Cooper (The Landon Saga Book 3)

by Tell Cotten

Everyone finally got settled, and then we waited for the Apaches to show.

  Yancy and Sergeant Wagons were to my far right, and I could hear Wagons still apologizing.

  Lee was to my left, and I looked at him and smiled.

  “How is Marshal Lee these days?” I asked softly.

  Lee’s eyes grew wide, and he turned and studied me.

  “Wagons told you,” he said.

  “He did.”

  “Does Yancy know?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Are you gonna tell him?” Lee asked, and he looked anxious.

  “Should I?” I raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

  “If you do,” Lee replied, “it’ll only cause more trouble.”

  “You should have thought about that before you burned that barn down,” I retorted.

  “I didn’t burn it down,” Lee declared, and added, “Neither did Brian.”

  I glanced at him and frowned.

  “So it burned down by itself?”

  Lee didn’t reply, and it was silent as I thought on that.

  “If you didn’t do it, then who did?” I asked.

  Lee shrugged.

  An idea suddenly occurred to me, and I frowned thoughtfully.

  “You had help,” I said.

  “You Landons are always jumping to conclusions,” Lee shot me a dark look.

  I was about to reply when Yancy hissed, “They’re here!”

  Everybody hunkered down, and I forgot all about our conversation.

  It was quiet as we studied the landscape, and Wade glanced at Yancy.

  “I don’t see anything,” he said.

  “They’re there,” Yancy replied.

  It was quiet then, and I suddenly realized just how quiet it really was. There weren’t any birds chirping, not anything. There was only an eerie silence.

  “Stay watchful now,” Yancy said. “They could attack anytime.”

  I glanced at Josie, and her soft, blue eyes were serious as she gripped her rifle.

  “Breathe deep,” I instructed her. “And loosen your shoulders.”

  Josie nodded, and it fell silent again.

  “What are they waiting for?” Wade asked impatiently.

  “Not sure,” Yancy replied.

  “What do we do then?”

  “We wait,” Yancy said.

  Chapter fifty-six

  A few tense hours passed.

  Occasionally we saw glimpses of the Apaches as they dug in, but no shots were fired.

  “Why ain’t they attacking?” Wade wanted to know.

  “They want those rifles,” I gestured at the crates. “They ain’t stupid. They know we won’t hesitate to burn them.”

  “What if we gave them the rifles?” Jeremiah suggested. “Maybe they’d let us leave.”

  “No,” Yancy spoke firmly.

  “That ain’t a bad idea,” I spoke up.

  Yancy shot me a dark look, and I explained about the rifles being disabled.

  “You did what?” Wade bellowed.

  “What those Injuns don’t know won’t hurt them,” I said as I ignored his outburst. “Hopefully, we’ll be long gone before they figure it out.”

  Yancy looked thoughtful, and he nodded.

  “I say it’s worth a try,” he declared, and he asked, “Anybody besides Josie speak Apache?”

  “I do,” Jeremiah said.

  “Would you be willing to talk to them?”

  “I can try.”

  “Make sure and make them understand that we’ll burn the rifles if they attack,” Yancy said. “But, they can have the rifles if they let us ride out.”

  “I’ll get my horse,” Jeremiah said.

  He went to the natural corral, mounted his horse, and rode back.

  “Don’t go too far,” Yancy told him. “If any of them shoot, get back here quick. We’ll cover you.”

  Jeremiah nodded, and he nudged his horse forward. He stopped when he was halfway to the entrance.

  He yelled out in Apache. It was silent, and then an Apache replied. Jeremiah nodded and rode on.

  “What’d he say?” I asked Josie.

  “He said he talks in peace,” Josie replied. “Apache says to come on.”

  “Well, so far so good,” I said.

  “If Apache doesn’t like what he say, they will kill him,” Josie said.

  “Well, at least we won’t have to guess how the conversation went,” I added.

  It fell silent. Several minutes passed, and everyone started getting restless.

  But then Jeremiah appeared. He trotted back to us, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

  “It’s done,” Jeremiah said as he pulled up. “Let’s get on our horses and leave. Now.”

