by Clive Dawson
There was a malicious smirk on the banker’s face. ‘I’ve got plenty of influential friends on the Town Committee. We run this town the way most o’ the townsfolk want it run and until you’ve got any proof, I’d suggest you watch what you say. McDonald thought he knew better than the rest of us and see where that got him.’
‘Meanin’ that you couldn’t bribe him so you had to pay Hawkins to shoot him in the back? Trouble is, you’ll not find it so easy to get rid o’ me. Hawkins won’t be on the run for long and when I do get him, he’ll talk. There ain’t enough money in this town to make even a low-down killer like him keep his mouth shut when he sees the noose waitin’ for him.’
For a moment, Bellamy remained silent. Then, with an effort, he regained his composure. Pushing himself to his feet, he stared at Frank across the desk. ‘I think this conversation is finished, Sheriff. You bust your way in here makin’ threats and accusations you can’t substantiate, expectin’ us to be intimidated. Joshua Sefton and I have been respected citizens o’ Condor for more’n twenty years. I’m sorry to hear about Ben Sheldon but you’re not goin’ to pin that on us.’
Knowing he would get nothing more from the two men, Frank turned and moved towards the door. Reaching it, he paused and said icily, ‘Don’t worry. Once Ben comes round and talks, I’ll have all the evidence I need.’
When he had gone, Bellamy went over to the window and stood there, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. Inwardly, in spite of his talk, he was getting scared. Things were spiralling out of control. The sooner those men he had sent for arrived in the area, the safer he would feel with this man Kelsey nosing around.
From behind him, Sefton said harshly, ‘What do you reckon, Curt? If you want my opinion, it won’t be long before he finds out everything.’
‘He’ll find out nothin’,’ Bellamy snapped without turning.
‘But if Sheldon does talk—?’
‘He won’t. Where is the old coot now?’
‘They took him to Dr Pearson’s surgery. Far as I know, they’ll be keepin’ him there for the time being.’
‘Then we’ll just have to make certain he doesn’t spill anythin’ to Kelsey. All we have to do is keep our nerve for the next few days. Once those men get here from across the border, we take over. Now you’d best get back to your office in case Kelsey is keepin’ a watch on us.’
‘What do you intend doin’ now?’
Bellamy gave a faint smile that creased his puffy features. ‘I mean to pay a visit to Everley. If we’re goin’ to start takin’ over these small spreads, I reckon his should be the first.’
Surprise showed momentarily on the other’s face. ‘What makes you think he’ll sell?’
‘You’re forgettin’ there’s been a drought these last couple o’ years. My guess is he’s findin’ it hard. So far he’s just managed to keep up payments on his loan, but I’m sure it must’ve cost him somethin’ keeping his daughter back East. Somehow, I think he’ll struggle to make the next payment and if I was to put some pressure on him, he might see things my way.’
Having just arrived back from town half an hour earlier, Everley was sitting on the porch when Bellamy road up. Instantly, he stiffened and a faint sense of apprehension passed through him as he got to his feet. Bellamy rode up to the porch, reining up sharply. Slowly, he lowered himself from the saddle.
‘Evening, Jim,’ he said genially. ‘I just thought I’d pay you a visit. We got some business to discuss.’
‘Business? Ain’t this a funny time to talk about money matters?’
‘No time like the present,’ Bellamy replied smoothly. ‘Can we talk in the house?’
Grudgingly, Everley led the way inside, motioning the banker to a chair before seating himself at the table. ‘What is it you’ve got to say, Bellamy?’
The other placed the tips of his fingers together. ‘From what I’ve heard you’re not havin’ an easy time, Jim. There’s the drought which has hit you bad and some folk say that you’ve lost a few head o’ beef in recent months.’
‘We’ve seen worse,’ Everley replied. ‘We can get through this.’
‘But why go through all the trouble? Your mortgage is due for payment next month.’ He took out a cigar and offered one to Everley. When Jim shook his head, Bellamy lit the smoke and drew deeply on it. ‘Do you reckon you can meet that payment?’
