by Clay More
Marshal Brooks smiled. "Allow me to introduce my deputy, Samuel McCaid, formerly known as Pebble-eye McCaid, the scourge of the badlands." He raised his gun. "And like I said, you have no jurisdiction in this town, so I don’t take kindly to you throwing your weight around. But threatening a citizen and two of the town’s lawmen cannot be allowed."
"Now you just – " began Slim Parfitt.
"Quiet there while the marshal is talking," snapped Deputy McCaid.
"Thank you, Samuel," returned Matt Brooks. Then to the posse: "All of you shuck your weapons and then make your way over to the town jail. Pebble-eye will look after you."
As the disarmed posse members filed along the street, Deputy McCaid grinned and whispered to his constable:
"First real life sheriff I ever locked up. This will be kind of fun."
Matt Brooks patted him on the arm and grinned as the bemused and amazed crowd followed the deputy and his captives down the street, everyone full of awe and renewed respect for the man they had previously thought of as a joke.
Matt Brooks looked up at the impassive Nantan and gestured for him to join him. "I guess that you and I ought to have a little chat," he said.
* * *
When Jake Scudder regained consciousness he found that his hands were tied and that he had been dumped unceremoniously in a swivel chair beside a desk. Elly was sitting beside Johnnie Parker who was lying on a couch, and Saul and the big Yucatan were both sitting with their hands tied in front of them. Saul Horrocks looked exceedingly gaunt and dispirited in his wheelchair.
"So this is the guy who has caused so much trouble," sneered Rubal Cage, lashing out with his fist and catching Jake across the face.
Jake shook his head to clear his vision. He blinked and found himself looking at three people who were standing with guns in their hands. He recognized Carmen de Menendez and the rustler Cole Lancing.
"And you must be Rubal Cage," Jake returned, speaking directly to the black-clad man who had struck him. "I've heard a lot about you. You worked for the neighboring ranch until you were fired."
Saul Horrocks interjected, "He is a treacherous dog. Jeb Jackson recognized his type and threw him out."
Rubal Cage’s lip curled. "Yes, but look who has the upper hand here – and all the cards. We have the money for your herd, we’ve got you – and we are about to reel in the most important prize of all."
Jake nodded his head. "I guess that means you expect to get the Double J ranch somehow. Maybe by somehow getting hold of the rancher himself."
Carmen de Menendez smiled. "For a murderer you are a clever man, Jake Scudder. And just how did you know this? How did you work it out?"
Jake nodded his head at Elly and Saul. "Before we left for Silver City I learned all about the ranches around here. It seems that the Double J ranch is the biggest and therefore the wealthiest in this territory. That has to be why you kidnapped Elly – you planned to ransom her, but not to Saul. You planned to ransom her to Jeb Jackson."
Rubal Cage glanced at Carmen de Menendez and Cole Lancing. "Will you be okay watching them all while I go and catch the big fish? I'll be back in half an hour at the most."
After he left, they all sat in silence while Carmen de Menendez paced back and forth and Cole Lancing picked his yellowed teeth. The big grandfather clock near the bureau ticked away the seconds. After half an hour or so, Carmen de Menendez broke the silence.
"Tell me, Jake Scudder, how did you manage to escape the clutches of our esteemed sheriff of Silver City and his posse?"
Jake gave her a wan smile. "One word – Nantan."
The saloon owner snapped her fingers. "Ah, I should have known that he was not as trustworthy as I thought." She looked at Yucatan, who seemed uneasy under her regard. "It is always a problem with him and his like."
Saul Horrocks eyed her sourly. "What sort of a woman are you? Why have you come into our lives?"
Carmen de Menendez laughed, then blew disdainfully through her ruby red lips. "And what sort of a life is it that you have, Mister Saul Horrocks? Who are you to question me when you can’t even – walk!"
Saul Horrocks’ hands trembled with rage, occasioning further mirth from his captor.
"Miss Carmen," said Cole Lancing. "There’s a rider coming fast. It looks like Rubal and he’s on his own."
