asked.
Hearst tipped back his hat. ‘If this is him, I’ll pay up, gladly.’
The man maintained his steady pacing until his horse stood on the edge of the campsite. He dismounted and faced Cassidy.
‘Cassidy,’ he said.
‘Nathaniel,’ Cassidy said, standing up.
‘I answer to Nat now.’
‘You used to answer to your given name, Nathaniel .’
‘I used to do plenty of things.’ Nat flashed a smile. ‘Why do you want me?’
‘A Wanted poster says you’ve committed crimes.’
‘That means nothing.’
‘I know that.’ Cassidy kicked a branch into the fire. ‘But it isn’t my job to decide whether you did wrong or not.’
‘It isn’t as simple as right and wrong.’ Nat shrugged. ‘I just pushed the rules too far.’
‘You didn’t push the rules. You broke them.’
‘I was trying to survive. As a bounty hunter, that isn’t easy.’
‘Then you should have stayed a lawman. The rules are more obvious.’
‘I made my choices.’ Nat sighed and lowered his head. ‘But you need to know that you weren’t to blame for anything I’ve done.’
‘I already knew that.’
Nat raised his head. ‘I just assumed that was why you were here.’
‘Then you assumed wrong.’
‘And you’ll remove your gunbelt,’ Hearst said, rolling to his feet.
Nat glanced at Hearst and then turned his gaze back on Cassidy.
‘I’m not doing that because you aren’t arresting me.’ Nat raised his hands to chest level with the palms facing Cassidy. ‘But I am turning myself in to you, and I give my word that I won’t run.’
‘You’re not dictating anything to—’
‘Enough, Hearst,’ Cassidy said. He kicked a heap of dust over the fire and pointed to Nat’s horse. ‘Nathaniel has given his word, and we’ve got a long journey ahead of us.’
Chapter Eleven
At a canter, the three riders headed east along the trail. Cassidy led, Nat was in the middle, and the still skeptical Hearst brought up the rear.
Faced with a four-day journey back to Monotony, Cassidy dreaded the lengthy taut silences that he expected would fill the days ahead, although these were more preferable than having to talk to his old friend.
Sure enough, for three hours they rode in silence using a steady, mile-eating pace. When the sun was at its highest and they were heading through an outcropping of cottonwoods beside a rounded hillock, the first rider they’d seen today headed down the slope towards them.
Cassidy saw nothing in the rider’s steady gait to suggest he was trouble, but when the man was fifty yards away, he turned in the saddle to check that Hearst was also alert.
Hearst was watching the rider, but Nat was sitting firm in the saddle, his gaze boring into the newcomer.
Cassidy swirled round, but it was to see the approaching rider rip his gun from its holster and aim it down at him.
‘Stop right there,’ the rider shouted, pulling his horse to a halt.
‘Do nothing hasty,’ Cassidy said, raising his hands. ‘We’re just—’
‘Spenser, what are you doing?’ Nat shouted.
The rider, Spenser, shrugged. ‘I’m here to free you.’
Cassidy glanced at Nat. ‘Is this gun-toter your partner?’
‘Yeah, and he’ll put down his gun when he knows you won’t arrest him.’
Spenser nodded. ‘Nobody is arresting anyone. I’m just here to save Nat from himself.’
‘I’m obliged for the thought, but I made my decision last night,’ Nat said. He sighed and then glanced at Cassidy. ‘Can I speak to him, in private?’
Cassidy shook his head. ‘You don’t get this, Nathaniel, do you? I’m taking you in, and you aren’t giving me orders.’
‘I’m not. I promised I’d come quietly, and I will. Let me prove that you can trust me.’
Cassidy glanced over Nat’s shoulder at Hearst, who returned a bemused shake of the head, but Cassidy still nodded.
Spenser dismounted and the two men walked away from them. They stopped beside an outlying tree where, with much gesticulating, they argued, but about exactly what, Cassidy couldn’t hear.
Hearst drew his horse alongside him and tipped back his hat.
‘We’ve got two wanted men, both armed,’ he said, ‘and we’re letting them discuss whether or not they want to be arrested. This isn’t any version of the law I understand.’