  “Can we trust them?” Yancy asked.

  “Apache will not lie,” Josie said, and Jeremiah nodded in agreement.

  Yancy studied Josie and nodded.

  “All right, let’s go,” he said.

  Everyone went to the corral and mounted up.

  I was the slowest, and once again Josie had to help me. I took one of the mules, and Josie led the other one.

  “You and your bunch lead the way,” Yancy told Wade. “We’ll follow.”

  “Why do we have to go first?” Wade objected.

  “Because I said so,” Yancy replied.

  Wade snorted and kicked up his horse, and Choc, Floyd, and Jeremiah fell in behind him.

  Lee, Brian, and Sergeant Wagons followed them, and I followed Rondo. Josie was behind me, and Yancy brought up the rear.

  We stayed in a walk as we rode to the entrance of the canyon, and we all kept our rifles handy.

  The Indians were all a-horseback, and they had formed a long line in front of us. I could see the hatred in their eyes as we rode by, and we were all uneasy.

  There was a tall, muscled Indian out in front, and he kicked up his horse and trotted towards us.

  “No Worries,” I heard Josie whisper.

  “What does he want?” I asked.

  “Mebbe he wants Jug-head back,” Lee spoke up.

  “Easy boys,” Yancy warned.

  No Worries rode up beside Yancy, and it was silent as they stared at each other. Then, No Worries reached out and put his hand on Yancy’s shoulder.

  Several seconds passed. Then, with a loud whoop, he whirled his horse around and loped back to the others.

  The sudden movement spooked Sergeant Wagons’ Indian pony.

  The horse took a few running jumps, and then he broke into a run. Sergeant Wagons tried to pull him up, but the horse stiffened his neck and kept running.

  Yancy rode up beside me, and we scowled as we watched him. Last we saw of him, he had lost both stirrups and was clinging to the saddle horn.

  “Now where’s he going?” Yancy grunted.

  Chapter fifty-seven

  We stayed in a brisk trot for several miles.

  The bouncing in the saddle about killed me, but I kept quiet as I trotted along behind Josie.

  We left the foothills, and Yancy called out for Wade to stop.

  “What’s the holdup?” Wade asked as he turned his horse around.

  “We’ve got to find Sergeant Wagons,” Yancy explained.

  “He ain’t our problem. Why should we wait?”

  Yancy narrowed his eyes, but Lee spoke up before he could reply.

  “Brian and I will find him,” he said.

  Lee’s offer surprised Yancy, and he studied Lee with a thoughtful look.

  “He isn’t your responsibility,” he said.

  “I realize that, but you’ve got your hands full here,” Lee said, and he nodded at me. “Besides, we still haven’t found Jessica’s money.”

  Yancy thought for a moment more and nodded.

  “All right,” he agreed. “I appreciate the help.”

  “Don’t mention it,”

  “One more thing,” Yancy said, and he asked, “Could I borrow your eyeglass?”

  “Sure,” Lee reached behind him and pulled i
t out.

  “I appreciate it,” Yancy said as he took it.

  Lee nodded and glanced at me.

  “Mind if I take those mules?” He asked. “We might need them.”

  “Be my guest,” I replied.

  “Those are my mules!” Wade protested.

  “You’ll get ’em back at Landry,” Lee replied.

  Wade scowled, but he didn’t say anything.

  Brian took the mule from Josie while Lee rode up beside me. He reached over and grabbed the lead rope, and then he lowered his voice.

  “If you’re agreeable, mebbe we’ll pick up your pelts too,” he said.

  “Agreeable to what?” I asked suspiciously.

  “Agree not to tell Yancy about us being marshals,” Lee explained.

  “You mean acting like you were a marshal?”

  “Whatever,” Lee shrugged.

  “And if I don’t agree?”

  “Then no pelts.”

  I frowned thoughtfully, and Lee waited.

  “All right,” I sighed. “It’s a deal.”

  Lee nodded, and his eyes twinkled as he turned away.

  “Take care of yourself,” he said.

  “Just be careful with my pelts,” I replied.

