[Texas Rangers 04] - Ranger's Trail (4 page)

He saw several rows of tents lined in military order. Johnny said, “They got the cannon placed back of the tents.”

A hundred yards beyond the tent line stood a set of wooden pens. The troops were infantry. Rusty surmised that the few horses he saw were for the officers. He counted four draft mules. Drawing the cannon would be their job.

He shivered at the thought of such a weapon being fired into a crowd. For that purpose artillerymen would probably load it with scraps of metal and pieces of chain. Those would damage more rioters than a single cannonball.

Tanner muttered, “A mean piece of business. And all on account of politics.”

Rusty said, “The whole war was because of politics.”

He was not surprised to see two black soldiers standing guard on either side of the cannon. He was a little surprised there were not more. “You think they’ll stand by idle while you-all drive your spike?”

Tanner said, “When the time comes I’ll see to it that they ain’t there.”

“
You wouldn’t kill them? The army would run you to the ground and hang you from the tallest tree they can find. If they didn’t just shoot you outright.”

Johnny said, “We wouldn’t hurt a hair on their heads. Len is goin’ to draw them away.”

“
How?”

“
We hoped you’d help us figure that out.”

Rusty studied the cannon and everything around it. He saw a stack of hay near the horse pens. He said, “I don’t see anybody guardin’ that hay yonder. If it was to accidentally catch afire …”

Jim nodded, his eyes brightening. “That’s the same stunt me and Johnny pulled on some Yankees just before the end of the war. Got away with a bunch of their horses. They didn’t need that many, anyway, since their hay burned up. They didn’t have anything to feed them.”

Andy had listened quietly, but excitement built in his eyes. Rusty sought to head him off. “You’re not goin’ along with them. You’re too young, and it’s too dangerous.”

“
I’ve been in dangerous places before. My Comanche brother Steals the Ponies could tell you that.”

“
But he’s not here. If he was, he’d be welcome to help. But not you. I didn’t spend all these years raisin’ you to lose you in a fight that’s none of your business.”

Rusty expected more argument. Andy simply shrugged and said, “Here come some soldiers to see what we’re about. You want to talk to them?”

Four troopers and a white officer were marching toward the five Texans. Rusty said, “I don’t believe we’ve got anything to talk about.” He reined his horse around and started back toward the brothers’ camp, careful not to move faster than a walk. He did not want to arouse suspicion by appearing to run away. The others followed him. The troopers soon stopped.

Tanner asked, “You reckon they suspect us?”

Rusty said, “They suspect everybody, and have since the first day they came into Texas.”

Tom Blessing walked to the wagon yard about sundown, tired and burdened with worry. “Hard to guess what’s fixin’ to happen,” he said. “Governor Coke has got a bunch of his old rangers at his side. Governor Davis has called out the Travis Rifles to help him hold the capitol. Some of them have come over to us, but there’s enough left to give us a right smart of trouble. And we still don’t know what President Grant will do. If he orders the troops in, with their cannon, …”

Tanner declared, “Don’t you worry yourself about that cannon. It’s fixin’ to be took care of.”

Rusty frowned at Tanner and looked about to see if anyone might have overheard. Most people around here were strangers. He had no way of knowing which side they were on. He said in little more than a whisper, “The Morris boys figure on spikin’ that cannon tonight.”

Tom was not relieved. “They’re liable to get spiked themselves.”

Rusty said, “Len Tanner’s goin’ to help.”

“
That’s no big relief.” Tom nodded toward Andy. “Surely you’re not lettin’ the boy go.”

“
He’s stayin’ here with me.”

Tom said, “Good. We’re dealin’ with people who are used to absolute power. If they got him in their sights, they wouldn’t take his youth into account.”

Andy spoke up. “If I was still with the Comanches I’d be looked at as a warrior now. I sure wouldn’t let a bunch of bluecoats scare me.”

Tom said, “They scare
me.
I just hope Grant doesn’t set them loose. You know they arrested the mayor today”

Rusty said, “I hadn’t heard that.”

“
Roughed him up some, then turned him loose because it looked like a riot was fixin’ to break out. They still haven’t got their orders from Washington.”

