Slocum and the Long Ride (8 page)

He set down the rifle and hugged her. “I'm so sorry. I never expected they'd find us up here. We need to get you to a doctor. Is the closest one in St. Barnabas?”

“Yes. What will I do?”

“He can't put it back. But he can stop the bleeding and numb it.”

She squeezed him harder. “What will I do? A one-eyed whore? Oh, Slocum, why did he do that to me?”

He looked off at the mountain silhouettes. Just a mean son of a bitch was all he could think.

“I want you to sit down. I don't care if the buzzards and wolves eat them, but I am going to drag the bodies out of the house so they don't rot and ruin your friend's nice cabin, then we will ride for the doctor.”

“Oh, Slocum, who were they?”

“The guy dying over there said Gomez's.”

“He'll pay for this. Go ahead.”

He dragged two bodies out and left them a few yards from the house. But it required a rope around his legs and a horse on the end to pull the biggest dead man's body outside and away from the house.

In the cabinets Slocum found a bottle of laudanum and took it out to Roma with a spoon.

“Take one tablespoon. I need to go saddle my horse. We will bandage your head up and then ride for town.”

She agreed. The blood flow looked to be less, but he knew she was in great pain. At last his own horse was saddled, bedroll tied on, the Spencer reloaded and in his scabbard. He found some crackers and filled a couple of canteens with water from the spring. Then he did the best he could with bandages and gauze to wrap that side of her face.

“Has it let up some?” he asked her.

She nodded.

Laudanum bottle and spoon in his saddlebags, he left the dead bandits for the buzzards. They'd soon be there, with the dawn coming.

He picked her up, and holding her in his arms, he stepped aboard and they left the mountain cabin for St. Barnabas.

•   •   •

Twice he fed her more medicine, and she remained in a groggy stage the entire trip, which took the better part of the day. They'd both eaten a few crackers and drank some canteen water.

His arms ached from holding her all the way, but he delivered her to the doctor's door, having been guided to his house by an old woman's directions. A woman opened the doctor's front door, and behind her bustling skirt, she ushered Slocum in and to a lighted room.

“What's happened to her?”

“Some thug gouged out her eye.”

“Oh my, that is horrible. He's . . . ?”

“Dead. I have given her pain medicine. She's had little to eat all day. It took us all day to get here from the mountains where it happened. She is very brave.”

“Doctor, she lost her eye last night,” she said to the graying man who came into the room, putting the glasses on the end of his nose.

“I can't reattached it,” he said to Slocum.

“I know that. I want you to save her life.”

“I will try. But so you know.”

“I didn't expect it, but she deserves to live.”

The doctor took scissors from the woman and began to remove the bandages. “You may go get something to eat. I will have to tie off blood veins and clear the area involved.”

“I'll be back, she has no one.”

When Slocum walked out, a gentleman dismounted and approached him. “My name is Martin Wade. I was informed you just brought in a young woman of interest to me who was injured.”

“Roma?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a cabin in the mountains?”

The man nodded.

“A very nice place. Folks call me Slocum,” Slocum said and extended his hand, which Wade shook. “A half dozen of Gomez's men caught us sleeping and attacked us. One of them gouged out her right eye in the fight. He's dead, and so are the rest. None are inside the cabin, but I left them for the buzzards in the yard, and their dead horses too.”

Wade blinked blinked his eyes in disbelief. “A wonder you two survived.”

Slocum agreed. “My guard was down up there. Obviously we were followed. They snuck up in the night and began kicking and beating us. We had the fight of our lives, I can assure you, but I never expected that thug to hurt her like that. He literally spooned out her eyeball with his thumb. But he's dead, and he bled to death getting there.”

“Good riddance. I will pay for her medical care. I'll send some of my men up there and clean up the mess. Thanks for protecting her.”

“Sorry, we both were planning a rest up there for a few days. It was a wonderful place, sorry it was used by them as an attack point.”

