by Hank Madison
“Let’s get back to your ranch,” he said suddenly to the girl.
“Do you feel well enough to ride?” she asked.
“Yeah, I can make it.” Harlan wanted to get back to see if Will Payne had remained there or taken Shaw’s advice and gone on to the herd. If the youngster had gone, then the drovers needed to be warned, and it might be possible to sidetrack young Payne from his second raid.
“Let me help you up,” the girl said, rising and coming to his side.
“I’ll saddle your horses,” Grove said, moving off into the darkness.
Harlan heard a horse stamp, and looked around for the spot where the animal was tethered. He saw Grove’s blocky figure moving through the shadows.
“Can you trust Grove completely?” Harlan whispered to the girl.
“As far as it goes,” she replied softly. “You’re not thinking of attacking him, are you, just because he’s an outlaw? I admire your nerve, Steve. You carried yourself remarkably well today, and you killed six men at Doberman’s Post the other night. But don’t make any mistakes here. Jem Grove is the most dangerous man I know. He’s worse than any three men in his gang. I know he’s out to get his hands on my ranch. I know he’s got some kind of influence over my brother, but I’m not opening my mouth just yet. I’ll be ready when the climax comes, but right now I want Jem to think that I’m just a blind and foolish girl.”
Harlan pondered over the girl’s words as they finished the ride to the ranch. So she was not completely ignorant of the local situation. She was aware that Grove had some hold over her brother, but did she know that Will Payne had gone so far as to attack a herd? He doubted that, and knew that some day soon she would have to be told of it. He hoped that he would not have to be the one to inform her.
There was a light burning in a window when they sighted the ranch, and when they reached the yard Jem Grove reined in. Harlan threw a quick glance at the outlaw’s shadowy face, but there was too much gloom for him to catch any expression.
“This is as far as I go,” Grove said. “Harlan, I’m sorry about your shoulder, but it’ll heal. Don’t you worry about your herd now. I’ve had men out looking for traces of the half that you lost, and when they find out where those steers have run to they’ll bring them back. Of course, it’ll cost you five hundred dollars.”
“That’ll be a cheap price to pay,” Harlan told him, but in his heart he knew that the lives of three of the outfit had already been paid as a down-payment for vengeance, and he wouldn’t leave this country without trying to do something about the situation even if Grove did get back the herd intact.
“I’ll be seeing you,” Grove told him. “So long, Aggie. Give my regards to your brother when you see him.”
Harlan didn’t like the sound of that. He figured that the girl’s brother had already started out for the herd, and probably the men Grove said he had sent to take care of the herd had really gone to ensure that Will Payne succeeded in making his second raid. Unless — and Harlan’s blood ran cold at the sudden thought — the outlaws had been sent to set some kind of trap for the youngster. If the sheriff was in on this perhaps the lawman was using some of Grove’s men as a posse. The surest way of getting Will Payne into deep trouble was to have the law on hand, and if the youngster were killed it would be easy to brand him thief.
The girl moved forward and led the way into the yard. Harlan followed slowly, his brain afire with thoughts. If only he could head for the herd! But he knew he would never make it. He would fall out of his saddle before he had covered half the long trip. He dismounted slowly outside the house, and a big figure came forward out of the shadows. He was startled for a moment, then recognised Wiley Shaw. The outlaw showed no surprise to see him, and listened to the girl’s terse account of what had happened that day. Then he started leading away their horses. Harlan watched him go through narrowed eyes. The time was not yet ripe for an accounting with the man. While Grove and his men were around the place it wouldn’t be wise to dispose of the outlaw’s only undercover man.
“Wiley, is my brother on the ranch?” the girl called from the top step of the porch, and Harlan halted and leaned against the porch rail.
“He showed up some time ago, but rode out with the boys soon after. They only took a change of horses. Will said something about wanting to check that the Texas herders were okay.”
