House of Winslow 14 The Valiant Gunman

by Gilbert, Morris

  The simple gesture was so unexpected, so foreign to all that Hope had known, she stood before him in shock. Then the gentleness of it brought fresh tears to her eyes—hot and scalding. She turned quickly to stare out into the darkness. Dan said nothing, for he could see her shoulders shaking as she tried to control her tears.

  Finally she turned back and lifted her eyes to him. “I—think it’ll be good for us to leave here, Dan.”

  “Are you afraid of me?” he asked.

  “No—” she said slowly, “not of you.” She turned away again to face the darkness outside, and he didn’t hear the rest of what she said, for she whispered softly, “I’m afraid of me!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  “WE’LL TURN WOLF!”

  When Hope and Dan got into the wagon at dawn, both of them turned to look back at the cave. “Guess I’ll never forget this place, Hope,” Dan said. Shaking his head, he added, “Kind of a Garden of Eden before the Fall. Now we’ve got to go back to face all the problems.”

  Hope was feeling much the same way, but she managed a smile for him. “It’ll be something to remember—one of the good things.”

  He slapped the horses with the reins, and they made their way through the trees. The rain had stopped, but the air was still cold. As the wheels made a squashing noise in the soft ground, Dan said, “We’ll go to Gus Miller’s place. I’ll get a horse from Gus, and you need to get back home.”

  “Aren’t you going with me, Dan?”

  “No. I’ve got to lie low for a while. I want to do some prowling around. Find out what’s been going on.”

  Hope had been worried about what Dan would do concerning the ambush, and now she put it into words. “Dan, you know who tried to kill you, don’t you? What will you do about it?”

  Winslow sat loosely on the seat, his eyes searching the trees ahead in an alert fashion. For a few moments he remained silent, then spoke in a manner that contained an odd note of hesitation. “Well—it’s a funny thing about that, Hope,” he finally replied. “From the time I got hit, I was planning on a manhunt. That’s the way I’ve always lived—when you get hit, get the man who’s behind it. The old eye-for-an-eye business, and I know that game pretty well. And what made it worse was the fact that it had to be the Littletons who killed my partner, Logan Mann. No way they could have had his knife unless they took it off his body. It belonged to his father, the only personal thing he had from his dad. I may never find his body, so the law won’t ever do anything about his murder. But he was my friend, and where I come from, we have a habit of taking up for friends.”

  A white-tailed deer suddenly stepped out of the brush over to their left, and his snort of sudden surprise set Dan’s impulses off. He drew his gun and aimed at the animal, acting with lightning reflex—then chuckled as the deer whirled and fled in that beautiful rolling gait common to the breed.

  Dan laughed shortly and holstered his gun. “Guess I’m a little jumpy,” he said. He gave her a smile, then shook his head with a puzzled motion. “But the thing is, ever since you pulled me out from under that tree, I’ve been thinking about this thing. And what I’ve come up with is—something in me is different. I just don’t hate those fellows like I would have before.”

  “So you won’t be taking revenge on them?” Hope asked.

  “Guess not. Funny thing.”

  “That’s the way it is with Christians, Dan,” Hope said quietly. She was happy for him and put her hand on his arm in an open gesture. “I’m so glad for you!”

  He was embarrassed by his confession, but the sight of the warmth in her eyes made him feel a release. “I’ll probably stub my toe a few times,” he said. “Feel like a baby in a lot of ways.”

  “Pa will be so happy to hear about it,” Hope said. She realized she was still holding his arm and quickly let her hand drop. There was still a shyness in her toward him, but she had thought for a long time about the tenderness of his caress.

  They spoke of the problems that lay ahead for a time, then fell silent. Three hours later they came in sight of Gus Miller’s place, and as they drove out into the clearing, Dan said, “There’s Gus—”

  Gus Miller ran forward to meet them, his face tense. “Dan, get into the house!” He grabbed the cheek straps of the team, throwing out his words rapidly. “I’ll put the team in the barn—Hope, get inside with him.”

  Dan helped Hope to the ground, and the two of them ran up the steps and through the door that Betty Miller held open. Her two children, Stonewall, age ten, and Eileen, eight, stood back watching them carefully. “Hope—!” she said, agitation on her face. “Are you all right?”

