A Cold Hard Trail

by Robert J Conley

  It was rough going too, I can tell you, but it weren’t nothing like being on the side a that mountain where I had shit my pants, so I kept up with him pretty good. I got tired a having to brush the bushes outa my face and push my way through all that tangled bramble and stuff, but I didn’t say nothing, not even whenever it scratched me up something fierce. Ole Churkee, he sure did act like he knowed just what it was he was a-doing. Final we come to some big rocks and outa all the brush, and that was some relief, but then it was a little harder climbing up over them smooth round slippery boulders. But then I thunk that I had final figgered him out, on account a I could see that them boulders went on up kinda high. Maybe if we was to get our ass on up there to the top, we would be able to look right down on where the ambush was laid out, that is, if it for real was.

  And then of a sudden, there weren’t no doubt about it no more, on account a we heared gunshots. The posse had for real rid into the ambush. We climbed a little harder and faster then, I can tell you.

  Hell, a well-laid ambush can make all the difference in the whole world. It don’t matter none atall how good a shot a feller is if a man picks him off from a hideyhole beside the road before he even knows there’s a man a-waiting there. He could be the best gunfighter in the world, and he’d still be dead and maybe even not know about it. And if all three a them outlaws was laid up real good, and if they had ketched ole Potter and them total and complete by surprise, why, they could conceivable kill the lot of them.

  Chapter 14

  Well, ole Churkee got way up ahead a me. He sure could climb. I was a-trying to make my way up a big round slippery-ass boulder, and I tuck to sliding, and I slud all the way back down to the bottom of it.

  “Shit,” I said.

  I looked up, and I seed Churkee whip out his six-gun and commence to shooting at something. I tackled that rock again, and it was slow going, but I managed to get on up to the top of it the second try. I still had one more to go to catch up to Churkee, and I tuck on that one. Churkee was reloading by then. When I final got my ass up there alongside a him, he was a-shooting again, and I looked down to see could I tell what he had found to shoot at. I seed one a them two old farts what rid with the kid.

  Obvious, he had been a-shooting down at the posse, but whenever Churkee shot at him, he had turned on around to defend hisself against this here attack from behind. I couldn’t hardly see the posse on farther down, and I didn’t see no one else but ’cept just that one old man.

  “Where’s the other two?” I asked Churkee.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “Keep this one busy.”

  Well, I didn’t ask no questions. I figgered that Injun was up to something, so I just done like what he said. I hauled out my shooter and commenced to firing down at the old bastard down there, and he sent some shots back up my way too. To tell you the truth a the matter, we was too far away from each other to do any damn good with just only six-guns, but that didn’t keep us from a-trying. ’Course, I didn’t really want to kill the old son of a bitch neither. I was just only trying to do what Churkee had told me to do which was to keep the old shit busy. I really wanted to catch him and the other two alive and take them in for trial on account a it seemed to me that would be the best way a clearing me and Paw and Zeb.

  Then I seed ole Churkee a-skulking up on the old man’s blind side. I tuck me another shot just to keep the owlhoot’s full attention on me. Well, sure enough, he ducked down behind a rock, but I could see his hat and his gunhand, and I was pretty nigh well sure that he was looking up in my direction. Ole Churkee, he made a move to get in closer, and so I zinged me another shot offa that rock just kinda in front a the ole man. He hunkered down a little more. I don’t know what the damn posse was a-doing all this while. Likely they was just glad that the ambushing on them had come to a close.

  Then it come on me, if the ambushing on them had come to a close on account a me and Churkee getting all the old man’s attention, where was them other two at? Well, that got me to worrying, I can tell you. Anyhow, before I could spend too much time a-worrying, ole Churkee stood up down there kinda behind the ole man and showed hisself.

  “Throw down the gun or die,” he said.

  The old man musta been trying to figger which a them things he’d ruther do, ’cause he didn’t do nothing but just set still for a bit. Then with his both hands kinda up in the air, he stood up real slow like, but he never turned to take a look at Churkee. He stood up for a few seconds, I guess, and then he dropped the gun.