Harlan let his breath go in a long, bitter sigh. So the insidious work had been done! Will Payne was on his way to whatever awaited him at the end of his ride. Something had been planned for him, and the man responsible was probably on his way right now to see that it went off without any trouble. For a moment he was tempted to call to Shaw and confront the outlaw with the truth, but again he decided against it, and followed the girl into the house and slumped down upon a seat in the kitchen.
Aggie Payne prepared a meal, and while he was waiting, Harlan watched the girl. She was still deeply worried about something which she wanted to keep to herself. That much was obvious. Her face showed the strain she was under, and, thinking back over the events of the past day, Harlan was not surprised that she was almost done.
“You’ve got something bad on your mind,” he said finally, unable to keep quiet any longer.
“You know most of my story now,” she replied, setting the coffee-pot on the stove and turning to face him. “You can guess what type my brother is, and I’m really worried about him. Carter said something that made me think twice. I can’t believe it’s true. That outlaw must have been making it up just to try to get even with me for the way I had him run off this place.”
“It was about your brother?” he enquired. He realised that he had to bring this out into the open. The longer he delayed, the worse the outcome might be, and right now the rest of his outfit might be fighting for their lives against yet another rustler attack.
“You guessed?” she demanded.
“Guessed what?” he wanted to know. He had to find out just how much she had learnt.
“That my brother was responsible for your trouble. Clant Carter told me that Will took our crew and raided your herd.”
“That’s what I heard,” Harlan said slowly.
“You heard?” Her face showed incredulity. “Where did you hear that?”
“I’ll tell you after we’ve eaten,” he replied with a sigh. “I reckon I’ve got a lot of riding to do shortly, but I’m near to being bushed. Let’s eat, then we’ll talk.”
She began to dish up the food, and Harlan fell to without any invitation. She poured coffee, then sat down opposite him. But she toyed with her food, and kept glancing up at his impassive face.
“Is that why you were following me this afternoon?” she asked slowly. “You hoped that I knew where my brother was, and could lead you to him.”
“I had something like that in mind,” he admitted. “I didn’t think you knew what was going on, but I thought perhaps your brother had spun you some kind of a yarn that you had fallen for.”
“He had at that,” she said hesitantly, wondering how much she could tell him. “He told me he was headed for Dodge with the rest of our herd. Well, I found out from Shaw that he was lying. There was no herd to run to Dodge. Will sold it months ago. I never saw a red cent of the money, so I don’t know what happened to it, or what kind of a game Will is playing. But if he is guilty of hitting your herd what are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know. I just don’t know. But we’ll get at the truth.” Harlan pushed aside his plate. “Just you wait here. I’ll be back in a minute.”
He got up from the table and went out of the house. He paused in the darkness on the porch and looked around. There was a light in the bunkhouse window, and he stepped off the porch and started to cross the yard. He winced as he jarred his shoulder, and sighed heavily as he pushed open the door of the bunkhouse. Wiley Shaw eased his bulk off a bunk and gazed at him.
“Aggie would like to see you, Shaw,” Harlan told the man, and Shaw nodded.
Ha
rlan followed the man back to the house, and when they entered the kitchen he stepped forward and sneaked the outlaw’s Colt from its holster. Shaw spun sharply, dropping his hand to his hip, his face showing alarm and fear, and it was obvious to Harlan that the outlaw guessed instantly that his secret had been discovered. Resignation showed in his heavy face as he lifted his hands.
“What the hell is all this?” he demanded thickly.
“I don’t have to tell you,” Harlan snapped. “But Miss Payne doesn’t have much idea so we’ll drag it out for her. You had a visitor last night.” He went on to disclose what he had overheard, and knew by the changing expression on the outlaw’s face that Shaw was not going to deny it. When he had finished, the girl got to her feet, her eyes blazing. She faced the big man, trembling with anger.
“So this is loyalty,” she said in a high-pitched tone. “This is the way you repay someone who’s been kind to you. I suppose it was all a lie that you told me when you showed up here, huh?”
Shaw had the grace to look sheepish. He stared down at the floor.