‘It isn’t, but trust me.’ Cassidy flashed Hearst an encouraging smile. ‘Sometimes, you do what you have to do to keep the peace.’
As Hearst shook his head, Nat turned from Spenser, but Spenser grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Then the two men faced each other, repeatedly waggling fingers in each other’s faces and grunting demands at each other.
By degrees, the gesticulating and arguing lessened and, with a last pat on the back from Spenser, Nat turned and strode back to Cassidy.
‘I’ve agreed with Spenser that I’ll ask you a question,’ he said.
‘Save yourself the trouble,’ Cassidy said. ‘I’m not offering you and Spenser any deals.’
‘I’m not looking for one. I’ll tell you what we’re doing, and whatever you decide, I’ll still hand myself in. Then Spenser will take his chances, but being as he has a drawn gun, I guess you’ll have to track him down in the usual way.’
Cassidy glanced at Spenser, confirming he still had his gun drawn, but he was resting it in the crook of his elbow.
‘All right. Tell me what you’re doing.’
‘We’re bringing in Rodrigo Fernandez.’
Cassidy snorted. ‘I’m sorry, Nathaniel. I don’t believe that. You’re part of his gang.’
‘We were in the trading post with other members of Fernandez’s gang, but that’s how we work. We infiltrate, gain contacts, gather inside information.’
‘Then you capture outlaws and collect the bounty?’
‘Yup.’
Cassidy leaned forward, a hand on his hip and his gaze searching Nat’s eyes.
‘And sometimes, you keep the outlaws’ money for yourselves?’
‘Sometimes we do that.’
‘And sometimes, you steal the money before the outlaws get their hands on it?’
Nat’s eyes flickered with a hint of something, perhaps doubt, perhaps shame, before he blinked it away.
‘I can’t explain to you what we do, but I guess we look for opportunities .’
‘What are you looking for here?’
‘Only what I’ve said. Let us bring in Fernandez.’
‘Letting you and Spenser talk has pushed my principles to the maximum. I can’t let two wanted men go free even if it is to catch another wanted man.’
‘I’m one of those men, and I’ll come quietly afterwards.’
Cassidy glanced at the surrounding low hills, sighing.
‘I want to trust you,’ he said. ‘So, prove that you’re not seeking one of your opportunities and I will.’
‘I’ve got no proof, but if I help bring Fernandez to justice, I guess that might reduce my sentence.’
Cassidy considered Nat, seeing in his earnest gaze that desire to do right that he’d seen in him the first time they’d met, but he still shook his head.
‘It might, but you used to bring outlaws to justice because it was your job.’
Nat lowered his head and when he raised it his eyes were blank, but he still nodded and paced towards his horse.
‘Hey, you can’t walk away from me,’ Spenser shouted.
Nat turned. ‘I did what I asked. I made my offer. Cassidy refused it. The matter is closed.’
‘It isn’t to me.’ Spenser thrust his gun in its holster and stormed two long paces towards Nat.
Nat shook his head and moved to mount his horse, but Spenser pounded across the ground and grabbed his arm. He pulled hi
m round to face him.
‘How will you stop me?’ Nat said.
Spenser glanced away, but he swirled back and with a short-armed jab, hammered his jaw. Nat shrugged off the blow and pounded a round-armed slug into Spenser’s guts.
Spenser snorted and hurled himself at Nat. He grabbed him in a firm neck hold, bent him double, and tried to pull him to the ground.
On his horse, Cassidy glanced at Hearst, who had already drawn his gun and trained it down at the fighting twosome, but he provided a bemused smile. Cassidy drew his gun, too, and watched the fight, but Nat and Spenser appeared to have forgotten about their audience as they slugged out their differences.
Nat set his feet into a wide and firm stance and threw out his arms, hurling Spenser away from him. Spenser stumbled back a pace and Nat wrapped his arms around Spenser’s midriff. Then, with his arms bunched, he tried to wrestle Spenser to the ground.
Spenser resisted, wrapping an arm around Nat’s chest, and the two men circled on the spot, wriggling as each man tried to pull the other man down. Neither Spenser nor Nat succeeded and they rocked back and forth.