Rusty walked to the door and stared out into the street. Everywhere he looked little clusters of armed men stood waiting, watching. The tension was electric, much like the atmosphere before a thunderstorm. “Wouldn’t take but one good spark to touch off the powder. I wish we’d gone back home.”

Tom said, “For my wife’s sake, I wish we’d never been asked to come in the first place. She needs a woman to be with her ’til she gets her feet back under her. I ain’t been able to find one who’d stay”

Rusty kept a disturbing thought to himself. What would become of Mrs. Blessing if a bullet brought down her husband? “We could start home right now. It won’t be full dark for another hour.”

Tom shook his head. “We finally got back the right to vote. It’s time to get off of our knees and stand on our feet.”

“
No matter what it costs?”

“
We’re at a fork in the road. One way follows the law. The other twists the law to whatever it wants it to be.”

Rusty smiled. “First time I ever heard you make a speech.”

“
I don’t often feel the need, especially with you.”

Rusty did not intend to go to sleep so early, but it had been a long day. Soon after he lay down on his blankets he dozed off. He awakened suddenly to the squealing of two horses nipping at one another. He saw that Andy’s blankets had been thrown back. Andy was gone.

Damn fool kid, he thought. He’s gone to help Tanner and the Morrises.

The stableman was asleep on a steel cot in a small office at the front of the barn. Rusty aroused him to ask when Andy had left. The man sat up, blinking rapidly, swinging his bare feet over the side. His voice was sour. “Don’t you people know what the night is meant for?”

“
That boy who was with me, did you see him leave?”

The man ignored the question. “Night’s a time for rest. If you want your horse, you know where he’s at. Catch him yourself. And you can put him back for yourself when you come in. If you’re too drunk to unlatch the gate, just tie him to the fence.”

“
How long has it been since the kid left?”

“
I didn’t look at my watch.” The man scratched his backside. “What kind of a critter is that button, anyway?”

“
What do you mean?”

“
He come stealin’ in and got his horse. I wouldn’t have knowed he was here if the horse hadn’t snorted just as he passed my door. Wouldn’t surprise me none if that boy’s got Indian blood in him.”

“
I’ll admit he acts like it.”

The stableman said, “Probably snuck off to find him a sportin’ gal. I did when I was his age. ’Spect you did, too. I got no quarrel with it as long as they let a man sleep.”

Rusty saddled his horse while the stableman returned to his blankets, muttering all the way.

The kid’s got more nerve than judgment, Rusty thought darkly. As bad as Len Tanner.

He rode in a long trot to the Morris brothers’ camp at the edge of town. He found the fire burned low. No one was there. He was sure he knew where they were, and Andy with them.

Damn Len Tanner. He knew I didn’t want Andy to be any part of this.

He rode toward the soldier camp under a dark sky, the moon hidden by a heavy cover of clouds. Unable to see much, he almost rode upon two men sitting on horseback. Johnny Morris demanded, “Who the hell are you?”

“
It’s me, Rusty. Where are Len and Andy?”

“
They’ve snuck off down yonder to set the hay afire. While everybody’s runnin’ to fight the fire, me and Jim will fix the cannon.” He showed Rusty an iron rod. Jim carried a blacksmith’s hammer across the pommel of his saddle.

Rusty said, “Why didn’t you-all turn the boy back?”

Jim said, “His mind was made up. We couldn’t have stopped him if we’d hit him over the head with this hammer.”

Rusty knew how stubborn Andy could be. “Maybe I can head him off. You-all be careful. Some Yankees are good shots.”

He rode down toward the camp. He could not make out the shape of the haystack, but he knew more or less where it should be. He felt a chilly dampness moving up from the river on the south wind. He shivered and pulled his old coat more tightly around him. A couple of fires flickered in the soldier camp. He envied the men warming themselves there.

The cannon guards had a fire of their own. Rusty took that as a good sign. Glare from the flames would diminish their ability to see through the darkness.

He saw a match flare, then flicker out. Andy and Tanner must be having poor luck getting the hay to catch fire. Both were single-minded enough to keep trying, even if soldiers swarmed over them.

A hostile voice demanded. “Who goes there?”

Rusty realized the challenge was directed at Andy and Tanner. He put spurs to the dun horse, urging him into a long trot.

