We hitched our horses nearby on some heavy, jagged stones and I pulled out a rifle and Tom and Doolin did the same. Doolin went up one side and Tom looked at me fore he went up nother. I stayed put a minute and then saw an easy path up the formation and I started up. The rocks was massive, almost like small mountains, and I could see little caverns leadin’ down to darkness. I’d glance inside real quick and then keep movin’ up the rocks.
Near the top was too steep so I walked round and had a good view a the valley below. I could see Doolin up on the other side as I stopped and took a sip a my canteen when I heard somethin’ behind me. I didn’t turn round, I kept the canteen ta my lips and I heard it again; it was breathin’. I slowly lowered the canteen like I was gonna place it away.
I spun round on my knees and pointed the rifle. I saw movement and damn near pulled the trigger when somewhere it dawned on me that the thing was too big ta be a man.
Was a horse and it had climbed up a clear path on the rocks. It was breathin’ hard and I could see white foam round its mouth. I walked down and patted it. Weren’t one a ours. Poor thing was dyin’ a thirst and exhaustion.
“Found somethin’,” I said.
Doolin’ ran over and soon after him the mayor. The horse was on its last legs and its head was dipped low near the ground. Doolin looked round. I did too but there was nothin’. Doolin tapped the horse on the head gently and then pulled out his pistol and shot it in the head.
“What the hell are you doing?” Tom said, startled.
“Want him to know we’re here.”
The horse collapsed ta its side, instantly dead. Its blood started seepin’ out and mixin’ with sand and stone and the sand turned black. Doolin’ bent down and checked the saddlebags but they was empty.
“He coulda went off on foot,” I said.
“We’d see him. He’s here. He ran his horse down and got stuck here.” He looked up. “I’m gonna head to that ridge right there and set up. You boys just make camp near the horses. We can’t risk him gettin’ one. If I see him I’m just gonna start shootin’ so keep your wits about ya.”
He headed up the rocks toward the ridge and Tom and I watched him go. I looked at the horse again fore we headed over ta where we’d hitched. Took just a few minutes and I was relieved when I saw that they were still there.
“You hungry?” I said.
“I could eat something.”
I pulled out some baked cornmeal with sugar and we sat in the sand and ate. The sun was bright in the sky and a wind was blowin’, kickin’ up sand and such inta my eyes.
“What d’ya think of him?” Tom said.
“Doolin? He seems all right.”
“I don’t trust him.”
“Why?”
“Well I don’t really trust anyone. He seems dangerous though.”
“I don’t figure that any man that hunts other men for a livin’ is too stable.”
“You’re right about that.” He was silent a moment and looked round. “Sheriff, bout what happened, with lettin’ you go and all…”
“Don’t say nother word bout it, Tom. It is what it is. You was emotional. Any man would be.”
“I think about him sometimes.”
“Who?”
“The boy we hung. I don’t know his name but I saw him before they did it. He was so frightened. They put the hood on him and he screamed. He started fighting and they wrapped the noose around his neck and he wet himself. Some people laughed.”
“Some people are capable of any cruelty, I reckon.”
He nodded. “I should’ve listened to you. You were right. The property around the town.”
I took a deep breath. “Ain’t no use talkin’ bout it now.”
“Do you believe in God, Jesse?”
“I rightly do.”
“I don’t. But if he exists, Ruth Ann’s death was revenge. It was punishment for the things I’ve done in my life. I was so close to happiness and he just took it right out from under me.”
“Don’t think he works that way.”
“Why not? We do. And aren’t we made in his image?”
“Well, I don’t think—”
Shots echoed through the rocks. The sounds bounced round fore fadin’ with the wind. Then there was high-pitched shots, from pistol, and the yellin’ a men. I looked ta Tom and we dropped our food and ran up the rocks.
I dashed as quickly as I could, the rifle held up in front a me. I went up ta where I could see the ridge and I saw Doolin firin’ down inta the valley.
“He’s there!”
