Close Call

by Clinton Spurr

  Lassiter sighed. “Okay, but I feel responsible. There’s not much I can do until the Judge has made a few enquiries.”

  “It’s a great thing having Judge Hendrik on your side, Dane,” Shirlton said slowly. “But you know the instant he starts asking questions, someone is gonna get wise to the fact. That’s when more trouble is likely to start.”

  “Yeah, so I figure I better do something quick, before anyone expects me to.”

  “What you got in mind?” Logan demanded. “You know we’re in everything that happens from now on.”

  “I reckon I better go check up on those old pards of mine who were in on that card game,” Lassiter said. “You tell me that none of them saw anything that night. Well I’m gonna call them liars and see what they can do about it. Hell, Yancey Clark was the first to tell me to make a run for it until they could see how the wind was blowing.”

  “That four-flushing snake told you to run?” Logan demanded. “That stinks right off! He was after Paula Hendrik around that time, Dane, did you know?”

  “I was aware of his interest in Paula,” Lassiter retorted. “But she had cooled off towards me by then, so it didn’t matter. But if Yancey told you he didn’t see what happened when Beutel tried to nail me that night then he is lying!”

  “So we ride over to Bar C, huh?” Shirlton demanded.

  “You figure Yancey might be there?” Lassiter asked.

  “He’s keen on Myra Fleming,” Logan said. “Least-ways that’s what I heard tell. He didn’t get far with Paula, so he looked elsewhere. I guess he’ll be sparking around her father’s place.”

  “We can’t ride in there,” Lassiter decided. “My guess is that the law will cover the range and warn folk that I’m around and that it’s open season on my hide. We’ve got to watch our step.”

  “We can ride in the direction of Bar C and scout around for sign of Yancey,” Shirlton said. “We all know his buckskin. If it ain’t in the corral then he’ll be out on it. We could wait around in some lonely spot for him to ride by, and then jump him.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.” Lassiter nodded slowly. “Yancey was always a big mouth, a show-off. He never had much sand when it came down to brass tacks. If he lied about what happened to Beutel then he must have a pretty good reason for it, and if we put pressure on him then we might just get that reason out of him.”

  “Let’s ride then,” Logan said instantly. “We’re wasting time sitting here. If we can figure out that Yancey Clark is a weak link in any chain, then so can the man behind this trouble. He might have some idea of doing something about that weak link, huh?”

  “Hell, you don’t think something might happen to Yancey!” There was concern in Shirlton’s voice as they moved on. “I sure hope you’re wrong, Charlie. If Yancey is mixed up in this crooked business at all then I’d like the pleasure of fixing him.”

  They rode on, and two hours later they reined up on the trail just outside of Bar C’s yard. It was late, and Lassiter didn’t think they’d have any chance of getting to Yancey Clark. But he and Logan waited while Shirlton sneaked around the yard to see if Yancey’s buckskin was there. Shirlton returned after fifteen minutes, with the information that the buckskin was missing.

  “So Yancey is out on the prowl, huh?” Logan commented. “Are we gonna wait for him, Dane?”

  “I’m afraid we might tip off our hand by jumping Yancey,” Lassiter commented.

  “We’ve got to make a start somewhere,” Logan pointed out. “If we don’t take Yancey, then who?”

  “Yancey is more likely to talk than anyone else I know around here,” Shirlton said. “Take a chance, Dane. What have you got to lose?”

  “I guess you’re right. I’m only afraid of putting a foot wrong, that’s all. I guess it is a case for being bold. Okay, we’d better move out from the ranch a bit. We don’t want to make any mistakes at this stage. Any idea where Yancey might be?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” Logan retorted. “But I figure one of us can keep watch while the other two get some shut-eye, huh? It may be a long time before we get the chance to sleep again.”

  “Sounds like a sensible idea,” Lassiter said. “Let’s move along to the grove down there and hole up. Hoofs will sound a long way off in the night. We should hear anyone on the move.”

