The noise of the struggle and the screams of the men awakened Larry. In an instant he was out of bed, his hand grasping his gun as he hurried to the window. The starlight was just strong enough to show him what was happening. He swung round, dragged on pants and shoes then hurtled out through the living room and on to the porch, ignoring the shouted queries of King and Val from the adjoining bedrooms.
He was down the steps and racing into the yard in a matter of seconds.
‘ Come here !’ he commanded, to the snarling, biting dogs. ‘ Oscar ! Callie ! Come here !’
Perfectly trained, the animals obeyed. They left the two blood-streaked men on the ground and trotted over to where Larry was standing.
‘ Back to bed ,’ he commanded — and they departed to the shadows. Larry strode forward and tried to drag the two men to their feet. But they remained limp, completely spent. Blood was soaking their shirts from the vicious wounds in their necks. It was obvious that the dogs had attacked the vital jugulars.
‘What happened?’ King demanded, coming on the scene with Val behind him. They were hastily dressed in gowns, both with guns in their hands. Only moments after them came the Indian servant and his squaw.
‘We’ve had uninvited visitors,’ Larry answered grimly. ‘Oscar and Callie let them through, as they’re trained to do — then savaged them as they tried to leave. Better give me a hand to get them inside.’
With assistance, Larry managed to carry both men inside. Still bleeding freely, they were dumped on the hearthrug, cushions serving as pillows.
‘Reckon they must have been after that will,’ King said. ‘Wonder if they got it?’
Whilst Larry and Val went to work as well as they could to stop the bleeding of the two barely conscious men, King went to the safe, opened it, and searched inside. He turned a grim face.
‘Better search ’em. They got it.’
Larry nodded, and made a quick run through the men’s pockets. He came across the will quickly enough and tossed it over to King.
‘You hold it, sir; my hands are messy. Well, I’m afraid we’ve done all we can for these men. Better send for Doc Barnes.’
Val got to her feet and hurried out to tell the Indian to ride to town for the practitioner. When she came back she saw that the men were now hardly moving, their eyes closed, great wads of bandaging covering their throats and the lesser bites to their arms and bodies.
‘Serves ’em right,’ King said, putting the will back in the safe. ‘They’ll know better next time.’
‘There won’t be a next time,’ Larry said quietly, rising. ‘Both these men are dead. Shock and loss of blood, I guess.’
Val and her father exchanged looks, but said nothing.
‘You two go back to bed,’ Larry said. ‘I’ll wait up for Doc Barnes, and I’ll also keep an eye on this safe. Obviously I’m not going to get much peace until the will’s in the hands of the Prescott authorities — which I hope it will be by this time tomorrow.’
With a final look at the two dead men, Val and her father left the room. Larry pulled up a chair and sat down, reflecting to himself that the two gunmen had paid a mighty high price for their attempt at thieving.
At breakfast next morning he showed little signs of the night vigil he had kept.
‘Doc Barnes rode out in his buck-board,’ he explained, as Val and King settled at the table. ‘He was able to drive the bodies back into town for the legal technicalities before burial. No blame attaches to us, of course, since they were trespassers. As sheriff I’ll uphold that, too.’
‘What now?’ Val asked. ‘Are you going straight to Prescott and get some action?’
Larry shook his head. ‘Not just yet. First I’m riding out to the Double-L with a couple of deputies and tell Simon Galt where he gets off. Once I’ve got rid of him I’ll let the Prescott authorities have the details, and I’ll take over the ranch and mine in my own name and get it legally fixed up by a good lawyer, naturally. That will bring you and me to discussing something, Val.’
She smiled but said nothing. With a murmur of apology, Larry rose from the table.
‘I breakfasted earlier than you so I could get away,’ he explained. ‘I had Doc Barnes leave notes for my deputies to meet me here by eight-thirty. They’ll be here any minute.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ Val began, but Larry cut her short.
‘Not this time, Val. This is a legal sheriff’s matter, as well as my own personal business. I’ll be OK with two deputies.’
He kissed her, smiled, and then, with a nod to King, took down his hat and departed. His two deputies were just in at the gate as he mounted his horse. They swung around, waited for him to catch up, then all three of them hit the trail for the Double-L.
