by Tell Cotten
“Might leave some extra cartridges,” Jeremiah gasped.
Lee reached in his pocket and gave him a handful.
“I’ll put them to good use,” Jeremiah said, his face pale as he pulled out his Colt and placed it beside him for easy access.
“I’d save the last bullet in that six-shooter,” Rondo said quietly so the women couldn’t hear. “You don’t want to be taken alive.”
“I know.”
Winchester hurried around the rock, and he looked up at them.
“Let’s go!” He hissed.
Rondo and Lee didn’t move as they looked down at Jeremiah. Both felt horrible, and it showed on their faces.
“Go on,” Jeremiah told them. “Get April out.”
“You’re a good man,” Lee said, his voice husky.
“No, I’m not,” Jeremiah replied plainly. “But, I do good things occasionally. Now get.”
Rondo and Lee nodded slightly. They took one last look at him, and then they slid off the rock.
Rondo took Rachel’s hand, and Lee grabbed April’s. They followed after Winchester in a brisk trot.
Minutes later, they heard gunfire erupt behind them as Jeremiah began his last stand.
Chapter fifty-seven
Yancy and Cooper continued to wait with nervous anticipation. They didn’t talk, and the only thing that moved were their eyes.
The storm in the mountains wasn’t as severe now. There wasn’t as much lightening either, but Cooper couldn’t decide if that was to their advantage or not.
They strained their ears as they listened for anything suspicious. The sounds of the night were loud, and frogs croaked around them. Cooper found that odd, because the rain had missed them.
A flash of lightening struck in the distance, and Cooper caught a glimpse of a running form.
It was the wounded Apache. He was hunched over, moving fast, and Cooper spotted the gleam of a knife.
Cooper was surprised at how close he was. He uttered a startled yell as he swung his rifle up.
He didn’t take the time to aim. Instincts took over, and he fired from the hip.
The racing Apache broke stride, recovered, and continued his charge. His knife was raised, and the Apache’s face was twisted with hate.
He uttered a high-pitched war cry, and Cooper pulled the trigger again.
To Cooper’s amazement, this time the Apache didn’t even flinch.
Cooper fired yet again, and the bullet hit the Apache squarely in the chest. He jerked under the impact and dropped the knife, but his churning legs carried him even closer.
The Apache fell only a few feet from Cooper. He kicked out, made some groaning sounds, and died.
Meanwhile, Yancy palmed his Colt and spun around.
At the same instant, the second Apache leaped from the darkness. He held a tomahawk, and he took a swing at Yancy’s head.
Yancy ducked as the Apache raced forward. The tomahawk missed, and they collided hard. They fell backwards and made a big splash in the tank.
They thrashed in the water as they fought each other.
The Apache tried to swing his tomahawk, but Yancy grabbed his wrist. Meanwhile, Yancy reached down with his other hand and pulled out his knife.
The next few seconds were quick and violent. It was a hard, close fight, but Yancy finally prevailed. The Apache sank limply into the water while Yancy struggled to his feet.
Cooper stood beside the bank, rifle in hand, watching for an opportunity to fire.
“You all right?” Cooper called out.
“Sure, long as I don’t drown.”
“This is no time for a swim.”
Yancy glared at Cooper as he drug the Indian to the side.
“Give me a hand,” he said sourly. “I don’t want this Injun bleeding in our drinking water.”
Cooper reached down, grabbed the Apache’s arm, and helped drag him up to dry ground.
“You’re bleeding,” Cooper gestured at Yancy’s arm.
“It’s nothing.”
“Doesn’t look like nothing.”
“I bruise easily,” Yancy replied.
Chapter fifty-eight
Gunfire blasted behind them, and it was especially loud in the narrow pass. Occasionally it faded, but then it returned a few seconds later.
Jeremiah was giving them precious time, and Winchester was determined to take advantage of it. His long, reaching strides quickly took him down the pass, and the others followed close behind.
The rope was still dangling where they’d left it. Everybody gathered around it, and they panted a few moments while they caught their breath.
“We have to climb that?” Rachel asked, her eyes wide as she glanced upward.
“Nothing to it,” Winchester said, and he looked at Rondo. “You and Rachel go first. While you’re climbing, I’ll tie the rifles together. Soon as you reach the top, you can pull ’em up.”
Rondo nodded and grabbed the rope.
April was worried for Rachel and her baby, but she didn’t say anything. Now was not the time.
Rachel was worried too, but she grit her teeth in determination and looked at Rondo.
“I’m ready,” she said.
“Good girl,” Rondo said as he wrapped an arm around her. “We’ll climb together. Understand?”
She nodded, and they started up.
It was a hard, difficult climb, and the rope bit into Rondo’s hands.
They were halfway up when Rachel’s legs gave way. She grimaced as she slid downwards.
Rondo caught her slim body, and he held on tightly as she got her legs back under her.
“You all right?” He asked, concern in his voice.
“I’m fine,” Rachel said. “Let’s go.”
Rondo nodded. Gripping the rope, they proceeded upwards.