  They moved out, and when they reached the grove Lassiter insisted on being the man to take first watch. He checked his gun while the other two took the horses into cover, and he stood in the shadow of a tree and stared around into the night, finding the solitude perfect for thinking. For the first time since he had discovered his father’s grave he was able to let his mind concentrate upon the fact, and he clenched his teeth as emotion hit him hard.

  What was going on around here? The thought tugged at his awareness. Why should anyone kill his father in revenge for a man who had died eight months before? He shook his head slowly, seeking answers to the questions, and he could not find anything that resembled a solution.

  He stood unmindful of the passing time, his thoughts roving ceaselessly, until he heard the distant thud and beat of hoofs. The sound alerted him and he stiffened, moving out from under the tree to try and catch a glimpse of the rider before he reached the grove. Eventually he spotted movement, but the newcomer was almost on top of him because of the night, and Lassiter pulled his gun and prepared for action. He didn’t want to make any mistakes. This might not be Yancey Clark, and if it wasn’t then he would be throwing away a good advantage.

  But the oncoming horse looked like a buckskin, and he knew he had to make a start on this trouble. The longer he left it the worse it would become. He moved into the path of the rider and held up his left hand, his right levelling his gun at the dark mass of horse and rider. He heard a muttered curse, and saw the rider slackening speed. The next instant the buckskin was slithering to a halt in front of him, and Yancey Clark’s harsh tones were cursing him for standing in the middle of the trail.

  “Who the hell are you?” Clark demanded. “I might have ridden over you, you danged fool!”

  “I figure you’ve been trying to ride over me for years, Yancey,” Lassiter replied smoothly.

  Clark seemed to freeze in his saddle, and Lassiter saw him stiffen.

  “You know who I am, Yancey?” he demanded. “Sure, you’re Dane Lassiter. What the hell are you doing back here? Don’t you know they got out a warrant for your arrest on murder?”

  “Sure I know. That’s why I’m waiting here to talk to you, Yancey. They swore out that warrant, so I’m told, because no one could state that I drew in self defence.” Lassiter’s voice was steady and smooth, with no emotion in it. “Why didn’t you tell the truth, Yancey? You saw what happened.”

  Clark was silent for a moment. Lassiter couldn’t see his face. The gun in his hand was obvious, and he knew Clark wouldn’t try to make a sudden run for it.

  “You better get down out of the saddle so me and you can have a talk, Yancey,” he said harshly. “I figure I ought to have come back sooner, and I would have if I’d known what was going on around here. Get down!” Clark remained motionless for a moment, but he could see the gun in Lassiter’s hand, and at that moment Charlie Logan called from cover.

  “Better do like Dane tells you, Yancey. Me and Pete Shirlton have got you covered from here. We’ve been waiting on you to come home.”

  Clark stepped out of the saddle and trailed his reins, and Pete Shirlton appeared as if from nowhere and took the buckskin, leading it into the cover of the grove. Lassiter moved closer to Clark.

  “Let’s get under cover, Yancey,” he suggested. “If we’re spotted here it’ll mean shooting, and if I’m tied in with one murder then committing a few more won’t make any difference.”

  “I’m not the man you want, Dane,” Clark said stiffly, walking reluctantly towards the trees.

  “Keep talking,” Lassiter encouraged. “You might make sense if you say enough.”

  “I had nothing to do with you being
charged with murder,” the man went on.

  Lassiter tried to get a good look at Clark, but the night was too dark for details. The stars were bright, and the shadows were hard and fast, but there was no moon, and vision was down to a minimum. Logan came up close to Clark when they entered the trees, and Clark halted and began protesting his innocence.

  “You sound like a man with a guilty conscience, Yancey,” Logan said sharply.

  “What have I done?” Clark demanded. “Tell me! I never said you drew first on Beutel, Dane.”

  “You didn’t say that Beutel drew first either,” Logan rasped. “I would have been after you long ago if I’d had any idea you was holding out against Dane. Why didn’t you give an account of what happened when you were questioned by the sheriff? You were asked, huh?”

  “Sure! I said I didn’t see what happened.” There was reluctance in Clark’s voice, and Lassiter tightened his lips as he recognised it.