A rough voice shouted, “Who are you? Speak before I blow your head off!”

Tanner’s answer was defiant. “I’m Robert E. Lee and I’m here to whup some Yankee sons of bitches.”

Rusty saw a quick movement and heard a thud as a soldier struck Tanner in the stomach with the butt of a rifle. Rusty did not give him a second chance. He rode in, swinging his pistol. He felt the barrel connect with a trooper’s head. The trooper fell, firing his rifle by reflex. Tanner wrestled with another soldier but was losing ground. Rusty grabbed a handful of uniform and pulled the man off of him. He swung the pistol but missed.

He heard a shout. “Corporal of the guard! Post number two!” It came from the direction of the cannon. He heard more soldiers running toward him. A rifle cracked. Rusty fired his pistol into the air, hoping to confuse and perhaps discourage the soldiers. “Forget the fire,” he shouted. “Get out of here.”

The troopers guarding the cannon came on the run, silhouetted against their fire. Rusty aimed a shot in their general direction, slowing them. One discharged his rifle into the darkness but had no clear target. Rusty leaned low to be sure he did not present one.

Andy came riding out, leading Tanner’s horse. “Here, Len. Get on him quick.”

Rusty heard the whisper of bullets passing much too close. Len staggered. Andy swung around to help lift him into the saddle. The three set their horses into a run.

The firing continued behind them. Rusty said, “You two stirred up the whole Yankee army.”

Andy laughed. “Didn’t we, though? But we couldn’t get the fire started.”

Len lamented, “Damned hay was wet. All I burned was my fingers.”

Rusty said, “It was a fool notion in the first place.”

Andy said, “Only thing wrong with it was that it didn’t work.”

Rusty did not see the Morris brothers, but he figured they were old enough to take care of themselves. They always had. Andy was young, eager, and still needed watching. Tanner should have known better, but he was inclined to create trouble even where there had been none. He had long maintained that a good fight was more invigorating than a double shot of whiskey.

Rusty led Andy and Tanner along the river until he was sure they had shaken off pursuit by the foot soldiers. Then he circled back in the direction of the Morris brothers’ camp. Andy was still laughing.

Rusty decided it was time for the lecture. “Now listen here—”

Andy cut him off. “I know what you’re goin’ to say, so there ain’t no use sayin’ it. I didn’t have any business bein’ out here. But I figured Len needed help. By himself, he was apt to get killed.”

“
You could’ve both been killed.”

“
We weren’t, and I had more fun tonight than I ever got followin’ a mule across a field. Len, you’re lookin’ kind of sick.”

“
Took a rifle butt in my ribs. I’m goin’ to be awful sore in the mornin’.” He moaned. “Every time a man gets to feelin’ smart, somethin’ comes along and kicks him in the belly.”

Johnny and Jim arrived in camp just ahead of them. “Everybody all right?” Johnny asked worriedly. “What went wrong out there?”

“
Damp hay,” Rusty said. “Looks like it ruined you-all’s plan.”

The brothers grinned at one another. “Not really,” Johnny said. “Len and the boy set out to draw attention away from us. They sure did that.”

“
You managed to spike the cannon, after all?”

“
The only way it could hurt anybody now would be if it fell on him.”

Rusty grunted, surprised but pleased. The troops could do a lot of damage with their rifles if they were called into the dispute, but at least they should not be able to use artillery against the crowd.

He said, “If you-all don’t mind a little company, I think me and Andy’ll bed down here instead of goin’ back to the wagon yard. The stable keeper needs his sleep.”

With only their saddle blankets for cover against the night chill, Rusty and Andy lay near the campfire. Rusty poked a little fresh wood among the coals and watched the flames rise up before he stretched out on the ground. He lay awake, replaying the evening’s action in his mind.

Tanner was soon snoring. Andy rolled onto one side, then moved to the other, pulling his legs up tightly. Rusty asked, “Can’t you sleep?”

“
I’m a little cold. And there was too much excitement, I guess. Got my blood all stirred up.”

“
I’m not havin’ much luck myself.” Rusty arose to put more wood on the fire. Instead of lying down and rolling up in his saddle blanket, he squatted on his heels and stared into the fire.