Below them, Lee and April watched with concern. Meanwhile, Winchester gathered the rifles and tied them together.
Lee glanced at April, and tears were still streaming down her face.
“Are you all right?” He asked.
She nodded, and explained, “I keep thinking about Jeremiah. I feel so bad for him.”
Lee nodded somberly.
“I know,” he said softly. “But, that’s just the way it is.”
“How’s that?”
Lee paused while he gathered his words.
“We’ve all been around death since before the war. I reckon we’re just used to it. The life we live, we know death could come for us anytime. We sorta expect it; that way we aren’t so surprised when it happens.”
“But how do you get used to it?” April asked, her eyes wide.
“Repetition helps.”
April shuddered at the thought.
“You live a hard life.”
“It’s a hard country,” Lee replied.
The gunfire down the pass stopped abruptly. Several seconds passed, but there was only an eerie silence.
Lee and April glanced at each other, and then they looked at Winchester.
He was paying them no attention as he squinted upwards.
“They made it,” he said, and then he called out, “Pull the rifles up!”
Rondo’s head appeared from above. He grabbed the rope, and the rifles jerked as they went up the slope. Rondo untied them and tossed the rope back down.
Winchester turned to Lee and April.
“Your turn,” he said.
Lee nodded. He grabbed the rope, wrapped an arm around April, and started upwards.
“And hurry,” Winchester added tersely.
Chapter fifty-nine
“How’s your arm?” Cooper asked Yancy.
“Hurts a little.”
“Too bad Josie isn’t here,” Cooper replied. “She could patch you up in no time.”
Yancy grunted at that.
“No thanks.”
“You’d rather bleed?”
“Yep. I’ve seen her work.”
Cooper smiled faintly, and it was quiet while they
assessed the situation.
“According to my precise calculations, I figure they should be here sometime tomorrow,” Cooper announced. “Probably in the late afternoon. That, or possibly tomorrow evening.”
“You call that precise?”
“So that gives us tonight and tomorrow to get ready,” Cooper said as he ignored Yancy’s sarcasm.
“What do you have in mind?”
“Well, first thing, one of us should fetch our horses,” Cooper suggested. “Then, we should bury them.” He gestured at the dead Apaches.
“Then what?”
“In the morning, we could clear a little brush around the hill. Mebbe set a trap.”
“Trap?”
“Sure,” Cooper nodded. “Been thinking. Without horses, those Apaches couldn’t follow us. They’d have to turn back.”
“Sounds good in theory.”
“You remember how we ran off those horses during the war?”
Yancy nodded slowly.
“It was Chino’s idea,” he recalled. “It’s actually an old Injun trick.”
“And it worked.”
“Sure did.”
“It would work again,” Cooper suggested. “Especially around here. Sandy as it is, we’d have no trouble digging a hole.”
“It would be risky,” Yancy warned.
“Risky is my middle name.”
Yancy scowled.
“You’re sounding like Winchester now.”
Cooper grinned.
“I say we look around in the morning, and see if we can find a good spot,” he suggested.
“We’ll give it careful consideration,” Yancy agreed.
Cooper nodded and turned towards the Indian ponies.
“I’ll fetch the horses,” he offered, and Yancy nodded.
He examined the Indian ponies, and he was pleasantly surprised. One was a spotted paint, but the other two were sorrels.
“These two sorrels have brands on them,” he announced.
“Recognize the brands?” Yancy asked.
“Nope.”
“Well, no telling where they came from. Apaches probably stole them in some raid.”
“They seem gentle,” Cooper remarked. “There’s also some saddle marks on their backs.”
“Gentle horses could come in handy.”
“Sure could,” Cooper agreed. “Especially since we didn’t bring extra horses for Rachel and April.”
A surprised look crossed Yancy’s face, and he uttered a soft grunt.
“We didn’t, did we.”
“Just a small, forgotten detail,” Cooper smiled.
Chapter sixty
Winchester grew impatient as he watched Lee and April climb. Their progress was slow, and April slipped and slid backwards several times.
Winchester yearned for his rifle, and he felt helpless without it. Any second Indians could appear, and all he had was his Colt.
Meanwhile, up above, Rondo grabbed his rifle. He walked over to the edge, leaned against a rock, and kept watch below. Rachel came up beside him, and she rested her head on his shoulder.
Rondo patted her on the back, but his eyes never left the pass.
“I’m proud of you,” he said. “You’ve carried yourself well.”
Rachel smiled at her husband.
“I had no choice,” she replied. “I knew you were coming. I just had to keep it together until you reached us.”
“I’m sorry it took so long.”
“Where have you been?” Rachel asked, suddenly curious.
“J.T. Tussle needed help. I had to stay a few extra weeks.”
“You could have written a letter!” Rachel scolded gently. “Why, I could have been dead!”
Rondo thought on that before he replied.
“If you were dead,” he said. “What good would a letter have been?”
Rachel tried to frown at him, but she was so happy she couldn’t.
Chapter sixty-one
Lee and April finally reached the top, and Lee’s muscles ached in protest as they pulled themselves over onto the ledge.
