“I don’t see why they want to get rid of me,” Frank said stubbornly.
“They killed Pa, didn’t they?” Dane asked brutally, and he heard Frank’s sharp intake of breath.
“What about it, Lassiter?” Milton bawled. “You coming out? If you don’t we’ll start shooting.”
“You started that before you started shouting,” Frank replied. “This is Lassiter property and there are none here who have broken the law. You get out of this and come back when it’s daylight, then we’ll talk.”
The shooting started again almost before Frank fell silent, and he crouched with Dane behind the scant cover of the well. The shooting raged on ceaselessly for several minutes, blasting out the silence and sending great waves of raucous sound through the night.
Dane moved to the left and peered from behind their cover, looking for the positions of the gunmen. He saw two guns shooting from the bunkhouse, and when he craned to the right there were three or more positions amongst the barns and smaller sheds over on the far side of the yard.
“We’ve got to get out of here, Frank,” he said to his brother. “I’ve got a horse some distance out. But if we can move out fast we should be able to grab a posseman’s horse.”
“You want me to run out with you?” Frank demanded and there was obstinacy in his tones.
“If you stay here they’ll kill you,” Dane retorted. “We’ve got to get clear and find out what’s happening. Once we link up with Pete and Charlie we’ll have more chance of getting to the bottom of this.”
“If I run now I’ll be outlawed,” Frank said sharply.
“That’s what happened to me, and I didn’t deserve it any more than you do,” Dane said. “But if I’d stayed they would have hanged me, and if you stay now they’ll kill you. Can’t you see that someone is out to seize control of Cross L? It started when they framed me, and now Pa is dead. I’m still alive and kicking, but they sure are keen to nail me, and then it’ll be your turn, and Mary’s.”
“I reckon I can’t take a chance on you being right,” Frank said slowly. “I think you’re wrong, but if you ain’t then I’ll be in bad trouble the minute you’re gone. Okay, Dane. I’ll take a chance on you. Make it back to the right hand corner of the house. Don’t shoot to give away your position. Then I’ll follow you. We’ll get out of here and then find out what’s going on.”
Dane sighed heavily in relief and began to crawl away. He gritted his teeth as lead whined overhead in the darkness, and he watched for trouble. There were half a dozen men in the yard, and he didn’t think the sheriff would have left the rear unguarded. He gained the porch and slithered through the dust in front of it, gaining the corner and working his way around it. When he paused the shooting had stopped momentarily, and the sheriff was yelling for Frank to give up.
“I haven’t resisted you yet,” Frank retorted. “I haven’t fired a shot. I’m not gonna be fool enough to stick my head up, Sheriff. I’ll want to know more about this before I take any chances. Now you better get out of here before I start fighting. This is my property and I got a right to defend it. Pull out, and come back when it’s daylight if you figure you got a right to.”
“We’re after a wanted killer,” Milton replied. “I suspect he’s here with you. That gives me all the right in the world to move in. So come on out or prepare to fight. We’ll have no mercy.”
Dane thinned his lips as he waited for his brother to join him, and he knew Frank had told him the truth. His brother was completely innocent. The sheriff hadn’t spoken like a man who had been blackmailing his brother for the past eight months, and Frank hadn’t replied like someone who was being squeezed dry.
Yancey Clark had lied his way out of a tight spot, and his lies had dropped Lassiter right into it. But the trap hadn’t closed completely yet, and Dane Lassiter was no easy meat. He made a grim vow while he waited for Frank. If he ever got his hands on Yancey Clark again the man would rue this day’s work!
The next instant the shooting began again, heavier than before, and Frank was crawling from behind his cover. Dane could see his brother’s figure only partially, and his lips were moving slowly as he uttered a subconscious prayer. If anything happened to any of his friends or his family then there would be hell to pay!
