The Reluctant Bounty Hunter

by S G Read

  ‘Which are?’

  ‘You will know when I see it.’

  They both looked at the house in question Duncan through the rifle scope attached to the rifle and Brad through a telescope.

  ‘That is one of them.’ Brad exclaimed. ‘In the front bedroom.’

  Duncan looked at the bedroom and saw a man sitting with what looked to be a child on his lap. He has his pistol pointed at the child’s head.

  ‘Seems they have cooperation from the family below or lose the child.’ Duncan observed.

  ‘I can see legs on the bed as well, so I think there are two children in there with him so how do we do it?’

  ‘We wait Brad, we just wait.’ Duncan had a plan but he was not willing to suggest it yet, as one of the men was not upstairs. Therefore it followed that he had to be downstairs with the parents of the two children. He did not want to lose the parents or the two children and until Brad was able to point out the second outlaw it was possible he was shooting the children’s father.

  ‘Doesn’t seem much of a plan.’

  ‘Point out the other man and I will feel happier.’ Duncan replied.

  ‘Okay but look where I am looking and if the son of a bitch is not upstairs then sure as hell his is downstairs, so I am looking at the front window downstairs.’

  They both focused on the window in question and watched for what seemed an eternity before Brad spoke again.

  ‘That weren’t him.’ He suddenly declared as a face appeared at the window.

  ‘That must be daddy then.’ Duncan answered and they continued to watch.

  ‘That’s him!’ Brad cried when another man pulled the first man away from the window and thus showed himself in the same window.

  ‘Good now that I know who I am shooting at you can go back to Taylor and tell him that if I ring this bell once to go boiling in there as one is dead but the others is wise to what we are doing but if I ring twice he can go in slow and easy as both are out of action. The father might just pick up a fallen pistol when the outlaws are out of it, to protect his kids and I don’t want him shot by us!’

  ‘I’ll tell him.’

  Brad disappeared inside leaving Duncan watching the house. Now he was back to watching the bedroom with one outlaw and two children inside. He could easily have killed the outlaw but there was no telling what the children would do and the falling body might alert his partner, so he waited.

  Brad took the message back to Marshal Lincoln and settled down to wait for the bell to ring. A man was dispatched to the other end of the street to tell the others and then remain there rather than walk back past the house the outlaws were in.

  The sun traveled across the sky with relentless monotony while Duncan watched the bedroom. Every now and again he had to wipe his eyes quickly, or just blink several times if there was movement in the room. Finally he saw a woman bring a drink up for the man and the children and assumed she was the mother. She took the empty vessels back down and nothing more happened for what seemed to be an eternity.

  The other marshals waited watching the sun and judging when sundown would be as after sundown the men would surely come out and try to move on.

  With all waiting there can be no outcome or the outcome you want or even the total opposite of the outcome you want. Duncan waited his one eye watching without straying from the bedroom window until the woman reappeared this time with food. With her came her husband and the second outlaw which made Duncan become totally alert. The woman had food and the child on the outlaw’s lap moved to the bed to eat while the outlaw remained on the chair to eat. The second outlaw stood near the open doorway eating his food. He was being very careful not to get close to the window. Duncan considered shooting him and then the other man but he had to reload very quickly to manage before the nearest outlaw had dropped out of sight or killed one or more of the family in retaliation. He waited a little longer but determined that he had to shoot the rear man if he looked to be going out of the room. Suddenly the man on the chair stood up stretching as he did so. In doing so he was in front of the man in the doorway. Duncan did not hesitate, this was what he had been waiting and hoping for, he fired. The man who had just stood up flew backwards and the man behind him flew out of the door. Duncan used the light still coming from the rear bedroom and could just see the other man’s booted foot in the doorway. He aimed at it and waited a few seconds but it did not move. He moved to the bell, hooked the clapper with his pistol but and rang the bell twice then hurried back to watch what was happening in the room below. The husband had indeed picked up a pistol and was checking the man in the room. Then he moved on to check the man outside, very slowly and gingerly.

