Skeleton Lode

by Ralph Compton

  Rust and Bollinger didn’t relish the walk to town, and they trusted Gary Davis about as far as Davis trusted them. Still, they needed horses. While Davis might eventually double-cross them, he was in no position to do so now. So they started out, hoping to avoid some of the merciless heat the Arizona sun would unleash later in the day.

  By the time Dallas and Arlo reached the upper region of the mountain, the distant gunfire had ceased.

  “It’s all over but the burying, I reckon,” Arlo said. “Knowin” Apaches, I’d gamble that whoever’s still alive is also afoot. I think if we keep a sharp watch, we’ll see somebody hoofin’ it for town pronto. We might get some idea as to who survived.”

  They watched for almost two hours before seeing seven tiny dots moving westward. Soon they were lost among the mesquite and paloverde.

  “That’s got to be what’s left of that bunch from town,” said Dallas, “and that means they’ve lost eight men since yesterday.”

  “We’ve seen the last of them, I think,” Arlo said. “If they were just interested in more horses, they wouldn’t all be walking to town. I’d say they’ve pulled out for good.”

  “Unless some of that seven is Davis’s bunch,” said Dallas.

  “Not so,” Arlo said. “Look.”

  A pair of tiny figures plodded slowly westward and were soon lost in the distance.

  “I’d say that’s Rust and Bollinger,” said Arlo. “They’re probably being sent to town for horses and a pack mule. That means we’re not likely to run into the Davis outfit anytime soon.”

  But he was wrong. When Dallas and Arlo returned to their hidden camp, they stopped dead in their tracks. Paiute wasn’t alone—Kelly and Kelsey Logan were there. They sprang to their feet with relieved cries at the sight of the two cowboys. Paiute sat with his old hat tipped over his eyes, seeming not to notice.

  “Dear God,” Kelsey cried, “are we glad to see you!”

  “We’re just as glad to see you,” replied Arlo. “But how do we tell you apart?”

  “Kelly has a birthmark just below her belly button. I don’t.”

  The cowboys blushed and the girls laughed. Then the conversation turned serious.

  “Who is he?” Kelly asked, pointing to Paiute.

  “That’s Paiute,” said Arlo. “The last twenty years of your uncle’s life, Paiute was with him. He’s mute, unable to talk.”

  “He scared us half to death,” Kelsey said. “We fought him, but he tied our hands and made us walk for miles through the dark.”

  “Tell us everything that’s happened,” said Dallas. “We’ll listen while the two of you talk. Then we’ll answer your questions and tell you as much as we know about all this.”

  Kelly and Kelsey talked for more than an hour, taking turns telling of events up to and including the killing of Paulette Davis.

  “It was all so strange,” said Kelly. “After he—Paiute—forced us back into the dark passage, he tied us so we couldn’t get loose. He lit a piece of pine so we wouldn’t be alone in the dark, and then he returned to the cavern. When he came back, he had Mother—Mother’s body—all wrapped in blankets. We watched him find a place for her in another passage, and … and that’s where we left her. He untied our feet and led us here.”

  “I’m glad he took Mother away,” Kelsey said. “I want Gary Davis to wonder for the rest of his rotten life what became of her. I want him always to be afraid when he hears a sound in the night.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what Paiute had in mind,” said Arlo. “He’s a sensitive old fellow, and bein’ honest, I have to tell you this was entirely his idea.”

  “We wanted to rescue you,” Dallas added hastily, “but we hadn’t come up with a plan. Paiute heard us talking, and he knows these mountains well enough that he was able to get to you. God, that was beautiful, the way he slipped both of you away and then took your mother’s body.”

  “Like Kelly told you,” said Kelsey, “our mother wasn’t true to our daddy, and we hated her for it. Still, she deserved better than Gary Davis. Please, if we never find Uncle Henry’s gold, keep us hidden until we’re old enough to be on our own.”

