by Tell Cotten
The stranger did not want to be seen. He motioned for the Indian woman to follow him, and they ducked into the general store.
Jessica glanced at Cliff, but he hadn’t seen them.
Jessica frowned curiously as she turned from the window. A few minutes passed, and Cliff returned.
“How’s Rusty?”
“Not much different,” Brian replied.
A look of concern crossed Cliff’s face as he looked at Rusty, and then he turned towards Jessica.
“Do you need a bath?”
“I could sure use one,” Jessica replied, surprised.
“I saw a bathhouse down the street that’s run by a bunch of Chinese. Brian, you take her.”
Brian nodded. Jessica grabbed her carpetbag, and they left.
Jessica saw the tall stranger and the Indian woman again as they walked down the street.
They were coming out of the general store, and the stranger carried a small package under his arm.
The stranger spotted Brian, and he pulled the Indian woman back into the shadows. He watched curiously as they passed.
Brian never saw him.
Jessica thought about mentioning it, but then she decided against it. There was no sense in causing more trouble.
While Brian waited, Jessica took a long, hot bath. Then, they met Cliff across the street at a café and ate a home cooked meal.
Afterwards, Brian and Jessica took a plate up to Rusty, but he didn’t have much of an appetite. He ate only a little and then went back to sleep.
Meanwhile, Cliff bought enough supplies to last a while, and he stowed all the goods in their saddlebags.
There wasn’t much to do after that, so they all turned in. Jessica shared the bed with Rusty while Cliff and Brian rolled out their bedrolls on the floor.
Rusty slept soundly. As for the others, they tossed and turned.
Chapter eighteen
Cooper tried to warn them with his shot, but they still rode into the ambush. He was helpless as he watched the massacre.
Cooper was mad, and it took him a while to calm down. He had warned them not to rush up, but that’s just what they’d done.
He was pinned down until dark. But, soon as he could move, he planned on hobbling back to Tussle and Jed and giving them a lecture of epic proportions.
Cooper painfully pulled off his moccasin and studied his wound.
The bullet had only grazed his ankle. And, after seeing the angle of it, Cooper decided that he hadn’t been hit directly. More than likely the bullet had ricocheted off the rocks.
He was relieved. It was still painful, but not near as bad as it could have been.
Cooper pulled his moccasin back on and waited for darkness. Occasionally he took a swig from his canteen, and once he thought that he could smell campfire smoke. That made him hungry, and by dark he was restless and ready to move out.
Cooper stood and gingerly tested his ankle. He took a small step and was pleased to discover that he could put weight on it.
The stars were shining brightly as he hobbled back down the mesa. He reached the dead horses and shook his head in disgust.
He went a bit further, and then he heard the click of a rifle hammer being pulled back.
“Hold your fire,” he called out softly as he melted to the ground. “It’s me, Cooper.”
“That you, Coop?” Jed’s voice called out.
“Just said it was,” Cooper replied sourly.
Jed and Tussle rushed up from the darkness.
“We thought you was dead!” Jed exclaimed.
“Well, I ain’t.”
Cooper had some stiff words all planned out. But, after seeing the worried looks on their faces, he couldn’t bring himself to say them.
“You two all right?” Cooper asked instead.
“I skinned my knee up a little, but other than that we’re fine,” Jed replied.
“Your horse is all right too,” Tussle spoke up. “He got hit in the rump, but the bullet only grazed him.”
Cooper limped towards them.
“Good, I’m glad to hear it.”
“You’re limping,” Tussle noted.
“I like to limp.”
“Is it bad?”
“I’ll be fine,” Cooper replied, and he looked around. “I figured you’d have a campfire going.”
“With them fellers being out there we didn’t figure we should,” Jed explained.
“They’re gone now. I’d bet two month’s pay on it.”
“Wouldn’t do any good to have a fire anyhow,” Tussle explained. “We ran out of coffee last night.”
“That I did not know,” Cooper frowned.
“And any food we have left is in our saddlebags, and we figured they might be watching our horses,” Jed put in.
Cooper turned.
“Well, come on. Might as well get something to eat.”
“Ain’t much left,” Jed grumbled as he led Cooper’s horse along. “Just some old sourdough biscuits and a little jerky.”
“Better than nothing,” Cooper said.
They trudged back to the horses and pulled their saddles off. Then, they put some distance between them and the horses and made camp.
They didn’t waste the time to build a fire. Instead, Jed split up the grub, and they sat in the dark and ate somberly.
“Well, we gave it a good try,” Jed said.
“What do you mean?” Cooper wanted to know.
“It’s over now, ain’t it? We’ve got to go back.”
“It’s not over for me and Yancy. This is what we do, and we’ll keep at it ’til the job’s done. But you two can go back. Matter of fact, might be best if you do.”
“Why’s that?” Jed asked.
“With you along, I’ve got to worry about you and the fellers we’re chasing.”
Tussle scowled and declared, “I’m not going back ’til I’m dead, or Jessica’s with me.”
“If you feel that way, then there’s no use talking anymore ’bout it,” Cooper said, and Tussle nodded firmly.