  The marshals arrived as he did so and he darted back from the doorway ready to fire if necessary. Duncan aimed at the pistol but waited to see what would happen before he shot the pistol from the husband’s hand. Nothing seemed to happen and no one appeared in the doorway leading Duncan to believe the marshals were talking to the man upstairs who finally lowered the pistol and moved to be with his family.

  Marshal Lincoln walked carefully into the room, he saw the other man on the floor and holstered his pistol. Now the man with his family relaxed and they all huddled together in a big group cuddle. Duncan started the climb down from the bell tower, with the rifle slung across his back and walked round to the house.

  By now the local sheriff was on the scene. He had heard the shot although he did not know where it had come from until a marshal invited him to join them, just in case they tried to arrest Duncan. They would be able to tell that his rifle had recently been fired. They need not have worried as no one saw Duncan as he moved through town to the street where the outlaws were holed up.

  The street seemed to have come to life and people were thronging about trying to find out what was going on, which was just what the sheriff was doing, he had arrived not long before Duncan.

  ‘What now Dunc? Zeke asked.

  ‘Well I think everything is in safe hands so I think a decent bed to sleep on in the hotel and then in the morning I will head for Bluegrass as, wounded or not, he will want a written report as usual.’

  ‘I think I will head for the saloon as soon as things are wrapped up here then it won’t matter where I sleep tonight.’ Zeke replied with smile.

  ‘I might join you if the beds in the hotel are not up to scratch Zeke.’ Duncan answered and walked away.

  ‘If you’re late you will have to play catch up.’ Zeke called after him.

  Duncan booked a room tried the bed then joined Zeke in the saloon for a well overdue drink.

  Chapter 5

  The posse traveled back to Bluegrass together with the dead men slung over their own horses after they had recovered them from the livery stable. The return was slower than the chase, to make sure the horses did not suffer and once they were in Bluegrass they had paperwork to do, followed by the trial of the surviving members of the gang, who were languishing in prison while the other members were hunted down.

  Now the trials began with witnesses coming from many places to make sure the outlaws were treated just how they deserved. It took a week for the jury to go out and consider a verdict but the jury was not out long. All they had to do now was to hang them! After the trial Duncan had several whiskies then went to bed in his hotel room, jamming the stout chair in the room under the door handle, to make sure no sneak thief came in while he slept.

  Zeke and Brad were on watch in the jail house while the condemned men slept when a woman walked in dressed in a shawl to keep the wind out.

  ‘Evening maam.’ Zeke asked affably, rising to his feet as manners required. Marshal Taylor had drummed that into them.

  Brad did the same with out speaking.

  ‘I have brought you a present.’ The woman answered allowing them to see her pretty face.

  ‘You have? That’s very thoughtful.’ Brad declared.

  ‘I thought so.’ The woman replied and pulled a pistol from under her shawl with a cloth w
rapped round it.

  Before either could react she fired twice and both fell to the floor. The cloth had muffled the shots and after a quick look in the street to make sure no one had heard anything the woman took the keys to the men waiting in the jail cell.

  ‘You look prettier every time I see you Rose.’ The leader of the gang said happily, as he strapped on his holster. ‘Mike you take two men and kill the man who shot Ben and shorty, I am going to finish off Marshal Taylor.’

  Duncan was sound asleep when a noise woke him; it was someone trying to get in by kicking the door and failed. By the time he came to full awareness and reached for his gun. Whoever was outside started firing shots through the door, in an effort to get it open. He fired back though the door and heard running footsteps in the hall. With no light on he peered out the window to see the men who had been tried and sentenced to hang, fleeing from the hotel, they jumped on their horses and hurried out of town. He fired once, felling one man but the returning fusillade kept his head down while the rest rode away. He watched them go then dressed ready to investigate what he had just seen. How had they managed to escape?

