Soul of a Gunslinger

by Jim Cox

  “That’s likely,” Hide said. “I thought we’d lost ‘em, but obviously that’s not the case.”

  Lefty stepped in. “Let’s hurry and leave before it gets light, and the thugs can see our every move. You women go to the river for water and douse the fire while the men get the gold loaded on the mules.” Turning to Hide he said, “Hide, help me put eight bags of nuggets into each horse’s saddlebags.” Hide nodded and started for the gold.

  Lefty knew their travel would be much slower than the thugs because of the heavy load the mules were carrying and the rest stops they’d need to take, but he was hoping their early start would get them to the trail going up the cliff before the thugs. If not, the thugs would have a huge advantage because they’d be looking down on his group and have much better protection.

  In less than a half-hour, Lefty and his group were riding down the treeless mountain in the moonlight with two mules tethered to them. Suzan only had one. The trees could not be seen, but the clan all knew that down the mountain in the far darkness was the beginning of the tree line where they’d find protection. To their backs was the beautiful snow-capped mountain shining brightly.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Lefty led the clan down the mountain in single file and by staying close to the cliff, he figured they’d stay out of sight of the hoodlums who were on top of the hundred-foot cliff. It was a difficult and back-breaking descent because of the uneven and boulder-clad terrain causing each member to stay alert. Not only that, but stops had to be taken quite often to adjust the mules’ packs that were constantly slipping forward because of the downhill slope. However, Lefty figured by leaving a couple hours before sunrise and not stopping until after dark, they should arrive at the tree line by noon the next day, well ahead of the hoodlums. Lefty remembered it had taken him and Shorty nearly three days to travel the same route a year ago, but they were traveling upward instead of down.

  They’d not seen any of the hoodlums, but they knew they were there. When Lefty’s group got to the tree line and had ridden a few yards inside the trees, he signaled for them to stop for a quick bite. After eating, they washed down with canteen water, put the mules’ loads back on them, and continued riding at a fairly fast pace through the trees, staying close to the cliff. The terrain had smoothed out considerably and was a much easier ride even though it was still a downhill trek. Stops were taken periodically to rest the animals which slowed them down, but they still managed to arrive at the trail leading up the cliff by mid-afternoon.

  Lefty could tell from Star’s stride he and the other animals needed to rest, especially the mules, but he didn’t stop or tarry. Instead, he started up the trail as soon as he got there, hoping to stay ahead of the thugs, but after Star had taken a few steps, he stopped with pointed ears, looking up the cliff. To Lefty’s dismay, the eight thugs were standing at the edge of the cliff with guns pointed toward them. John, their leader, called out, “We’ve got you covered. Come on up the cliff with your hands behind your heads. We’ll be taking those mules carrying the gold off your hands, and if you don’t cause any problems, we might turn you lose. Don’t think about trying to get away ‘cause this here trail is the only way out of the boxed valley you’re in. Me and the boys have rode along the entire length of it and there ain’t no other way out.”

  No one had seen Lefty slowly remove the leather loop from his pistol’s hammer, and as soon as John got his last words out, Lefty drew and fired three times at the thugs, hitting one of them in the gut—a sure death. The thugs returned a few wild shots as they ran for cover, and Lefty’s group hurried deeper into the trees for protection.

  Minutes passed without movement by either party. Finally, John called out from behind a boulder close to the cliff’s edge, “You might as well give up. We’ve got you pinned down and there ain’t no other way out. If you give up now, we’ll turn you lose. Otherwise, we’ll have to kill all of ‘ya.”

  Lefty wanted to confirm an idea he was suspicious of, so he called to John, “I suppose the banker in Frisco wants you to kill us, so his thievery dealings can’t be traced.”

  “That’s what he wants, but he’s out of the picture now. I’m calling all of the shots. Me and the boys will be keeping the gold for ourselves.” Lefty’s suspicion was confirmed, and the inspectors who were standing a-ways behind Lefty nodded they had heard him. However, as he sat thinking what he should do next, a troubling thought came, Since the Frisco banker was in cahoots with the thugs, it stands to reason the inspectors he sent were part of the robbery plot, too.