CHAPTER SIX
SHOOTING started again, and Dane ducked as he waited. He didn’t want the posse to know there were two men here, and he watched grimly as Frank wormed his way through the shadows towards him. But the posse had waited long enough. Sheriff Milton was becoming impatient. Three men suddenly appeared, running towards the house, and they were firing sixguns as they ran, aiming for the well where they had pinpointed Frank. Dane clenched his teeth as his brother paused and turned at bay, rifle lifting, and when the shooting rang out, he pulled his sixgun and prepared to join in the fight.
Frank caught one of the running figures and sent it sprawling, but the flash of his shot attracted the other guns. Dane saw the nearest running figure swing towards Frank’s new position, and he realized that in a split second Frank would be in trouble. He thrust forward his Colt and triggered fast, swinging the muzzle slightly, hitting the first man and leading off at the second. His gun flashes brought fresh fire at his position, and as he ducked he knew he had hit the two running men. He moved back, gaining the comer of the house, and a few moments later Frank was at his side.
“That was close!” Frank commented. “Come on, we’d better get out of here.”
“We put down three of them,” Dane said sharply. “They could be townsmen.”
“I didn’t ask them to come shooting at this place,” Frank retorted grimly. “I’ve done nothing to ask for this kind of treatment from the law.”
Gunfire still blasted around the yard, but there seemed little danger to them now they were clear of the front of the house. Dane turned and led the way to the side, and they soon disappeared in the shadows. The shooting had ceased now and an uneasy silence held the ranch.
There was a remoteness in Dane. He felt cold, despite the sweat that beaded his forehead. He held the gun tightly, ready to start shooting once more, but what was left of the posse still sat around the yard, and he knew this was the best chance they would have to get away. He led the way in a detour from the house, looking for the posse’s horses, and when an animal whinnied he dropped to cover with Frank falling heavily at his side.
“Horses over there,” Dane said softly.
“You better get away,” Frank retorted weakly. “I stopped a slug in that last outburst. I don’t figure I can make it.”
“Where are you hit?” Concern flared inside Dane, and he bolstered his gun and turned instantly to his brother.
“Forget it. You’d better get out of here and make for town to find out what happened to Charlie and Pete. They must have walked into a trap like you did. Someone planned this pretty good, Dane.”
“Yeah, but we’ll even the score for that. Just wait till I get my hands on Yancey Clark.”
“That won’t help now. You’ve got to stay out of the hands of the law. Make a run for it, Dane, and do what you can about this trouble. But before you go let me tell you I’m sorry for the way I treated you when you showed up at the ranch earlier. I guess I followed the rest of the folk around here and believed the worst of you. But Pa was killed, and I thought you was to blame for that.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Dane retorted. “We can talk later. Where are you hit, Frank?”
“Somewhere in the back. I was crawling away from them when they cut loose. It ain’t serious, but I don’t figure I can ride hard like this. You’ve got to get clear, Dane. It doesn’t matter about me.”
“Like hell.” Dane bared his teeth as he glanced around. “You figure they’ll leave someone with their hosses?”
“Could be. Watch your step.”
“You stay put here, Frank. I’ll be back in a couple of shakes.” Dane started away without waiting for a reply. He moved cautiously in the direction he had heard the hors
e, and a moment later he heard an animal stamp. He pulled his gun and closed quickly, determined to kill anyone who got in his way.
He saw the horses standing together, and there was a man with them, holding reins. He counted seven horses, and wondered about the numbers. There hadn’t been seven men firing at them around the yard. But he kept moving, tense and angry, filled with bitterness and worried about Charlie Logan and Pete Shirlton. If he had sent those two into trouble then he’d never be able to forgive himself.
The man holding the horses was nervous, and kept staring around into the shadows. Lassiter closed in, his left hand finding a stone as he crawled, and when he was close enough to make an attack he tossed the stone over the man’s head, hearing it crackle in the brush on the far side of the guard. He saw the man turn in that direction, his gun swinging to cover the sound, and he lunged up and went forward, scarcely making a sound. But the man either sensed his approach or heard him at the last moment, because he came round again swiftly, uttering a low cry of shock and fear.