They reached it inside an hour, and rode into the yard. Larry surveyed the prospect interestedly after he had dismounted. The spread was much bigger than the Bar-6. The ranch house was larger; the corrals more extensive.
‘What now, Mr Ashfield?’ one of the deputies asked, drawing his gun.
‘You can put your gun back, for a start. We’re here on legal business, not as a shooting party.’
Larry strode up the steps to the porch and hammered on the screen door. A half-breed, with oily black hair and wearing coat and dark trousers, presently appeared. He was a most unusual type to discover in a Western ranch.
‘Yes, gentlemen?’ he asked, in rather too-exact English.
‘I’m Sheriff Larry Ashfield,’ Larry said briefly, indicating his badge. ‘I want a word with Mr Galt.’
‘I’ll see if he’s in — ’
‘You can skip the formalities,’ Larry broke in. ‘This isn’t a social call. Come on, boys.’
He jerked his head and strode through the wide hall to the doorway of the living room. Without bothering to knock, he walked in; then slowed his pace.
The signs of his late uncle’s wealth were everywhere — in the furniture, the polished brassware, the gleaming glass fronts of large bookcases. Here was a luxury ranch, and in such a remote spot it could only have been furnished at enormous expense. Even the log walls were treated with some kind of composition to make them appear snowy white, deepening to mauve where they joined the ceiling.
Larry’s main interest, however, was concentrated on the man seated eating breakfast by the sunny window. The table was small, perfectly laid, and the breakfast appetizing. Even the coffee jug was solid silver. The man who sat amidst these evidences of wealth was unusually fat, with a round, disarmingly bland face and pink cheeks. He looked curiously like a newly washed baby. His hair was grey, and he ate daintily. He was wearing an elaborate satin dressing-gown.
‘Good morning, gentlemen,’ he greeted, as the three men came towards him. ‘I gather you are in a hurry since my servant did not announce you.’
‘I take it you are Simon Galt?’
‘Yes, indeed.’ Simon Galt breathed heavily and got to his feet. ‘You, of course, are Larry Ashfield, our newly elected sheriff. Congratulations.’
He held out a plump hand, but Larry ignored it.
‘You can skip the cordiality, Mr Galt,’ he said bluntly. ‘We are not exactly friends.’
‘No? What a pity. I like everybody to be friends with me.’ Galt smiled, and it increased the width of his three chins; but the prominent eyes had no humour in them. They were stone-grey, and staring fixedly.
‘All right, Galt, suppose we get down to business,’ Larry suggested. ‘I’m here to claim this ranch, and the mine. Since you already know I’m sheriff, I assume you also know that I am Brian Ashield’s nephew.’
‘I gathered as much. Oh, come now, gentlemen, you have had a hard ride in crisp morning air — how about some coffee? Or some grilled ham and eggs. Or — ’
‘We’ve had breakfast,’ Larry interrupted. He took the will from his pocket and held it out — from a safe distance.
‘Here is my uncle’s will, Galt. It proves that he bequeathed this ranch and the nearby mine to me.’
‘I’ll take your word for it,’ Galt sat down again. ‘You will forgive me, gentlemen, if I proceed with my breakfast? I much prefer my ham and eggs to be hot.’
Deliberately, he resumed eating. Larry exchanged glances with his deputies. They had expected Galt to be perhaps a trifle unusual, but they had never bargained for this. He spoke perfectly; his manners were beyond reproach. There was not one trace of Western ruggedness about him.
‘So your uncle bequeathed the mine to you as well?’ he asked, sitting back and munching complacently. ‘Oh, do sit down, gentlemen. You worry me standing up.’
‘We’ll go right on worrying you,’ Larry said, putting the will back in his pocket. ‘I’m giving you twelve hours to quit this ranch, Galt. Be out of here by sunset tonight, with your personal belongings, and nothing more. If you touch one thing that belongs to me — which formerly belonged to my uncle — I’ll get it back the tough way. Even as it is, I intend to start proceedings against you for taking this ranch over. The Prescott authorities will deal with that.’
‘Quite an enterprising young man, are you not?’ Galt asked.