Everley drew down his brows into a straight line across his hard gaze. ‘You thinking o’ foreclosing on any of the ranchers who can’t?’ he asked thinly.
Bellamy spread his hands expansively. ‘It may be I won’t have any choice. With all these recent hold-ups, the bank has lost a lot o’ money.’
Somehow, Everley kept a check on the rising anger inside him. ‘So, you’re suggestin’ we all sell out to you at a tenth o’ what our spreads are worth and move out. Is that it?’
‘If it should come to that, I’m sure you’ll find I’ll give you a fair price.’
Everley’s eyes narrowed. ‘And why should you do that? You ain’t no cattleman. You wouldn’t know the first thing about runnin’ a ranch.’
‘Maybe he’s got other ideas for the land.’ Anne spoke up from the door into the kitchen.
‘Now see here, Miss Everley,’ Bellamy said harshly, ‘There ain’t no cause for that kind o’ talk. I came here as a friend to make your father a fair offer for this land. And there’s one other thing I reckon you both should know.’
‘Oh, what’s that?’ Everley sat straight and rigid in his chair, his glance fixed on the banker.
Bellamy flicked the ash from his cigar into the ashtray and studied the glowing tip for a moment before replying, ‘I sure don’t want to scare you folk unduly, believe me. But there’s talk goin’ around that those two outlaws who escaped into the hills have sent for reinforcements from across the border. How much truth there is in that, I don’t really know, but I figure it’s somethin’ you should both consider very seriously.’
Everley thrust out his jaw into a determined line. ‘That doesn’t scare me, Bellamy. When I first built this ranch out o’ nothin’ I had to fight off bands of hostile Indians. If any o’ these critters decide to hit this place, we’ll be ready for ’em.’
Stubbing out the cigar butt, Bellamy rose ponderously to his feet. His fleshy features were inscrutable as he said, ‘Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. My offer still stands. Think it over before you hit real trouble.’
He walked to the door, paused. ‘But don’t take too long thinkin’ about it. The next time, I might not be so generous.’
Leaving the threat hanging in the air, he went out. A moment later, he heaved himself into the saddle and rode off into the deepening twilight.
Back inside, Anne asked anxiously, ‘Do you think he meant what he said, about more outlaws coming from over the border?’
Her father’s face was grim as he said, ‘He meant it all right. But I’m sure o’ one thing: he’s the one who’s sent for those killers.’
‘You reckon Frank should know about this?’
Everley turned that over in his mind. Another thought had occurred to him. Bellamy had been too eager to let them know about this new band of outlaws heading for Condor. Perhaps, for some reason known only to himself, he wanted the sheriff to know. Maybe the banker had some plan in mind to force Kelsey into a trap. Still, even if he had, it was only right that Frank should be forewarned about what was likely to happen.
‘I’ll ride in and let Frank know about this first thing in the mornin’,’ he said. ‘I doubt if Bellamy will make his play until those killers get here.’
Through the window of his office, Frank saw Bellamy ride back in town, his features hard and sullen in the light spilling from the office. He had seen him ride out some time earlier. From the time the banker had been out of town, he reckoned Bellamy had paid a call on the Everleys.
His first thought that Bellamy had headed for the hills to see what had gone wrong with that attack on Ivers’ life, he dismissed at once.
There hadn’t been enough time for Bellamy to have made that long ride, certainly not for a man of his size.
The possibility that he had ridden out to the ranch troubled him. It seemed more than likely that Bellamy was now beginning to put the squeeze on the small spreads around Condor.
A couple of hours later, with the town now quiet and the saloons empty, he stepped outside to begin his nightly rounds. A deathly hush hung over everything. The wind which blew along the street, lifting irritating eddies of dust, was bitterly cold. Pulling his jacket more tightly around his shoulders, he made his way slowly along the boardwalk.
He had made his nocturnal rounds a number of times before, but this time, something seemed different. There was an air of expectancy in the atmosphere, a feeling that something was about to happen – and without warning. Why he should feel this way, he wasn’t sure.
