by C. J. Petit
“We’ll probably stop at Fort Shaw and ask around, but I have a feeling that we’ll find him at Woman’s Breast.”
“You are taking your Sharps with you; aren’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m not taking a packhorse this time. I won’t ride Mars or Vulcan either. I’ll pick out a good horse from the remuda, so Dave doesn’t identify me so easily.”
Sara opened the firebox door and removed her roast as she said, “You seem to have a well-developed plan already.”
“I was working on it when I thought I might have to search for Dave next week.”
She set the roast beef onto the cookstove then said, “I’ll make you enough food out of our supper’s leftovers to last you for a couple of days.”
Jake nodded and was immensely pleased with Sara’s calm reaction to what he was about to do. Even though he’d have Sheriff Zendt with him, he’d be searching for a man who’d already murdered four people, including his parents and now two deputy sheriffs. A man with a powerful, long-range rifle who had obviously learned how to use it to good effect.
Sara may have appeared calm, but she was hideously worried. After he’d told her that Dave’s apprehension would be handled by those sworn to protect the citizenry, she had been grateful that he’d made that decision. But just as it appeared that they might have a normal life, Dave Forrest threatened to destroy it. She wished that she could do more than just give him food to take along. After he left, all she could do was pray and wait for him to return. Hopefully, she’d have an uninjured Jake back in her arms in just three days.
_____
Dave was making good time as he hurried toward Fort Shaw. He had only stopped to rest the horses once and had only grabbed some jerky from his diminished stock of supplies. He had to get to Fort Shaw before the sutler store closed for the night. Luckily, they stayed open longer than the businesses in Fort Benton or Helena because it was the post’s only civilian source of supplies.
It was still a couple of hours before sunset when he spotted Fort Shaw and took one last look behind him. Nobody was there, so he was able to finally relax as he made his last descent of the long ride.
When he pulled into the small town outside the fort, he headed for the sutler’s store. He soon dismounted, then pulled his packhorse’s two almost empty panniers from the pack saddle and entered.
The proprietor spotted him and said, “Howdy there, mister.”
“Howdy. I need to pick up some supplies.”
“I can see that. Headin’ to the gold fields to do some prospectin’, I reckon.”
“That’s the idea. I haven’t had much luck yet, though.”
“That’s the way for most of the fellers who try to strike it rich.”
Dave grinned then nodded as he set his panniers near the rough plank that served as a counter before he turned into the store to start making his selections.
While Dave shopped, Amos Stoker was outside examining the gray gelding.
“You sure seem a might tired there, boy. You musta had a long trip. I reckon the feller who rode you here is inside. I guess he’s gonna get some rest for himself and leave you and your pal with me for the night. So, I’ll head back to the livery and wait for ya.”
Amos snickered and patted the gelding on his neck before walking back to his nearby livery to tell Fred about the new equine visitors and to expect them to show up at their barn soon.
After he’d paid for his supplies, Dave refused any help and lugged his two loaded panniers out to his horses. He wanted to limit his exposure but still planned to head south for a few miles.
There was still an hour of daylight remaining when he rode out of Fort Shaw. Before he made the turn, he looked at the town for any observers, noticed a man standing by a large barn, then headed south.
Amos watched him ride off then turned to his brother and said, “Now that’s queer. Those horses needed a rest and a lot more, but that feller is already leavin’.”
Fred stepped away from the barn doors and saw Dave fading away.
“That feller don’t deserve to be ridin’ a damned cow! If he wasn’t already gone, I’d stick a pitchfork up his butt and ask him how he liked it.”
Amos snickered then said, “If you did, at least he wouldn’t be sittin’ in a saddle for a while.”
Fred huffed before the brothers returned to the barn.
Dave only rode south until none of Fort Shaw’s buildings were visible. He turned off the road and let his horses drink at a small stream and then graze on some of the tall prairie grass while he enjoyed some smoked venison and two reasonably fresh biscuits.