  “Why yes, Betty,” Hope answered. She started to speak but turned to the door, for Gus came in, breathing hard, relief on his face.

  “What’s happening, Gus?” Dan demanded.

  Miller stared at him, his black eyes going hard. “Arrow hands been nosin’ around the place the last few days,” he said. “I don’t think any of them saw you. You see anybody on the road?”

  “No,” Dan said. “I figured they’d be looking for me. I need a horse, Gus, and I’ll get out of the way.”

  Miller shook his head. “No place for you to run, Dan. Caudill’s got the crew movin’ like an army. You know what’s happened here?”

  “No. What’s going on?”

  Miller’s lips grew thin, and he allowed the bitterness that had been building up in him to tinge his tone of voice. “Head’s done what I always said he’d do—clean out the valley.” He spoke rapidly, sketching out the visits Arrow had made to all the settlers and small ranchers. He ended by saying, “The chips are down now, Dan. If we don’t move, Caudill will turn that crew loose on us.”

  “I need to get back to Anchor,” Hope said instantly.

  “Hope—” Betty Miller said, then paused and gave her husband a helpless look.

  There was something in the exchange that made Hope’s heart grow cold. “What is it, Betty? Is it Cody? Has he been hurt?”

  Betty hesitated, compassion turning her lips soft. “It’s your father, Hope. He’s very sick.”

  Miller slapped his hands together, anger in his rigid back. “Jack Hines beat him up! I’ll lay a gun on that dirty dog for it, though!”

  Hope said, “I’ve got to go to him!”

  “Sure,” Miller nodded. “But you’ve got to keep out of sight, Dan.” He paused and a thought came to him. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, “You gettin’ out? Wouldn’t blame you much with that Ash Caudill on your trail.”

  They all looked at Winslow, but he shook his head, his lips forming a stubborn line across his tanned face. “No, I won’t be leaving, Gus. But I can’t stay here. If you’ll lend me a horse, I’ll clear out.” He turned to Hope, saying, “I’ll be in to see Amos tonight. It’ll be late, but I’ll be there.”

  “Be careful, Dan!” Hope whispered, her eyes on him. Then she turned and they all went outside. Dan helped Hope into the wagon, then paused and gave her an odd look.

  “Thanks for taking care of me,” he murmured. Then he slapped the horse, and as the wagon pulled away, he turned to Gus. There was a hard, careful look in his eyes. “Let’s have that horse, Gus.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Miller roped a fine-looking bay, put a saddle on it, then noticed for the first time that Winslow was limping badly. “You took a bullet?” he demanded. He listened to Winslow’s quick review of the ambush, then nodded. “The Littletons? Not too surprised about that, Dan. But you can’t do much with a bad leg.”

  Winslow shook his head, saying, “I’ll make it. You hear anything about my place?”

  “Saw Kincaid yesterday. He came by to see if I’d laid eyes on you. Said Caudill and his bunch came by. Gave him a week to move your stock, just like they did me.”

  Winslow eased himself into the saddle. It was a painful process, but he endured it with only a grunt. “What will you do, Gus?” he asked.

  Miller looked up at him, and there was a black despair in his eyes. “I’d fight if
there was a chance, Dan. I can’t make it without the graze Arrow’s taking over—and Head knows that.” He shoved his hat back, revealing a shock of coarse black hair. There was a wildness and a recklessness in Miller that he had to fight to contain, and now he exploded, “Blast it, Dan! What’s a man to do? I’ve got Betty and the kids to think about—but it sure does grate me to hunker down before Silas Head!” He shook his muscular shoulders in a gesture of suppressed rage, then gave Winslow a sudden look. “You gonna buck Arrow, Dan?”

  Winslow lifted the reins, but said only, “Meet me tonight at Anchor, Gus. Can you get the word around to some of the other men?”

  Miller brightened instantly. “Sure, Dan, most of ’em are pretty down. They sort of gave up after you disappeared, but most of ’em will come for sure.”

  “See you, Gus.”