I turned and ran down onta the sand and stood, outta breath. I didn’t see nothin’ but I heard Doolin fire again. Tom came up behind me and stood there. I started walkin’ round the massive boulders and would peek my head round the corner ta see if anyone were there. I climbed up on one rock and looked over everythin’. I scanned from left ta right but I couldn’t see nothin’ but rocks and sand and brush.
I looked up ta Doolin. He wasn’t firin’ no more but still had his rifle aimed. I went down ta where he was pointin’ but still didn’t see nothin’.
“Right there,” Doolin shouted.
I walked slow and turned past some sarsens. Was a tight fit tween two others but I slipped through and then helped Tom behind me. He was pale and breathin’ hard and looked like he might faint.
“Wait here,” I said. “You see him run back you shoot.”
“I want to come with you.”
“Best you wait here. Cut off any escape.”
He nodded and put his finger on the trigger a his rifle.
I strolled over real casual and stepped lightly ta not make any noise. I glanced round and saw somethin’ on the ground. It looked like boots and the rest a him was round a corner. I held up my rifle.
“Andy, come on out now. I don’t wanna shoot you. Just come on out so we can talk. I’ll put my rifle down and you put your pistol down and we’ll talk…you hear me, Andy?”
I stepped in a roundaboutway over ta the boots. I ran my eyes over and up ta where the legs shoulda been but there weren’t nothin’ there. Then I heard somethin’. Sounded like footsteps off in the distance.
“The horses!” Doolin yelled.
I hurried back fast as I could. I didn’t wait for Tom or Doolin and jumped over rocks and nearly tripped and cut my head open. I leapt tween those two sarsens and ran over ta where the horses was hitched and one of em was gone. Off yonder I saw Andy on Lucile whippin’ her furiously. I took aim and fired, but I missed. I fired again and missed again. He was zig-zaggin’ all over the place and I heard Doolin fire at him too. Don’t know if either of us hit him eventually but if we did it weren’t nuff ta knock him off Lucile.
“Damn it!” I heard Doolin shout. It echoed off the rocks. I climbed up a ways on the rocks and could see him kickin’ some stones off the ledge in anger. “I told you to stay by the fucking horses! What did I say!”
“You were firin’ down at him,” I shouted back. “We came right over ta help.”
“Fuckin’ fuck damn it.” He spit and kicked some more stones and then took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair and took in a deep breath. He was calm some and then started climbin’ down off the ledge. I didn’t go over ta him but just waited by the horses. Eventually, he and Tom came over.
“One of us has got ta stay here,” Doolin said. “I’m goin’ after him and one y’all can come with me but we ain’t ridin’ two to a horse. It’ll slow me down.” He looked ta me. “Sheriff, you got the smallest dog in this fight.”
“Hell I do. Man was my best friend for six years.”
“All the more reason you stay here.”
“You saw me shootin’ at him.”
“I know, but you didn’t hit him, did ya?”
I stepped close ta him. “You sayin’ I purposely let him go?”
“I’m just tellin’ ya what I saw, that’s all.”
“I didn’t see you hit him neither.”
Tom stepped tween
us. “Gentlemen, I don’t think this is helping anything.”
I stared inta Doolin’s eyes. They was cold and he didn’t flinch. “Won’t take long,” he said. “He’ll likely run this horse down too and we’ll be on him in the open desert.”
“And I’m just supposed ta sit here and wait?”
“Well,” he said, spitting a long string down ta the sand, “the doctor a yours wasn’t with him. She’s gotta be here somewhere.”
A small shock went through me. I completely forgotten bout the Doc.
“Start looking for her, Jesse,” Tom said. “If we’re not back in a day head to town. Don’t wait for us.”
CHAPTER 36
I stood in the hot sun watchin’ the two men ride off. Dust and sand was kickin’ up behind em in small clouds and I watched till I couldn’t see em no more. I turned round and looked over all the rocks, the way the sun made the ground shimmer far off. I was alone.
I didn’t want ta leave my horse but at the same time, we hadn’t seen the Doc anywhere. I had ta look round. Even if it was just ta find a corpse.
