Rage of Eagles (25 page)

“That church social couldn't have come at a worse time,” Big Bob said. “You really think young Louis was spyin' on you?”

“Has to be him. Couldn't be anyone else.”

“Is there anyone in town we can count on 'sides John Bailey?” asked Dan Carson.

“Damn few,” Falcon replied, thinking fast. “Besides, most of the men I've seen aren't wearing a gun.”

“I got me an idea,” Mustang said softly, but with steel behind the words.

Falcon looked at him.

“When them hired gunhands come bustin' into town this time, let's us finish it once and for all.”

“You got a plan?” Wildcat asked.

“Hot lead,” Mustang replied. “That there's the best plan I can think of.”

“Hell, Mustang,” Falcon said. “There might be fifty or sixty riders come after us.”

“The more the merrier,” the aging mountain man said. “We'll make us a real party of it.”

“Yeah, I like that idea,” Big Bob said, a broad smile on his face. “The more targets we have, the more likely we are to hit something.”

Falcon looked at each of his men. They were smiling at him. There was no fear in any of them. He slowly nodded his head in agreement. “All right, boys. Did you all bring extra guns in with you?”

“Shore we did,” Puma Parley answered for them all. “We kinda figured there might be a real shootin' party here in town.

“How we gonna handle this?” Stumpy asked. “We got to have some sort of plan.”

“I got an idea,” Dan said. “It ain't real original, but it's somethin' them no-'counts shore won't be expectin', I betcha.”

“Well, boy, don't keep us in the dark about it, spill the beans,” Big Bob urged.

Dan hunkered down by the side of the boardwalk and drew a line in the dirt with his finger. “Here's what I got in mind. This here's the town limits, where them gunnies will be comin' in, hell-bent for leather. So, here's where we'll be ...”

“Get together as many men as you feel will stand firm and keep the people inside the church,” Falcon told John Bailey.

The older man stared at him for a few heartbeats, then nodded his head. “The boil's comin' to a head today, isn't it, boy?”

“That's the way I've got it figured, John. They could come busting in here at any time, all of them.”

John stood silent and rolled him a smoke. He lifted his eyes to Falcon. “Young Louis handed in his walkin' papers right after you left, Falcon. He was already packed up and ready to go. Is he tied up in all of this?”

“I think he was spying for Noonan or Stegman; reporting back to them.”

John sighed heavily. “I never did totally trust that kid. Only hired him as a favor to his ma.”

“Forget him, John. He's nothing and nobody. When word of his treachery gets around the county, he won't be able to get a job cleaning out privies.”

“You can bet I'll personally see to that,” the rancher said grimly. “You want me to pass the word to everybody about the raid?”

Falcon shook his head. “No. Because it might not happen. I want you and some of those you can trust to get your rifles and throw up a line of defense around this church and grounds. If any of those bastards get close, put some lead in them. It's me they want anyway. They might just leave the townspeople alone.”

“I don't think so,” John said. “I think Noonan and Stegman want to put the buffalo in on everybody.” He smiled. “Look yonder, boy: There's Miles and his family comin' into town to socialize. We can count on him now. My, my, don't Miss Terri look mighty sweet all gussied up in a dress?”

“I never saw her in a dress before this.”

“Tell the truth, I ain't seen her in one in years. Not since her ma pulled up stakes and went back east.”

The men watched as Terri climbed down from the buckboard and walked over to Angie.

“Oh, Lord,” Falcon said. “Here it comes.”

“I don't think so,” John replied. “I think we're about to see a makin'-up 'tween them two.”

“I'm going to have to see it to believe it.”

The two women chatted for a moment, then embraced. When they pulled back, both of them took out little bitsy handkerchiefs and dabbed at their eyes. Then they took hands and walked off together, chatting and smiling.

“Well, I'll be damned!” Falcon said.

“It's gonna be all right, boy,” John said, unable to contain his wide smile. “Yes, sir. It's gonna be just fine.”

Reverend Watkins joined the two young women and put his arm around Terri for just a moment. She smiled up at him.

“I don't believe it!” Falcon said.

“Oh, yeah. Martha heard that the preacher made a formal call on Miles to ask permission to come callin' on his daughter. He said yeah and they been an item ever since.”

