by J. T. Edson
The Kid made another search along the wall and to the rear of the saloon, he came back with a piece of wood in his hand. It fitted to the splintered portion and on the tip of it was blood. Beyond that there was nothing at all to find and no sign which might tell him what kind of person the killer might be.
‘Let’s get back inside,’ suggested Dusty.
The five men who backed Collins looked uneasy as Dusty and the Kid returned. The one who’d done all the talking so far spoke up.
‘Look, Cap’n,’ he said. ‘We weren’t in on no killing with Cultus. Knew him from way back and I said we’d help him to shake down a job of scout on a wagon train. That was when he came in a few days back. This afternoon he rode out, told us he was after seeing the wagon master and we didn’t have cause to disbelieve him. He come back and allowed they wouldn’t take him on. Then when Hooks Hammer, him that lit out through the window, told us the wagon master had just rode in we thought we could throw a scare into him and make him take Cultus on. We didn’t even know the scout was dead.’
‘These boys have been around town for some time now, Cap’n,’ put in the bartender. ‘And Collins only rode in a couple of days back.’
The gunman threw a grateful look in the bartender’s direction. ‘That’s true. Cultus allowed he was doing a riding job for somebody but didn’t say who. We sure wouldn’t have backed him had we known he’d killed a man.’
There was nothing in the man’s expression which might show he was lying and Dusty was inclined to believe him.
‘Who did this hombre see when he went down that alley back there?’ asked Red, stepping forward.
‘I don’t know. We heard this voice call to Cultus, was sorta muffled like the speaker didn’t want to be known. He asked us to make sure nobody came down the alley and went along it. We never saw who it was and all he said was that it was his boss.’
Again there was nothing against this being the truth. Red knew none of the other men went down the alley with Collins and likely couldn’t have seen what happened at the other end.
‘What now, Dusty?’ he asked.
‘Depends. Where’s the town law, bartender?’
‘Out to his house, about three miles down the Bisbee trail, allows the night air’s bad for him.’
‘He could be right at that,’ drawled Dusty, glancing at the broken window. ‘That’ll take some fixing.’
‘Sure,’ agreed the bartender bitterly, for his saloon was not the best patronized in town and the repairs would wipe out most of his week’s profit.
‘Hammer was with you bunch.’ Dusty remarked, eyeing the gunmen. ‘Was I asked I’d say you should pay for the repairs.’
The five men exchanged glances but did not argue. They dipped their hands into pockets and forked out enough money to cover the repair of the window then leave a bit over. The bartender grinned out his gratitude as he scooped the money into his cash drawer.
‘Now drift,’ drawled Dusty.
The men went with signs of obvious relief. Red Blaze watched them go and then swung to face Dusty.
‘Whyn’t you hold them?’ he asked.
‘In a town where the law spends its time three miles outside?’ replied Dusty. ‘What’d be the use of that?’
Dusty looked down at the body on the floor. Tom Blade’s killer was dead, Dusty was sure of that. Now it remained to get the man or men behind the killing. There was more to Tom’s death than an attempt to take over the scout’s job, it did not pay well enough to warrant such action. More, there was the shot which wrote finish to Collins. That shot, fired to stop him talking, meant the killer’s boss was on hand.
‘You didn’t need that Sharps bullet after all,’ remarked the Kid. ‘And I don’t see why you ever did.’
‘Aimed to show it to Collins and say we found it at those rocks, see if I could trick him into making a mistake,’ Dusty explained, then looked at Red. ‘How did you come into this?’
‘Was doing like you said, watching the other street, for the first sight of old Tom, when this gal come along and got into a fuss. I helped her out, found who she was and started to bring her to you. When I saw you head this bunch off I set to and followed them. I didn’t figure it’d come to Tom being killed but reckoned you’d want to know where they went. Then I thought whoever called Collins down the alley might show up again, so hung on.’
‘You did the right thing,’ Dusty stated.
‘For once,’ agreed the Kid. ‘Say, what’d you tell that gal? She was like to walk all over us.’
‘Didn’t tell nothing but the truth,’ grinned Red.
‘It should happen to you one day,’ growled Mark. ‘Did you learn anything out there, Dusty?’