“How is she?” Wade made a head toss at the lighted doorway.

“A strong person. She should survive.”

“My wife died a few years ago. Roma is a very free spirit. I enjoy her company.”

“I can understand that.”

“Where will you eat?”

“I had not decided.”

“Come to my casa. My cook will feed you and you can rest there. Let me speak to Dr. Mendoza and then we can go up there.”

“I'll put up my horse—”

“No, I have a stable. He can be there.”

Wade hurried inside and then came out. They walked three blocks to his walled casa, leading Slocum's mount. The place was obviously guarded by the armed man on the wall who gave Wade a salute in the night. He returned it.

A stableman took Slocum's horse. Wade showed him the front doorway that was open.

A very efficient-looking lady greeted them.

“Zelda, this is Slocum. I fear he's not eaten in a long time. Can we scare him up some food and perhaps some good whiskey to sip on while it is being fixed?”

“I think there is slight breeze on the patio upstairs. Retire to there and the rest will be attended to. Nice to meet you, sir.” She slightly curtsied to him.

“Zelda, my name is Slocum. No big deal.”

“I will remember that—Slocum.” She nodded, as if excused, and went to the rear.

Wade showed him the stairs, and they went up to sit out under the stars.

“I can see you have been in many tight situations in your life. This near-death event has not shaken you?”

Slocum shook his head. “I consider it really a small event by some stupid goons, who could have taken command of the situation, then beat the hell out of us under pointed guns.”

“What is your purpose down here?”

“I came to see how big and how smart this Gomez is. His border raids have not made him liked up there. Do you think he is being left alone because the Federales fear him?”

“Good question. I have no idea, but so far they have ridden around him.”

“Is he paying them off?”

“That would be hard to learn.”

“He looks to be immune to them controlling him despite his actions to run over people, to murder, rape, and rob them.”

Wade agreed, and Zelda served them whiskey in crystal tumblers with a bottle standing by.

Slocum raised his glass to his host. “Thanks.”

Damn good whiskey. The liquor slid down his throat and washed away a ton of trail dust. Slocum breathed easier—real damn good booze.

“I am curious,” Wade began. “A man and a gun came here like David with Goliath?”

“I didn't come to kill him. I came to look at his strength and weaknesses, to see if his activity here and north of the border could be shut down. He's made some raids to rustle cattle across that line. Along with rape, pillage, and the death of a small boy. He needs to be stopped. But the people up there want him permanently stopped.”

His hostess delivered him his hot food, and he thanked her.

“Go ahead and eat,” Wade said.

Slocum cut up some of the braised beef, and his first forkful drew saliva in his mouth. Excellent beef mesquite-roasted was hard to beat. He swept up some red mashed beans with a fresh flour tortilla. Wade let him eat.

“He has a strong fortress down there.”

“An Achilles' heel too. They all have them. I think he can be stopped. What would you like to do?”

“There are several businesspeople in the region who would like to see him gone as well.”

“Good. Can they be considered honest?”

“How is that?”

“Can you promise me they won't run and tell him our plans?”

“I think so.”

“I can't afford him being warned.”

“What else?”

“Would they send armed men to help us?”

“Some would.”

“Line me up to talk to only the most trustworthy.”

Wade poured them more whiskey. “I will choose them after a thorough investigation.”

“Good. I will be back to see you after I talk to my people and they decide how they want to handle this matter.”

“Get some sleep. I will send one of my girls that works for us down to the doctor's, and she can report to us if there is any change in Roma's condition. I appreciate you rescuing her. She's a darling.”

“Good.”

“What else do you need?”

“A few hours' shut-eye and I'll be fine. Thanks for the food and the whiskey. I need to go back north. Tomorrow, I need to start that way, after I check on Roma, but I appreciate you caring for her.”

“Could I send a few men with you?”

Slocum shook his head. “That would only draw attention to me and make them more wary.”