  “There may or may not be a mine,” Arlo said. “I believe there is, and I can’t escape the feeling that Hoss—your Uncle Henry—is using it to lure Davis to these mountains. Hoss knew or suspected what Davis had done, and somehow Hoss aimed for him to pay. I don’t think Gary Davis will leave the Superstitions alive.”

  “The Superstitions,” Kelly shuddered. “Lord, how well the name suits them.”

  “They have a long and sometimes bloody history,” said Arlo. “There’s always been an air of mystery surrounding them, and the Apaches have added to it by denying any knowledge of strange deaths and disappearances. To them, the mountains are sacred, the home of their Thunder God.”

  “It’s hard not to believe in the Thunder God,” Kelly said. “Uncle Henry told us the legends, and when we first entered the cavern, I felt something I can’t really explain. It was like there was some presence we couldn’t see, but it made itself felt.”

  “It touched me the same way,” said Kelsey, “but that Indian attack was real, and so was the shot that killed Mother. The Thunder God may get credit, but he had some help.”

  “With scalped dead men for evidence,” Dallas said, “I don’t see how the Apaches can lay this on the Thunder God. Those hombres bound for town will have a story to tell.”

  “He’s right,” said Arlo, “and that’s something we haven’t told you. We spent some time on the rim this morning looking for survivors. First we saw seven men afoot, heading for town, and not too far behind them, two more. We judged the seven to be all that was left of the bunch who followed us from town, while the last two were probably Rust and the gunslinger, Bollinger. We think that means those men who trailed us have given up. We know Davis is still alive and still here, so that tells us he aims to stay. He’s sent to town for horses.”

  “There’s Yavapai and Sanchez,” Kelsey said. “Davis had a falling-out with them, and they joined the men from town.”

  “Thieves fall out,” said Arlo, “but necessity can unite them again. I won’t be too surprised to find Davis trailing with those Mex owl-hoots again. The Apache threat bein’ what it is, they’ll need one another. Even then, five of them against God knows how many Apaches is poor odds.”

  “They’ll likely hole up in that cavern,” Dallas offered.

  “I doubt it,” said Arlo. “Not after Kelly and Kelsey and their mother’s body vanished from there without a trace.”

  “You don’t know Gary Davis,” Kelly said. “He’s a conceited fool who has no belief in anything or anybody stronger than himself.”

  “Maybe,” replied Arlo, “but he’ll have to reckon with Yavapai and Sanchez. They’re a pair of no-account owl-hoots, but they’ll be superstitious. I don’t think they’ll be comfortable in a cavern where three people disappeared in a matter of minutes.”

  “Now that you mention it,” Dallas said, “that’s all it’ll take to drive Davis away from that canyon. Like it or not, when Sheriff Wheaton learns seven people are dead, he’ll have to ride out here. I wouldn’t want to have to answer the questions the sheriff will be askin’ Davis if he’s around. Those men on their way to town can verify the Apache killings, but who’s going to believe Kelly and Kelsey just vanished into thin air? And what about Mrs. Davis? By God, old Paiute’s sharper than any of us.”

  “He takes some getting used to,” said Kelly. “After all his years in these mountains, do you think he has some … understanding with the Apaches?”

  “We’ve wondered about that,” Arlo said. “I’d have a hard time believin’ the Apaches don’t know every crack and crevice, and I don’t doubt for a minute they know we’re here. We don’t know, and may never know how Paiute figures into it. Only Hoss could tell us.”

  “I wish we could have come here while he was alive,” said Kelsey. “He told us so much about these mountains, about
Arizona, I feel like we’ve just been away for a while, and that we’ve come home.”

  “This is home,” Kelly said. “There’s nothing left for us in Missouri.”

  “What of your mother’s people?” Dallas asked.

  “Her parents are dead,” said Kelly, “and we’ve never been close to her brothers and sisters. We don’t even know how to reach them, to tell them she’s gone.”