“Reverend Watkins and Terri Gilman!”

John chuckled at the expression on Falcon's face. Then he burst out in soft laughter. “Boy, if you could only see the look on your face. It's priceless.”

Falcon took off his hat and scratched his head. “I've got to say that now I've seen it all.”

John wiped laughter moisture from his eyes and said, “I'd better go see some of the men. You goin' to be around the church, Falcon?”

“No. Me and the boys will be in town, waiting for the action to start. Dan had him a pretty good plan, I think. We'll see how it works out.”

Falcon smiled as John fixed him with a skeptical look. “It's a very simple plan. That's why I like it.”

“I hope it works.”

“Me too,” Falcon said with a laugh. “See you around, John.”

“Good luck, boy.”

Falcon went back to the livery and got his rifle. He hid it under the dress shop. He took two of the pistols he'd taken from the dead and wounded in the earlier fight and hid them. Then he filled up a bandolier with .44 rounds and slung it over his shoulder and across his chest. His friends had stuffed their pockets full of spare cartridges. He was ready. Now came the hardest part: the waiting.

The noon hour passed and Falcon and his men ate a hearty meal at the café. The festivities at the church were supposed to get underway at mid afternoon. Already, people were finishing up their shopping and heading in that direction. John Bailey had quietly alerted about a dozen of the men and they had loaded up their rifles and tucked them out of sight but in very handy places. They all knew what to do when trouble started. If Noonan and Stegman tried to attack the church and the grounds around it, they would run into a hail of gunfire, from men who were very familiar with gunfire and knew their rifles as well as they knew the back of their hands.

Falcon put the church social out of his mind as he watched the shop owners shut down for the day, closing about three or four hours early so they could get ready for the social.

Big Bob walked up to stand under the awning where Falcon was just rolling a cigarette. Falcon handed him the makin's. Big Bob rolled and licked and lit. He inhaled, huffed out smoke, and then said, “I just heard that the Noonan that was hangin' on just died over to the doc's office.”

“Dale?”

“I believe that's what the man called him. Yeah. That's right. Dale. Belly-shot, he was.”

“That's him.”

“I got me a notion that we ought to finish this little war today, Falcon.”

“Sounds good to me, Bob. I'm for it.”

“Me and the boys done talked it over. Them crazy damn hired guns is either gonna surrender or they's gonna die. One of the two. We all agree that there ain't gonna be no other option open to them.”

“Suits me.”

“I want this to be a nice peaceful little town when they pin them badges on me and Stumpy. Handle a drunk ever' now and then and maybe settle some family argument ever' so often. No shootin'. Me and Stumpy gonna get us a nice little house apiece and live quiet like.”

“Tired of rambling, Bob?”

“I'm gettin' a mite weary of it, yeah. Stumpy, too.”

“Then it's time to light for a spell.”

“Yep. Shore is.” Big Bob hauled out a watch about the size of your average clock and clicked open the lid. “They'll be comin' shortly now. I feel it in my bones. Your boy up yonder on the hill will be standin' up and wavin' and hollerin' in a few minutes.”

“You're sure, huh?” Falcon asked with a smile.

“Yep. I'm shore.”

Falcon hitched at his gunbelt and made no other comment about Big Bob's premonition. He had been raised around old mountain men and knew how finely honed their sixth sense was. They had lived their entire lives on the sharp edge of danger and their senses were twice that of any ordinary man.

Dan Carson walked up and paused for a moment. He wore two six-shooters in leather, had two more tucked behind his gunbelt, and another stuck down behind his belt at the small of his back. “Them ol' boys will be comin' in pretty damn soon, now, I reckon,” he opined. “My blood is beginning to run hot. I 'spect we'd better get ready to greet them.”

Falcon sighed and smiled. If another of his friends walked up and said something about the raiders coming in ...

Puma walked up. Like Big Bob and Dan, he was fairly bristling with pistols. “Jenny's here,” he announced.

Big Bob gave him a look. “That damn cat of yours is here, in town?”

“Yep. I can feel her near.”

“But you ain't seen her?”

“I don't have to see her. I can sense when she's near to me. But I didn't come over here to jaw 'bout Jenny. Them raiders is on the way.”

