Guns of Wrath

by Colin Bainbridge

  ‘What’s happening?’ Annie breathed.

  Two of the riders seemed to be consulting one another. Comfort handed the glasses to Annie.

  ‘Do you recognize any of ’em?’ he asked.

  She took the glasses and took a long look through them.

  ‘I don’t recognize any of them as Wilder’s boys,’ she said, ‘but I got a feeling I know the one who’s doing most of the talking.’

  ‘Yeah? Who is it?’

  She put the glasses down, then raised them again to take another look.

  ‘I don’t know him that well and I might be mistaken, but I reckon that could be Clayburne!’

  ‘Clayburne? The owner of the Lazy Acre? Here, let me take another look.’

  Comfort almost snatched the glasses from her grip. He clapped them to his eyes.

  ‘Which one?’ he said.

  ‘The older one. The man with the white hair and beard.’

  Comfort concentrated his attention on the man. There was something about him which looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t be certain that he recognized him.

  ‘So that’s Clayburne. I wonder what he’s doin’ out here?’

  As he looked the two men ceased talking and the next moment the whole bunch of riders began to move towards where he and Annie lay concealed.

  ‘Hell!’ Comfort said. ‘They must have seen our sign. They’re comin’ this way.’

  He looked about him, considering whether the best option might be to run for it. Then he considered: what had they to fear from Clayburne? Clayburne might have got wise to Briggs, but he had no way of knowing who Comfort was, much less what he was doing here. He decided on a plan.

  ‘Before they get here,’ he said, ‘I’ll step out of cover.’

  ‘No!’ she said.

  ‘Listen. I’ll just make out I’m passin’ through. There’s no reason why there should be trouble.’

  ‘They’ll know there are two horses.’

  ‘I can make out one is a packhorse. You just stay out of sight. They’ll probably just head right on.’

  ‘They took the bother of turning off to come up here,’ Annie replied.

  ‘Do like I say. Go on back further into the rocks. Leave it to me.’

  Reluctantly, Annie did as Comfort wanted. When he was satisfied that she was well out of sight, Comfort moved forward and sat down in the open with his back against a rock. He laid his rifle down where he could quickly reach it if he needed to, then dug into his shirt for his packet of Bull Durham. He built himself a smoke and sat back to wait as the riders drew closer. Once he looked closely through his field glasses at the figure of Clayburne; the years had wrought a considerable change in him, yet he thought he could, after all, discern the old features beneath the changes. He wondered for a moment what the years had done to himself. Would Clayburne recognize him? The situation was different. Clayburne – Laidler – had been in charge of the camp. He had been one prisoner among thousands. It was unlikely Clayburne would ever have remembered him.

  Chapter Seven

  The riders were getting quite close now. Comfort’s eyes scanned the group, looking for any clue to their make-up or their purposes. A couple of them looked tough, but in the main they looked pretty ordinary; they might have been townsfolk or farmers or ordinary cowpokes. Certainly Clayburne appeared to be their leader. The one he had been talking to was a much younger man. Comfort had a vague feeling that he had seen him somewhere before but he couldn’t think where. It had been quite recently.

  Suddenly, with a shock, he thought he recognized him. It was the young man he had met on the boat: Corrina’s brother. As they approached he flicked aside the stub of his cigarette and stood up. As he did so there was a loud crash which went echoing and reverberating among the rocks and the boulder against which he had been sitting splintered as shards of stone flew into the air.

  Instantly Comfort reached for his rifle as a second shot rang out and a bullet plucked at the sleeve of his coat. From among the rocks behind him an answering shot bellowed and one of the riders fell from his horse. With a leap Comfort was behind the rock as shots began to fly all about him. Once within shelter, he levelled his rifle and opened fire. The noise was deafening as a hail of bullets tore into the rocks. It continued for a few minutes, then there was a sudden silence till a voice cut through it like a thunderclap.

  ‘You ain’t gettin’ away. You’re gonna die, you and all of Wilder’s stinkin’ coyotes.’