When Rubal Cage appeared through the door a few moments later Carmen de Menendez demanded of him: "Where is Jackson?"
"He’s dead," Cage replied. "I shot the bastard."
Carmen de Menendez did not take her eyes off the others. "Tell me exactly what happened," she said calmly.
"The old fool was working in that fancy counting-house study of his, just like I knew he would be at this time of day. He was all alone in the place except for his housekeeper." He grinned maliciously. "And she is now an ex-housekeeper."
"Was Jackson armed?"
"No, not then."
Carmen de Menendez took a deep breath. "Go on."
"I told him that we had the girl and her brother under armed guard and that he was to empty his safe for me. It is a big one behind a map on the wall. I knew it was there and I knew it would contain a fortune."
"That was not part of the plan!" the saloon owner snapped.
Rubal Cage snorted dismissively. "But it was too good an opportunity to miss. And I hate missing opportunities. What could go wrong, I thought. I had a gun trained on his back all the time."
Elly glared at Cage in disgust. "You killed Jeb in cold blood? You monster!"
"Shut up, bitch!" he yelled. "I didn’t kill the fool in cold blood. The bastard pulled out a derringer and slammed the safe closed before I could stop him. He took a shot at me, so I had to kill him." He spat on the floor as if to indicate an end of the matter.
"You should have just winged him," said Carmen de Menendez.
"Damn that! He had two barrels on that toy shooter. He could have done me serious harm."
Carmen de Menendez spoke over her shoulder to Cole Lancing. "Make sure no one moves."
Then she turned and shot Rubal Cage in the face. His body was thrown back to smash through the window, where it hung over the ledge.
"He just reached the end of his usefulness," she said, as if by way of explanation.
The effect on everyone in the room had been of utter shock. Everyone stared aghast at her callousness. Everyone in the room, that is, except Elly and Johnnie Parker.
Slowly throughout the last half hour she had been gradually untying his bound hands. Now she plucked up a cushion and threw it at the woman, before making a dive at her.
"Go, Johnnie! You're our only chance!" she cried.
And while Johnnie Parker dived from the room she closed on Carmen de Menendez, reaching for her gun.
Saul Horrocks stared in wide-eyed alarm. "No, Elly! She's dangerous!"
Cole Lancing had started after Johnnie, but Jake had managed to spring up and block his way, only to be bludgeoned aside, to fall back in the chair.
"Leave the boy, Cole!" Carmen de Menendez roared. "Cover them!"
And with a vicious punch she caught Elly on the temple. Instantly, Elly crumpled to the ground in a daze.
"Okay, that’s enough," the saloon owner cried, ratcheting back the hammer of her gun. She pointed at Yucatan. "Don’t just sit there, you fool. Get after him. Kill him!"
Jake Scudder stared in amazement as the large servant slipped the loops of rope off his wrists and charged from the room.
Johnnie Parker had wrangled near all of his adult life and he bounded onto the nearest animal, which happened to be Trixie, Elly’s cow pony. Then he took off at a racing pace.
Yucatan, bigger, more ponderous, yet still skilled with horses selected Rubal Cage’s horse. It was a large, fast animal and before long he was gaining on his quarry.
The race did not last long. Yucatan rode alongside then heaved himself from the saddle, snatching Johnnie in a bear-hug, to land in a painful bundle in the sand. They rolled over and over, then Yucatan, far heavier and st
ronger succeeded in fending off Johnnie’s weakened blows to pin him to the ground with his knees. And then his strong hands were around Johnnie’s throat, squeezing the life from him.
"Yucatan! Let him go!"
The big servant looked up slowly to see a young Apache dressed in range clothes and a black Stetson dismount from a big black stallion.
"I have looked for you for many moons, you murdering rapist!"
A slow sneer spread across the big man’s face and he contemptuously left the limp form of Johnnie Parker and stood up.
"So Nantan wants to meet his sister!" he gave an evil leer and reaching behind him drew out a wicked looking double-edged knife. "I enjoyed your sister."
Nantan drew his own hunting knife. "Prepare to die, Yucatan."