  “Come on down, Kid,” Churkee called up to me, and so I went to hunting me a way down there. I found one, but it was kinda slow going. I was I guess about halfway down to where they was at, and then something brung them other two back into the front a my brain. I stopped and yelled down at Churkee.

  “Hey,” I said, “what about them other two?”

  I was kinda worried lest one a them two would see me all exposed like that a-climbing down to where Churkee and his prisoner was at and pop up and pick me off.

  “There’s no sign of them,” Churkee said. “Come on.”

  Well, I made it on down there, and I looked over the edge, and I seed that it was just as far down again to where the posse was at, but whenever I peeked over the edge someone down there tuck a shot at me. I jumped back right quick.

  “Hey, down there,” I hollered out. “Stop your damn shooting. This here is Kid Parmlee. Me and Churkee has got your bushwhacker.”

  “Come on down then.” I think it was ole Sheriff Potter a-talking. Well, we made it down there, and it weren’t easy, but we done it. At the bottom, we walked that old man ahead of us and went on over to the posse. I seed that one man was down and dead, and then that there Ook san Sherm, he was hit in the thigh and bleeding something fierce. One a the other men was a-tying a rag around his leg, but ole Sherm was a-crying and a-howling like a baby. I remember thinking that it was kinda funny. Sherm and Roscoe had rid along behind, a-thinking that they’d be the least likely to get hit. Hell, even I thunk that Potter’d get it first before anyone else. Me and Churkee marched the old man right over to ole Potter.

  “Where’re the other two?” Potter asked us.

  “We never seed them,” I said.

  “I think they left this one behind to slow us down,” Churkee said. “There’s no sign of them up there, and when we drew his attention away from you, there was no more shooting down at you.”

  “That’s right,” Potter said. He looked at the old man. “How about it?” he said. “Is that how it was? Did they leave you behind to slow us down?”

  “Go fuck yourselfs,” the old man said.

  “Let’s string the old bastard up,” said Roscoe.

  “He’s my prisoner,” Potter said. “There ain’t going to be no lynching here. He’s going to jail, and he’ll have a trial.”

  “Then he’ll hang,” said someone.

  The old man looked over his shoulder at Churkee. “I shoulda let you shoot me,” he said.

  “What’s your name, old man?” Potter asked.

  “You figger it out,” the old man said. “I ain’t giving you no help on nothing.”

  “Where’s the money from the bank?” said Potter.

  “Find it,” said the old man.

  Potter looked at me then. “Where at’s his horse?” he asked me.

  “I never seed it,” I said.

  “Wagon’s coming,” one a the posse men said.

  Potter looked back the way we had came.

  “That’s our supply wagon,” he said. “Tie this man’s hands, and when the wagon gets here, toss him in the back. Couple of you stay with him and meet the wagon. The rest of us are going to look for his horse.”

  Well, it was Churkee what found out about the horse. Whenever we all gethered back up down there where we had been, he went over to Potter.

  “The horse is gone,” he said. “Two men rode on out leading a third horse.”

  “You seen the tracks of three horses?” Potter asked
him.

  “That’s right,” said Churkee.

  “How do you know one was empty?”

  Churkee shrugged. “I could tell you that I’m a fair hand at tracking,” he said, “but why don’t I just say that we know there were three men on horseback. We caught one man, and three horses rode out of here.”

  “The double-crossing bastards,” the old man shouted from the back a the wagon.

  Potter walked over to the wagon.

  “How’s that?” he said.

  “We was all three of us s’posed to ambush you,” the old man said. “They not only sneaked off a-leaving it all to me, they even went and stole my horse and tuck all the money. Damn them both to hell. All the way down to hell.”

  “What’s your name, old man?” Potter asked again.

  “Ben Wright,” the old man said.

  “Who’re the other two?”

  “Old Charley Coy,” Wright said. “The kid’s name is Jerry Gish.”

