They Rode Together (13 page)

Chapter forty-five

From across the herd, Yancy watched as Cooper and Jessica talked. Then Jessica laughed whole-heartedly, and he felt a tug of jealously.

They finally separated, and Jessica trotted back to the remuda to change horses.

Yancy grunted his displeasure as he started to turn around in the saddle.

Soon as he moved, he heard a loud buzzing from a rattlesnake beneath him. His horse was spooked, and he jumped to the side.

Yancy was thrown sideways, and his spur accidentally jobbed the horse in the flank. The horse squealed, and he dropped his head and started bucking.

The jumps were high and big.

Yancy managed to stay in the saddle for the first two jumps. On the third jump, the horse sucked backwards, and Yancy did a flip in the air and landed hard on his back. The breath was knocked out of him, and all he could do was just lie there.

Cooper saw the bronc ride, and he trotted around the drag and came up behind him.

Yancy was still lying there, gasping for air.

“You all right?” Cooper asked.

Yancy groaned.

“I feel like my innards have been seriously disarranged.”

“I’ve never seen a man flip quite like that.”

“It’s a special talent,” Yancy moaned, and he grimaced as he sat up.

Several feet away, the buzzing sound returned.

Yancy forgot about his aches and pains. He jumped to his feet and moved sideways.

“Kill that snake, will you?” He said sourly.

Cooper smiled and dismounted.

***

Lee spotted Jessica riding toward them, and he glanced over at Brian.

“Here comes trouble,” he said.

Brian nodded in agreement as she trotted up.

“Jessica,” Lee said.

Her face was stern, but she managed to nod.

“Lee.”

Lee looked at Brian.

“Cut her out a gentle one,” he said, and Brian took off.

Jessica dismounted and started unsaddling her horse.

“Here, I’ll do it,” Lee offered.

“Thank you,” Jessica replied stiffly, and she handed Lee her reins.

Lee felt her eyes on him as he worked, but he remained silent.

Brian trotted up with another horse. Lee bridled him, and he swung the saddle blanket on, followed by the saddle. He tightened the cinch and turned towards Jessica.

“Here you go,” he said as he handed her the reins.

“Thank you.”

Lee nodded and started to turn away, but Jessica just stood there and looked at them.

“Do you need anything else?” Lee asked.

“I talked with Yancy,” she said.

Lee’s face lit up.

“So you know about the hotel?”

“I know.”

“Good,” Lee said, and Brian nodded. “That’s all we wanted.”

“I don’t want it,” she said suddenly.

“What?” Lee looked confused.

“The hotel. I don’t want it.”

Lee glanced at Brian and looked back at her.

“Mind explaining that a little?”

“It’s simple. I just don’t want it.”

“But we went through a lot, and I mean a lot, getting that hotel back,” Lee pointed out.

“Well, you shouldn’t have.”

Lee was flustered, and he stood there a moment as he thought on it.

“But it’s yours,” he finally objected. “Jeremiah’s expecting to hear from you.”

“But I don’t want it. I have my reasons.”

“What are we supposed to do with it then?”

“You and Brian can have it,” Jessica said. “Do whatever you want with it.”

“Just like that?” Lee stared at her.

“Just like that,” Jessica said, and she climbed on her horse and looked down at them. “I wouldn’t expect either one of you to understand.”

“I’m glad, because we don’t,” Lee laughed shakily.

Jessica nodded and kicked up her horse. She traveled a few feet, but then pulled up abruptly.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so rude,” she apologized. “I want to thank you both for helping my Uncle. He really appreciates it.”

Lee and Brian nodded, and she kicked up her horse again.

They watched her leave, and then they looked at each other.

“Well! I sure didn’t see that coming,” Lee said.

“Me neither,” Brian agreed.

“I don’t think I’ll ever figure Jessica out,” Lee said.

“I don’t want to even try.”

“Now that I think on it, neither do I,” Lee smiled.

“Well, looks like we’re back in the hotel business,” Brian commented.

Lee thought on that, and his smile turned into a grin.