Startin’ on the west side, I slowly climbed and looked inta ever’ crevasse and crack and cave and hole. There weren’t nothin’ I was just goin’ ta leave up ta chance. One cave went down inta the earth and I climbed gingerly, usin’ my legs and hands both. I went slowly down inta the darkness till I realized it was too dark ta see. So I rested a spell and then climbed out again. I went down ta the horses and found a shirt Tom brought with us along with a blade and a bit a flint. Some old branches was nearby and I took a decent-sized one and climbed back up ta the cave’s entrance.
I wrapped the shirt round the top a the branch and then bent down and struck the flint with the blade. I laid the shirt down underneath it and the sparks weren’t nuff ta light it. I looked round. A small bit a brush was driftin’ by on the breeze over the sand below and I went down and got some. I came up again and this time put the brush over the shirt and began flickin’ the sparks in.
My arms start ta ache and I had ta wipe my brow for sweat, but I got it. A small spark turned inta a glowin’ ember and I bent down and covered it with my hands ta protect it from the wind and blew gently on it till it burned nice and hot. It caught the shirt a fire and I held the branch tween my teeth as I started climbin’ down.
It got black within a dozen feet or so but the torch lit up round me bout three feet. I got ta the bottom and the cool dirt a the cave and held up the torch and began walkin’. The cave went in far, least far nuff that the wind echoed in here like ghosts.
“Doc?” I said.
I kept quiet and listened. I could hear somethin’ but I didn’t know what it was. Sounded like the wind but coulda easily been a mountain lion eyein’ me. I took out my Colt with my other hand and began walkin’ toward the sound.
The cave opened up and light came through cracks that quickly disappeared as I walked and everything went dark again. The walls curved right and I followed em. The wind was howlin’ now and I knew an exit was near. The torch was burnin’ well but it had dimmed some and I couldn’t see that far ahead. But there was light out there. A circular light, like a hole that led outside. I followed down and that noise I heard was louder too. It was scrapin’. Like a rat bitin’ the walls. As I came closer ta the light I stuck the torch in the ground so it was stickin’ up and went out ta the light.
It was a hole, bout three feet round. It led out ta a tucked away bit a desert on the north side a the rocks we’d seen. I crawled out on my belly, the rifle held in front a me. The light grew so intense I had ta squint as I came out onta the sand. I stood and saw I was in a cavern but it was open nuff that sunlight poured in and blinded me. I stood still and listened for the scrapin’ sound. I heard it off ta the right.
I came round the corner, my finger on the trigger, rifle held up, and saw a scene I will never forget.
Wolves was over a body. Their faces were red; teeth bloodied as they licked and bit inta their meal. Some a the blood was black and had dried on their fur as they fought over the best pieces a meat.
The face was partially gone but I could see that it was Dr. Haywood. One a the demon creatures was diggin’ inta her throat and comin’ up with bone and gristle. I turned away. I felt sick and thought I should be doin’ more than just feelin’ sick. A person should run, should scream, should vomit…somethin’. But none a those things happened. I just looked away at a bit a brush driftin’ round helpless in the wind. Then I heard a growl.
I looked back and one a em wolves was standin’ right in front a me. Teeth bared, his face stained crimson and black. I held up my rifle and pointed it at his head but didn’t fire. I just let him know I weren’t scared. We looked at each other a while. He knew I weren’t backin’ down and I knew he weren’t backin’ down neither. One of us would die.
He lunged at me and I fired. The round went right top a his skull and he yelped and toppled over. All the other wolves were startled and looked over ta me. I fired at another one, hittin’ it in the hindquarters and they all sprinted away like they was possessed.
I fired again, and again, and again, till I heard the dry click a my weapon. I lowered it and walked over ta what was left a the body. Weren’t much. I grabbed her by her ankles and began ta drag her.