  Lefty eased back to where the rest of the group were waiting and confronted the two inspectors. Looking at then with piercing eyes, Lefty said forcefully, “From what John just told us about the banker being involved, it’s likely you’re as guilty as the rest of the thugs since you were arranged by him, too. We’re gonna have to keep you both restricted with your hands tied ‘til we get back to Frisco.”

  “I know it looks like we’re connected with them,” Samuel blurted-out in an excited tone, “but we’re not; it’s not what it seems. Me nor Joseph, either one, has ever met William Stroud or anyone else from the bank in San Francisco. We came to Sutter’s Fort directly from St. Louis, Missouri where we received our orders from our employer, The Western Mining Company, who obviously made all of the arrangements with Stroud.”

  “Why should we believe you?” Lefty asked. “Do you have any proof of what you’re saying?”

  “As a matter of fact, we do, and if you allow me to get my report vouchers from my saddlebags, I’ll prove it.” Lefty nodded and followed the man to his horse. “I’m not supposed to let you examine these reports, but under the circumstances, I have no other choice. Read these, and you’ll agree Joseph and me are not involved with those thugs,” Samuel said, handing his report vouchers to Lefty.

  Suzan quickly stepped forward and took them, saying, “Let me do the reading and explain what they say.” Lefty smiled at his wife and gave a slight nod of thanks since he was unable to read a word.

  Minutes later, after Suzan had read the voucher, she started explaining what it said. “There’s a page for each day they’ve traveled since leaving St. Louis. Of course, the first several pages concerns their travel here and is not relevant to the situation, but the page dated June 28, 1850, is very pertinent. It says he, being Samuel, made his final evaluation on this date and considers the find to be one of the most valuable gold sites he’d ever been to; that it is truly a mother lode. He continues to write since the company has given me the complete authority to negotiate a price with the owners, I have determined to offer them up to twelve-million dollars for the strike and a million and a half dollars for the gold they have already mined.” Suzan paused and looked around. Everyone was grinning from ear-to-ear. Then she continued explaining her reading. “The page written two days ago refers to the hoodlums having us boxed in the valley with very little hope of our escape since there are eight gold-hungry thieves holding us off. He writes that our lives on this earth will most likely be ended within days.” Suzan closed the voucher and handed it back to Samuel. After a pause, she said, “I believe this document proves Samuel and Joseph are innocent of any connection with the thugs.”

  There were nods of agreement, and Lefty extended his apology for his accusation, but he asked a question of Samuel, “Why did Stroud from the bank contact your company in the first place?”

  “He needed a place to sell the gold site, once he secured ownership of it. My company’s executives have been suspicious of Stroud’s unscrupulous dealings for some time but have never been able to prove anything. My findings here will give them all the proof they need…that is if we survive and get back to civilization.”

  Lefty looked at Hide with eyes that asked the question, should we sell the gold to him, to which Hide answered with a nod. Then Lefty turned back to Samuel and said, “Now that Stroud and the bank he represents are out of the picture, we’ll agree to sell you our strike and gold diggings for thirteen and a
half million dollars.” Lefty paused and then asked, “When do you take ownership and when do we get our money?”

  “I’ll take ownership and give you a receipt for the purchase when we get to San Francisco. “There’s a new company just starting called, Wells Fargo, that provides overland transportation for mining companies. Their main business is to transport gold, and a good share of it comes from San Francisco to mining companies east of there, my company in St. Louis included; we’ve been satisfied with their timetable and service. I’ll hire them to haul the gold for me when we arrive in San Francisco. Joseph and I will ride on the wagon with it to prevent any wrongdoings. Rest assured, you will be treated fairly and be paid in full when you get to St. Louis and sign all of the necessary documents. There’s no rush to sign the papers, but I’d suggest you not wait too long before you come to St. Louis for your money.” Samuel paused and then said with a smile, “I’d suggest we keep to ourselves what Suzan read from my voucher about the value I placed on the site.” The whole group nodded with a smile.