“It does, don’t it?” He said.

Chapter forty-six

After the rattlesnake was dead, Cooper caught Yancy’s horse and led him over to him. Yancy took the reins, and he scowled as he climbed back on.

“You all right?” Cooper asked.

“I’m fine,” he muttered, and asked, “What were you and Jessica talking about?”

Cooper was surprised.

“You saw us?”

“’Course I did,” Yancy growled. “What was she laughing about?”

“I don’t think I should say,” Cooper said as he stepped into the saddle.

“Why not?” Yancy glared at him.

“It was personal.”

“For you, or her?”

“I’d say both.”

Yancy scowled, and Cooper smiled.

“You ain’t gonna tell me,” Yancy said.

“Nope.”

Yancy grunted, and they kicked up their horses and rejoined the herd.

A few seconds passed, and Yancy sat up straight in the saddle.

“Albert’s gone,” he gestured at the point.

“So is Sim,” concern filled Cooper’s face.

They looked behind them, and the other two hands were missing too.

“This ain’t good,” Yancy said.

“I wonder where they went?”

“Tussle,” Yancy’s voice was grim. “He went on up ahead to set up camp.”

“And Josie’s with him,” Cooper reminded.

“Let’s go,” Yancy declared.

“Shouldn’t we fetch Lee and Brian?”

“I don’t think we have the time,” Yancy said matter-of-factly.

Cooper nodded, and they kicked up their horses.

Chapter forty-seven

Rondo rode east in a brisk trot. He kept his eyes peeled for tracks, but he also scouted the grass and water for the next few days.

By evening time he was miles from the herd, and darkness overtook him as he rode back to the west.

A few hours back, Rondo had passed a lakebed with a tank full of water.

He was approaching the lakebed again when he suddenly smelled campfire smoke.

He pulled up, dismounted, and tied his horse to a mesquite bush.

“You stay here,” Rondo whispered. “And keep quiet.”

He pulled out a pair of well-worn moccasins from his saddlebags, pulled off his boots, and pulled them on. Next, he checked his Colt, and he crouched down and took off.

Josie would have been proud. His feet made the slightest sound through the tall grass, and he was nearly invisible.

There were some trees ahead, and Rondo made his way over to them. He could hear voices now, and he crouched even lower as he crept from tree to tree.

He could see the light of a campfire in front of him. He got down on his knees and crawled through the brush. He gained a good vantage point of the camp, and he was so close that he hardly dared to breath.  

He counted seven men lounging around the fire.

All were hard looking men, and he almost jumped when he recognized Butch Nelson and Rock Bullen.

This is the bunch that attacked us
, he figured.

Harsh words interrupted his thoughts.

“Listen, Rock, I don’t mind your suggestions, but I’m running things. And so far, your suggestions haven’t worked out too well.”

“Give Sim and Albert a chance,” Rock replied patiently. “They’ll get Tussle.”

“They could be dead by now.”

“We don’t know that.”

“Well, either way, we’ll be prepared tomorrow,” Butch declared. 

“What do you have in mind?”

“Before you reach the lakebed, there’s a steep ridge on both sides,” Butch said. “It makes sort of a natural corral.”

“I saw that.”

“If things go as planned, Albert will lead the Landons here. The top of those ridges would be the perfect spot for an ambush.”

“Seems like,” Rock agreed.

“But, if things go wrong,” Butch continued, “they’ll show up here tomorrow with the herd. And, seeing how there’s good water, they’ll probably camp here.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

“We’ll be waiting on the ridges,” Butch declared. “Once they’re down in the bottom, we’ll have ’em trapped. We’ll pick Tussle off and be gone.”

“That might actually work,” Rock grudgingly admitted.

“’Course it will,” Butch grunted, and added, “In the morning we’ll scout the ridges, and find us a few good spots to hide.”

They talked some more, but Rondo had heard enough. He crawled backwards through the brush, and as soon as he could stand he trotted back to his horse.

Rondo untied him, stepped into the saddle, and wasted no time getting back to Tussle’s camp.