Lassiter struck out with muzzle of his gun, catching the man across the face. He struck again, landing on the head, and the man’s legs gave way and he crumpled with a low moan, loosing his hold on the reins. The horses were snorting and cavorting, nervous, ready to run, and Lassiter thinned his lips as he went after them. He grabbed at the reins and secured a couple of mounts, hurrying back to where he had left Frank, and he found his brother lying in the grass, groaning softly.
“Do you figure you can get into a saddle?” Dane demanded.
“I’ll try, but if I can’t make it you better get away from here. It’s better if one of us gets away. That bunch back there are intent on murder.”
“I know what we’re up against all right,” Lassiter retorted. “You leave it to me, Frank. I’ll get you out of this. It’s a good thing I showed up when I did. I figure they would have killed you if they’d caught you asleep.”
“They’ll pay for this,” Frank retorted through clenched teeth. He leaned heavily upon Dane as he got to his feet, and he staggered and almost fell as Dane helped him into a saddle. “Where we gonna make for, Dane?”
“You need a doctor’s help,” Dane said.
“We can’t go to town. That’s the first place they’ll look.”
“They don’t know you’ve been hit. I figure we got to take care of you before we can start thinking of anything else. Apart from that, I sent Charlie and Pete towards town. I want to find them.”
Frank made no further remarks, and he sagged in the saddle. Dane climbed into the saddle of the other horse and waited for Frank to get moving. He was worried about his brother, but Frank kicked the horse forward and they moved on.
Lassiter knew they wouldn’t have long before the sheriff discovered what had happened, but he was banking on the hope that Milton wouldn’t expect him to ride towards town. He tried to work out what had happened, but didn’t have enough details to pin it down. All he knew what that Yancey Clark had pulled a fast one. He had bluffed hard and succeeded. The very fact that Frank had been accused showed just how cunning and deep these men were. Whoever had figured out the plot certainly knew a thing or two about human nature, and Dane knew he had to be doubly cautious in future. The next time he wouldn’t be so lucky.
Frank fell out of his saddle after they had covered a couple of miles, and when Dane tried to push him back into leather he shook his head slowly. He was gasping for breath and very weak. His face looked pale even in the darkness.
“It’s no good, Dane,” he muttered. “I’m nearly done. I’m almost out of my senses. You better push on alone. You can always come back to me later.”
“No!” Dane shook his head. “You’re going with me, and if I meet up with anyone intent upon making trouble I’ll shoot to kill. What the hell! We’ve been pushed around too much. Pa is dead, and I’m not gonna let anyone stand in my way now. Come on. I’ll tie you in the saddle if you figure you can’t ride.”
Frank showed his teeth in a tight grin, and he made no further protests. When he was back in the saddle once more Dane rode at his side, and they went on slowly.
Dawn was clawing the black sky with grey fingers by the time they sighted the huddle of buildings that formed the town. The cold breeze made Frank’s teeth chatter, and when Dane looked at his brother’s face in the half light he was appalled by the weakness he saw.
“Can you hold on a little longer, Frank?” he demanded. “It won’t be long now. I’ll take you straight in to see the Doc.”
“It’ll be dangerous,” Frank said weakly. “Why don’t you let me lie up out of town while you bring the Doc to me? I don’t want you shooting it out with the sheriff’s men.”
“I don’t care who comes for me now,” Dane replied thinly. “I don’t submit to anyone, and God help anyone who tries to stop me.”
He went on nearer to town, and looked around for a spot where Frank could rest up. When he found a hollow he led the horses into it and unrolled the blankets tied behind Frank’s can tie. He made his brother as comfortable as possible, then got to his feet.
“You lie still, Frank,” he said. “I’ll be back with the Doc in about fifteen minutes.”
Frank groaned, but made no reply, and Dane thinned his lips and cursed the sheriff as he went back to his mount and swung up into the saddle. He spurred the horse mercilessly, and hit the main street at full gallop, pulling the horse down to a canter, then halting at Doc Weller’s gate.