Sunset was well underway when Dave mounted his gray gelding and walked him back to the road. He turned him north and by the time he spotted Fort Shaw, it was in shadows, and he knew that the residents would be having supper.
But just because it was after suppertime for most folks, Amos and Fred couldn’t be counted as members of the ‘most folks’ category. They had horses to feed and water but they didn’t consider it a job. The treated any critter left in their care more like children.
So, as Dave approached Fort Shaw, Amos was out in the corral talking to the horses that didn’t rate a stall. Dave wasn’t able to spot Amos in the waning light among the horses, but Amos noticed him as he passed heading north.
Amos was puzzled by the horse abuser’s change in direction, because there wasn’t any gold to be found up north. He left the corral to tell Fred.
_____
After dinner, Jake moved his father’s Winchester ‘76, the Sharps and a box of ammunition for each of them into the barn with his tack. He then met with the men and told them the news that Sheriff Zendt had delivered and his plan to join the sheriff in the morning. He also asked Bill Jackson to pick out a nice horse from the remuda and had to explain his reason for not taking Mars or a packhorse.
When he entered through the back door of the house, he found Sara sitting at the kitchen table. She had already filled a large paper sack with leftovers. She was smiling at him as he walked to the table and sat down beside her.
“All ready to go?” she asked quietly.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I noticed that you chose to take your father’s Winchester. Didn’t you tell me once that you preferred yours because it had a longer barrel?”
“I did, and I’m impressed that you remembered that. I guess it’s just symbolic.”
“What if he’s not hiding out in Woman’s Breast? Choteau County is more than three times the size of Rhode Island, and if he decides to hide in the wilderness, it could take a long time to find him.”
“I know. I may be pretty good at tracking, but I’m not going to spend more than a couple of days looking for him. I just don’t believe it will be necessary. Dave left Helena this morning and the road he used only has one intersection before it reaches Fort Shaw. If he isn’t there or in Woman’s Breast, then he’ll become Sheriff Jefferson’s problem again.”
Sara nodded then said, “I think we should go to bed early. You need to get plenty of sleep. You don’t want to be woolgathering when you ride to Fort Shaw.”
“With Arv Zendt with me, I won’t have to worry about drifting. But a good night’s sleep is a good idea.”
He then stood, took Sara’s hand and walked with her down the hallway. Last night, if she’d suggested that they should go to bed early to get some sleep, he would have come back with a lewd reply. But he could tell that Sara was worried, despite her calm exterior and it wasn’t the time for witty rejoinders. Twenty minutes later, they were under the quilts in their dark bedroom and Jake held Sara close. She hadn’t said anything since they left the kitchen and Jake could understand why she was so concerned.
This was a much different chase than when he’d set off to find his father. He may have believed that his father had murdered his mother, but even he couldn’t imagine his father shooting him. Sara probably didn’t even think that his father was guilty, especially after talking to Mrs. Kemper. But no
w he was going to find a man who’d murdered his parents and then killed two deputies. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that if he rode into Dave Forrest’s sights, Dave would pull the trigger.
When he’s first told her that if the law didn’t find Dave after a week, he’d conduct his own search, she hadn’t been troubled. He guessed that it was because it was only a possibility. Now it was not only imminent, but it was also almost guaranteed that he’d find Dave Forrest.
He was going to try to lighten the mood with an army story but decided that it probably wouldn’t work anyway.
So, he said, “I have a lot of advantages this time, Sara.”
Sara whispered, “What kind of advantages?”
“Besides having the sheriff with me, I’ll know where he is and the layout of the dead town. We’ll be able to choose the time that we arrive, and I know that he has the Martini-Henry.”