Winchester was watching from below, and he grunted in satisfaction and grabbed the rope.
He started his ascent with ease. His strong arms pulled him along, and he had no problems as he scaled the wall.
Rondo’s rifle barked as Winchester reached the ledge. He pulled himself over, rolled over onto his back, and pulled the rope up behind him.
“What are you shooting at?” Winchester asked.
“Saw some movement,” Rondo replied as he squinted below.
While Lee and Rondo kept watch, Winchester pulled the loop off the rock and coiled the rope.
“See anymore movement?” Winchester asked as he looped the rope around his shoulder.
“Nope,” Rondo shook his head.
“Then let’s go,” Winchester urged. “I doubt they can climb the wall, but I wouldn’t count on it. We need to reach our horses.”
Rondo and Lee nodded. They left the edge, grabbed Rachel and April’s hand, and followed after Winchester.
“Sure is wet,” Rondo said as they stumbled downward in a broken trot.
“Is,” Winchester agreed.
“Hope that gully didn’t flood.”
“We’ll know soon,” Winchester grunted back.
The ground was slick, and Rachel and April slipped several times. But, Rondo and Lee were quick to catch them, and they finally reached the bottom.
They stood in running water. It was muddy, and they sank with each step.
Winchester struggled over to the edge of the gully and looked down.
“The horses!” He shouted. “They’re gone!”
Lee and Rondo were startled.
“Where’d they go?” Lee asked.
“Brian must have led them out.”
“Now what?” Rondo asked.
Winchester jabbed a thumb towards the east.
“We’ll go that way.”
Chapter sixty-two
It didn’t take long for Rachel and April to become exhausted as they struggled through the water and mud. But, neither one said anything.
They went about a mile, and Winchester suddenly yelled and pointed ahead.
“There he is!”
“Thanks goodness!” Rachel cried out, and they quickened their steps.
Brian heard them coming, and he was relieved to see them.
“Where have you been?” Brian scolded. “You said you’d be right back.”
“Time flies,” Winchester replied.
Brian was about to reply when he spotted Rachel and April. His scowl turned into a wide grin, and he forgot all about his own troubles.
“You made it,” he said softly.
“We did,” Rachel returned the smile.
“How about that,” Brian said, deeply pleased. He glanced around and asked, “Where’s Jeremiah?”
“He didn’t,” Rondo said.
Brian frowned at that, but didn’t say anything.
“Why are you so muddy?” Lee asked as he studied his soaked clothes.
“It happens,” Brian replied, his face emotionless.
“You look like you’ve been wallowing around in it,” Lee replied.
Brian didn’t say anything. He stared at Lee, and his stern look suggested they should talk about something else.
Lee smiled faintly and asked, “Did Jug-head make it out?”
“Didn’t see him.”
“No sign at all?”
“I was busy,” Brian replied.
While they talked, Winchester quietly assessed the situation.
“Hate to break up the chit-chat, but we’d better git,” he spoke up. “I’ll ride Jeremiah’s horse, and the girls can ride double with Rondo and Lee.”
Everybody nodded their agreement, and they moved to their horses.
April joined Lee. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and he felt a slight, thrilling feeling.
He picked her up with ease and placed her behind the
saddle, and then he reluctantly withdrew his arm. However, April reached out and grabbed his hand.
Lee was surprised, and he looked up into her eyes. She was staring intently at him, and Lee’s heart leaped.
“April-,” he started to say.
“Yes?”
Lee didn’t reply. They just looked at each other, and several seconds passed.
Neither one spoke, but a silent understanding passed between them. April nodded slightly and smiled, and Lee returned the smile. He patted her on the knee, and then swung into the saddle.
Chapter sixty-three
It was long after midnight by the time Cooper returned with the horses.
Yancy had built a small fire, and he was sitting beside it. Cooper tended to the horses and joined his brother.
Yancy had wrapped his wound, and the rag was soaked with blood.
“How’s the arm?” Cooper asked.
“I’ll live,” Yancy said, and added, “Took you long enough.”
“I rode up to two clusters of trees before I found the right cluster.”
Yancy smiled faintly.
“Want supper?” Cooper offered. “There’s food in the saddlebags.”
“Ain’t hungry,” Yancy shook his head.
“Me neither,” Cooper replied. It was silent a moment, and he said, “I reckon we should cook a big supper tomorrow evening. They’ll probably be hungry when they ride in.”
“Sure might.”
“I’m sorta anxious to see how it went.”
“Me too.”
Cooper nodded, and asked, “Want some coffee?”
Yancy’s face lit up.
“I could drink a little.”
“Or a lot,” Cooper smiled, and said, “I’ll make some.”
Yancy nodded, and Cooper walked over to No-see-ums and rummaged through the pack.
Chapter sixty-four
To Winchester’s surprise, they didn’t ride out of the running water for several miles. Once they were on muddy ground, he kicked his horse up to a trot.
The night air was cool, and daylight couldn’t arrive fast enough for the soaked, shivering riders.