  “One thing you haven’t told us,” Kelsey said. “How did you know about the symbols on our half of the map?”

  Arlo laughed. “Just a lucky guess. Here, take a look at our half.”

  He handed the folded paper to Kelsey, and Kelly moved over beside her.

  “Why, it’s the same map Uncle Henry sent us!” Kelly cried.

  “Of course it is,” said Arlo, “and that’s why we think Hoss had a lot more in mind than just seein’ that you and Kelsey inherited his claim. We can follow this map as far as it takes us, but it won’t take us to the gold, if there is any. Has Davis tried to use his map?”

  “I don’t think so,” Kelsey said. “There’s so little of it—just the few symbols—that he thinks it’s of no use to him without the part that you have. That’s why he tried so hard to follow you, and why he almost killed us all, trying to find you after you got away during the night.”

  “It does seem that Uncle Henry had more on his mind that just leaving Kelsey and me an inheritance,” said Kelly. “He sent Gary Davis—through us—enough of a map to lure him to the Superstitions, but left him believing he couldn’t find the gold because he had only half the map. That led him to you, and you’ve stolen us away from him. I just wish Uncle Henry knew how well it’s all working out.”

  “Don’t get excited yet,” Arlo said. “We still haven’t found the gold.”

  “But we’re free of Gary Davis,” Kelsey said, “and that’s worth more than all the gold in Arizona.”

  The seven men who had survived the Indian attack and had given up the search for Hoss Logan’s mine went immediately to the sheriff’s office. Sheriff Wheaton wasted no time in relaying the grim news to the families and friends of the dead men. The bodies, having lain out in the Arizona sun most of the day, would have to be buried on the spot. The sheriff didn’t relish the idea of riding into the Superstitions alone, so he decided he must accompany the burial party. He had gone to the livery for his horse, when Barry Rust and R. J. Bollinger arrived. Footsore and weary, they didn’t realize the sheriff was there until Wheaton had seen them.

  “Well, now,” said Sheriff Wheaton, “this is convenient. What can you boys tell me about that Apache attack this morning?”

  “Nothing you don’t already know,” Rust said shortly. “Paulette Davis was killed, and our horses and pack mule were stolen.”

  “You’re needin’ horses, then,” said the sheriff. “Well, I’m ridin’ out there with a burial party. You can travel with us. I’ll want to talk to Davis while I’m there.”

  “Damn it,” Bollinger said when the sheriff had ridden away. “Gary’s gonna be mad as hell when we show up with the law.”

  “Gary’s always mad as hell about something,” said Rust wearily. “It’ll be worth all the shouting and hell-raising just to hear him explain what became of Kelly and Kelsey Logan.”

  “Yeah.” Bollinger grinned. “It’s gonna seem like, what with their mama gone, old Gary decided to rid himself of the daughters. Who’s goin’ to believe they just flat disappeared? There’s nobody can tell the truth of it but you, me, Gary, and that pair of Mexicans. You reckon this lawman will believe any of us?”

  Rust didn’t consider that worthy of a reply.

  Two hours shy of sundown, Dallas and Arlo went up on the rim and turned their eyes west, peering through shimmering heat waves.

  “It’s gettin’ late,” Dallas said. “They might not make it back today.”

  “Maybe not the sheriff,” said Arlo, “but there’ll be somebody comin’ to bury those dead men. Nobody could stand getting close to the bodies in this heat, and tonight there’ll be coyotes.”

  “Hey,” Dallas exclaimed suddenly, “I thought I saw somethin’ out there. It’s hard to tell, though, lookin’ into the sun, with the heat dancin’ a jig.”

  They soon sighted a series of distant bobbing specks that finally became horsemen, fifteen of them in all.

  “I’d bet one of them is Sheriff Wheaton,” said Arlo, “and that at least two more will be R. J. Bollinger and Barry Rust. The others will be gravediggers.”

  “I’m surprised that Bollinger and Rust are ridin’ back with the others,” Dallas replied.