Falcon sighed.

“I figure they'll be here in 'bout twenty or thirty minutes.”

Big Bob looked at Falcon and smiled. Then his smile faded and he said to Puma, “You keep that damn cat away from me, Puma, you hear me?”

“She ain't gonna bother you none. Relax. But I figure she's been real close by all the time. I been gettin' some messages from her.”

“There ain't no goddamn way no goddamn puma can send no human bein' no goddamn message!” Big Bob snorted. “I swear, Parley, the older you get the crazier you get.”

Puma Parley smiled and remained silent.

Falcon furtively looked all around him, thinking he might see Jenny skulking about the now nearly deserted town. Then he caught himself and felt rather foolish. He had to agree with Big Bob: Jenny was more than likely hundreds of miles away, and she certainly wasn't sending Puma any messages.

Puma walked away a few yards to stand smiling. “Yep,” he finally said. “She's here, all right.”

“Oh ... to hell with you, Puma!” Big Bob said.

“I seen Miles Gilman,” Wildcat said, in an effort to lighten the mood some. “He was squirin' around that farm woman, Mrs. Carter. They shore was lovey-dovey. I reckon that's gettin' some serious.”

“Yeah,” Mustang said. “And Terri and Reverend Watkins is seein' one another. I tell you what, they's some strange happenin's takin' place around this part of the country.”

“For a fact,” Stumpy agreed. “And they's gonna be some more things change in a few minutes.”

“What are you talkie' about?” Puma asked, turning around to look at his old friend.

“Them raiders is almost here,” Stumpy said.

Falcon looked up at his boy on the hill. The boy was sitting, staring out at the road that led to town, making no frantic signals to warn Falcon of any approaching riders.

“Yep,” Big Bob agreed. “I do believe you're right, Stumpy.

I can sense them gunhands gettin' closer, for a fact. I figure 'bout twenty minutes and we'll be shootin'.”

Dan Carson nodded his head. “You're right, boys. They're almost here.”

“Oh, now come on, guys!” Falcon said impatiently. “The boy up on the hill hasn't made a move to signal us. He can see for several miles.”

“Oh, them raiders ain't come into his sight yet,” Wildcat stated. “But they'll be plain to him in a few minutes. You just hold your water for minute or so. You'll see.”

“Speakin' of holdin' your water,” Big Bob said. “I reckon I'd better go shake the dew off my flower 'fore we has to go into action. It's uncomfortable havin' to pee and shoot at the same time.”

“Yeah, I'm with you,” Dan said. “Let's find us a privy right quick. We don't want to miss out on none of the fun.”

The two men wandered down the alley. Falcon watched them go and shook his head in disbelief at their warning about the Double N and .44 riders approaching. Puma had already walked across the street, to take his position next to the far boardwalk.

Mustang hitched at his gunbelt and stepped off the boardwalk into the street. “I reckon we bes' get ready for some gunsmoke, fellers. For troubles a-comin', for shore.”

Falcon looked up at the hill. The boy was sitting, staring out at the big empty, making no signals toward town.

Again, he sighed and shook his head.

“You told that boy that when trouble starts, to stay up yonder and keep down, didn't you, Falcon?” Stumpy asked.

“Yes. He knows to belly-down and stay clear.”

“Good. I'd like this little fracas to end without havin' a single local gettin' hurt.”

“They'll be comin' into sight now at any time,” Puma said. “I can feel 'em gettin' closer.”

“Oh, for heaven's sake!” Falcon said. “You guys are having fun with me, that's all.”

“That there boy on the hill will be jumpin' up and down any minute,” Puma said. “You'll see.”

Big Bob and Dan returned from their visit to the privy. Big Bob said, “I reckon we all bes' be gettin' set for some action. You boys ready to let 'em bang?”

The mountain men nodded their heads. They were ready.

“Let's get set, then.”

Falcon sighed. He lifted his eyes to the hill. The boy was standing up, waving his arms frantically.

“Well, I'll just be damned!” Falcon muttered.

“Told you,” Wildcat said, stepping off the boardwalk into the street. “Let's get ready to smell some gunsmoke, boys.”