  Nothing more was said. Only the mountain wind was heard blowing through the tall pine trees. The sky was cloudless. Finally, Lefty called Hide aside and whispered, “I want you to take everyone down the mountain to where the cliff intersects with the river’s waterfall I was telling you about. It looks impossible to descend down to the river, but if you look closely, you’ll find a large crack in the cliff with a trail leading down. Like I’ve told you, there ain’t no ground beside the river at that point. The water laps against the rock cliff walls on both sides, making it appear like the river is running through a tunnel. It’ll take you over a day from here to ride to the waterfall where the crack is located and another five hours for the horses and mules to wade the river to open ground. Be sure and stay close to the west side; it’s the shallowest and has less rocks to stumble over. After you reach the end of the cliffs, there’ll be dry ground alongside the river. Set a fast course back to Frisco, but bypass Sutter’s Fort and the American River place where we stopped; the thugs might be at either place. In case I ain’t with you when you get to Frisco, follow Samuel’s advice and put the gold on a Wells Fargo wagon headed for St. Louis.”

  “What about you, Lefty? What are you gonna be doing?”

  “I’m staying here to keep the thugs from coming down the cliff. After a day or two, they’ll figure out we’ve taken off with the gold and will more-than-likely stay to the high ground and try to intercept us along the way. When I see ‘em leaving, I’ll head out for the crack you’ll be going down.” Hide nodded as Lefty continued, “Don’t wait for me. Keep riding ‘til you get to Frisco. I’ll try to catch up with you on the trail, but if I can’t, I’ll see you in Frisco.” Hide nodded, knowing Lefty’s plan was not without his demise.

  “I’m staying here with you!” Suzan cried out when Lefty told her of his plan and that he wanted her to leave with the rest of the clan.

  “Please trust me, sweetheart. Our only hope to get away from these thugs and not get ourselves killed is for me to stay here and hold ‘em off while the rest of you escape. I’m good at protecting myself in these kind of situations, but if you stay here, my mind will be on protecting you, which will hinder both of our safety.” Suzan quickly threw her arms around him with her head on his shoulder and cried like a baby. After a long minute, she pulled herself back with tears streaming, kissed him, and said, “I’ll see you in San Francisco within a week, Sweetheart; don’t be late.” Then she turned and hurried back to her horse.

  Few words were spoken as Hide led the crew and mules down the mountain toward the escape crack. The landscape was beautiful with a blue sky filled with white, fluffy clouds and a westerly breeze brushing their faces. In the distant mountain passes around them, eagles soured, and an occasional elk bugled, but their eyes and minds were not on these things; they were on Lefty who had stayed behind, potentially sacrificing his life for them. As the day passed, their tired bodies became sore with aching joints from their awkward downhill sitting position and some had developed blisters on their butts, but nothing slowed them.

  They traveled until twilight, then ate a cold meal with coffee they’d made from a well-hidden fire, and were back in the saddles an hour before first light the next morning, riding toward the crack which they hoped to reach by high-noon.

  The clan had ridden hard all morning without many stops and a mite before noon the sound of falling water reached their ears. When they got to the falls and located the trail leading down through the cliff’s crack, Hide called for a well-deserved rest stop. The men quickly took the loads off of the horses and mules, watered them, and hobbled them in grass. After taking care of the stock, they drug in firewood and placed it where a previous fire had been blazing and lit another.

  While the men were doing their work, Louise and Suzan cooked their meal. They started out with a full pot of strong, steaming coffee followed up with pieces of elk meat fried in bacon grease, hominy, peaches from a can, and warmed-up corn-dodgers.

  After eating and resting a bit, they readied the stock, and Hide led the mules down the hill through the crack one-by-one. When they were all down, the mules were tethered to their lead horses, and the trek in the water began. Hide took the lead along the west wall with the sun sparkling off of the rippling river water. He was especially careful at first, letting the stock and riders get acquainted with the situation, but after several minutes, he sped up the pace. The mules seemed to be sure-footed, but the horses had a few problems. Four of them stumbled and nearly fell completely down, but somehow, they maintained their balance and stayed up. Joseph wasn’t so lucky. His horse fell to its knees and got Joseph’s entire left side wet, but he didn’t complain and rode on.