It was silent for a while, and then Cooper cleared his throat.
“There’s a town called Landry on the other side of this mesa, ’bout a day’s ride from here.”
“I know the town,” Jed spoke up.
“They’ll be wanting a doctor, so I’m figuring they’ll head there.”
“Seems likely,” Tussle agreed.
“We could lose them if they leave Landry without us knowing which direction they went,” Cooper declared. “So, come morning I’ll ride to Landry while you two follow a-foot. Yancy should be along sometime tomorrow, and mebbe you three can switch out riding some. In the meantime, I’ll figure out where they’ve gone.”
It was silent as they thought on that.
“Makes sense,” Tussle finally said. “But what if Yancy doesn’t show up?”
“I’ll wait for you. If you don’t show up, I’ll get some extra horses and come back.”
Jed and Tussle nodded in agreement, and Cooper stood.
“Well, reckon I’ll get some sleep.”
“I’ll keep watch,” Jed offered.
“There’s no need. They’re gone and won’t be coming back.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I just know.”
Cooper tended to his horse. He grabbed his bedroll and saddlebags and limped out into the darkness a ways.
Now that he was alone, he cleaned and bandaged his ankle. After that he rolled his bedroll out, and soon as his head hit the ground he was sleeping hard.
Chapter nineteen
Cliff’s bunch was up before daylight.
They checked on Rusty, and then they rolled up their bedrolls. They went downstairs and ate breakfast, and the sky was just starting to light up as they finished.
They took a plate to Rusty, and they were relieved to find that he had a better appetite this morning.
While Rusty ate, Cliff and Brian hauled down their bedrolls and saddlebags. Then, the
y helped Rusty down the stairs. Jessica carried her carpetbag as she followed.
There was a dark stall in the corner of the livery, and Cliff gestured at it.
“Stay in that stall while we saddle the horses,” he told Jessica.
Jessica did as she was told. She put her back up against the wall and looked around.
Like most of the buildings in town, Jessica could tell that this livery stable had not been very well built. The walls had been made out of warped and split lumber, and Jessica thought that she could see more daylight than solid places.
Suddenly, Jessica felt a presence behind her. She turned to look, and her eyes grew wide.
Staring at her through the cracks was the tall stranger.
Jessica was startled, and she started to utter a distressed cry. But the stranger put a finger to his lips and motioned for her to be silent.
Jessica managed to choke off her cry with a cough.
She glanced at Cliff and Brian. They were on the other side of the livery stable, catching the horses.
She looked back at the stranger, and she couldn’t help but notice the fresh bruises that were on his face.
The stranger smiled and motioned for her to come close.
Jessica hesitated, but then leaned forward.
“How come you’re with Cliff and them?” He asked in a whisper.
“I’m… I’m Cliff’s sister,” she stammered.
“Sister?” The stranger frowned disbelievingly.
Jessica stared at him, and he smiled gently. She didn’t know why, but she suddenly chose to trust him.
“I’m not his sister,” Jessica admitted.
The stranger’s smile grew wider.
“Didn’t think so. Are you being held prisoner?”
“I am. Are you a lawman?” Jessica asked anxiously.
The stranger seemed amused at the thought.
“Lawman? Me? No.”
“Then who are you?”
“Most folks call me an outlaw. Wouldn’t be gentleman of me to tell you what other folks call me.”
“So what are you doing here?” Jessica asked, confused.
“Curious, mainly,” he explained. “Did Cliff just pull off a job?”
“They robbed a stagecoach,” Jessica informed. “They also killed two men. It was a horrible thing to see.”
“I’m sure it was, ma’am. Why are you with them?”
“Some lawmen by the name of Landon are chasing us, so they brought me along as a hostage.”
“You don’t say?” The stranger asked, surprised.
Jessica nodded, and the stranger frowned as he thought on that.
“So, if the Landons are chasing you, then they should be here in a couple of days,” he figured.
“Brian Clark thinks so.”
The stranger smiled real big.
“Ma’am, that’s the best news I’ve heard in long time. Where are the rest of Cliff’s men?”
“There’s three others. They stayed behind us to ambush the Landons.”
The stranger frowned thoughtfully and nodded to himself.
“Well, thanks for the conversation, ma’am,” he said. “Believe me, you don’t know how nice it is to ask a question and actually get an answer. Well, good luck.”
“You aren’t going to help me?” Jessica hissed.
“No, don’t think I should,” he replied. “Besides, at the moment I’ve sort-a got another problem. But don’t you worry none; those Landons are tough fellers.”
“Is it that Indian woman that’s with you?”
“So you’ve seen us, eh?” The stranger asked, surprised.
Jessica nodded.
“Well take my word for it, ma’am; it ain’t what it looks like,” he explained. “Tell you the truth; don’t rightly know what I’m going to do ’bout it yet neither. Think I’ll go mull over that problem right now.”
The stranger started to leave, but Jessica stopped him.
“If I paid you, would you help me then?”
The stranger sighed as he turned back towards her.
“My working rates ain’t cheap.”
