"Don't bother, Henry. I'm making it easy for you. I lifte d your gun then waited until your rifle was empty. Now I'l l kill you, let the boys finish off' Morgan and Kopp, and I'll g et the gold."
The two men faced each other across ten feet of gree n grass, cut off from view of the Block C riders by trees an d boulders and over fifty yards of distance.
Childs's small mouth tightened until it was scarcely visible. He was sullen and wary. "Well," he said casually, "I g uess I've had it coming. I murdered good men for tha t gold and never got' a penny's worth of it. Now you'l l murder me. Of course, we're going out together."
His hand flashed in movement, and Mark Brewer's .44 r oared. Childs swayed like a tree in the wind but kept hi s feet. In the palm of his hand was a small derringer. He fired, and then again.
Brewer's gun was roaring, but his last bullets wer e kicking u ? sand at Childs's feet. He went to his knees, the n down to his face. in the bloody sand.
Childs said, I had a hide-out gun, too, Mark. I was hal f expect --"
He put out a hand for support that was not there. The n he fell, sprawling on the grass. Bod hurried to him.
His eves flared open. "You got a mighty pretty gir l there, son," he said. The two-barreled derringer slippe d from his fingers and he was dead. Rod stood for a moment , staring down at him.
Without the stolen money the man heal done well. He had built a ranch, fine herds of cattle, earned the respec t of his community, and all for nothing. The old murders ha d ridden him to his death.
Rod walked around the bodies and through the trees.
When he got where he could see the Block C riders h e lifted his rifle.
"Drop your guns, boys! The war's over! Childs an d Brewer just killed each other."
Jeff Cordell dropped his gun. "Damned if they didn't have it coming." He paused. "!blind if we look ?"
"Come on, hut don't get any fancy notions. Too man y men have died already."
The Block C riders trooped over, and stood lookin g down at the derringer that had slipped from his fingers.
"Mark always said he never carried a gun except whe n he was out in the hills like this. He stooped and flippe d back Brewer's coat to reveal the shoulder holster. "His kin d always want an edge."
Cordell started to turn away. "Yon can take them along , Jeff. Take 'em back down to Cordova and tell them th e truth."
"Why not? All right, boys, let's clean u ? the mess,"
When they were gone, Tarran Kop ? came out of th e trees. Lorna was with him.
We could have buried 'em where they fell," Kop ? said.
Rod shrugged. "Maybe, but I want no more ghosts i n Buckskin Run."
He glanced around at Kopp. "What name are you usin g 6om now on'? If we're going to be partners I'd bette r know."
"Jed Blue. Tarran Kopp's a legend, He's from the past; l et him stay there."
They walked away together to their horses. We'd bette r dig u ? that gold, once for all. We can buy cattle, fix u ? a place for you all, and I'll take the old cabin."
He glanced slyly at Rod. "You know where it is?"
"Where you'd expect to find it. Buried in the grave o f Harry Kidd."
Together, they rode back down the trail to the cabin o n Buckskin Run.
Jed Blue looked around at them, pointing at the cabin.
"I never had no home before," he said, "but that's home. We're a-comin' home."
Buckskin Run (Ss) (1981) Page 5
