Autumn of the Gun (21 page)

“I bought you all the time I could,” said Nathan. “What did we sign?”

“The first two pages were harmless,” Silver said. “They were what he said they were. The third page began exactly like the first two, but only for a paragraph. Clip away that paragraph, and the rest of the page becomes a request to the federal government for one quarter section of land, at twenty-five cents an acre. After three years and payment of an additional dollar an acre, Mr. McCutcheon has himself another quarter section.”

“How the hell can he do that? We'd have to sign a quit-claim deed, giving possession of it to him. I learned that much law while I was at Huntsville.”

“A slick lawyer can copy the original signature well enough to get it through court,” said Silver. “He can legalize those papers if he never lays eyes on us again.”

“Not if we take them off his hands,” Nathan said. “All we have to do is figure out how to break into that safe. Thoughtful of him, suggesting we stay in town a couple more days, until the snow begins to melt. That allows us some time to get to that safe.”

“That couple of days in town can work in McCutcheon's favor,” said Silver. “If he's the least bit suspicious, there'll be time to have us gunned down.”

After Nathan and Silver had departed, McCutcheon again read the recent letter he had received from Washington. The envelope bore the address of a prominent senator to whom he had contributed thousands of dollars. The letter had served its purpose. He threw it into the fire and watched the flames consume it. Less than an hour later, there was a knock at the door. After a pause, the knock was repeated, and McCutcheon opened the door just enough to permit entry. The visitor wore range clothes, including a heavy coat, and a revolver was thonged down on his right hip. Having said nothing by way of greeting, he stood with his back to the fire, warming his hands. McCutcheon spoke.

“Grimes, have you gathered the men?”

“Yeah,” said Grimes, “but why four of us? I think me and Elkie—”

“Damn it,” McCutcheon exploded, “I'm not paying you to think. I'm paying four of you to do a job that must not be bungled. This is no pair of shorthorns. One of them is a federal man, and the other is a gunman of some reputation. I want them eliminated and I don't want it done on my range. They're staying at the Plains Hotel, and one of them has a dog. Five hundred for each of you when the job's done to my satisfaction.”

“Half now, and the rest when the job's done,” Grimes countered. “That's so you don't get picky over details.”

“Half now,” said McCutcheon, “and I'm going to be damned picky before you get the rest. This had better be clean.”

“The more I think about it,” Silver said, “the less I like McCutcheon's idea of us bein' here in town a couple more days. I think we'll make our move tonight.”

“I hope you've had some experience cracking a safe,” said Nathan. “I haven't.”

“I'm fair-to-middlin' good at it,” Silver said, “but the quickest, least complicated way is to pull a gun on McCutcheon and have him open it for us.”

“I hope you've given some thought to us getting out of there alive,” said Nathan.

“You're only looking at half of it,” Silver replied. “There may be as much hell goin' in as comin' out. You can count on a crusty old pelican like McCutcheon havin' a few killers on his payroll.”

“After supper, then,” said Nathan, “let's open the ball.”

They waited under after dark before leaving the hotel. Empty, knowing they were going to the cafe, normally loped on ahead, but this time he did not. He crouched, his hackles rising. Nathan leaped forward and, taking Silver with him, they went belly down in the snow. There was the deadly bark of rifles, and like a swarm of angry bees, slugs ripped the air where they had been standing just seconds before. The nearest cover was the hotel, half a dozen yards away and, lizard-like, they scuttled toward it.

“What the hell?” somebody shouted, flinging open the front door of the hotel. Lead ripped into it, slamming it shut. In an instant, Nathan and Silver were on their feet, running toward the side of the building. Empty ahead of them, they ducked into the shadow of the hotel, and the firing ended as suddenly as it had begun.

“By God,” Silver panted, “that was close. If somebody hadn't opened that door—”

“If it hadn't been for Empty's warning,” said Nathan, “the door wouldn't have made any difference. They'd have got us with the first volley.”

“You're right,” Silver agreed. “If we get out of this alive, remind me to get myself a hound.”

Nathan laughed, but there was no humor in it. “If we get out of this alive, I'll likely be tempted to remind you to get yourself another pardner. There's at least four of the bastards, and none of those were warning shots. Unless they're thinkin' ahead of us, we'd better get to the livery and grab our horses.”

“I doubt they'll be coverin' the livery,” said Silver. “It's too close to the hotel, and if I'm any judge, the law will be comin' to investigate all that shooting. Right now, one bunch is as unwelcome as the other.”

They reached the livery only to be met by questions from the liveryman.

“What was the shootin' about? Was somebody kilt?”

“No,” said Silver. “Just some drunks blowin' off steam.”

Quickly they saddled their horses, leading the animals a ways before mounting.

“Now,” Nathan said, “I reckon it's time we decide what we're going to do, and how.”

“We're going after those papers in McCutcheon's safe,” said Silver, “but because of recent developments, the how of it has been changed somewhat. We definitely won't be going through the lobby and up the stairs.”

“Through the window, then,” Nathan said.

“Yes,” said Silver. “We can rope one of the chimneys and reach the roof. Then a rope tied to McCutcheon's chimney should get me down to the window.”

“A lighted window,” Nathan said. “You'll be a perfect target. All McCutcheon will have to do is shoot you.”

“He won't be there,” said Silver. “You're going to cover the chimney with a blanket long enough to fill the room with smoke. While McCutcheon's gone to raise hell with somebody, you remove the blanket and I'll enter through the window. When he returns, the smoke will have cleared, and I'll be waiting for him.
Comprende?”

“It's just crazy enough that it might work,” Nathan said.