  “Keep yourself out of sight, Dan—” Miller called out after Winslow. He turned and walked to the corral where he saddled a well-muscled black gelding, then swung into the saddle. Riding up to the porch, he called, “Betty—!” When his wife came out, he said, “I’m gonna get everyone together for a meeting at Anchor. It’ll be late when I come back.”

  “Gus, will we be able to stay on this place?” Betty asked anxiously.

  Miller gave a quick glance toward the disappearing figure of Dan Winslow, and then looked back to his wife, saying, “We got a chance, Bet. It all kind of hangs on what that big fellow does.” He leaned down, and she came to take his kiss. She clung to him, whispering, “Be careful! Oh, be careful, Gus!”

  ****

  The living room of the house was far too small for the group of men that showed up at Anchor. When it became apparent that they’d have to meet somewhere else, Hope said, “Zane, take some lanterns to the barn.”

  “Sure, Sis,” Zane agreed. He hesitated, then asked, “You think Dan will do something?”

  Hope turned to look into the youthful face of her brother and wished that she could help him through the bad time she felt was coming. “I don’t know, Zane.”

  “Well, you must have talked about it,” Zane persisted. “I mean, what did you do all that time you were hid out with him?” He saw a flush rise to Hope’s face and quickly blurted out, “Oh, my gosh, Sis! I didn’t mean—!”

  Hope smiled at his confusion, went to him, and gave him a hug. “I know, Zane. But Dan is changed. He found God when he was shot and thought he might die.” She frowned, then bit her lip in a puzzled fashion. “If that hadn’t happened, I know what he’d have done—but now, he’s different.”

  “You mean he won’t fight?” Zane demanded.

  “Go on to the barn, Zane,” Hope said. “I’ll be down as soon as I see to Pa.”

  Zane left and Hope heard him say, “Let’s go to the barn. More room there.”

  She turned and went to the bedroom where her father lay, and found Cody sitting beside him. He had spent much time with his grandfather, and it seemed to Hope almost as if the boy feared that if he left Amos would die. Now she went over and sat down on the other side of the bed. “Pa?” she said quietly. “Are you awake?”

  The flesh had withered away on Amos Jenson’s emaciated body, and his face had a skeletal appearance. Doc Matthews had made three trips, and each time he had been less optimistic. “Nothing I can do, Hope,” he had said on his last visit. “Not much we doctors can do anyway—except set a broken bone or take out a bullet.”

  “Will he live, Doctor?” Hope had asked.

  Matthews had carefully scrutinized her, as if judging her in some way. Finally he shook his head, saying gently, “No, Hope, I don’t think so. He’s weaker every time I see him—and there’s only one end to that.” He had added, “I love your father, Hope—and it’s my prayer that he’ll go quickly. He’d hate to be a burden on anyone. He’s ready to meet God.”

  Now Hope saw her father’s eyelids tremble, then open. He had been alert and clear in his mind almost constantly. Now he saw her and smiled faintly. “What are the men here for?”

  Hope hesitated, then explained. “Gus Miller rode all over the valley. Dan wanted all the men here tonight.”

  “I want to see Dan as soon as he comes,” Amos said. He turned his head toward his grandson. “Cody, will you go watch for him?”

  “Sure, Grandpa!”

  Cody left at a run, and they heard Buck bark suddenly as the boy left the house. “How do you feel, Pa?” Hope asked.

  “I don’t complain,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand.

  “You never do,” she murmured. “Why do you want to see Dan?”

  “I want to ask him to do something for me,” Amos said. He looked at her, then said, “You know, Daughter, I never had much tact—but now that I’m short of time, I don’t have any at all.” She tried to protest, but he cut her off. “I’m going to die, but every one of us has to do that.” He shifted in the bed, then seemed to gather his strength. “Hope, do you love this man Winslow?”

  His abrupt question took Hope by surprise, and she lifted one hand quickly to cover the flush that rose to her cheek. Thoughts fluttered through her mind like butterflies, but she put them aside resolutely, looked down at her father’s wasted face—and knew she must give him the truth.

  “He’s—the most gentle man I’ve ever known, Pa.” She told him a little about what happened when they were together in the cave, then swallowed hard and said, “I guess you know I’ve been scared of men for a long time. But I’m not afraid of Dan. I don’t know if that’s love, Pa.” He was watching her intently, and she continued, “I feel—oh, safe, I guess is what I feel. Now that he’s been saved, I want—well, I feel like I could trust him with anything.”