  The words were followed by a fresh burst of gunfire which went echoing around the rocks. Comfort peered round the boulder. Clayburne and his men had dismounted and taken cover. He could see their horses further down the trail but he could see nothing of their riders. He quickly estimated their relative positions and came to the conclusion that it didn’t look good. He could probably hold them off for a fair while, but he was outgunned. Sooner or later they would get him.

  The main immediate danger, as he saw it, was that some of them might try to outflank him. He had a pretty good view in front but there were bushes on both sides which would provide cover to anyone trying to get behind him. And he had Annie to think about. He realized that the shot which had lifted one of Clayburne’s men out of the saddle, and which had probably saved him, had come from Annie. She was right about being able to handle a rifle.

  He wanted to call to her but he didn’t want to give away the fact that he was not alone. He hoped she would have enough sense not to let her position be known. But that one shot had probably been enough to give her away. Clayburne had probably worked that out by now.

  Taking advantage of another slight lull in the shooting, he called out in reply to Clayburne, hoping that he might be able to deflect Clayburne’s anger.

  ‘I don’t know anyone called Wilder! Whoever he is, I ain’t got nothin’ to do with him!’

  The response was a fresh burst of gunfire and he realized the futility of trying to deter his attackers. They had convinced themselves that he was one of Wilder’s men and, whatever reason they had for riding against Wilder, they didn’t intend to spare him. He thought of his days in the prison camp and the Laidler he had known. Maybe the man hadn’t changed so much after all. The gunfire quieted and Clayburne’s voice called out again.

  ‘We’ve had enough of you scum. You made a big mistake when you shot my brother’s boy.’

  ‘I don’t know nothin’ about your brother’s boy!’ Comfort replied.

  ‘You or Wilder; it don’t make no difference. As far as I’m concerned, it don’t matter just who pulled that trigger! You’re all guilty!’

  Comfort raised his head a fraction above the rock, thinking he might get a glimpse of Clayburne. He realized his mistake as a bullet thudded into the rock a few inches from his skull. He pulled back and instead began to inch backwards, thinking to get to Annie.

  As he did so a shot rang out somewhere above him, answered immediately by another from his rear. He heard a groan and glanced up to see a puff of smoke ascending from the face of the rocky outcrop above him. He realized at once that Annie had replied to the first shot, and he also realized that the thing he had feared was coming to pass. At least one of their attackers had managed to gain a position where he could fire down on him.

  Doubled over, he made his way back to where Annie had taken shelter, taking care to apprise her of the fact it was him and not one of Clayburne’s men.

  ‘Annie, are you OK?’ he breathed.

  ‘Sure. I told you I could handle a gun.’

  He grinned briefly. ‘The question is, what do we do next?’ he said. ‘We can hold out for a time but there’s too many of ’em.’

  ‘I heard Clayburne calling out,’ she replied. ‘Is there no way we can make him see that we haven’t anything to do with Wilder?’

  ‘I tried but it’s no good. Clayburne’s convinced himself I’m one of Wilder’s men.’

  ‘We’re on Wilder’s land,’ Annie replied.

  ‘I’d better be gettin’ back in position,’ Co
mfort said. ‘You make sure to keep out of sight. I’ll think of somethin’.’

  He made his way back. Bullets were flying overhead but Clayburne seemed to have settled on a policy of patience. At least a couple of his men had been hit and it seemed he was prepared to take a little time to gain his quarry.

  Comfort waited for a time, holding his fire, trying to decide what to do next. He could stay where he was with relative safety, but it seemed to him that if he and Annie were to have any chance, albeit a slim one, of getting out of the situation alive, he needed to do something more positive.

  Keeping low, he began to inch along sideways in an attempt to gain a higher vantage point and a different angle from which he might be able to do more damage. He pushed through a patch of shrub and scrambled over some more rocks which were tumbled together till he reached a high point from which he was better able to survey the scene, but he was disappointed. Clayburne’s men had hidden themselves well.