Chapter forty-eight

There was a small hill ahead, and from the top Yancy and Cooper could see the chuck wagon’s canvas top. There were also several horses scattered around the wagon.

“There they are,” Yancy said.

“Something’s wrong down there,” Cooper said, and he pulled out his rifle from his scabbard.

“We go loping up, and it could make things worse,” Yancy figured.

Cooper nodded, and they dismounted and tied their horses to some nearby bushes. Then, they crouched low and trotted towards the chuck wagon.

As they came down the slope, Yancy spotted Josie and Tussle. They were standing rigid at the back of the wagon.

Then he saw Sim and the three new hands. They were standing directly in front of Tussle and Josie, and they covered them with their rifles.

Yancy glanced at Cooper. He saw them too, and his face was grim.

They could hear voices as they made their way to the front of the wagon.

“Do what you want with me,” Tussle was saying. “Just let Josie go.”

Albert snorted.

“You don’t understand,” he said harshly. “We’re taking over the herd.”

“You’ll never accomplish that,” Tussle fired back. “Don’t you know who you’re up against?”

“We’ll see about that,” Albert sneered.

Sim spoke up.

“We’re wasting time,” he said impatiently. “Let’s kill Tussle and get out of here.”

“All right,” Albert said, and a soft click sounded out as he pulled the hammer back on his rifle.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Sim said harshly. “Kill him silent like. We don’t want them hearing us.”

“You’re right, I wasn’t thinking.”

Yancy took a quick peek around the wagon.

He saw Albert give his rifle to Sim, and he pulled out a bowie knife and walked towards Tussle.

Tussle stood his ground, and a hard look crossed his face.

“Let’s go,” Yancy said quietly, and he and Cooper walked forward.

“Hold it,” Yancy said sternly.

The four outlaws were startled as the Landons walked around the chuck wagon. Sim’s eyes grew wide, and he took a few steps backwards, but that was all.

Yancy breathed easy as he watched them. No words were spoken, and the silence was tense.

Suddenly, Albert made a grab for his Colt, and the other outlaws lifted their rifles.

With an easy motion, Yancy palmed his Colt and fired. His first two shots hit the small man, and he screamed and flew backwards.

Cooper fired one shot after another into the tall man. As he crumbled over, he managed to fire one shot harmlessly into the ground.

Tussle’s new Winchester was leaning against the chuck wagon, and he dove for it. He grabbed it and rolled over into a sitting position while bullets flew over his head.

Albert stood directly in front of him, and a wicked snarl was on his face as he took aim. But, before he could fire, bullets from Yancy’s six-shooter and Cooper’s rifle hit him in the chest, and he was flipped over backwards.

In the confusion, Sim almost dropped his rifle. But then he recovered and took aim at Cooper.

Before he could fire, Josie pulled her knife from her sheath and let it fly.

The knife struck him in his shoulder, and he screamed and stumbled backwards. He dropped his rifle as he ran wildly for his horse.

Yancy and Cooper turned to fire at him, but then they realized that their weapons were empty.

They were helpless as Sim jumped on his horse and took out in a dead run.

A thought suddenly occurred to Cooper, and he turned to Tussle.

“Give me that Winchester.”

Tussle handed it to him.

Using his thumb, Cooper pushed his hat back and lifted the Winchester to his shoulder. He squinted, took in a deep breath, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

The rifle boomed loudly, and everybody watched as Sim rode on.

“Missed him!” Tussle observed.

Cooper grunted his displeasure. He worked the lever, took in another breath, aimed, and fired again.

A few seconds later, Sim fell from the saddle.

“Got him this time!” Tussle exclaimed.

Cooper frowned as he gave the rifle back to Tussle.

“Shoots a mite to the left,” he said.

***

A few minutes later they heard the pounding of hooves, and Lee and Brian stormed into camp. Jessica and Wyatt were close behind.

There was no need for explanations. They studied the dead bodies, and then Lee asked, “Is everybody all right?”

“I think so,” Cooper said.

“Looks like we have more graves to dig,” Lee said, and everybody nodded.