‘I know my rights. You got this place through some double-crossing work on Makin’s part — and I know why you got it. So you could make it a depot for stolen cattle, amongst other things.’
‘Other things?’
‘I’m talking about the gold mine. Every penny you have made out of that since the day my uncle died will have to be repaid — to me. I’ll take court action over it.’
Galt smiled, and buttered a piece of toast. Larry scowled and turned away. ‘Don’t forget: sunset tonight.’
He strode towards the doorway, his two deputies behind him. Then Galt’s voice stopped him.
‘Mr Ashfield, I think you are forgetting something.’
‘For instance?’ Larry demanded.
‘An order to quit.’ Galt gave a dry chuckle. ‘You have shown me a will, purporting to be that of your uncle — but you have neglected the formality of legally ordering me out. Naturally I do not intend to budge just because you tell me to.’
Larry glanced at his deputies, who were looking sheepish.
‘Still quite young in the business of sheriff, perhaps?’ Galt enquired, raising his coffee cup.
Larry returned to the table. ‘I’ll be back with that quit notice soon enough. You just make preparations for getting out, that’s all.’
Galt simply gazed with his cold, fishlike eyes.
‘I think it only fair to remind you, Mr Ashfield, that, to be legal, the quit notice must be signed by the mayor. Somehow, I do not think he will oblige you, being a very good friend of mine.’
‘He’ll do as he’s told, even if I have to hold a gun at his head.’
‘In that case he can claim he had to sign under duress. A court of law, which you seem so anxious to involve in the proceedings, would not look favourably on that move.’
Larry latched his thumbs on his gun belts and contemplated the obese Galt thoughtfully.
‘Obviously,’ he said. ‘You are not the rightful owner, otherwise you wouldn’t go through such contortions to try and stop me throwing you out.’
‘I think,’ Galt said, rising to his feet again, ‘that you will have far more peace of mind, Mr Ashfield, if you forgot your inheritance entirely. The present legal situation is that it is mine, and I intend to remain here. I don’t think all the authorities in the world will be able to help you. If by some miracle you do get the mayor to sign the quit notice without intimidating him, all the better for you. Then I will go — and fight you by law to recover what has legally been made mine.’
‘This will proves it isn’t legally yours,’ Larry retorted. ‘So you’d better start packing. I’ll be back later.’
Larry turned away angrily and left the living room. Galt watched him go, through the window, then he clapped his hands sharply. The half-breed came in at a run.
‘Get Mr Denton here at once,’ he ordered, and with a nod the servant hurried off.
Denton, when he arrived, was a big, square-shouldered man with a beef-red face and swaggering walk. He eyed Galt in surprise as he came into the living room.
‘Something wrong, boss? I’m pretty busy at the mine — ’
‘You may have nothing to be busy about if we don’t get some kind of action,’ Galt told him, turning from the window. ‘I’ve just had a visit from our dashing young sheriff — Larry Ashfield.’
‘Nephew of the old boy who had this place?’
‘The same.’ Galt sat down, breathing heavily, motioning Denton to pull up a chair.
‘Nothing he can do, is there?’ Denton demanded.
‘On the contrary, there’s the devil of a lot he can do — and he isn’t a man who scares easily. He has a will of his uncle’s, which he can only have obtained from Makin’s office. If that damned idiot had taken my advice in the first place and destroyed that will this wouldn’t have happened.’
‘Why didn’t he?’ Denton asked, puzzled.
‘Because he wanted to keep a hold over me. If I stepped out of line with him he could have pitched me out by ‘finding’ that will and letting Larry Ashfield take over — legally. Makin would have lost plenty in the doing, of course, but he would have preferred that to having me putting a spoke in his wheel.’
‘You mean this Ashfield can throw you out?’
‘He has already tried it. I was able to refuse, there being no order to quit as yet. I think Ashfield may manage to get that somehow. If he does, I’ve no alternative but to go. I have a plan to stop that, which I’ll explain in a moment or two. Right now, my reason for sending for you is to tell you to keep the mine, no matter what happens. If Ashfield should get the ranch he’ll automatically try and take over the mine. Stop him at all costs. We’re doing too well out of it to lose it.’