  “That’s not a bad way to think of love, Daughter,” Amos mused. Each word came slowly, for he was like a man with a limited number of coins, and he spent them sparingly. He let the silence run on, then said, “He’s a strong man. Zane and Cody both know that. Cody, especially, is drawn to him, though he don’t know why. The boy’s always wanted a father, and I’ve tried to fill in as best I could. But I’ve watched the two, and if you could love the man, it’d be good for Cody to be raised by a man like that.” He seemed to grow weary and closed his eyes. She had to lean forward to catch his words: “Dan Winslow’s the kind of man you should’ve married in the first place—”

  Hope sat beside him, holding his hand, and ten minutes later she heard the door open. Turning around, she saw Dan enter. She motioned to the chair on the other side of the bed, and then turned to whisper, “Pa—Dan’s here.”

  Amos opened his eyes slowly, took in Winslow and said, “Glad you got here, Dan.”

  “Sorry I wasn’t here to help, Amos.” Dan was shocked at the sight of the elderly man, for he saw at once that Jenson was dying. He pulled the chair close to the bed and sat next to Amos. “Let me tell you what happened—” He related his conversion experience, concluding, “I think if I hadn’t been around to listen to you preach, I wouldn’t have made it, Amos. And I’ll always thank you for that.”

  Amos smiled and nodded. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard in a long time, Dan. I thank God you’re in the family.” He coughed, seemed to strangle, and Hope quickly got a glass of water and held him up to drink it. When Amos lay down again, he seemed stronger. His eyes fixed on Winslow, and he asked, “What are you aiming to do about this trouble, Son?”

  Winslow looked up to meet Hope’s eyes, then back to Amos. “If I was the same man I was before I met God, Amos, I’d fight Arrow to the last breath. But now—I don’t know what to do.” He looked sad as he sat there, the strong planes of his face harsh in the shadows of the lamp. “The Bible says ‘Thou shall not kill.’ And I don’t see any way to fight without killing.”

  Amos said, “Son, every good man I ever heard of had to fight that out within himself. Weren’t there a lot of Christian men in your outfit?”

  “Sure, lots of them.”

  “Well, they fought, didn’t they? Do you think they weren’t saved men?”

&
nbsp; “I know they were Christians, Amos.” Dan sat there trying to make up his mind, then asked, “Are you telling me to fight?”

  Amos nodded. “I hope you will, Dan. This is a terrible world, not what God intended it to be. Not what it will be when Jesus comes back. But until He comes, men have to defend their families. Soldiers have to fight for their country. Peace officers have to carry guns to protect the weak. Do you see that, Son?”

  Winslow nodded slowly. “I guess I do, Amos. And it’s what I’ve made up my mind to do. I hate the thought of it, and if it was just me, I’d ride on. But I can’t leave you and Hope and the boys to face trouble.” He looked up again, meeting Hope’s eyes, then said, “I’ve got to tell you, Amos, I’ve got a strong feeling for your daughter. She probably won’t have anything to do with a man like me, but if I get through this thing alive, I’ll probably be coming around a lot.”

  Amos had listened to Dan carefully, and when he heard this, he seemed to relax. “Son, that’s good news for me. I been lying here praying that you’d stay. Now I don’t need to worry about anything.” He lifted his hand, and Dan took it. “Now, go do what you got to do. You’ll be in God’s hands—but Hope and me, we’ll be here praying for you all. Here, I’d like you to have this—” He picked up a small black Bible, thick and dog-eared with use, and handed it to Dan. “I’ve carried this many a day, and I hope it’ll be as precious to you as it has been to me.”

  Dan took the Bible, held it for a moment, then put it in his shirt pocket. “I’ll treasure it, Amos.” Then he reached out and took the hand of the old man, saying quietly, “I wish my dad were here. Maybe you’d like to give me the blessing he can’t, Amos.” He knelt beside the bed and leaned forward; then a holy light came to the eyes of Amos Jenson, and he reached out, placing both his hands on Winslow’s head. He began to pray, invoking the blessings of God on the big man.