  “You saw it all right,” he snapped. “Don’t try to kid me, Yancey. Hell, you sat beside me most of the evening. You must have seen how Beutel was going for me all the time. He was trying to ride me from the moment I walked into the saloon that night. I didn’t get it at the time, but after I thought about it I could see the way the wind was blowing. So what about it? What happened that night Buck Beutel stopped my slug?”

  “I didn’t see it, Dane,” Clark retorted desperately. “Hell, I had turned around in my seat when the shooting started. I got the shock of my life when the gun blasted, and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I turned back to the table and saw Beutel going over backwards.”

  “That’ll be nothing to the shock you’ve got coming if you don’t make with the truth,” Logan said ominously. “Don’t try to fool us, Yancey. You got away with it talking to the law, but we know different among ourselves, and Dane knows he didn’t draw first. So you threw in with whoever is trying to put a rope around Dane’s neck. We know you never liked Dane, but that ain’t reason enough to stand by and watch him hang for a murder he didn’t do. So you better come clean before we put a rope around your neck here and now and choke the truth out of you.”

  “It’ll go hard for you if this gets out to the law,” Clark said worriedly. “It’ll be a pointer to your guilt, Dane. I’m not the man you should be asking questions of.”

  “Who then, Yancey?” Lassiter demanded. “Who was behind it that night? Why was my father murdered in revenge? You better start talking. I’m in no mood for lies. Let’s get at the truth.”

  “It’s more than my life is worth,” Clark said softly.

  “I ain’t gonna say a thing. There were others present that night you got Beutel. Go talk to them.”

  “One of them would do,” Logan said. “Which one, Yancey? Or do we put a rope around your neck?”

  “I’ll get a rope and build a knot in it,” Shirlton said, moving away.

  “Hell, I ain’t in on this crooked deal,” Clark said in frightened tones. “You can’t do this to me, Dane.”

  “I won’t be doing it,” Lassiter said tightly. “I’ll just stand and watch. You would have watched my neck being stretched if the law had caught me and I’d stood trial for Beutel’s death, Yancey. I know that and you know that. So I ain’t got any sympathy for you. My life is still forfeit, and if it is my neck or yours then I’d rather it was your neck any day.”

  “What do you want from me?” Clark demanded in frightened tones. “Hell, I was only sitting in on that game. What was going on was none of my business! You ain’t got no right to drag me into this, Dane.”

  “You better start talking, and tell all you know,” Logan said grimly. “Your time is getting short.”

  Clark shrugged, and the next instant he was hurling himself desperately at Lassiter, who sidestepped quickly and swung his left fist. Clark’s right hand brushed Lassiter’s jaw, and Lassiter rolled his head from the blow, but he landed with a solid left jolt that took Clark squarely on the jaw, and Clark fell to his knees and began to groan in fear.

  Logan grasped the man and held him, cursing in low, vibrant tones. Shirlton came back with the rope he had fetched, and he was busy building a hangman’s noose in one end.

  “Won’t take me a couple of minutes,” Shirlton said. “Can you wait, Yancey?”

  Lassiter stood back and watched, knowing that he had to do this. He wanted information. Even now he had no idea what he was up against or what kind of a game he had gotten into that night he was forced to kill Beutel. He figured Clark knew some of the answers, and they had to make the man talk. But he didn’t like what was coming up, and he sensed it was the wrong approach. A sudden thought touched his mind and he spoke quickly.

  “Hold it a minute,” he said sharply. “I can’t do this to Yancey. We grew up together, and even if he did keep quiet about the shooting I can’t play a similar dirty trick on him. We’d better tell him the truth.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Logan replied, not catching the drift of Lassiter’s play, but going along with it. “You better tell me,” Clark said. “What’s going on?” “You’re not the first man I’ve spoken to since I got back, Yancey,” Lassiter bluffed. “I’ve been around talking to some of the others who were playing poker with us that night. They didn’t come across with anything either, but I figured you must have seen what happened, and I reckoned you’d tell me, so I said as much. I let it slip that you were going to spill the beans when I got around to talking about the shooting.”