Then Spenser’s foot slipped and, taking advantage of him being momentarily off-balance, Nat kicked his legs from under him. As Spenser still had a grip of Nat’s chest, the two men tumbled to the ground.
Nat twisted out from Spenser’s grip and with both hands, pinned Spenser’s shoulders to the dirt. Spenser squirmed, trying to buck Nat, but with Nat’s weight bearing down on him, he failed to move him, and he lay back.
‘Join me,’ he said.
‘I’m not,’ Nat snapped.
Cassidy coughed and favored them with a wide smile.
‘If you two gentlemen have finished discussing what you want to do,’ he said. His high and false voice dragged a chuckle from Hearst. ‘I’d be most obliged if you’d let me tell you what you’ll do.’
Nat and Spenser flinched, Cassidy’s taunt apparently dragging them back to the realization that two lawmen were watching them. Nat released his hold of Spenser’s shoulders and raised a hand.
‘ We are not joining you,’ he said. ‘I am, but Spenser isn’t.’
‘Nathaniel, I promise you that I’ll treat you both fairly,’ Cassidy said. ‘I’ll tell the court that you came peacefully and of your own choosing, but letting an outlaw go free because you want me to is too much.’
Nat sneered. ‘I will come with you, but Spenser goes free. That’s the deal, or you’ll face the longest four days of your life trying to keep me in line.’
‘Don’t threaten me, Nathaniel.’
‘He isn’t, but I am,’ a voice shouted from beside the trees.
Cassidy swirled round to see Dewey Wade step out from behind a tree with a gun drawn and aimed at him.
‘You couldn’t shoot your own foot off,’ Cassidy said, failing to keep the laughter from his voice.
‘When I’ve had as many drinks as I’d had when you last saw me, you’re right.’ Dewey raised his left hand and held it flat, showing Cassidy that it was still. ‘I’m cold sober, right now, and unless you step away from Spenser and Nat, you’ll be cold dead.’
‘Dewey, quit trying to be an outlaw and put down that gun.’
‘I can’t. Even I can better myself, and Spenser has convinced me that bringing in Fernandez will do that. So, I’m holding this gun on you until you release your prisoners and we can go after him.’
Cassidy chuckled a harsh laugh and raised his hands.
‘In that case I guess we’re going after Fernandez.’
‘Cassidy,’ Hearst said.
Cassidy raised a hand and turned to his deputy.
‘Hearst, a saloon bum is holding us at gunpoint demanding that we let him and two outlaws capture another outlaw.’ Cassidy smiled. ‘So, I reckon it’s time to bow to the absurdity of it all.’
Chapter Twelve
Two miles down the Bear Creek trail, Spenser peered over his shoulder.
‘Cassidy isn’t following us,’ he said.
‘I know,’ Nat said. ‘He gave his word.’
As Spenser rolled his shoulders and faced the trail ahead, Dewey punched the air.
‘I did good, didn’t I?’ he said.
‘Yeah, you did good,’ Spenser said.
‘That mean you’ll let me in on everything now?’
‘On everything,’ Spenser said and turned to Nat, who was still looking ahead, his jaw set firm. ‘Sorry I had to hit you, Nat.’
Nat rubbed his chin, the first hint of a smile since he’d left Cassidy invading his lips.
‘I reckon I won that fight.’
‘Perhaps, but I don’t understand you. You claim you’ll never go back on your word, but you’ve got no choice now. You promised Cassidy that you’d bring in Fernandez, except we aren’t doing that.’
‘We are doing that.’
‘In a way we are, but that doesn’t exactly explain our plans. You avoided lying by not mentioning some vital details. So either you’ll break your word to me, or you’ll break your word to Cassidy.’
For a full minute Nat rode on and then shrugged.
‘I don’t aim to do either.’
‘How?’
Nat sighed. ‘When I work that out, I’ll let you know.’
* * *
‘We can’t trust Nathaniel, surely?’ Hearst said.
‘We can,’ Cassidy said. ‘He gave me his word.’
Hearst drew his horse to a halt and leaned forward in the saddle, waiting until Cassidy turned on the trail and headed back to him.