Jessica glanced at Cliff and Brian. They had saddled the horses, and they were tying Rusty to the saddle.
Jessica looked back at the stranger. She thought hard for a moment, and she nodded as she came to a decision.
She held up her carpetbag and opened it.
“Would half of this be enough?”
The stranger’s eyes grew wide. He stared into the carpetbag, and then he stared at Jessica. Then, as if he couldn’t believe it, he stared back at the carpetbag.
Near as he could tell, the carpetbag had thousands of dollars in it.
Jessica closed it.
“Well?”
The stranger was at a loss of words, but he finally recovered.
“Ma’am, just how much money do you have in there?”
“Enough.”
The stranger shook his head in disbelief as he tried to grasp the situation.
“Yes, it sure looked like it. Does Cliff know what’s in there?”
“He does not.”
“How’s that possible?”
Jessica was running out of time.
“Do you want the job or not?” She hissed.
“’Spose I do, ma’am. What do you have in mind?”
“Help me escape, and take me back to Midway,” Jessica spoke urgently. “Soon as we get there the money is yours.”
“You have a deal,” the stranger said. “But first I’ve got to take care of my little problem, and then I’ll take out after you. In the meantime, you make sure and keep a-hold of that carpetbag.”
“I will.”
“Good girl.”
Jessica looked at Cliff and Brian. They had finished tying Rusty on, and they were leading the horses towards her.
“What’s your name?” She whispered.
The stranger looked hesitant.
“I have the right to know who I’m hiring,” she insisted.
The stranger frowned thoughtfully and nodded.
“I suppose you do, ma’am. My name’s Lee. Lee Mattingly.”
“Lee Mattingly!” Jessica hissed in surprise.
Lee smiled, put his finger to his lips, and hurried off.
Chapter twenty
Stew had the Taylor brothers keep watch for the rest of the day. But, to the boys’ disappointment, nothing else developed.
Stew took another nap, and afterwards he had Clay cook some food and coffee.
They ate, and then Stew sat there and drank the whole pot of coffee. By then the sun was setting, so they mounted up and took out, going north. The stars were bright, and Stew had no problem following Cliff’s tracks.
The Taylor brothers started getting groggy around midnight. But Stew pressed hard, and they arrived at Landry right as the sun was coming up.
They passed the cemetery, and then Stew spotted Cliff and Brian Clark.
They were leading their horses out of the livery stable. Rusty was already tied on his horse, and Jessica followed.
Stew noticed that she carried her carpetbag, and he smiled smugly.
Brian saw them and mumbled something. Cliff spun around, and the surprise in his face was obvious.
“Good! You’re here,” Cliff recovered quickly. “We were just about to leave.”
“I see that,” Stew replied as they pulled up. “It’s a good thing we showed up, or we might’ve lost you.”
“I was just about to leave you a message with the hotel clerk,” Cliff lied.
“Sure you was,” Stew said sarcastically as he looked at Jessica. “How are you doing darling? Miss me?”
“I did not,” Jessica declared, and Stew chuckled.
“What happened at the mesa?” Cliff demanded to know.
Stew continued to chuckle, and Cliff’s anger built.
“What’s so funny?”
“You know that big army you was so scared of?” Stew asked. “Well, they showed up; all three o
f ’em.”
“Only three?”
“That is correct,” Stew said. “And, they were dumber than a pile of rocks. They rode right into our little ambush.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Landons,” Brian spoke up.
“Well, whoever it was, we won’t have to worry ’bout them anymore,” Stew replied.
“You killed them?” Cliff asked.
“No, but they might as well be. We hit the scout and all three horses. By the time they walk here, we’ll be long gone.”
Cliff was relieved.
“Good work,” he said, and added, “Well, we’d best be leaving.”
“What for?” Stew protested.
Cliff explained about the doctor, and Stew scratched his chin thoughtfully.
“We’ve been riding all night, Cliff. We’re wore out.”
“So?”
“We need sleep,” Stew declared, and suggested, “We could get a room, and come morning we’ll take out after you. It shouldn’t take us no more than a day to catch up.”
Cliff glanced at the Taylor brothers. They were slumped in the saddle and could barely stay awake.
“Might not be a bad idea,” Cliff reasoned.
“We’ll need money for a room,” Stew said quickly.
Cliff frowned, but he still gave Stew some money.
“How ’bout you, honey?” Stew flashed a grin at Jessica. “Want to stay here with us?”
“I do not.”
Stew laughed, and Cliff shot him a harsh look.
“She comes with us,” Cliff said firmly.
“Why sure, boss.”
Cliff didn’t reply as he climbed on his horse.
“Remember,” Cliff declared, “if you don’t show up you won’t get your share.”
“Oh don’t worry; we’ll be along,” Stew said, and he flashed Jessica another grin.
Jessica ignored him as she hurried over to Brian. She handed him her carpetbag, and after he tied it on they got mounted.
“We’ll see you in a day or two,” Cliff said as he grabbed the lead rope to Rusty’s horse.
Stew nodded, and Cliff kicked up his horse.
Stew watched Jessica as they rode out.