  “You didn’t!” There was vibrant fear in Clark’s voice now, and Lassiter felt a thrill of relief.

  “I’ve got nothing to lie about, Yancey. You just ride into town tomorrow and see what happens. Maybe you won’t even have to ride into town at that. If those men behind the killing know you as well as I do they’ll accept what I said as the truth, and they’ll try and stop up your mouth before you get the chance to talk. I was gonna let you take your chances with them like you turned your back on me when you told the sheriff you didn’t see who drew first at the poker table. But I got more conscience than you have, Yancey. I couldn’t stand by and watch you get shot to pieces to shut your mouth.”

  “Hell, you’ve put me in a spot,” Clark said uneasily.

  “Like you put me in a spot,” Lassiter pointed out.

  “Okay, so now we’re quits, Yancey. So how about us working together from here on in? You tell me what I want to know and I’ll see to it you don’t get shot.”

  “How can you watch me? The law is out looking for you everywhere.”

  “Well they ain’t had no luck catching him yet,” Logan retorted. “I don’t see how you can do anything but go along with us. We’re your only bet now.”

  “I knew this would happen,” Clark said in concerned tones.

  “You should have known that it wouldn’t work out, Yancey,” Lassiter told him. “I ain’t got no sympathy for you, letting me take the rap like that. But you can clear me with your testimony. You know Beutel drew first. So you bail me out of trouble and I’ll do the same for you.”

  “How can you watch my back for me?” Clark demanded.

  “You’ll have to ride along with us,” Logan said. “We’ll keep an eye on you. It wouldn’t be for long. Soon as we get something to work on we’re gonna nail these crooked men and find out what they’re up to.”

  “I can’t ride with you,” Clark protested. “The minute they know I’m missing they’ll put out the word on me, and my life won’t be worth a plugged nickel.”

  “How much you figure it’s worth right now, huh?” Pete Shirlton demanded, twirling the noose he had made.

  “All we want to know is what was working out that night I was forced to kill Beutel,” Lassiter said. “You know about it, Yancey, so don’t try to deny it. Who are you afraid of? Who will show up around here to kill you now I’ve passed the word that you’re willing to talk? It’s up to you if you tell me or not. Just weigh it up. If you tell me you lose three enemies immediately. The three of us! If you don’t talk you’ll h
ave us against you as well as these men you’re scared of.”

  “You don’t leave me much choice, do you?” Clark demanded.

  “You got more of a choice than I did,” Lassiter retorted.

  “Okay, so I’ll go along with you. I know you won’t shoot me down in cold blood, but the others would, and I know that too. I have been warned. What happened to your father will happen to anyone who tries to doublecross them.”

  “Give us some names, Yancey,” Logan implored. “Just give us something to work on.”

  “I will. But not right now. I got no guarantee that you’ll help me out after I’ve told you. How do I know you’ll string along with me?”

  “If we don’t, you know we’ll be after the killers,” Lassiter said. “That’ll lessen the odds against you straight off.”

  “Now let’s get down to brass tacks,” Shirlton put in. “I got this noose ready. Take your choice, Yancey. It’s up to you. Pay the piper and call the tune!”

  Clark groaned audibly, as if in pain, and he turned his face towards Lassiter. His features were not plain, but there was a light grey oval to mark the position of his face. His teeth glinted as he moistened his lips, and Lassiter felt tension begin to build up inside him as he awaited Clark’s next words. At last he was going to learn something! Now he would get the means to unravel what had become quite a mystery.

  “You ain’t gonna like this, Dane,” Clark said in choked tones. “But you asked for it and you can have it. The man you want is your brother Frank!”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “You DANGED liar!” Charlie Logan reached out his big hands and seized hold of Yancey Clark, almost dragging the man off his feet. “Take that back,” he went on. “You won’t get away with trying it. Do you figure we’re loco?”

  “You want to know who started this business and I’m telling you,” Clark retorted, struggling to break Logan’s powerful grip and failing. He twisted his head and looked at Lassiter. “Tell him to let me go, Dane. I can’t talk like this.”