by Judith Pella
Since it was late in the evening, they decided to leave for Waco at dawn. Carolyn knew she wasn’t the only one praying that this would not be another wild-goose chase. It was their last hope, it appeared, to untangle the deepening mystery of Leonard Stoner’s death.
72
The last thing Matt Gentry wanted to do was to be subtle around Sean Toliver. The man was a scoundrel, a rustler and, worse than anything, a philanderer. Matt could forgive the first two offenses, but the last took more Christian virtue than he had. It never occurred to Matt that Sean might really care for Carolyn. He had seen the foreman in action around other women and knew his motives to be less than sincere.
When Matt finally laid eyes on Sean, his first instinct was to send a fist into the man’s oily grin. But since he had been unable to locate Sean immediately, he’d had some time to cool off. Moreover, Jacob had a plan, and it involved keeping Sean ignorant of their knowledge until he led them to Laban.
Matt, scratching his head and looking deeply puzzled, sauntered up to Sean in the stable that afternoon as the foreman was unsaddling his horse.
“Howdy, Boss. Nice to have you back.”
“I can’t exactly say the same,” replied the foreman, “especially if that look on your face means more trouble.”
“Naw, I don’t think it’s anything like that—just kind of peculiar is all. Funny thing just happened as I was riding in. This here stranger—a Mexican fella—rode up to me and asked if I’m with the Stoner outfit. When I told him I was, he gave me a message.”
“Yeah? For who?”
“For Laban Stoner. The fella said to tell Laban that if he’d like to see his brother to come up to Buck’s Canyon tomorrow at sundown. Ain’t his brother dead, Boss?”
“That’s what I thought.”
“So, what do you think I ought to do about it? I can’t very well give Mr. Stoner the message. He’s been missing since that ruckus with his pa last week.”
“Give his father the message.”
“That fella was real careful to insist I tell nobody else about this, especially his pa.”
“Then forget it.”
“Mr. Stoner ain’t gonna be none too happy if he comes back and finds out no one told him.”
“That’s his problem.” Sean heaved his saddle off his mount, lugged it to the saddle rack, then strode away, not giving Matt a backward glance.
****
Toliver waited until a couple of hours after sundown to make his move. Matt and Jacob were ready for him.
It looked as if Jacob had guessed right. Before Laban disappeared, he must have given Sean instructions on how to reach him in an emergency. They had a rustling business to run, and Laban couldn’t just abandon that. Of course, there was still the possibility that Laban wasn’t involved in the rustling. It had just been Jacob’s assumption. In which case, Sean would not lead Matt and Jacob to Laban. But no matter what, Matt was determined to put an end to Toliver’s schemes tonight.
Sean took the trail south of the house that followed the dried riverbed. But just at the point where the trail veered toward town, Sean cut away north instead of south to town. It was hard going, trying to follow a man in such open country. Matt and Jacob stayed back, figuring they probably wouldn’t lose Sean because there were few places for a man to go. In fact, after two hours of trailing Sean, Jacob felt fairly certain he knew just where the man was heading.
“It comes back to me,” Jacob said quietly to Matt as they rode. “There is a pretty ravine about ten miles northeast of here. When we were boys, my brother and I used to go there to catch wild horses. No one knew about it but us, not even our father. We loved having a secret from him. Once he beat us trying to find out where we captured the fine horses we brought home. But Laban and I had made a pact that we’d die before we’d tell.”
“And you never told?”
“No, and we still live! My father gave up eventually. It was one of our few victories over him.”
“You know any other ways to get there without following Toliver?”
“Yes. But if I’m wrong we’ll lose Toliver and my brother.”
“We’re bound to lose him anyway at the pace we have to go to keep him from spotting us. I say it’s worth the risk.”