‘Nothing much at all.’
‘From what I saw it looked like a thirty-six caliber gun,’ remarked the Kid.
‘Which same’s what I thought,’ agreed Dusty. ‘Tolerable fair shooting at that. Just a quick aim, one shot and Collins wasn’t talking any more. It’s time we were gone. Tend to him for us, bartender.’
The man behind the bar nodded. Collins had been sporting a fair roll of money which would more than cover the cost of his burying. He watched the Texans leave the saloon and came around to attend to fetching the local undertaker.
‘Not much notice taken of the shooting,’ Mark remarked as they walked along the street. ‘Nobody seems bothered one way or another.’
‘A bad town,’ was Dusty’s reply. ‘It’ll change, fact being it’ll have to change when Backsight grows.’
‘Say, that Hammer hombre might have headed to the livery barn to collect his hoss,’ growled the Kid.
‘It’s not likely,’ replied Dusty. ‘He’ll hole up somewhere until he knows we’ve left town. I’m more interested in who left the train and came into town.’
They collected their gear from the hotel at which they’d stayed while waiting for the wagon train. Then collecting their horses rode out of the town. There was no interest shown in their going as there had been none in their arrival. They left the town where the law spent its nights well outside, where a man died and no thought was given to him by the citizens. That was Hammerlock and the Texans were well pleased to be clear of it.
The fires of the wagon train showed up well in the night and the four Texans headed towards them. They saw the train’s stock held to one side and turned their horses in that direction. The guard was not asleep and a challenge rang out in the darkness.
‘Captain Fog and party,’ Mark called with a grin at the others.
A big shape loomed up astride a horse and nursing a Spencer rifle. His voice was respectful as he peered towards Dusty.
‘The Colonel allowed you’d be along, Captain,’ he said. ‘I’m Jim Lourde, was the Colonel’s sergeant-major in the War.’
‘Jim Lourde, of Chickamauga?’ said Dusty, ‘I’m pleased to meet you, Jim.’
Lourde took the hand which was held out to him. The four Texans shook hands with the man who gained some fame by rescuing wounded under fire at the Battle of Chickamauga. The War was not mentioned again though for Lourde pointed to the circle of wagons and the gathering around the large fire in the center.
‘Meeting going on,’ he remarked. ‘There’s some worried by who’s going to ride scout now Tom’s gone. I’d have liked to be there but I always ride herd this near a town, keep the sentries on their feet.’
‘Many folks gone into town?’ asked Dusty.
‘None that I know of. Of course them who keep their horses by the wagons could go without my knowing.’
That was more than likely, Dusty thought. He told the others to leave their horses and walk the rest of the way in. They attended to the big stallions first, then shouldered their saddles and headed for the wagons. Lourde rode with them and showed Dusty the Raines’ wagons. The Texans left their saddles under the Raines’ living wagon and then headed for the group by the fire.
There was nothing unusual about the meeting around the fire. It was a tradition on wagon train
s that any matter of general interest be discussed at night and around the fire. There everyone who wished could stand up and speak, make a point and have it answered. The business of the train would be settled in the hearing of all, any decision made at the fire must be abided by.
A big burly man dressed in the usual manner of a bull-whacker was on his feet and in the center of attention, as he spoke in a loud voice. ‘I don’t reckon we should take some kid for a scout. He’s likely not even dry behind the ears yet.’
The crowd’s attention faded and died away as the four Texans came into the light of the fire and headed for Colonel Raines, who stood with his daughter to one side of the speaker. ‘Who’re you?’ growled the bull-whacker.
The Ysabel Kid moved forward until he stood before the man. His face was a hard cold Comanche mask as he looked the bull-whacker up and down.
‘Feel behind my ears, hombre,’ the Kid said quietly, yet his words carried around the crowd.
‘What?’
‘You’re not that deaf. Feel behind my ears.’
The bull-whacker’s scowl deepened as he dropped his eyes to examine the Kid’s dress and armament. ‘Are you the Ysabel Kid?’
‘If I’m not my mammy carried the wrong papoose for months. Feel at my ears.’
