by Tony Masero
Limping and bowed, the surviving Indians had faded away, their losses too great to comprehend. Amongst the defending leaders only Le Touquet still lived. Both Judas and Alumette were there, bloody and torn but alive. They sat slumped against the wheel of the surviving supply wagon. There were few others though. A handful of mountain men and none of the Mexicans. Many of the wounded had been crushed under the falling boulders inside the mission and only some had been pulled to safety before the roof collapsed.
Le Touquet studied the destroyed cannon, he ran his hand along the dust covered barrel and patted the weapon reflectively. Then, with a little shrug of dismissal, he took a bent cheroot from inside his jacket pocket and turned his attention to the men.
“We must find the horses,” he said. “They have all run off but may not have gone far. One of you get a bucket and draw water from the well. Doubtless all of you are as thirsty as I am.” He turned to watch the solitary figure of Gringo scrambling over the mountain of rubble, feverishly pulling aside timbers and stones.
“Give it up, Mister Wade,” he called. “No one will have survived under that.”
Gringo ignored him and continued his search. Alumette looked across at Judas and raised his one good eyebrow in query. Together they climbed wearily to their feet and clambered up over the ruins of the fallen building to help Gringo in his search.
“Fools,” said Le Touquet. “They waste their time.” He lit his cigar briskly and puffed smoke from between clenched teeth. “Now,” he called, suddenly angry. “Where’s that water I asked for.”
Hours passed but Gringo did not notice the time or his exhaustion, he persisted unabated, even when Alumette and Judas left him to it and joined the others as they lit a fire and Alumette prepared a rough and ready meal.
Gringo was covered in dust, his hands were bloody and sore, the flesh torn from them by the digging. All was silent, no sound came from the fuming pile and only dust hovered in the still air. He slumped down finally defeated and sunk his head in his hands.
“My Ellen,” he muttered. “My sweet Ellen.”
“Here,” he heard her say.
Tiredly, he raised his head. “Oh, that you were,” he mumbled. His mind numbed by despair and exhaustion.
“Here!” he heard again, louder this time.
Clearly, the sound came from the piled stones between his feet.
“Ellen!” he shouted. “Is that you? Really you. Are you safe?”
“Yes,” came the muffled response. “Can you get to us?”
They had retreated to the caves at the rear once it seemed that it was all over. There had been nothing else they could do. The Indians were at the mission door and Brewster fired off the cannon setting off a blast that drove them back to the altar and from there all of them had hurried to the cells behind as Gringo had told them.
They were alive! An electric thrill ran through Gringo’s whole body.
Working with renewed energy, he called over the others and they lifted and dragged the rubble away until at last they freed the two women and the children. Pale figures reached up to the rescuers, all of them coated in dust and gasping for air. Judas reached down and by his strong arms they were easily brought to the surface.
Speechless, Gringo clasped Ellen to him and lifted little Lucy into his arms.
“You see,” croaked Lucy dryly. “I told you he would come free us. Stalwart strong for Liberty, that is Mister Gringo.”
“How right you are,” whispered a relieved Ellen. She held Gringo tightly about the waist and sunk her head onto his chest.
IF YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK SEE THESE OTHER TITLES BY
TONY MASERO
Available on Amazon and elsewhere
WESTERNS
HARD RAIN MUST FALL * BAD DON’T MEAN WRONG * GRINGO WADE * IN THE DEVIL’S GRIP * SLASHED STAR * WAR RIDER * THE KILLING DESERT * JAKE RAINS * THE RIFLEMEN * THE PURSUED * DIRTY SHIRT BLUES * HARPOON * DEATH RIDES ON THE HEELS OF TROUBLE * THE RAID * THE WIDOWMAKER * THE VENGEANCE OF ENDER SMITH * WILDFIRE * BLOOD LEGACY FROM RAT HELL * JOHNNY DOLLAR * MISTER D’EATH AND THE JUDGE
THRILLERS (Writing as MICHAEL D’ASTI)
THE BITTER STONES OF INTENTION * BLACK EYE * FEED THE CROW * MOMENTS OF RECURRENCE * THE KHANDA KILLINGS * A WEB FOR ALL GOD’S ANGELS * THE GARDENER * IN THE FRAME * DEAD FALL BACK
SCIENCE FICTION AND HORROR
(Writing as ANTONIO BECO INGLES)
BABEL TOWERS * THE MANSION (Novella) * HOLD A CANDLE TO THE SUN (Bk 1)