They made better progress after that, not having to be so cautious about Toliver, but the trail Jacob cut was a lot rougher than the other. It was longer, too, perhaps adding an hour to their trek. The flat, open country around the dry riverbed became hilly as they reached the eastern end of the ridge where Buck’s Canyon was located far to the west. The ravine turned out to be the source of that river, dried for eons. It had steep walls and only a few acres of grass at its bottom.
Wild horses no longer grazed here. Either they’d found new territory, or, more likely, someone else had discovered the ravine and captured the animals long ago. To Jacob, who was thinking of happier times there with his brother when they were young, it had an eerie, disquieting appearance.
“There’s a cave down there,” Jacob said quietly, “where my brother and I used to camp, sometimes for two or three days. No one at the ranch ever missed us,” he added with a hint of melancholy. “They didn’t care much what we did.”
“I see two horses down there. If that’s it, it’s a good guess one is Toliver’s. We have a couple hours till sunup. Maybe we ought to wait till then.”
“Let’s leave our horses here, get down closer to the cave, find some cover, and keep an eye on things. Unless they make some move before, we’ll wait until dawn and then try to talk them out.”
“You think it’ll be that easy?” asked Matt skeptically.
“I hope so. That’s my brother down there.”
They tethered their horses to a clump of mesquite where they would be well hidden by the tree-size bush, then started on foot down the steep side of the ravine.
****
Sean Toliver had debated about taking Gentry’s message to Laban. It was a long ride out to the ravine. And he was still saddle-sore from the even longer ride to the ranch where he and Laban were keeping their stolen cattle until they could drive them to a fellow in Dodge City who made a habit of not looking too closely at brands. But the appearance of this stranger might be significant. Most certainly he was Laban’s only full brother, who for the last twenty years had been thought dead. For one thing, this brother stood in the way of Laban’s inheriting Caleb’s ranch. Of course, Laban had never been sure of his inheritance anyway; that’s why he’d gotten into the rustling business a couple of years before. Nevertheless, it might not be wise to sit on this kind of information.
All the way out to the ravine, Sean tried to figure a way to use his information to his best advantage. He had never intended to share half the proceeds of their business with Laban. He wanted it all, especially that ranch Laban had bought. Laban, of course, was expendable; Sean was only waiting for the best moment to take care of his partner, when he ceased being useful to Sean.
Sean wasn’t a killer, at least not in the sense that he liked killing. But he was a man who insisted on getting what he wanted, no matter what it took. When Caleb’s pretty little granddaughter showed up, Sean immediately saw an opportunity to come out way ahead on this whole deal. Besides the profits on the rustling, he figured he could marry her and one day get all the Stoner holdings as well. That was another very good reason for eliminating Laban. And the girl offered a very convenient way to do that, too. If Laban could get nailed for the murder of his half brother, that would effectively put him out of the picture without forcing Sean into more unpleasant tactics.
Then things began to get complicated. First, there had been a couple of attempts on Carolyn’s life. Sean could never prove that Laban was involved, but it was a good bet, and that was another reason to get rid of Laban. Then Sean had to go north to supervise the receipt of the cattle from Buck’s Canyon. When he returned, he found that Laban had disappeared, so he couldn’t do anything about Laban right away. Laban had left him a note
telling where he was hiding. Still, Sean did not want to act hastily, especially since the girl seemed to turn cold on him all of a sudden. If only he’d had more time to charm her…but a man did have to work, too.
Now this brother had to turn up in the midst of everything. Even if Sean killed Laban and married Carolyn, he’d have a slim chance of getting the Stoner place. Before the girl showed up, he hadn’t given a thought to taking over the Bar S outfit. But in the last few weeks, he had come to like the idea. He liked it very much.
All he had to do was kill both brothers and marry Carolyn.
To someone with a self-image as lofty as Sean’s, those were not insurmountable obstacles. And with these things in mind, he had made his decision to tell Laban about the return of his brother. He also considered the possibility that the brother sent his message with the hope of following the person who delivered the message to Laban’s hiding place. So he wasn’t surprised when he spotted the two riders on his tail. But it was disconcerting when he appeared to lose them after a couple of hours. It would have been very convenient to get both brothers alone in that isolated ravine.