“You’d better tell us some more,” Harlan advised. “You’re Grove’s man. We know that, and you ain’t denied it. Tell us straight and plain what Grove plans to do. You saw him here tonight, and I guess he must have passed on some fresh orders to you. I want to know what’s going on around here.”
“And if I tell you? What happens to me?”
“With a little luck you might pull out of this with a whole skin,” Harlan told him. “But some of the others won’t be so lucky.”
“I never was struck on this situation, anyway,” the outlaw said. “I told Grove that I didn’t want no part of sneaking in here and working for both sides. That ain’t my way. You’ve been real good to me since I started here, Aggie.”
“I needn’t be reminded of that,” she snapped, turning away. “It’s not so much that you’re working for Grove that hits me. But you’ve been working on Will, making him think that all his troubles would be over if he hit one of the Texas herds. Is that a way to get clear of one’s troubles?” She sighed heavily. “Will is a weak fool, and I guess he’ll never learn any different. But he sure put his foot in it this time, and he’ll have to take what’s coming to him.”
Harlan toyed with the gun he had taken from Shaw, and the outlaw raised his eyes to meet Harlan’s glance.
“I’m sure sorry for the way I’ve acted,” he said contritely, and Harlan tightened his lips. “If there is some way I can try to put things right then I’ll do it.”
“It’s too late,” Harlan said harshly, cutting in on the outlaw’s low tone. “Will Payne pulled out of here some time ago, taking his crew with him, and I know where they were headed. They are going to attack my herd again. Well, that will only bring him a load of trouble. My men will fight like hell for that herd. The first time they were hit they got taken by surprise, but that won’t happen the second time. If you want to help then tell me how I can stop the attack.”
“There ain’t no way,” Shaw said, sighing heavily. “I guess Grove has won out all round.”
“Not yet he hasn’t,” Harlan snapped. “I’ll take a gun to him the next time we meet.”
“You’ll never get that close to him,” Shaw said slowly. “He’s always got a gun covering him.”
“What is Grove’s plan?” Harlan demanded. “He hasn’t got you to egg Will into attacking my herd in the hope that a stray slug might kill the youngster. There’s more to it than that. What’s going on?”
“Grove gave some of his men to the sheriff. They’re going to act as a posse and wait for Will to get away with the herd. Then they plan to come up with him and kill him in the fight that will follow.”
“What’s the idea behind that?” Harlan’s eyes were narrowed.
“Grove wants Aggie to be alone. He figures he can handle her easy.”
“That’s a big mistake he’s made,” the girl snapped. “After this I’ll take a gun to Jem Grove.”
“Grove is sure making some bad plays for a man who’s waiting for a pardon to come through,” Harlan observed.
“He plans to take over here and settle down. The sheriff is in with him. That’s how Grove has been able to work his pardon. The sheriff has been putting in a good word for him. When Grove comes out on top the sheriff will be right up there with him.”
“What a set-up!” Harlan shook his head. “I don’t see how we can beat this.” He glanced at the girl. “I think the best thing you can do is sell up here and get out. If you stay you’ll surely lose everything. Grove won’t be stopped, and that’s for sure. I don’t see any other way out of this for you. I’ll ride out now, back to my herd, but I doubt if I’ll get there in time to stop your brother making a fool of himself. I don’t think he’ll be able to take the herd away from my outfit this time, and if he does he can’t win with the sheriff waiting for him.”
“What can we do?” the girl cried in anguish.
“I’ll help you,” Shaw said. “I’ll do what I can.”
“You’ll do nothing,” Harlan told him. “I wouldn’t trust you any further than I could throw a chuck-wagon with one hand tied behind my back. You’re all washed up in this country, Shaw. I’m gonna hold you prisoner until I see which way this is going. If Will Payne scrapes out of this safely I might just turn you loose. If anything happens to him then you’ll be held responsible. You sent him out with the idea of hitting my herd.”
Shaw shrugged, resigned to the situation.