  He opened the door warily and looked out before stepping out. People were looking out, roused from their sleep by the gun shots but the sight of Duncan, pistol in hand, sent them back into their rooms. Duncan looked down the stairs before going down and saw the clerk unconscious on the floor. He made sure he was just unconscious and then walked to the jail. Inside he found Brad dead and Zeke wounded.

  ‘What happened Zeke?’ He asked softly.

  ‘A woman came in dressed up against the wind but she had a pistol hidden and just shot us. The pistol was muffled to keep the noise down when she fired and I figured it was best to lie still until they had gone. How is Brad?’

  ‘Not as lucky as you Zeke, I’ll send someone for the doc.’ He stepped outside and fired two shots in the air. It had the desired effect and men started to arrive. ‘Fetch the doc someone, Zeke is wounded and the prisoners have gone.’

  Other marshals arrived and looked in the cells before asking questions, Duncan answered if he knew the answer. One marshal was dispatched to fetch the wounded Marshal Taylor, as he had not arrived yet but when he arrived at the marshal’s home, the front door was wide open and inside the marshal and his wife were dead. He took the sad news back to Duncan and with everyone looking to him for answers, Duncan took charge.

  ‘No point in trying to follow them in the dark, we’ll set out at first light and bring them back.’ He avowed.

  ‘After this they’ll head for Mexico.’ Zeke exclaimed from the floor.

  ‘If you don’t keep still young feller they will be guilty of one more killing, yours!’ The doctor warned.

  ‘I think Zeke is right but we still have to go after them and get them if we can after all it is a fair way to the Rio Grande.’ Duncan replied.

  With first light the new posse mounted up. Zeke was still alive when they left but they did not know if he would stay that way.

  ‘Shot by a woman.’ He complained when Duncan looked in on him before he led the posse out.

  ‘Worse for Brad, Zeke, he was killed by a woman!’ Duncan replied.

  ‘I want to pull the lever when they hang her.’ Zeke exclaimed venomously.

  ‘Well you need to stay alive until we get back with them then.’ Duncan replied and left him to his complaining.

  They found the trail and followed it, going as fast as they could without killing the horses. The trail was easy to follow and they made good speed until a shot took one man out of the saddle making them scatter and take cover. Several more shots followed from the same place making them keep their heads down.

  ‘John and Flint try to out flank him.’ Duncan called, loud enough for them to hear but not the bushwhacker up ahead.

  They all waited as the two men worked their way round to get behind the bushwhacker but when they reached the spot he had gone.

  ‘He’s gone Marshal Lee.’ Flint called down to them.

  ‘Delaying tactics.’ Duncan observed. ‘The leader was obviously in the military at some time and the men are ready to carry out his orders.’

  At the top of the slope the bushwhacker had commanded Duncan stopped and climbed up to the highest point.

  ‘Let us try to turn the tables.’ He said hopefully and used the rifle scope to look ahead where a patch of dust was swirling in the heat haze. He aimed his rifle, adjusted the sights and fired. The horse and rider fell then the rider jumped up and ran into cover taking his rifle with him. ‘Well he’s afoot; all we have to do now is to get past him. He went to ground on the right where there is cover so we go forward slow and easy.’

  They remounted and rode forward slowly not wanting to catch a bullet from the man who was now on foot. When they were as close as they wanted to get, they dismounted. One man stayed with the horses with another in cover close by, just to make sure the man did not slip by them and steal a horse.

  They circled the area where he went to ground, keeping low so they did not present an easy target. As soon as he fired they would know where he was but he also knew that and it was his job to slow them down. To give the others a chance to escape. They moved round the back of where he went to ground and found nothing but footprints leading away. They started to follow the footprints. They took them to a gulley and the sign he had left told them he was heading for the horses.

  The fugitive crept down to where the marshal stood holding the horses so they did not wander. He moved in a circle and approached the marshal from behind his knife in hand.

  ‘I should stop right there if I were you.’ The marshal waiting for such a move warned.