Back in the days when he had been Marshal of Dodge City, he had sometimes experienced this odd sensation and usually it portended trouble. He allowed his glance to rove swiftly along both sides of the street. A dog came out of one of the alleys, paused as it saw him, then vanished again with its tail between its legs.
Easing the Colts in their holsters, glancing warily along each alley mouth as he passed it, he finally reached the far end of the street. Pausing here for a moment, he rolled a cigarette, thrust it between his lips and lit it. He knew instinctively that if there was someone waiting to draw a bead on him, the flare of the match would pick him out instantly.
But nothing happened. The deep silence held. Stepping forward to return to his office, he halted abruptly. Moving slowly, he edged back towards the shadows along the boardwalk to his right. A dark, anonymous figure had slipped out of one of the alleys fifty yards away.
Tossing away the half-smoked cigarette, he withdrew one of the Colts, his finger taut on the trigger. With all of the saloons now in complete darkness, it was impossible for him to identify the man.
Making no sound, he edged forward. Halfway along the street, the only light that showed shone through the window of Pearson’s surgery. It threw a faint yellow gleam onto the boardwalk.
Blending into the shadows, Frank watched as the man came to a halt beside the window. Now he was able to make out that the man carried a gun. The dark figure peered intently into the window for a moment, then stepped back a couple of paces and raised the gun.
Frank reacted swiftly, almost without thinking. Jerking up the Colt, he squeezed the trigger. The man jerked as if he had been kicked by a horse. Then he fell back, the gun in his hand firing once as his last ounce of strength pulled the trigger.
Running forward, Frank levelled his Colt on the figure lying in the dirt but another shot was unnecessary. He saw at a glance that he was dead. A moment later, the nearby door swung open and Pearson came running out. The doctor looked from Frank to the body lying in the street.
‘It’s Sefton,’ Pearson muttered. ‘What the hell—?’
‘I spotted him a moment ago. There ain’t no doubt what he was intendin’ to do. He meant to kill Sheldon.’
Pearson ran a hand down his cheek. ‘But why would he want to do that?’
‘To stop the old fellow from talkin’ about the break-out. He was in cahoots with Bellamy. I reckon they knew who hit the old man and let Hawkins loose.’
A small knot of people had now arrived on the scene, standing around in a circle, looking down at the body. Harshly, Frank said, ‘This hombre tried to kill Ben Sheldon, meanin’ to shoot him through the window yonder. You’ll all see he still has the gun in his hand.’
‘What’s goin’ on in this hell-fired town, Sheriff?’ demanded one of the men.
Grimly, Frank replied, ‘I reckon there’s someone in Condor who’s intent on takin’ over this entire territory. When McDonald threatened to get in his way he had him shot down by Hawkins. Now Ben Sheldon poses a threat and somehow, he talked Sefton into tryin’ to silence him.’
‘You know who this hombre is, Sheriff?’ called a second man. ‘Just give us the word and we’ll string him up.’
Frank raised his hand as a murmur of anger ran through the small crowd. ‘There’ll be no necktie party until I’ve got proof that’ll stand up in a court o’ law. Right now I haven’t any, just suspicions. Now some o’ you take this body to the mortuary and then all o’ you go back home and leave the law to me.’
There were still angry voices, but eventually two men stepped forward. Taking Sefton’s arms and legs, they carried him along the street. Slowly, the crowd dispersed.
‘That could’ve turned real ugly, Frank,’ Pearson muttered as they went into the surgery.’
‘I know. That’s why I kept my mouth shut about Bellamy. He’s too clever by half and even with Sefton dead, he could bring in some slick city lawyer who could talk him out o’ hell.’
As Pearson closed the door, he asked, ‘How’s Sheldon?’
Leading the way into the room, Pearson said over his shoulder, ‘He’s regained consciousness and keeps askin’ for you. He’s still very weak so don’t ask him too many questions.’
The old man was lying in the bed near the wall. He lifted his head weakly as Frank walked in. A faint grin twitched his bloodless lips. ‘Howdy, Sheriff, I was hopin’ you’d drop by.’ His voice was faint, barely more than a whisper, and his head fell back onto the pillow as if the mere effort of speaking had drained his strength.