  The afternoon passed slowly, but finally, the shadow from the west cliff was extending itself across the tunnel causing it to appear like night was setting in. Without the warmth of the sun rays along with a fairly brisk wind blowing through the river walls, the temperature in the tunnel was getting cold causing hats to be pulled low and coat collars to raise. Their minds were in their own world thinking about their tomorrows when Hide called out, “We should be on dry ground before long, but there’ll be no stopping. We’re going to ride ‘til twilight before we stop.”

  By twilight on the second day after leaving Lefty, Hide’s group had distanced themselves over ten miles from where the cliffs had stopped. Most of the mileage had been in valleys leading westerly from the river, but they were now halfway up the first of three mountains they had to climb and had stopped for the night. Hide figured it would take another five days, maybe six, to reach the American river and then the dreaded desert.

  Chapter Forty

  It had been three days since his group had left Lefty at the trail leading up to the thugs and except for the man dying who had been gut-shot, not much had happened during this time. The hoodlums were rowdy and did a lot of loud arguing, but at night they settled down, probably from the effect of liquor, Lefty figured.

  Lefty kept out of sight but kept two fires burning and made as much noise as possible, trying to send a message to the thugs that all of his clan was still around. Coffee was always on, and he did a lot of cooking to pass the time. Unless the thugs left sooner, Lefty intentions were to remain here for three more days. That would give Hide and the group a six-day head-start and even though the mules traveled slow, six days should be enough time to stay ahead of the pursuers.

  As the hours passed, Lefty’s inactivity caused him to relax and become a mite off guard, sometimes sleeping while sitting against a tree holding coffee. On one such occasion, during late afternoon of the third day, Lefty woke and saw Star looking with pointed ears at something to the north. “Something’s going on up there that’s got you railed-up,” he said softly to his horse as he stood. Lefty stayed in hiding and eased to the edge of the trees. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary at first, but then in the distance, at least five-hundred yards away, he saw two men on the face of the hundred-foot clif
f being slowly lowered on ropes. They were just starting their descent and were hanging ten to fifteen feet from the cliff’s top. They’re too far away to shoot at, Lefty reasoned, but then he thought of his buffalo rifle in his saddle’s gun scabbard and took on a big grin. After retrieving the buffalo long gun, he slipped a cartridge into its chamber, laid the barrel on a tree limb to secure a steady position, pulled the stock tightly against his shoulder and took a deep breath. After letting out part of his breath and putting the gun sight a bit high on the man to adjust for the distance, he squeezed the trigger. The man didn’t know what had hit him as he fell down the cliff wall onto the ground. The second man became disorderly when he heard the echo of the gunshot and saw his cohort fall and tried to climb back up, but he lost his grip on the rope, falling nearly a hundred feet to his death. That leaves five of ‘em I have to contend with, Lefty thought.

  Lefty slept soundly that night, relying on Star to wake him if the hoodlums started down the trail. He woke an hour or so before light but turned to his side under the warm blankets and went back to sleep. The bright sun streaming through the trees woke him. He listened for any abnormal noise, and after hearing none, he rolled out of bed, shook out and stomped on his boots, swung his gun belt around him, and put on his sweat-stained, out of shape hat. Within minutes, he had a fire burning with coffee water on and was in the process of slicing bacon. After he had eaten and drunk a couple cups of coffee, he fetched the five-gallon water skin and headed to the river for water and to wash-up.

  The morning had passed slowly. There were dark clouds in the west coming his way. Those are most likely storm clouds, he thought. It’ll probably be raining within a few hours. Hide poured himself another cup and sat against a tree with his mind on Suzan and what the future held for them. There was no wind in spite of the oncoming storm; the treetops had no movement, and there were no sounds whatsoever; it was deathly quiet, only the occasional stamping of a horse.