  “We will,” Lee promised, and he looked over at Rondo. “So long, Rondo.”

  “So long,” Rondo replied.

  Lee nodded at Yancy, and then he and Brian kicked up their horses. The mules fell in behind them, and they disappeared amongst the trees.

  Wade was impatient, and he kicked up his horse. The rest of his bunch followed after him, and Yancy and I brought up the rear.

  “What were you and Lee talking about?” Yancy asked as we rode along.

  I hesitated and then smiled.

  “Nothing much,” I said.

  Chapter fifty-eight

  It didn’t take Lee and Brian long to find Sergeant Wagons.

  He was sitting on the ground, looking dazed.

  “Where’s your horse?” Lee asked as they rode up.

  “Gone,” he wailed. “I fell off!”

  “I can see that,” Lee said. He thought the situation over and added, “You can ride one of the mules, but you’ll have to ride him bareback.”

  Sergeant Wagons scowled as he got up. He took the mule from Lee, and with a lot of effort he managed to climb on.

  He nodded, and Lee kicked up his horse.

  “Where are we headed?” Brian asked as they trotted along.

  “The cabin,” Lee explained. “We’ll leave Wagons there while we fetch Cooper’s pelts.”

  “I have to stay at the cabin?” Sergeant Wagons looked displeased. “Why?”

  “There’s a horse in the corral, and there should be a saddle under the lean-to,” Lee explained. “That horse hasn’t been fed or watered all day. You’ll need to take care of him, and in the morning we’ll start tracking Stew.”

  Sergeant Wagons nodded in agreement, and it was silent as they traveled on.

  “Say, what happened to your face?” Brian asked after a while. “It sorta looks like a peeled onion.”

  “I caught my mustache on fire,” Sergeant Wagons admitted.

  Brian tried not to laugh.

  “How’d you manage that?”

  “I’m not sure,” he replied. “I spit my cigar in my spittoon like I always do, and the thing blew up in my face.”

  Brian was startled. He glanced at Lee, but his face revealed nothing.

  “Interesting,” Brian said.

  Chapter fifty-nine

  Wade kept up the brisk pace.

  I could feel blood oozing down my leg again. Josie kept giving me worried looks, but I was determined not to slow us down.

  “Hold up,” Yancy called out.

  “What is it?” Wade scowled as everyone pulled up.

  “I see movement behind us,” Yancy announced, and we all squinted as we looked.

  “I don’t see anything,” Wade said.

  Yancy didn’t reply as he reached into his saddlebags. He pulled out Lee’s eyeglass and looked through it.

  “Injuns,” Yancy announced, and his voice was grim. “Back in the foothills. They’re coming after us.”

  “They must have test fired the rifles,” Jeremiah said.

  “I’d say so,” Yancy agreed, and added, “We’d best keep moving. Hopefully we can stay ahead of them.”

  Wade nodded in agreement, and he and his men took off in a brisk trot.

  Yancy watched them leave out, and he smiled a rare smile as he returned Lee’s eyeglass to his saddlebags.

  Meanwhile, I searched the foothills once more, and I frowned.

  “I don’t see any movement either,” I said.

  “There isn’t any,” Yancy said, and he gestured ahead at Wade’s bunch. “But they don’t need to know that. As long as they think those Injuns are after us, they won’t cause any trouble.”

  I was startled as Yancy kicked up his horse, and I frowned in thought as I fell in behind him.

  I glanced at Rondo, and he was smiling.

  “Sometimes, you can play poker without the cards,” he said.

  “So it seems,” I replied.

  Chapter sixty

  It was noon by the time Lee, Brian, and Sergeant Wagons reached the cabin.

  The extra horse was still in the corrals, and he nickered as they rode up.

  “Make sure and water that horse,” Lee reminded. “I’d also let him graze a little.”

  Sergeant Wagons nodded as he dismounted.

  “Want me to take your mule?” He offered.

  “No, I’ll need him to fetch back Cooper’s pelts,” Lee replied. “We’ll be back soon as we can. You stay watchful, you hear?”

  “I will.”