“Good enough. But come here if you need asylum.”

Slocum cracked a smile. “That could be a lifesaver at times, thanks, my
amigo
.”

Roma was still in a state of shock when he squeezed her hand and was ready to leave her. “Wade will see you recover. I spoke with him. I must get back, as you know. God bless you, girl. You are a sweet woman.”

She slightly shook her head on the pillow. “May God be with you too, big hombre.”

•   •   •

In the coolness of the dawn, he set out on the pacing horse, headed northward through the tall cactus that differed from the Arizona saguaros. Why did he feel followed? Had more of the outlaw chief's men found him? No way to see them, even if they were right behind him in the tall vegetation. He set the horse in a grinding pace to force anyone following to come into the open and make more dust on his back trail.

When he came to a rise, he crossed over it. Then once he was over the top, he reined up the horse. Dismounted, he took out the Spencer and went back to peek over the ridge without his hat on.

Three tough riders were indeed following his trail and hurrying their horses in a flurry of dust. Since he couldn't be too sure of their identity, he decided to take out their horses and leave them a hell of a walk back.

He took aim and shot the horse to the right of him. The wreck spilled the horse's rider off over its head and nosed the animal down into a death dive. The others reined up. Even in the dust and distance Slocum saw the shock written on their faces. He shot the next rider's horse, and it reared and fell over backward.

Number three tried to turn his horse around and run for cover. But two quickly placed shots from the Spencer and the man's horse spilled over. Even at the space between them he could hear them cursing him.

“
Vaya con Dios, hombres
,” he said quietly, then put on his hat and rode for the border.

There were no more incidents with Gomez's men. But he learned in Nogales that the Apaches were still raiding the area. Some Mexican Apache chief named Who had caught a company of cavalry unaware and slaughtered them up near the Whetstone Mountains, west of Tombstone. The army really was pouring in lots more troops according to reports.

But as the Mexican man at the border said, “Who can catch the wind?”

•   •   •

He rode into Patagonia with light rain falling on his hat and shoulders. This was a rare treat. Thunder rumbled off in the mountains to the south. His horse put up at the stables, he walked the two blocks to the hotel and discovered Sandy in the lobby reading a newspaper.

She blinked at his entrance and then smiled. She must have forgotten for a second that she had seen him in his border garb.

She folded the newspaper and rose, very proper. “I wondered how you were.”

Hat in hand, he admired her. Too many people were there in the lobby for him to kiss her, so he winked at her instead. “I'd have thought they'd have it settled it by now.”

She turned up her hands. “It has really gotten worse.”

“I saw where the company of soldiers were ambushed. I need a bath, but that can wait. Let's go find a meal.”

“Surely. You will have to tell me all about Mexico and what you found out down there.”

“Tortillas, frijoles, and hot peppers,” he went on, until she elbowed him and shook her head.

The café was busy, but they found a table.

“Have you been occupied?” he asked, seating her and then sitting himself down across from her. His hat stowed under his chair, he told her to continue.

“I was upset when you left, but I understood you needed to be alone to do that job. Our trip over here was so nail-biting scary, and I am certain down there was no better, but there was some kind of challenge in me that I wished I'd gone along.”

“I may have to return down there. But they won't leave the ranch unattended with all those war parties around. So we may have some time together if you can spare it.”

“Spare it? I'd love to have some more time in your company.”

“I would too.” He winked at her. “The like might ruin your reputation.”

She looked down, putting the cloth napkin in her lap. “I could do a lot of that too.”

They both laughed softly. A tinge of blush in her cheeks, and she shook her head to dismiss her remark. What a lovely lady. Considering Slocum's own wild past with shady ladies, she was such an outstanding individual to have in his life, living in the protective custody of this village before she returned to her rural schoolhouse to teach young people how to read, write, and become grown-ups in a bloody world. Many of them had learned about this deadly knife's edge of frontier at their own homes in these raids.