“Get me some rope,” Harlan told the girl. “I’ll tie this guy. Then I’d better get moving. I don’t know if there’s a shorter way to the spot where my herd is camped. I followed the tracks of the stolen cows this way.”
“I’ll ride with you,” Aggie told him. “I know the direct route to Doberman’s Post.”
Harlan did not answer. He knew he preferred to have the girl go along with him so that he could keep an eye on her. He menaced Shaw with the man’s own gun until Aggie returned with a length of rope. The outlaw caused no trouble, and Harlan bound him tightly. Shaw sat down and Harlan finished his chore by roping the outlaw to a chair.
“If you do manage to get free, then put as much distance as you can between this place and yourself,” Harlan told him. “I’ll be back, and you’ll find yourself in bad trouble if you are still around.”
“I’m quitting okay,” Shaw said. “I never did want any part of this deal. These folks have treated me right.”
“You sure picked a good way to repay them,” Harlan snapped. He glanced at the girl. “Keep an eye on him until I get back,” he told her. “I’ll saddle up a couple of fresh horses.”
He left the kitchen and went out to the porch. A clean breeze touched his face, and he paused to gulp a mouthful of fresh air. He didn’t like this at all, and the more he thought about it the worse the situation seemed. His crew were in for a bad time, and so was Will Payne. Then there was the bunch of outlaws working with the sheriff, and the crew that Grove had with him. On top of it all was the other faction under Clant Carter. He shook his head as he started across the yard towards the corral. The only good thing that could happen would be for Carter and Grove to have a showdown. If those two gangs killed off each other it would give the situation time to cool down.
He quickly roped a couple of horses and saddled them with gear hanging over the top rail of the corral. When he was ready he turned to lead the animals across to the house, and one of the beasts twitched its ears and wickered. Harlan halted instantly and peered around into the darkness. He was accustomed to the ways of horses, and knew that one of these intelligent animals had sensed the presence of a stranger.
Before he could decide if it was a false alarm or not an orange flash split the darkness near the front corner of the bunk house. The next instant he heard the smack of lead against flesh, and one of the horses reared up, screeching in pain. The crashing report of the shot echoed loudly, setting up a ringing in Harlan’s ears. He let go of the reins and the horses bolted
away. Running in a half-crouch, he made it back to the corral and ducked between the bars. Other shots crashed and he heard the slugs plunking into the woodwork about him. He drew his gun and turned at bay, his eyes wide and filled with anger.
He had no idea who could be attacking the ranch, and he did not care. But in the back of his mind he figured that it must be some of Clant Carter’s men. Perhaps Grove’s crew had missed them in the darkness. He knew that Carter wouldn’t let him leave the country after what had happened.
He replied to the shooting and drew fire from more than one point. He gritted his teeth as he legged it across the corral and ducked out of it. He wanted to get back into the house beside the girl. But the attackers might already have moved in, he thought. The knowledge made him reckless. He hurried to the side of the house and hurled himself around the corner into the back yard.
Three figures were moving towards the back door, and they were startled by Harlan’s unexpected appearance. He started shooting instantly, knowing that these furtively moving men could be up to no good. Gunfire rolled and crashed, and lead and orange flames spurted from the belching muzzle of his Colt. Smoke puffed up from the hammering weapon, almost blinding him, and he ducked beneath it to carry on shooting. He could taste the gritty, pungent burnt powder, and clenched his teeth.
Bullets came back at him from the third member of the group, The first two went down under his fire before they realised what was happening. Harlan felt a sharp pain along his bottom ribs on the right side. He tightened his lips and thumbed back his hammer. A curse rose inside him as he triggered quickly, and the third man went pitching and sprawling into the shadows.
Harlan hammered on the back door. He tried it and found it bolted.
“Open up,” he yelled, fumbling for fresh shells for his smoking weapon. “Let me in, Aggie.”
His voice echoed. His ears were ringing from the deafening reports of the shooting. Then he heard the girl scream somewhere inside the house, and his blood ran cold. They had got her!