  A shot pinged off one of the rocks near by and he ducked. Someone had seen him. The position was getting serious. From where he was positioned he could not see Annie but occasional explosions from that direction told him she was still returning fire. He had an idea. Maybe he could get to their horses and loose them. He looked over but the horses were too far away and to reach them he would have to cross a patch of open ground.

  He was about to turn his head away when he saw a cloud of dust similar to the one Clayburne’s men had made but smaller. It could only be more riders heading in their direction. Who could it be? They were coming from the general direction of the Black Stirrup and his first thoughts were that it must be some of Wilder’s boys. Wilder must have realized that something was happening on a remote stretch of his property and he was coming to investigate.

  He remembered his field glasses and put them to his eyes. There were only three riders. Wouldn’t Wilder have come with a bigger force? He looked again and then his heart gave a thump. Two of the riders were Bannock and Briggs. He stared hard trying to see who the third man was, then he realized it was the reverend. What was he doing with Bannock and Briggs?

  It didn’t matter. The arrival of his friends might be enough to save him and Annie. They would still be considerably outnumbered, but it gave them a fighting chance. With a last glance towards the approaching trio, he began to climb down in order to reach Annie and apprise her of the changing situation.

  As he did so he became aware that the firing from Clayburne’s men had dwindled. Someone began to shout and he realized that Clayburne had seen the approach of the riders. For a few moments more the quiet continued and then there was a fresh eruption of firing, but this time it was not aimed at him. He scrambled over the remaining rocks and reached Annie.

  ‘What’s happening?’ she said.

  ‘Bannock’s showed up. Remember I told you about Briggs and the reverend? They’re both with him.’

  ‘The reverend? You mean the Reverend Bent?’ Annie looked confused.

  ‘I don’t know how come he’s ridin’ with them either, but it gives us a chance,’ Comfort snapped.

  His brow creased in thought. ‘You stay here,’ he said. ‘I’ll go back and see what I can do from this side. I guess Bannock and the others will have taken cover. Between us, we might be able to pin Clayburne down.’

  He started to move away but Annie caught his arm.

  ‘I’m comin’ with you,’ she said. ‘We’re gonna need all the firepower we can muster.’

  For a second he hesitated but Annie was already on her feet and he saw there was no point in trying to dissuade her.

  ‘Keep your head down and be careful,’ he said.

  Together, they made their way back to where Comfort had taken his original station. A couple of bullets flew harmlessly among the rocks but most of the shooting was now taking place in front of them. Positioning themselves behind the rocks, they opened fire, aiming at the flashes of flame and smoke which issued from the rocks and bushes behind which Clayburne and his men had taken cover.

  They had positioned themselves well. Comfort could still see nothing of them and they had spread out so they had a comprehensive view of what was happening around them. He could see nothing of his friends and he tried calling out to them but his words were lost in the rattle of gunfire. Bannock must have guessed, however, who it was under attack. He was no fool. He could put two and together. Except, in this case, he probably assumed it was Wilder doing the attacking.

  Comfort glanced at Annie. She sure was game. She had run out of ammunition for the rifle and was now using the Smith & Wesson. It didn’t matter that her fire was probably ineffective; her hand was steady and she showed no sign of fear. The sound of firing swelled in a crescendo and then as quickly diminished. Comfort and Annie exchanged glances. Cautiously, Comfort looked over the top of the boulder he was hiding behind. Gunsmoke and the smell of gunpowder drifted on the air but a strange silence had descended. Then Comfort became aware of noises; the sound of voices, the jingling of harness and then the thud of horses’ hoofs.

  ‘Don’t move,’ he said to Annie. ‘I’ll be back in a moment.’

  He quickly made his way back to the more elevated spot where he had first seen Bannock and the others coming. Clayburne and his men had taken to their horses and were riding hard away from the outcrop in the direction of the Black Stirrup. Quickly, he swung down to rejoin Annie.

  ‘Clayburne’s taken off,’ he said.

  Gingerly, he raised himself above the level of the sheltering rock.

  ‘Be careful!’ Annie hissed.