Denton looked troubled. ‘I can mebbe hold on to the mine against all the men Ashfield can dig up — but I can’t fight the federal authorities if they step in — as they look likely for doing.’
Galt pondered as he lighted a cigar. ‘Maybe you won’t have to fight anybody,’ he said. ‘Which brings me to my scheme. Now, listen carefully … ’
And whilst Denton did as he was told, Larry and his deputies rode back into Buzzard’s Bend.
‘You mean to try and make the mayor sign that quit order?’ one of the deputies asked, as the main street was reached.
‘Yes. He can bring all the charges of intimidation he wants if it ever gets into court to be argued. At the moment my main concern is getting his signature. It would have helped if you two had told me we needed such an order.’
The second deputy shrugged. ‘We’re new to the job, same as you are.’ Then he brightened at a thought. ‘But mebbe you’ll be able to find plenty of quit order blanks in Crawford’s office.’
He was right. Larry filled out the details on one of them, and then, still with his deputies, made his way to Mayor Reuben’s office. He was within, making a pretence of working, but it was plain he had seen the three approach. The net-covered window was directly in front of his desk.
‘Well, Sheriff?’ he asked, endeavouring to sound formal and cordial — and not doing either properly.
‘Get your signature on that, Mayor.’ Larry tossed down the form on the desk.
There was silence as the mayor read the form through; then he shook his head.
‘I’m not doing it, Ashfield. I’m not that crazy — but you must be. Trying to order out Simon Galt without a ghost of a legal reason for doing so.’
Larry held out the will signed by his uncle.
‘There’s my reason,’ he said coldly. ‘Now get that form signed.’
‘But — but Galt is my best friend.’
‘Be damned to that! This is business. Blast you, man, hurry up! The whole thing’s legal, and it’s got to be done. Get busy.’
Still the mayor hesitated. ‘If I sign this, Galt will probably kill me.’
‘Stop clowning around, Mayor,’ one of th
e deputies said roughly. ‘Get the dad-blamed thing signed. Unless you want persuading into it. I wouldn’t be beyond giving you a work-over, Reuben! You’re as big a twister as the rest of them in this infernal — ’
The deputy broke off, flinging himself down as there was a sudden vicious splintering of the window glass before the desk. Larry flung himself backwards, and the third man dodged behind the desk. Mayor Reuben, however, had fallen back in his chair, his head lolling, crimson from bullet wounds staining the front of his shirt.
Larry jumped up and dived for the door. He was just in time to see three horsemen speeding out of the main Street’s far end, watched by the surprised people on the boardwalks and in the street. Not that gunplay was foreign to Buzzard’s Bend, only it was rarely done so ruthlessly.
Larry hesitated for a moment over pursuing the horsemen and then thought better of it. Their start was too great. He came back into the office to find his two deputies grim-faced.
‘I guess you’ll get no quit order signed by this guy,’ one of them said. ‘Or anything else. Whoever it was got him.’
‘Men employed by Galt obviously,’ Larry muttered. ‘OK, that washes up the quit order and leaves Galt legally sitting pretty for the moment. I certainly can’t prove he did this, though I can think a good deal. My only move now is to ride out to Prescott — and that’s what I’m going to do.’
‘Need us?’ the second deputy asked.
‘No, thanks. I’ll ride alone: but you two can keep the town in order while I’m gone. I’ll call in at the spread for food and provisions, and then be on my way. Seems only a marshal can settle this.’
He hurried out of the office and leapt to the saddle of his horse at the tie rack. Loosening the reins, he swung the animal’s head round and rode at top speed out of the main street, never slackening the pace until he had reached the Bar-6; then, as he entered the main yard, he looked about him in surprise. Several of the men from the outfit were hastily bandaged and had deserted their usual work in the corrals.
‘What goes on?’ Larry demanded, as the foreman, his forehead bound up, came hurrying across to him.
‘We’ve been attacked, Mr Ashfield,’ the man answered, his leathery face grim. ‘A score of gunmen came ridin’ down upon us not ten minutes ago. We were caught by surprise and put up the best fight we could. But they got Miss King!’
Snake Vengeance Page 11