  I thunk that was a hell of a dumb name for a killing outlaw. My own name weren’t too good neither, but then, that was how come me to never use it and threaten to kill my own old paw if he ever breathed a word of it to anyone. Anyhow, I felt pretty good about it all on account a now at least Sheriff Potter and ever’one in his posse knowed that the outlaws was Jerry Gish, Ben Wright, and Charley Coy and not Kid Parmlee, my paw and ole Zeb. We was cleared for sure. I needed to figger a way to get Potter to talking face to face with ole Chastain so that Chastain wouldn’t try to kill me no more, but that shouldn’t a been too tough to do, I figgered.

  Well, Potter had ole Sherm tuck a little bit better keer of since we had supplies, and he loaded Sherm up in the wagon along with that there Ben Wright. Then he had us all mount up again and head out. Me and Churkee had to go back around and fetch our horses from where we had left them, and so we was once again hurrying along to catch up with the others. We done it though, ‘cause this time they wasn’t running like crazy. We rid on up behind the supply wagon and on past it to catch up with ole Potter. He was a-doing okay though, ’cause them tracks was right plain at that point.

  “You two did real good back there,” he said as I come up alongside him. “Thanks.”

  “I got me a stake in this too,” I said.

  We rid on without no more talking for a spell, and final we come down on the other side a them hills, and we was on flat ground again. Right after that, ole Potter lost sight a them tracks. We slowed way down and waited for Churkee to ride ahead and scout out the trail, and then as he moved on ahead, we follered. Churkee was some good tracker, I can tell you. I figgered that maybe Injuns was made thataway so that they could do it natural like.

  The going was slow, and we never laid eyes on them two outlaws all the rest a that day. Whenever the light was might near gone, Potter called a halt, and we made us a camp for the night. We built us up some cooking fires and cooked up a meal outa the supplies that had been brung in on the wagon. By and by, we all bedded down.

  We was up early when morning come, and we had us a good breakfast and some coffee, broke our camp, saddled and mounted up. Churkee picked right up on the trail, and we rest of us follered him along like we done before. I noticed that we was headed kindly northeast. We was moving along like that whenever ole Roscoe hollered out, “Potter, you sure that damn Injun knows what he’s doing?”

  “You want to see if you can a better job, Roscoe?” Potter said.

  “I think we’re wasting our time,” Roscoe said. “I think they’re long gone. I think we oughta turn around and go back. That’s what I think. Any a the rest a you boys agree with me?”

  “I do,” said Sherm from back in the wagon. “I’m hurting here. I need a real doc to look at my leg.”

  “All right, Roscoe,” Potter said. “Put Sherm on Harry’s horse. Harry, you get in the wagon. Roscoe, you and Sherm can head on back. I won’t hold it against you.”

  “Wait a minute,” Roscoe said. “We ain’t headed back like that. Just the two of us and him hurt. What if we was to run into them two outlaws?”

  “They’re out in front of us,” I said.

  “How do I know that?” said Roscoe. “I don’t trust your damn redskin up there.”

  “You’re just a chicken shit,” I said. “There’s two a them and two a you. I’d call that even.”

  “Sherm’s hurt,” Roscoe said.

  “His hands and arms is both okay,” I said. “He don’t shoot with his leg, does he?”

  “Hey,” Roscoe hollered out. “Who else wants to head back? Well, come on. Am I the only one here who’s got any sense? At least a couple of you ride on back with me and Sherm. Come on.”

  “Looks like it’s just only the two of you,” I said. “Why don’t you go on ahead and get going. I’m just about fed up with you anyhow.”

  “Potter?” Roscoe kinda whined.

  “It’s your choice, Roscoe,” said Potter. “Take Harry’s horse and ride on back, or else shut up about it. The rest of us are going ahead.”

  Well, all that there fussing had went on long enough that ole Churkee had got out a little ways ahead of us, so Potter kinda kicked his horse into a trot and the rest of us done too, and we rid on to catch up. Churkee was still a-moving slow like, on account a having to look hard for them tracks. I looked on up ahead, but I couldn’t see no sign of no riders up there.

  “Cherokee,” Potter said. “You sure we’re still on their trail?”

  Well, he tuck the thoughts right outa my head, and I was glad that it was him what said it.

  “We’re after them, all right,” Churkee said.

  “That’s good enough for me,” said Potter.