  He stepped over the intervening rocks and into the clear. His senses were stretched and he was alert to the slightest indication of movement, but nothing stirred. Away off to his left he could see dust where Clayburne’s men were heading off. The sudden silence was uncanny. Raising his voice, he called out:

  ‘Bannock! Are you there?’

  His words sounded especially loud and he felt almost as if he were committing some kind of sacrilege. Then, to his relief, there came an answering call:

  ‘Comfort? Are you OK?’

  ‘Yeah! I think it’s safe to come out of cover!’

  He heard a footfall behind him and turned to see Annie approaching. They stood together while in front of them the bushes parted and Bannock and Briggs stepped out, followed after a moment by the reverend.

  ‘You old son of a gun!’ Bannock exclaimed.

  ‘Hell, I sure am glad to see you.’

  They strode forward and seized one another by the hand. When they had exchanged greetings Bannock turned to Comfort.

  ‘What was the meaning of all that?’ he said. ‘And why did Wilder decide to run?’

  ‘That wasn’t Wilder,’ Comfort said. ‘That was Clayburne. And I figure he rode off to do what he came out here to do in the first place.’

  Bannock whistled. ‘Clayburne? What happened? Did you confront him?’

  ‘Nope. I had nothin’ to do with it. Me and Annie were just a kind of sideshow. I reckon his target is Wilder. And the fact that he’s abandoned this little scrap means he’s carryin’ right on to the Black Stirrup.’

  ‘I’ve heard rumours.’ Annie said. ‘This has been simmering up for a long time. Wilder has been pushing the farmers around for too long. He’s been making threats, trying to buy them out for less than their farms are worth. There may be something else behind it, but it was probably coming one day.’

  ‘Clayburne shouted somethin’ about his brother’s boy gettin’ shot.’

  ‘That would probably be enough to tip him over,’ Briggs said. ‘Despite appearances, it seems he ain’t the type to let things go. Remember he somehow got word about me askin’ about him and sent his boys after me to Greenoak.’

  Comfort was about to say something in reply when suddenly a shot rang out. Annie gave a scream and reeled backwards. Comfort spun round. A figure was just disappearing behind a rock. In a flash Comfort’s gun was in his hand and spitting lead. The shot crashed into the rock, mis
sing its target by inches. The man disappeared but Comfort was running fast in pursuit. Without pausing, he rounded the rock. A little way ahead of him the man was running fast. Comfort paused for a second, then ran on as the man disappeared from sight into some thick scrub. Comfort rushed on but before he reached the spot where the man had gone his foot slipped and he went crashing to the ground. In an instant he was back on his feet. He plunged into the undergrowth but he could not see where the man had gone.

  He had begun to move forward when he heard the sound of a horse near by, and as he emerged into a glade he saw the man riding off. The man turned and fired a shot which crashed into the bushes next to where Comfort was standing. He carried on running, although he knew it was no use. Without a horse he could never catch the man. Still he kept going, when to his surprise a group of three other riders appeared ahead of him, riding out of cover to join the man who had shot at Annie. They were riding hard away from him.

  He dropped down on one knee and loosed off a shot with his revolver, but they were already out of range. Without delaying further Comfort ran back to where he had left the others. Annie lay on the ground with Bannock and the reverend bending over her.

  ‘Annie!’ Comfort cried.

  Her eyes were closed but they flickered open at his arrival.

  ‘Is she hurt bad?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Bannock said.

  Annie’s mouth opened. ‘Will,’ she muttered weakly.

  Comfort knelt down beside her.

  ‘Will, I’m so glad you came back to Cayuse Landing.’

  Her eyes closed and Comfort felt a wave of anguish seize him. Then her eyes opened once again and she smiled at him.

  ‘Give me your bandanna,’ the reverend said.

  Briggs and Bannock both undid their neckties. The reverend knelt down, tied them together and began to fasten them tightly round her upper leg.

  ‘The bullet’s gone through her thigh,’ he said to Comfort. ‘It’s a clean wound. If we can just stop the bleeding she’ll probably be all right.’