Laban was at the cave at the bottom of the ravine when Sean arrived. A pot of coffee was heating over a small, smokeless fire at the mouth of the cave. The coffee was more welcoming than Laban.
“What’s wrong?” asked Laban without preamble the moment he saw Sean.
“I got a peculiar message for you,” Sean answered. “But first, I’ll have some of that coffee.” He had to get a cup out of his own saddlebag, and by the time he’d poured his coffee and settled by the fire, Laban was fuming. “Now, don’t get all upset, Laban; we have to have cool heads to figure all this out.”
“Then get on with it. What message?”
“It’s from a fellow claiming to be your brother; and if you want to see him you have to be up at Buck’s Canyon at sundown tomorrow.”
“What did he look like?”
“I didn’t see him myself, but the man he spoke to says he was Mexican.”
“That’s all he expects me to go on?”
“I didn’t give the message, I’m just delivering it. I thought it might be important, since your brother is supposed to be dead, or at least has been missing for years.”
“I don’t like this.”
“I thought you’d be delighted to see your brother after all these years.”
“Why should I? I mourned for him twenty years ago, and all would be better if he would stay dead. If it turns out he has been alive all these years without ever contacting me, why should I care about him?”
“That wasn’t very thoughtful of him, was it? Won’t make it any easier to share your pa’s ranch with him.”
Laban gave a derisive grunt. “What makes you think I would be willing to share a thing?”
Now, that was an interesting statement. Sean felt sure it was aimed as much at him as it was at the brother.
“I wasn’t ready to share with that no-account niece of mine,” Laban continued. “Why should I do so with a brother who walked out on me?”
“So it was you who hired a gun to take care of the girl?”
“Does that surprise you?”
“Not at all.” It was quite obvious that Laban didn’t have the guts to do his own killing. How could anyone believe that he had killed his half brother nineteen years ago? More importantly, how could Sean trust that Laban would actually follow through in killing Jacob? Sean would just have to trust himself for that job.
In the few hours that were left before daylight, Sean slept with one eye peeled and a hand on his Colt. A gunshot wakened him as the first signs of sunlight streaked the sky. The shot blasted a hole in the rock that formed the lintel of the cave. Sean stayed down, and Laban, who had been on watch, sprawled flat on the ground.
“You idiot!” hissed Laban. “You were followed.”
“What better place than this lonely ravine to meet your long-lost brother?” sneered Sean. “I think I’ve done you a favor.”
73
If Laban had ever imagined seeing his brother Jacob again, it certainly would never have been this way—at the end of drawn guns. But if it was Jacob out there, Laban was not about to let sentiment cloud reality.
He drew his six-gun and carefully crawled to the mouth of the cave to get a look outside. He saw nothing but scrub and rocks and mesquite. Whoever had fired on them was well hidden, probably behind those boulders fifty-some yards from the cave. And, for the time being, they had the advantage because they could keep Laban and Sean trapped in the cave indefinitely, or at least until they died of thirst.
“What kind of favor have you done, Toliver, by getting us trapped in here?” asked Laban caustically.
“I think we ought to be able to talk our way into a better position. If that is your beloved brother, he isn’t going to be anxious to kill you.”
That made sense. Jacob had no reason to kill Laban. That first shot was probably just a signal to let them know of new arrivals. Laban took a breath. He had to start thinking more clearly. Too much was at stake. He had already botched attempts to get rid of that niece of his. Now another barrier threatened what he had waited for so long. But could he kill his own brother? He had hired someone to go after the girl, and he cared less than nothing about her. But Jacob was different. He had meant something to Laban once.
“Who’s out there?” Laban shouted, determining to take Sean’s advice.
“Laban, is that you?” came a voice from approximately the direction Laban had guessed. “It’s me, your brother Jacob. I’ve come home.”