“Why is that an advantage? He can shoot you from a quarter of a mile away before you know he’s there.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart. Firing at long range is a tricky business. It’s not like a pistol shootout at fifty feet when the bullet shows up before you know the other man fired. If he tries to shoot at us from, say six hundred yards, then I’d have two seconds to avoid getting hit. If I’m looking at the buildings and see a flash and smoke, that bullet has to travel eighteen hundred feet. It’ll start slowing down as soon as it leaves the muzzle, too.
“Hitting a moving target at that range is very difficult. And because I know he has the Martini-Henry, I can shift directions and speed, so it becomes almost impossible. To be honest, it would be much better if he did try to fire at long range. Then we’d know where he is. By the time he’s able to reload, we’d be close to Winchester range.”
Sara was still worried, but Jake’s technical explanation was actually soothing. It was logical and deflected many of her fears.
“Thank you for explaining it to me, Jake. I feel better, but I still expect to have you back here in four days with nothing to prevent you from making better use of our bed.”
Jake kissed her on her forehead before saying, “I promise.”
Jake was finding it difficult to sleep as he envisioned riding down that trail toward the ghost town watching for that muzzle flare. He’d have plenty of time to discuss the strategy with the sheriff on the long ride and maybe Arv would have a better idea.
He closed his eyes and felt Sara as she breathed quietly beside him. He had promised her to return in one piece and he prayed that he wouldn’t break it.
CHAPTER 12
Jake waved to Sara as she stood on the front porch, then turned the sorrel toward the access road. Bill had chosen his temporary ride well. The six-year-old gelding wasn’t as spectacular as Mars or Vulcan but had a big chest and strong legs. He had four long white stockings and a light tan mane and tail. If Jake didn’t already have Mars, he’d keep the sorrel.
Sheriff Zendt hadn’t even needed to dismount when he’d reached the house just after sunrise, which must have surprised him as the early August sun arrived early.
As they turned west on the road, Jake waved once more to Sara who hadn’t moved. She waved back before Jake and Arv picked up the pace.
Once on the road, Arv told him that he’d received a second telegram from Sheriff Jefferson. The update included Dave Forrest’s lack of supplies and his use of the long-range rifle to kill his deputies and his horse. The Lewis & Clark County sheriff also informed Sheriff Zendt that he’d formed two volunteer watch parties to guard the road north of Silver City and the only other road that Dave could have taken to return to his county.
“That means if we don’t spot him, then he’s going to ride into a passel of Winchesters.”
Jake replied, “I don’t think he’d risk heading back that way, Arv. I don’t think we’ll bump into him on this road either. He could be camped out south of Fort Shaw, but my best guess is that he’s already north of the fort and on his way to Woman’s Breast.”
“That’s what I think, too. Let’s figure out the best way to smoke him out.”
“When was the last time you were up there?”
“More than a year ago. There were just a few squatters living there, so there wasn’t much call to head that way again.”
“I only met one old coot when I visited the place. If he’s still there and Dave shows up, he might not get to see another sunset.”
The sheriff nodded as he said, “I reckon you’re right. Tell me what it’s like nowadays.”
Jake described the abandoned town as they kept up a good pace.
_____
Jake and Sheriff Zendt had already been on the road for an hour when Dave slid out of his bedroll.
He was still stiff from yesterday’s long, difficult ride and had slept too long. Before he even answered nature’s call, he looked south along the barely recognizable roadway. After finding it empty, he emptied his bladder then turned to the north. He didn’t see the abandoned town yet, but knew he’d get there within a couple of hours. He had enough supplies to last him for at least two weeks but knew he couldn’t return to Fort Shaw to buy more. But that was a future problem. Right now, he had to get his horses ready to go. Because he’d used his subterfuge by heading south, he hadn’t worried about leaving a trail.
As he saddled his horses, he didn’t even glance to the south again. Twenty minutes after leaving his bedroll, Dave Forrest was riding north to the abandoned settlement.
Dave believed it to be totally empty because he hadn’t seen anyone when he’d been looking for Jake. That was because Joe Packard didn’t want to be seen.