  Lee nodded, and they trotted out, heading west.

  It was silent as they rode. Lee led the way while Brian watched the landscape for anything suspicious.

  An hour passed, and they arrived at the ridge. They rode by Yancy’s dead horse, climbed the slope, and found Cooper’s pelts.

  “It’s a good thing we brought this mule,” Brian commented as they picked up the bundle and threw it on the mule’s back. “This is a big pack of pelts.”

  “I can see why Cooper is so proud of them,” Lee agreed.

  Brian nodded, and they tied the pack down to the mule. Soon as they were through, they remounted and rode back towards the cabin.

  “There’s something I’ve gotta know,” Brian said.

  “Yes?”

  “Did you know Sergeant Wagons would burn his moustache off?”

  “I was hopeful,” Lee’s eyes twinkled.

  Brian thought on that and chuckled.

  “Two birds with one stone,” he recalled, and Lee nodded.

  They both laughed, and it fell silent as they traveled on.

  A half an hour passed, and Lee suddenly pulled up. He looked concerned as he studied the ground.

  “What’s the matter?” Brian asked.

  “A fresh set of horse tracks,” Lee announced. “Right on top of ours.”

  “Which way is he headed?”

  “Straight for the cabin.”

  “Do you think it’s Stew?”

  “Sure could be.”

  Brian frowned, and they kicked up their horses to a brisk trot.

  Chapter sixty-one

  Sergeant Wagons watered the horse at a nearby creek, and afterwards he picketed him so he could graze.

  Wagons watched him for a moment, and then he trudged back to the cabin and went inside.

  He got comfortable in the corner, and it didn’t take him long to fall asleep. He slept hard, but then he awoke with a jolt.

  He had heard something, but he didn’t know what. He sat up, and he heard it again.

  It was a chopping sound, coming from outside.

  Sergeant Wagons stood, adjusted his Colt, and moved to the door. He stepped outside, and his eyes grew wide.

  Stew Baine stood in front of him with a shovel in hand
. His back was to him, and he was digging up one of the graves.

  A surprised jolt passed through Sergeant Wagons, and he stumbled backwards.

  Stew heard the noise, and he spun around. His rifle was on the ground, but his Colt was on his hip.

  “You’re under arrest!” Sergeant Wagons exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

  Stew was startled, but he recovered quickly. He glanced around, and he smiled smugly when he realized that they were alone.

  “I don’t think I want to be arrested today,” Stew said, and his voice was thick with sarcasm.

  “You won’t surrender?” Sergeant Wagons asked, and his voice trembled.

  “That is correct.”

  Sergeant Wagons was scared, but he held his ground. He faced Stew, and his hand hovered over his gun handle.

  “I’m taking you in,” he said.

  Stew smiled at that. He dropped the shovel and stepped away from the grave.

  “Do you have what it takes?” He snarled.

  Sergeant Wagons tried to reply, but he was so scared that he couldn’t.

  Stew laughed, and he grabbed his Colt in a smooth and fast motion. He pulled the trigger, but there was only a loud click. He pulled the trigger again, but got the same result.

  Meanwhile, Sergeant Wagons made a grab for his Colt. He was clumsy, and he fumbled his draw and almost dropped his Colt.

  He fired into the ground, and there was a whining sound as the bullet ricocheted, followed by a thumping sound as the bullet hit flesh.

  Sergeant Wagons fired twice more, but both shots were off target.

  Stew felt a hard blast hit his chest, and he staggered backwards. He looked down, and blood was appearing on his chest.

  He tried to talk, but couldn’t. He dropped his Colt and staggered forward. His legs buckled, and he hit the ground face first.

  Sergeant Wagons watched him with wide eyes.

  Several seconds passed, and he walked slowly towards him. He reached out with his boot and touched him, but Stew didn’t move.

  Suddenly, he heard a noise from behind. He spun around with his Colt in hand, and seconds later Lee and Brian trotted out from the trees.

  “I got him!” Sergeant Wagons exclaimed.

  “You idiot!” Lee exclaimed as he jumped off his horse.