  The fugitive stopped in mid stride and returned his foot to where it had been. The marshal holding the horses turned to face the man behind him.

  ‘Going to stick with your pig sticker were you?’ He asked without drawing his pistol. ‘Drop the knife and your pistol or you die where you stand.’

  The fugitive hesitated for a few seconds then went for his pistol. He died where he stood shot by both, the man holding the horses and the man covering him.

  ‘I’m glad he chose not to shoot me from cover and try to grab a horse.’ The man still holding the horses declared as the others converged on the scene.

  ‘Cost us time though.’ Duncan complained lifting the man’s head to look at his face. ‘One who will not be present at the hangings.’ He declared. ‘Come on let us try to catch up a bit but beware of others left to delay us.’

  They rode on at speed until darkness fell then they camped and cooked food. As Duncan settled down to sleep on the soil he thought of his bed in the cabin and Morning Cloud.

  ‘Duncan Junior will be all grown up by the time I see him again.’ He complained and settled down to sleep.

  At first light they were on their way, moving as fast as they could without needlessly overworking the horses. A shot rang out around mid morning and a marshal was taken off his horse by the power of the bullet hitting him. The rest took cover.

  ‘Anyone see the smoke?’ Duncan asked.

  ‘It came from the high ground on the right.’ A marshal answered from nearby.

  ‘We’ll do it the same as before and try to get behind him.’ Duncan ordered. ‘Will you and Matt go left and try to find a way round, Don and Roy go right. Parson you look after Jim while I try to spot him with my scope.’

  To reach the rocky outcrop the man was hiding in took time as they did not want to be shot. They either slid along keeping low, or ran from one piece of cover to the next.

  ‘Jim needs a doctor.’ Parson called over. ‘But he should make it okay.’

  ‘Can he ride a horse?’ Duncan asked.

  ‘I can break one if you ask me to.’ Jim replied.

  ‘Okay you and Parson go back to the last place we passed and get him some help while we deal with this son of a bitch.’

  ‘Will do Dunc.’ Parson answered. ‘Shall I try to catch up?’

  ‘I’l
l leave that up to you, if you think is worthwhile then catch up, if not stay with Jim.’ Duncan answered.

  With two men covering the horses they tried to outflank the man but after half an hour moving closer, very carefully, they heard a horse ride away at speed. Duncan smiled.

  ‘Now that is a mistake I think.’ He said and grabbed his horse.

  He rode to the top of the slope and climbed up the rocks to do the same as he did last time but there was no sign of the fugitive. There were more rocks in sight and the dust told him the fugitive had reached there. If he was sensible and holed up there he would hold them up for a lot longer. On the other hand if he rode out the other side, he was still in range of Duncan’s rifle. Duncan settled down to wait but he did not come out the other side. Don joined him on the rock.

  ‘Where’s he at?’ He asked.

  ‘In those rocks ready to take another potshot but we can turn the tables. You take the men forward and start circling the rocks without risking anyone. When he can’t get a shot in, I reckon he will bolt out the other side and that will be his lot.’

  ‘You can shoot him from here Dunc?’ Don asked incredulously.

  ‘It’s long but I reckon I can hit him.’ Duncan answered.

  ‘Remind me not to rile you any then.’ Don replied and slid back down to the ground to lead the men forward.

  They rode forward, leaving Duncan watching but dismounted before they were in rifle range. They led the horses into cover before moving on to try to outflank the fugitive. Now whenever he had sight of a marshal, the man fired causing them to duck out of sight. With his position pin pointed they moved forward with more certainty.

  Duncan heard the shots and tried to find the shooter with his scope but he was keeping low. With every shot he came closer to finding him until he realized he was looking at part of the fugitive. He could see a boot protruding from cover with part of the leg visible and he took aim. The boot moved and the man fired again, as he ducked back down the boot reappeared and Duncan fired. More of the fugitive came into sight as he slid down from his vantage point and Duncan fired again.