‘So you said, but that was when we had him under arrest. Now that he’s headed off with Spenser on a mission to catch Fernandez, you can’t know for sure that we’ll ever see him again.’
‘We will – have no doubt.’ Cassidy frowned. ‘But why have you changed? Yesterday, you were all fired up to catch Fernandez and reclaim our dignity.’
‘I was, but I guess I don’t like who I’m working with now.’
‘You’re working with me.’
Hearst shrugged and shook the reins, hurrying his horse past him and back to their campsite.
* * *
‘Ah, our bounty hunters,’ Isaac Gillespie said, leaning back behind his desk in Bear Creek’s bank.
Nat and Spenser swung to a halt before the desk.
‘We want more information about this gold shipment,’ Nat said.
‘I gave you all the details.’
‘This time, we want to know the details that you didn’t tell us,’ Spenser said as he paced to Nat’s side. He raised his eyebrows. ‘Such as the name of the weak link in your system.’
‘There is no weak link.’
‘There always is. Somebody always passes information on to the wrong people.’ Spenser slapped his hands flat to Isaac’s desk. ‘So, who do you suspect?’
Isaac met Spenser’s gaze. ‘Nobody. I trust them all.’
‘Everybody has a price. Even you talked to us for five hundred dollars.’
‘That was the bank’s money.’
‘It was, and in return, you told us plenty.’ Spenser pushed himself up from the desk and stood with his arms folded. ‘We could have raised that money elsewhere and paid our way into your favor.’
Isaac glanced down. ‘You didn’t, did you?’
As Spenser chuckled, Nat tipped back his hat and smiled.
‘We didn’t,’ he said. He watched Isaac sigh with relief. ‘But Spenser was right that everybody has their price. So, tell us – who do you suspect to be the weak link in your delivery system?’
Isaac rubbed his chin and drummed his fingers on his desk, his eyes downcast.
‘I guess if you put it like that. . . .’
Chapter Thirteen
‘When do you reckon this raid will happen?’ Hearst asked.
Cassidy shrugged and rested his crossed feet on the seat before him.
‘Patience, Hearst. It’ll come soon enough.’
It was the day after they’d released Nat, and to Nat’s in
structions, they’d traveled back to Lincoln and boarded the train to Denver.
Isaac had claimed that the gold shipment had been loaded on to this train at Beaver Ridge, and that it would now be in the freight car. At some stage, known only to Isaac and a few others, the train would make an unscheduled stop and the gold would embark on its journey to Bear Creek.
It was then that Fernandez was most likely to raid.
So, Cassidy and Hearst had seated themselves in the passenger car behind the freight car.
With five men available, two on the train, and three off it, plus the shipment guards with the gold, Cassidy reckoned they had the resources to bring Fernandez to justice – even if one of the men on his side was Dewey Wade.
After six hours of waiting, neither the unscheduled stop nor Fernandez’s raid had materialized.
‘I haven’t seen as many guards as I thought I’d see,’ Hearst said.
‘Nathaniel said that the set-up might be unusual. Twelve heavily armed guards didn’t keep the last shipment from Fernandez’s clutches. He reckoned they might try a different approach this time.’
‘Either way, I can’t tell if any of the people on this train are disguised guards. Nor can I tell if any are in Fernandez’s gang.’
Cassidy shuffled down in his seat and used the movement to glance around.
Two seats back, a man was cleaning his fingernails with a knife. Opposite him, a man had dismantled his gun and was cleaning each part with the studied concentration of a man whose life depended on his weapon always being ready.
‘Some of these men look shifty-eyed,’ Cassidy said.
‘That’s the problem,’ Hearst said. ‘They all look shifty-eyed to me.’
Hearst cocked his head, signifying that Cassidy should look at the man sitting in the seat that was level with them. This man was repeatedly flicking his gaze towards the door at the front of the car while drumming his fingers on his leg.
Cassidy sighed and leaned back to avoid this man noticing that they were looking at him, but Hearst stood up and moved to the man’s side.
Hearst leaned towards the train window to look outside. When the man shuffled back and peered at him from under a lowered hat, he glanced down and tipped his hat. Then he returned to sit beside Cassidy.
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