When Joe had seen Jake ride into town, he’d only stepped out of the saloon when he was sure that the young man wasn’t dangerous. He had a different opinion when he spotted Dave Forrest and stayed out of sight. It was how he stayed alive.
So, as Dave rode north with the bright morning sun casting a long shadow to his left, he wasn’t expecting anyone to be watching him when he rode into Woman’s Breast.
_____
Sheriff Zendt and Jake were making good time and had formulated a plan. Jake suggested that they stop at Fort Shaw and have a chat with the Stoker brothers. If anyone had seen Dave Forrest, it would be Fred and Amos. If they had to ride to Woman’s Breast, which they both believed was likely, they’d rest the horses then head north. It would be early in the evening, but they’d decided not to give Dave an opportunity to use the Martini-Henry.
They’d ride in the dark until they were close to the ghost town. If they were lucky, Dave would have started a fire, then they could sneak up on him and capture him. If they weren’t able to see a fire, they’d wait until the predawn and walk into the town with their Winchesters ready. It was a good plan which allowed for unexpected situations. But both men understood that no plan was perfect, especially when dealing with a desperate killer.
But even as he and the sheriff finalized their plan, Jake was already beginning to feel as if he had to go to the ghost town on his own to confront Dave Forrest.
_____
It was almost noon when Dave rode into Woman’s Breast and pulled up before the first building that looked habitable. It used to be a saddlery, and the roof didn’t look as if it was ready to collapse. It was also on the south side of the street, so he’d be able to look out one of the glassless back windows to spot any visitors.
While he wasn’t worried about the law finding him, he did have a different concern. When he heard the hotel clerk tell the deputy his name after he’d said ‘murders’, Dave knew that somehow, Jake must have found his father’s body. He was convinced that Jake was now going to hunt him relentlessly. He may have liked Jake, but he wasn’t about to give him a chance to avenge his parents’ deaths.
He dismounted, then began stripping his horses and moving his gear into the old saddlery. He was careful where he stepped to avoid crashing through the weathered wood.
After everything was inside, he led his two horses to what m
ust have been the town’s only livery. He left the horses in a pair of decrepit stalls then found an old wooden bucket that seemed in decent shape and left the barn. He walked to the common trough and hoped that the pump worked. He thought he’d have to prime it, but after a few strokes, water gushed out of the spout. He laughed as he filled the bucket then carried it back to the barn without questioning why he hadn’t had to prime the pump.
Joe Packard had been watching Dave since he’d arrived and was even more suspicious of the man. He hoped that his uninvited guest would leave in the morning but wasn’t sure what he’d do if the stranger decided to stay. What made him more concerned was when the man set up in the old saddlery. It wasn’t one of the better buildings, so Joe figured he chose to set up there to keep an eye on the southern road. He could be waiting for more outlaws to arrive and that would mean real trouble for Joe.
Two years ago, a gang of four outlaws had decided to use Woman’s Breast as a hideout and Joe had to stay out of sight for two weeks. He couldn’t hunt either, so by the time they left, he was as skinny as he’d ever been. He figured they left because they were just bored and expected them to return after committing some robbery, but they didn’t. He hoped that they’d been caught and hanged. Now he was concerned that this feller was a gang leader himself. He thought about wasting a bullet but decided to wait until tomorrow. Maybe he’d leave before Joe had to bury him.
_____
After having a late lunch and then taking another break for the horses, Jake and Sheriff Zendt were just nine miles east of Fort Shaw.
Jake was very pleased with the sorrel and hated to admit that he had a smoother gait than Mars. He almost hated the idea of returning him to the remuda and wondered if that was why Bill Jackson had chosen him. But then an even stranger notion popped into his head that made him decide to offer the horse to Jack Parker as his permanent ride. He didn’t want Kay to show up at the ranch to search for her promised horse and choose the sorrel.
When he grinned and shook his head, Arv asked, “What’s so funny, Jake?”