Took me a bit a time but I dug a hole in the sand with my hands and put the body in and covered it back up. I got two pieces a wood and put em together in a cross usin’ a bit a thread from the shirt I’d lit afire. I crouched down next ta the grave and took off my hat. I didn’t know quite what ta say, so I just said a bit a scripture:
“And they did look upon shedding the blood of their brethren with the greatest abhorrence; and they never could be prevailed upon to take up arms against their brethren; and they never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it.” I paused. “All flesh shall perish, and man shall turn again into dust.”
I stood up and stared at the grave a bit fore climbin’ out and goin’ back ta the clearin’ where the horses had been. I lit a fire and sat there in front a the flames as night began ta fall and stars were lightin’ above me like small white candles in the tar sky.
“I’m sorry,” I said. Though I didn’t know exactly who would hear it.
CHAPTER 36
I had ta get up several times ta relight the fire. The desert was cold at night, colder than I remember. Ever’ sound would wake me up. Twigs breakin’, wind blowin’, snakes scurryin’ cross the sand. In the middle a night I woke and looked up and the sky was black and the fire had died down. I sat up ta light it and thought I heard somethin’ off past the rocks. I stood and grabbed my pistol that lay next ta me and checked my pack to make sure everythin’ was there and then headed toward the sound.
It was a low thumpin’, like an elephant runnin’ on the ground. I could see lights far off in the distance and knew what the sounds was: drums.
I crouched low and tried ta see if I could tell how many a em there were but I couldn’t see nothin’ but the fire. I listened for a long time and then went back and lay down. I couldn’t stay here. I had ta move. But I had just nuff water ta last me a couple a days and nuff food for the same. If I couldn’t get back ta town in two or three days I wouldn’t last long out here in the sun.
I stood up and packed up everythin’ I need and headed in the opposite direction a the drums. The moon weren’t out but was some light from the stars. Was difficult ta tell exactly which direction I was goin’ in. I think was headin’ the correct way but somethin’ didn’t feel right. Maybe it was just movin’ at night when the ground was difficult ta see. I don’t know. But I walked for an hour or so.
Then, I suddenly stopped. I turned and looked in the other direction and then back toward Cosgrove.
“Hell with it.”
I turned and began walkin’ back.
I walked damn near all night and watched the sunrise. You
could feel the air change in an instant as the sun came up. It went from icy cold ta warm as a stove. The landscape fore me was flat and bare and I just kept walkin’, keepin’ my head low and watchin’ my feet, glancin’ up ever’ once in a while.
The heat got ta ya quick and I’d stop anytime I saw any shade. Cactus’ and small trees and boulders and when none a that was round I’d just dig a hole and lay in it since the sand underneath was cooler than that on top.
I didn’t see no Indians and I wondered if it’d just been in my head.
At bout midday I sat down next ta some rocks and had a few sips a water and a bite a stale bread. What the hell was I doin’ out here? Them men had horses and could cover twice the ground I could. I could probably make it ta Coalville fore I ran outta food and water but hopefully I’d run cross them first.
Later in the day my lips was cracked and my skin dry. I dipped down the canteen and splashed some water on my lips and on my neck and looked round. Up ahead was a small hill and I thought I’d make camp for the night there.
Came up on the hill and sat down. I didn’t have nuff energy ta make a fire so I just sat there and waited for the sun ta set and then I’d go out and find some tinder. I leaned back on my elbows and looked up ta the sky. Looked like it might rain. Glancin’ round, there weren’t no shelter. I debated gettin’ up and lookin’ for a tree or somethin’, but I thought maybe I needed ta get wet for a while.
I took a deep breath and as I let it out, I heard someone yell.
Sittin’ up, I sat quietly and listened.
“Jesse, Jesse that you?”
I stood. The voice was comin’ from just yonder over the hill. I pulled out my pistol and walked over as quietly as I could. I came round a large rock and saw boots. I held the pistol out and came round and saw the man. It was Tom.
He was leaned up gainst the boulder. One hand was on the ground and the other was coverin’ up his stomach, blood pourin’ out over his hand. I put the pistol away.
Black Sky (A Mystery-Thriller) Page 14