He hurried to the door of the house and hammered upon it, peering around into the strengthening light. There were patches of rosy glow in the eastern sky, and he knew the town would soon be awake. He didn’t know how many enemies he had around here, but he figured they outnumbered his friends. He hammered several times on the door before an upstairs window was flung open and a sleepy voice demanded his business.
“This is Dane Lassiter, Doc,” he said in echoing tones. “My brother Frank is just outside of town, bleeding badly. He’s been shot. Will you come quick?”
“Be right with you, Dane. Don’t go away,” came the enlivened reply, and Dane turned his back to the house and walked slowly to the street, peering around, alert for trouble and ready to deal with it should it arise. He was impatient now, afraid that the sheriff would show up before Frank could receive attention. He heard the door bang at his back and turned to face Doc Weller.
It was almost daylight now, and he felt gaunted and grim.
“What happened to Frank?” Doc Weller demanded. He was a tall, thin man of around sixty.
“A posse shot him up,” Dane retorted. “You better ride my horse. Frank is in that big hollow just out of town. He’s been hit in the back.”
“What’s happening around here?” Weller demanded, climbing into the saddle. “Cross L is in bad trouble, huh? Your two riders were here in town last night, and they got shot up.”
“What’s that?” Lassiter grasped the reins of the horse as the doctor prepared to ride off. “What happened, Doc?”
“I was called out after the shooting.” Weller looked down at Dane from his great height. “Pete Shirlton was dead when I got there and Charlie Logan was bad hit. They’ve got him in the jail. They told me that the two of them had thrown in with you against the law, Dane.”
“Go take care of Frank, Doc,” Lassiter said through his teeth, and his voice was heavy and listless. “He ain’t done anything against the law. He kicked me off Cross L when I showed up there yesterday. But the sheriff cut loose at him without warning out at our place. I guess I’m the one the law wants, and I’ve sure brought a lot of trouble to my friends.”
“You better make yourself scarce around here,” the doctor told him. “I’m not a lawman, neither judge nor jury, and I don’t pretend to know the rights and wrongs of your case. I’ll take care of Frank and bring him in here. Don’t worry about him. As for yourself, Dane, well I don’t know what to advise. Just make yourself scarce, that’s all.”
The next minute the doctor rode out, w
ith the sound of departing hoofs echoing around the street. Dane started after him, his face set in harsh lines, and there was a hammering sound in his mind that threatened to blast the control off his temper. He clenched his teeth as he thought of Charlie Logan and Pete Shirlton, and the fact that Pete was dead seemed to weigh very heavily upon his wide shoulders.
They had ridden into a trap, he knew without being told. Yancey Clark had baited the trap very cleverly, and it had worked. But it hadn’t got the man it was intended to ensnare, and that could be the most costly mistake the other side had made.
Lassiter started walking out of town. He had no clear idea of what he was going to do. He knew he would shoot it out with anyone who tried to arrest him. That was the only certain decision he had made. He knew he ought to see the Judge again, but until he could get around to that he would have to take things as they came.
When he reached the hollow where his brother lay, he found the doctor bandaging Frank, and the doctor glanced around as the horses whinnied at Dane’s arrival.
“How is he, Doc?” Dane demanded. “Is he gonna be all right?”
“He’ll make it, but he’s lost a lot of blood. I’ll have to go fetch a wagon to move him into town.”
“Let Mary know and she’ll help take care of him,” Lassiter said. “I don’t know how much you’ll believe of what I’m gonna tell you, Doc, but you’re a good friend of Judge Hendrik, and if you’ll pass on the word to him I’ll be mighty grateful.”
“There’s a lot about this I don’t understand, Dane,” the doctor said, “but I’ve got an open mind. I get around this county quite a lot in the course of my duties, and I’ve heard some mighty strange things in my time. I’ll talk to the Judge, because I’ve heard him say that he’s not satisfied with the way the law is being applied around here. I figure you got a raw deal.”
“Thanks, Doc!” Lassiter nodded, relieved that he had found a sympathetic ear. He explained what had happened, and when he lapsed into silence the doctor nodded.
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