  “I’d say Sheriff Wheaton will have some questions for Gary Davis. Especially when he learns Kelly and Kelsey have disappeared.”

  “There had to be an uproar in town when those seven men showed up afoot, bringing news of the Apache killings,” said Arlo. “It’s just a village, not big enough for Bollinger and Rust to slip in, buy horses, and then leave without being seen. I’m surprised they could even find any extra horses.”

  “I hope none of that bunch comes nosin’ around up here,” Dallas said. “I want Paiute to have a look at that skull that shows up at sunset. Kelly and Kelsey can see it too.”

  “If there’s a chance of any of us being seen, we’ll have to skip this sunset,” warned Arlo. “Now that we have Kelly and Kelsey with us, it’s more important than ever that nobody knows where we are. Without the girls to claim the mine as an inheritance, Davis is just another claim jumper. With Kelly and Kelsey, we have control of the mine.”

  “Legally,” Dallas said, “but out here the law belongs to the hombre with the fastest gun. I think when we’re down to the last hand, that hand will be holdin’ a Colt.”

  Arlo and Dallas returned to their camp. It soon would be time to take Paiute, Kelly, and Kelsey up to the mountain rim for a few dramatic moments with the setting sun.

  “We were starting to wonder about you,” said Kelsey.

  “We’ve been watching for riders from town,” Arlo said, “and they’re on the way. We counted fifteen. We figure one of them is the sheriff, and another two are probably Barry Rust and R. J. Bollinger. The rest we’re thinkin’ are gravediggers. We’re hoping they’ll stay in the canyon and not come near the rim.”

  “Is there a chance they might find us?” Kelly asked.

  “Not unless we’re seen,” said Arlo. “We just don’t want them up here on the rim. Come sundown, we’re going to show you as much as your Uncle Henry’s map can tell you. We want Paiute there too.”

  When it was time to go to the rim, Dallas went first to be sure the way was clear. Arlo came last, following Paiute, Kelly, and Kelsey. They all joined Dallas at the place where he and Arlo had seen the death’s head in the setting sun.

  “There’s lots of other peaks out there,” Arlo said, “but there’s five that seem to stand almost shoulder to shoulder. Keep your eyes on that one in the middle. Once the setting sun dips toward the horizon, we’ll have only two or three minutes.”

  Slowly the sun crept toward the horizon. The shadowy top of the skull appeared first, then the hollow eyes, the gaping mouth, and finally the bony chin.

  “Dear God,” said Kelsey in awe, “it’s the skull from the map!”

  Arlo touched Paiute’s arm, pointing to the image. The old Indian stumbled back, a look of sheer terror on his wrinkled face. He turned and literally ran to the canyon rim, disappearing into their hidden cavern.

  “It’s going away!” Kelly cried.

  The image vanished as it had appeared, the top of the skull fading first. As the sun dipped out of sight, shadows claimed the land and the distant peak became as barren as those surrounding it.

  “We know where the mine is!” Kelsey said excitedly.

  “I don’t think so,” replied Arlo. “There may be clues to the mine, and there may be much more than that. Paiute’s no coward, but there’s something about that mountain that just scared the hell out of him.”

  “He can’t talk,”
Dallas said, “but I was hopin’ we could learn something from him when he saw that death’s head.”

  “We’re learning plenty from him,” said Arlo, “but I don’t think he knows what Hoss may have planned. Some Indians claim that the spirit voices of the old ones warn them in time of danger. Maybe these spirit voices are sending Paiute messages he can’t understand, and somehow this death’s head he just saw opened some doors.”

  “My God!” Kelsey shivered. “Why don’t we just forget the gold and go away?”

  “We can’t,” said Arlo. “Not without lettin’ Hoss Logan down. He dealt us a hand, and we have to play it out. None of us would ever be satisfied if we just rode away. I reckon we started this for Hoss’s sake, but we have to finish it for our own.”