The bull-whacker was a big, hard and tough man, but knew he was matched against someone just as hard, tough and even more dangerous. The Kid’s hands were at his sides but that meant nothing. He could get to his Dragoon gun easy enough. Then the bull-whacker saw the bowie knife and read the signs right. It would be to that razor-edged fighting tool the Kid’s hand flashed if trouble began and the Kid would not waste time in fist fighting. If the bull-whacker started anything he would need to push it through to the end and the end would be death for one of them. Slowly his hand lifted and felt at the Kid’s ears, then dropped to his side again.
‘Wet or dry?’ asked the Kid.
‘Dry.’
‘Say it louder. You spoke up loud enough before.’
‘Dry!’ repeated the bull-whacker in a voice which carried around the circle of watching and listening people. With an angry scowl he turned and walked to where four more of his kind squat on their heels.
Raines moved forward to stand by the side of the Kid. ‘We’ve heard what Bull Gantry had to say,’ he announced. ‘Now I’d like you to hear what the Ysabel Kid says. He’ll ride scout in Tom’s place. I also want you to meet Captain Dusty Fog and Mark Counter. I propose to hand over the duties of wagon master to Captain Fog for the rest of the trip.’
There was a rumble of talk went up through the crowd at the words. Every eye was on the small man who had become a legend in his own time. One of the men let out a rebel war yell which others took up.
‘That’s good enough for us,’ someone whooped. ‘We’ll follow Cap’n Fog like we followed you, Colonel.’
‘Reckon you ought to hear what Miss Considine’s got to say when she wakes up,’ growled the man called Bull Gantry.
A tall, well-dressed woman came through the crowd. She was a beautiful and elegant woman, almost five foot ten inches tall with blonde hair taken back in a severe way and a face which looked cold and haughty. Her riding habit was rumpled but revealed a plump yet hard-fleshed figure.
‘I’m awake, Colonel,’ she said in a husky contralto voice. ‘Are these the men you intend to take as scouts?’
‘They are.’
They look young for such a responsible position,’ Miss Considine went on, blue eyes going to Dusty, Mark and the Kid for Red had drawn back from the fire at the first sign of possible trouble to watch the crowd without being noticed.
‘I’ve been troubled by that ever since I was born, ma’am,’ drawled the Kid. ‘But took all together we’re one tolerable old man.’
Miss Considine snorted. ‘You must remember, Colonel, that we have to reach Backsight and show improvement on our land by the end of the month or title is revoked and the land thrown open for re-sale by your default.’
‘I know that, ma’am,’ agreed Raines. ‘So do all these others, which is why we’re putting Captain Fog in command. They know more about this business than I and so I leave it to them.’
‘Do they know the way to Backsight?’ she asked.
‘Never been out that way afore, ma’am,’ Dusty admitted. ‘But we know a lil mite about finding our way about and the Colonel’s likely got good maps.’
‘That I have,’ said Raines. ‘Tom was using them, for he’d not been to Backsight either. Does that satisfy you?’
‘I go along with the majority,’ Miss Considine replied.
‘Do you aim to use this pass through the mountains that Gantry’s been telling us about, Captain?’ asked a man.
‘I don’t know until the Kid’s looked it over,’ Dusty replied.
‘Gantry allows it’ll cut three or four days off the journey,’ said another of the travelers. ‘We was wondering—’
‘I’ll tell you as soon as I know,’ Dusty replied firmly. ‘Now I reckon we’d all best try and get some sleep.’
The crowd had it laid before them. They could see Dusty didn’t aim to be forced into a decision he might regret later and they did not press the matter. It was decided they would follow the route Tom Blade laid down until an investigation of the pass could be made. The meeting broke up and the travelers made for their family fires.
‘Did you learn anything in town, Dusty?’ asked Louise eagerly. ‘I mean about—!’ The words ended as she saw Red Blaze standing to one side. ‘You!’
‘Me,’ agreed Red with a grin.
‘But Mark and the Kid told me—’ Louise began, then stopped as she saw the grins on the Texan faces.
‘Red’s my cousin,’ Dusty explained. ‘He was watching the other street. Fact being Lon’d just come from him when we tangled with Collins.’