  We rid the rest a that day and spent another night out there on the prairie. At breakfast the next morning, ole Roscoe and Sherm had picked up a couple a allies.

  “It’s just too far out, Potter,” one feller was a-saying. “I rode on with you after Roscoe wanted to head back, but I figured we’d have caught them by now. Hell, we’ve probably ridden out of your jurisdiction anyhow.”

  “I know damn well we’re outside of my jurisdiction,” Potter said, “but I ain’t letting that stop me. Did you forget they have the bank’s money? Our money?”

  “I didn’t have no money in that damn bank,” the man said. “It takes everything I make just to earn a living. I can’t save a dime. And I’m losing money the longer I stay out here on this wild-goose chase.”

  “Go on then,” Potter said.

  Well, Sherm and Roscoe and two others rid out then. We still had a fair-sized posse though. More than enough to take that damn kid and old man we was after. Hell, I’d a rid after them two all by my lonesome if I’d a had to. I kinda tuck a liking to ole Potter, even if he was a lawman. I liked him for standing up to Roscoe and them the way he done, and I liked him for ignoring the problem a his jurisdiction. Besides, I had already tuck to two other lawmen in my time, so I figgered it weren’t no shame to take to another one. Potter watched them ride for a bit, and then he said, “Anyone else want to quit on me?” No one said nothing.

  Once them four had rid on out a-headed back for home like dogs with their tails between their legs, the rest of us cleaned up and packed up and headed out on the trail just like before, moving slow along behind ole Churkee as he scouted the trail. It was long about midday, and I was a-riding alongside a Potter, and I seed ole Churkee top a rise up ahead and then of a sudden come to a stop, turn and ride back down to join us.

  “I saw them,” he said. “Not far beyond that rise.”

  Potter set and thunk, but not for long.

  “Men,” he said, “spread out in a line. We’ll ride slow up to the top of the rise. When I yell ‘charge,’ we’ll go after them. Hit them with everything you’ve got, but if they throw down their guns and surrender, stop shooting. I’d rather take them in for trial. Is that clear?”

  Ever’one opined as how it was, and so we all spread ourselfs and rid up in a line to the rise, and we seed them out there all right. The
y wasn’t too far away from us. Potter drawed his six-gun, and so did the rest of us. Then he hollered, “Charge,” and by God, we rid hard. Them two outlaws seed us a-coming, and they lit out. We commenced to shooting, and that kid, he turned around in his saddle and shot back at us, but it’s awful hard to hit something thataway, and he never. We kept after them, and off to my right, I seed one a the posse’s horse go down and throw his rider off over his head. I never slowed down, though, to see did the man get back up. I just kept on a-riding and a-shooting, and so did all the rest.

  Then someone’s bullet hit the old man’s horse up ahead. It were that Charley Coy, and old Coy, he went down hard. He didn’t get right back up, I can tell you that. Potter yelled at someone to stop and take charge a the prisoner. The rest of us kept a-going, and the kid up ahead was still a-trying to hit someone or something with his wild shots. Then he musta run outa bullets, ’cause he never looked back again. He just rid hard as he could. I knowed that someone was fixing to kill a horse or two if this here chase didn’t quit soon, but I reckon ever’one else felt like what I did, and they didn’t want to take no chances on slowing down to save their horse and let the little shit get away in case his horse had the more staminer than did ours.

  Then ole Churkee, he started in to pulling out ahead a the rest of us, and he was a-riding hard. I could see that he was slow closing the gap betwixt hisself and the kid, that Jerry Gish. Gish was a-slapping at his horse something fierce with a little quirt, but Churkee kept on a-closing in. Gish looked over his shoulder and seed Churkee closing in, and he slapped harder and faster with his little piss-ant quirt. Churkee closed in some more.

  I kept on a-riding fast, but I did ease up on my horse just a little on account a I knowed that I couldn’t catch Churkee, and if he didn’t catch that Gish, well then, I sure as hell weren’t a-going to do it. I think ole Potter seed the same thing and figgered the same thing, ’cause me and him was a-riding most neck and neck. Churkee come up almost right alongside a Gish then.