‘Just you lie still, Ben.’ Frank walked over to the bed. ‘You got a nasty knock on the head. Do you know who it was came into the office an’ did this?’
Sheldon ran his tongue around his lips. For a moment, he seemed to have difficulty speaking. Then he said slowly, ‘Sure I know. It were Sefton, that shifty lawyer fellow.’
‘You’re absolutely certain o’ this? There are witnesses who claim Sefton went into the office, but when he came out you were with him on the boardwalk.’
‘That’s right. But then he came back and told me he’d met you a little way along the trail and you’d said he could talk with Hawkins.’
Noticing the warning expression on the doctor’s face, Frank waited for a couple of minutes before asking, ‘What happened then, Ben?’
‘I figured it was all right if you’d said so. I took him along to the cell and then he pulled a gun on me.’ Shifting himself slightly, the other grimaced and put up a hand to his skull. ‘Made me fetch the keys and let Hawkins out. Then he must’ve hit me on the head. There ain’t nothin’ more I can recall.’
Lying back, he muttered, ‘What was all that commotion about outside? Did you get Hawkins?’
Frank shook his head. ‘It weren’t Hawkins, Ben. I reckon he’s miles away by now, probably across the border. I just spotted Sefton outside this window. He meant to finish the job and put a bullet into you.’
‘The hell you say.’ Sheldon’s grizzled features twisted into a scowl of anger. For a moment, he struggled to push himself upright in the bed. Reaching forward, Pearson gently eased him back onto the pillow.
‘Just you rest, Ben,’ the doctor said firmly. ‘Sleep is the best medicine for you right now. Just do as I tell you and we’ll have you back on your feet in no time.’
Going into the adjoining room, Frank asked, ‘Do you reckon he’ll pull through, Doc?’
Pearson shrugged. ‘It’ll be a long haul, especially for a man of his age. There’s no doubt in my mind that Sefton intended to kill him when he hit him. Once Ben recognized him, he sure wouldn’t want him to live and spill everythin’.’
Frank nodded. It made sense. Once he discovered that the old man was still alive, it explained why he’d made this second attempt on the other’s life.
Leaning against an upright outside the office the next morning, Frank drew deeply on his smoke and watched the town come alive around him. The sun had not yet risen and he knew that, when it came up, it would bring the heat with it. There was still little sign that the drought which had hit this area was coming to an end.
The sound of approaching ho
rses brought his head round. Glancing towards the trail where it joined the main street, he saw the buck wagon coming swiftly towards the town and instantly recognized it as Everley’s.
Hauling back on the reins, Everley brought it to a sliding halt in front of him. From the worried look on the other’s face, Frank instantly guessed there had been trouble. Pushing himself from the post, he stepped forward and helped Anne down from her seat beside her father.
‘Can we talk, Frank?’ Everley said. ‘This is important.’
‘Sure. Come into the office.’
Once they were seated, Everley said tautly, ‘We had a visit from Bellamy last evenin’. He tried to force us into sellin’ him the ranch.’
Leaning his elbows on the table, Frank said sharply, ‘What would he want with your spread? He’s no rancher.’
‘That’s what I asked him. It seems he’s makin’ the rounds of all the other spreads around town, trying to get them to sell.’
Interrupting, Anne said anxiously, ‘That’s not the real reason we’re here, Frank. We told him quite clearly we had no intention of selling and we’d get the next payment on the mortgage somehow. But he went on to say that those two remaining outlaws have sent for more than twenty men from across the border. He reckoned they’d be here in a few days. If that does happen, we’ll never be able to protect our spreads.’
‘You think there might be some truth in what he said?’
‘Some.’ Everley gave a quick, nervous nod. ‘But my guess is that it’s Bellamy who’s sent for those killers.’
‘But if he has, you can be sure he’ll deny all knowledge of it and he’ll have covered his tracks well.’ Frank got to his feet and paced the room a couple of time before halting at the window. Without turning, he asked quietly, ‘What do you reckon my chances are of gettin’ some men together from town?’