“Not only will it work,” said Silver, “McCutcheon will open the window for me.”

“I'm to keep the chimney covered until he leaves the room,” Nathan said, “but how am I to know when he leaves the room?”

“I'll be to one side of the window, where I can see into the room,” Silver said. “When he leaves the room, I'll tug hard on the rope.”

“You're comin' out the window and back up the rope?”

“Yes,” said Silver. “I'll tie the free end of the rope until I'm done with McCutcheon.”

“You'd better bind and gag McCutcheon, or he'll be bawling like a cut bull before we can get off that roof,” Nathan said.

“I don't think so,” said Silver. “I'll buffalo him with the muzzle of my Colt.”

“We'll have to get the hell out of this town pronto,” Nathan said. “I hope you're not planning to wait for the next train.”

“Oh, we'll take the train,” said Silver, “but not from here. I reckon we'd better hightail it to Denver, and take a Kansas-Pacific eastbound from there.”

“I feel some better about that,” Nathan said. “Now we'd better get over yonder to the Cattleman's Club before McCutcheon decides to surround it with gunmen.”

“We can't be sure they haven't already,” said Silver, “since their ambush failed. Before we try to scale the roof, we'll ride around the building and see if we draw any fire.”

“There are trees behind the place,” Nathan said, “and that side of it should be pretty much in shadow. We can leave our horses there, mounting the roof from that side.”

Silver was first to mount the roof. Nathan, a blanket slung over his shoulder, waited a moment, then followed. Silver loosed the rope from the chimney and they crossed the roof to McCutcheon's side. Quickly, Silver looped one end of the rope over the chimney and looped the other end under his arms.

“Give me time to get over the edge,” said Silver softly, “and then cover that chimney with the blanket. When I tug the rope, remove the blanket. That'll mean McCutcheon has opened the window or the door, or has left the room. Stand by, and when you feel the rope go taut, haul me up. We may have to get out of here in one hell of a hurry, and if the horses are discovered, we're in big trouble.”

Nathan waited until Silver was over the edge before he covered the chimney with the blanket. He grinned in the darkness when he heard violent cursing below. Within seconds there was a tug on the rope, and Nathan removed the blanket from the chimney.

Silver was far enough to the side of the window that he couldn't be seen, and as he had expected, the first thing McCutcheon did was open the window. Coughing and choking, he flung open the door and stomped off down the corridor, bawling for attention. Leaving the rope hang loose where he could reach it, Silver stepped into the room, taking refuge behind the door. Already, with the door and window open, the smoke had begun to clear. Silver tensed as he heard footsteps and voices.

“It's cleared up some,” said McCutcheon, “but by God, the room was full of it.”

“I believe you,” another voice replied. “Probably just a strong gust of wind forced it back down into the room. If it happens again, I'll have someone get on the roof and have a look at the chimney.”

McCutcheon closed the door and then froze, for the sound seemed inordinately loud as Silver cocked his Colt.

“Turn around,” said Silver, “and do it slow. Don't make any funny moves with your hands.”

“You!” McCutcheon snarled. “What do you want?”

“I think you know,” said Silver. “You're going to open the safe, pronto.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then I'll bash your skull and open it myself,” Silver said. “Your choice.”

“You'll pay for this,” McCutcheon said. “I have powerful friends in Washington.”

“Not any more,” said Silver. “We know who sent you the letter, and a senate investigating committee is about to give him a choice. He can resign, or he'll be censured and booted out. Now open that safe.”

McCutcheon knelt before the safe, fumbling with the dial. Slowly the heavy door was swung back.

“Now get up and stand back,” Silver ordered.

But McCutcheon rolled to one side, a pistol roared, and a slug whipped through the sleeve of Silver's coat. He fired once and McCutcheon dropped the Colt. Quickly, Silver knelt before the safe. Seconds counted, for he could hear the thump of boots on the stairs and in the hall. Having no time to sort them, he seized all the papers in the safe, stuffing them into his coat pocket. Holstering his Colt, he ran to the door and shot the deadbolt. By the time he reached the window, there was shouting in the corridor and pounding on the door. Quickly, Silver looped the rope under his arms and swung free of the windowsill. When he reached the roofs edge, Nathan seized his hand.

“There's hell to pay,” Silver said. “McCutcheon had a Colt in the safe, and I had to shoot him. Once they break in there and find the window open, they'll be after us like hell wouldn't have it.”

“Did you get the papers?”

“If they were in the safe, I did,” said Silver. “No time to go through them, so I took them all.”

Reaching the backside of the building, Nathan looped the rope over the chimney and swung over the edge of the roof. He dropped into his saddle just as a man rounded the comer of the building. Nathan snapped a shot at him and he went belly down, either hit or taking cover. But he was very much alive, for he began shouting, alerting the others.

“Let's ride,” said Silver.

Nathan led out. Reaching the Union Pacific tracks, where much of the snow had begun to melt, he rode eastward, Silver right behind him. They followed the tracks for several miles until they reached a creek. There they left the tracks, following the creek. Ahead of them, Empty yipped once.

“We'd better rest the horses and head for Denver,” said Nathan. “For all the people in Cheyenne know, McCutcheon has been robbed and murdered. With the telegraph, the sheriff in Cheyenne could have dead-or-alive warrants out on us everywhere by morning.”

“Not if I can reach the telegraph first,” Silver replied. “I can justify what we've done by proving McCutcheon was involved in a land grab. He has a friend in the Senate, and I'm expecting that gentleman to sing like a mockingbird when he learns McCutcheon's dead. We have him to thank for telling McCutcheon we were on the way.”