“How can I be sure of that?” But even as Laban asked, he could tell by the sound of the voice. It was Jacob’s, though perhaps deeper and rougher than the voice of the twenty-year-old Laban had once known.
“I recognize your voice, Laban, although it’s been twenty years. What proof do you want?” There was a pause, then, “I think I can tell you how you got that scar over your left eyebrow. You were riding Leonard’s favorite horse—I think its name was Thunder—and our half brother knocked you off. You cut your head on a sharp rock as you fell. You were eight years old at the time.”
“What do you want?”
“After twenty years, Laban, I’d think that would be obvious. I want to see you.”
“Why do you suddenly have this urge? You let me think you were dead all these years—you should have just continued to do so.”
“I’m sorry, Laban. My life has not been such that I could be free in all I did. I’ve been an outlaw, and I’ve been living in Mexico. It’s not much of an excuse, I know. I guess once I was away from our father’s place, I wanted to forget all about it. Forgive me for doing that to you.”
“Why do you come now, shooting?” asked Laban, purposely ignoring Jacob’s request for forgiveness.
“Just to let you know we’re here. No more shooting, I promise.”
“You’re not alone.”
“No. I’m with a Bar S hand named Matt Gentry. He’s been concerned about the rustling at the ranch.”
Sean cursed and whispered, “They’re on to us.”
But Laban said to his brother, “What has that to do with me?”
Gentry answered, “I know for a fact Toliver has been receiving Stoner cattle at that ranch north of here. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he knew right where to find you, Mr. Stoner.”
“You’ll have a hard time proving any of this,” said Laban.
“Laban,” Jacob said, not realizing the implication of his words, “right now only Gentry and I know about this. You can quit the rustling, return the profits to the Bar S Ranch, and avoid all consequences.”
Sean smiled and whispered to Laban, “All we have to do is eliminate these two, and we’ll be in the clear.”
Laban’s choices were evident. He could trust his brother, who had always been a man of his word, give up, and try to wait patiently for whatever his father willed to him. Or, he could follow Sean’s urging to gun down the only two m
en who stood in his way of getting what he wanted.
Well, he’d been patient long enough. How many times in the last twenty years could he have killed his father and received his due? But he had waited, hoping it would come to him eventually. And now Jacob was back, and Leonard’s child. His hope was gone. Caleb would probably kill him on sight for what he tried to do to Carolyn. As far as an inheritance went…it was foolish even to entertain the idea any longer.
“Jacob,” Laban spat, “you always were a fool. I have no more hope of mercy from our father than I have of ever getting his ranch.”
Sean whispered to Laban, “Keep him talking. I’m gonna slip out and try to circle around them.” He checked his six-gun to make sure it was loaded and his belt had plenty of ammo; then he filled his pockets with extra cartridges and cradled his Winchester in his arms.
Laban didn’t like being stuck in the cave with Sean out free, but he figured Sean had as much to gain from getting rid of Jacob and Gentry as he did.
“Caleb was seen just a few days ago talking to his lawyer,” he went on, “and I heard with my own ears that he plans to leave the ranch with Leonard’s runt.”
Sean had reached the mouth of the cave and was inching out on his stomach. Some brush and a few large rocks stood nearby for cover, but after that he would be pretty much in the open, especially as the morning gray began to lighten. He’d need more of a distraction than mere talk could provide.
“You don’t need his ranch, Laban. You can make a life for yourself without him. That would be the best thing you could do. Break away from him before it’s too late.”
“It’s already too late. I’ve invested too much of my life in this place to give it up.”
“And what will you do about those who stand in your way?”
For an answer, Laban fired toward the boulders.
“Laban, you don’t want to do this,” pleaded Jacob.
“I’m through with waiting; I’m through with talk. If you stand in my way, Jacob, then I am through with you.” Laban fired again, this time his shot shattering an edge of the rock.