‘Then he’s not a—a—’
‘Whatever these bunch told you’s likely all lies,’ Red remarked.
Louise swung to face Mark and the Kid, who looked remarkably unashamed at the way they libeled Red.
‘You unmitigated pair of scoundrels!’ she gasped but there was a twinkle in her eyes. ‘I’ll get my revenge, see if I don’t.’
‘Man!’ breathed the Kid. ‘Did you hear what she called us, Mark. You want to remember that and call it ole Jimmo back to the OD Connected.’
Louise wondered how she could get her own back on the two cowhands. She was aware that they liked and accepted her or they would never have played the joke on her. She knew they would like her even better if she turned the tables on them.
‘Hey, Louise,’ called a voice and Maisie Simons came over carrying a large and freshly baked apple pie. ‘Yen made this, I wonder if your friends would like it!’
Louise caught the eager gleams in the eyes of the four Texans and took the pie from Maisie. They headed for the Raines wagon and the girl carefully sliced the pie in two pieces handing one to Red and giving the other to Dusty.
‘Hey!’ yelled the Kid. ‘Where’s ours?’
There was a triumphant gleam in Louise’s eyes as she grimly warned, ‘This’s only the beginning.’
‘What’s all this about, Louise?’ asked Maisie. ‘I brought the pie for all four of your friends.’
Louise explained the reason for her discrimination and at the end of it the Kid and Mark found they now had two enemies.
Mark caught Dusty’s sign and knew his pard wanted to have a chance to talk undisturbed with Colonel Raines. He was about to draw the others clear when Dusty looked at Maisie.
‘I didn’t see you around the fire, ma’am.’
‘No,’ Maisie answered. ‘I was asleep in my wagon. I think the ride was more than usual today, I don’t usually fall asleep like that.’
Dusty nodded then turned to Raines. Mark knew this was his sign and started the others off talking by telling a completely false story of Red on a coon hunt. Red yelled his fury at the lie and brought up one of his own about Mark which kept Maisie an
d Louise laughing.
Pulling to one side Dusty told Raines all that happened in Hammerlock and they discussed the killing of Collins.
‘And you think somebody on the train was working with Collins?’ asked Raines.
‘It looks more than likely. Had we more time I’d send Red and Mark back along your train to ask around and find out if Collins was in any other town you passed. He might have been following you and just waiting his time to hit.’
‘Why wait until now?’
‘This’d be as good a place as any,’ Dusty replied. ‘Hammerlock’s the last chance for him and his pard on the train to have a definite meeting point. There’d be no way whoever’s on the train could be sure of the route Tom’d lead you across the range. But he could be sure you’d go by Hammerlock as the last stop before the open country to Backsight.’
‘He could even be sure we would skirt that prairie-dog village across the stream too,’ Raines put in thoughtfully. ‘Which narrowed his chance of missing us.’
‘I thought of that,’ drawled Dusty. ‘Then there’s another thing. Most any other place along your route there’d be lawmen who’d go right into a killing. Not at Hammerlock, there's not that kind of law in Hammerlock. The last thing is that out beyond Hammerlock you could be lost or delayed or stopped the easiest,’
‘Who do you think killed Collins?’
‘I don’t even start to know, Colonel. It was a thirty-six gun and whoever used it was a tolerable fair shot. Right now I reckon we should try and get some sleep, we’ll be rolling out early comes the morning.’
The four Texans spread their bedrolls under the second of the Raines’ wagons and Red looked across the circle to where Maisie Simons was climbing into her wheeled home.
‘Nice gal that,’ Mark drawled. ‘Been around some, I’d say.’
‘Sure,’ agreed the Kid. ‘She’s a mite too free and easy for an eastern widder-woman. It’s a real pity I’ll be riding scout. I bet she bakes a mean biscuit.’
‘I’m more interested in how her boots got so dirty,’ Dusty put in, for Maisie had been dressed in a blouse, divided skirt and high-heeled riding boots. ‘Her having been in the wagon and asleep. She doesn’t look like the kind of woman who’d go to bed, or even doze off, without she’d cleaned up her gear for the next day.’