They both dropped into fighting positions, Nantan adopting a thrusting approach as opposed to Yucatan’s backward slashing method. For a few moments they tested each other. Then Yucatan rushed in, fending aside Nantan’s thrust as he caught and immobilized his arm against his side, while he raised his own knife to stab Nantan’s exposed back.
But Johnnie had rolled and gasped enough air to recover sufficiently to realize that his savior needed help. He scooped a handful of sand, dived forward, and threw it in Yucatan’s face.
As the huge renegade staggered back, rubbing frenziedly at his tightly screwed eyes as the sand seared his eyeballs, Nantan plunged his knife into Yucatan’s black heart.
"That is one vow I have kept," he said, staring into the sun.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jake Scudder shook his head with a humorless smile. "That all kind of makes sense now," he said as Elly pushed herself back along the floor to lean against the couch.
Carmen de Menendez nodded approvingly. "Go on, Jake Scudder. Your intelligence impresses me – for a man!"
"Thank you, ma’am. But maybe we should just ask Saul Horrocks here," Jake replied, turning to Saul. "I guess there is no need for you to bother with that fake rope any more, is there?"
A thin smile spread across Saul Horrocks’ face and with a shake of the head he slipped the coils of rope off his wrists. "No, Jake, you're right. And there is no need for this little charade any longer, either." And grabbing the neatly laid blanket over his legs he whipped it aside and heaved himself out of the wheelchair.
"Saul!" Elly gasped. "You . . . you can walk!"
"Poor Elly," he replied with mock sympathy. "Always so gullible, weren’t you?" Then his expression changed to one of pure hate. "You sniveling little bitch! You always were Pa’s little angel."
Elly was shaking her head in disbelief. "But why, Saul? Why? Were you never really paralyzed?"
Saul Horrocks tossed his head back and laughed sarcastically. "Paralyzed? Of course not! That was just a little flesh wound – painful and suitably bloody, I admit – that I got Yucatan to give me after he shot that old bastard."
"You? You had Pa killed? You . . . you monster!"
Saul blew air scornfully threw his lips. "Yeah, well, he was a monster to me all of my life, until he thought I could be of use to him. But by then it was too late. I wanted all he had. That is why me and my darling wife, Carmen here, cooked up this plan with Rubal Cage and Yucatan."
Jake interrupted. "So you stole the bank’s gold that your Pa had just borrowed, and you played the invalid. Then you arranged to steal your own herd."
"Well, half the herd, as you already know. It was a good cover and made everyone think that I was serious. And as a result of all this we were going to get Elly married off to Jeb Jackson."
Carmen de Menendez kissed her husband on the cheek. "After we had taken the ransom he would pay, of course."
Elly stared in blank horror at her brother and his unknown wife, as if seeing the real Saul for the first time in her life. "And you seriously thought that I would marry Jeb Jackson – out of gratitude!"
Carmen de Menendez scoffed. "Of course you would. And with his help, it would get the Rocking H back on its feet with Saul at the helm on his own. Then after a while Jackson would have a fatal accident – maybe the two of you would – and who do you think would inherit the Double J ranch and all that wealth?" She put an arm about Saul’s waist and kissed him again. "Why it would be your dear brother Saul, of course. And then I would appear and ‘marry’ Saul – and be where I should be – the señora of the largest hacienda north of the border."
Saul growled and nodded at the body hanging over the window ledge. "Except we were surrounded by fools and bunglers. Not the least of them was Rubal Cage. The stupid bastard ruined everything."
Carmen de Menendez patted his arm. "Not everything, Saul, my dear. It can all still work. When the lawmen find these bodies," she hesitated a moment, then went on, "including that of your sister – wearing Jackson’s engagement ring."
Saul Horrocks opened his eyes wide as if he saw bright illumination where there had only been darkness. "Of course. And it will all be put down to Scudder."
"That’s right," replied his wife. "He is a wanted murderer, after all. He slit poor Rosalind’s throat back in Silver City."
Cole Lancing had been watching and enjoying the little tableau being played out in front of him, but at this news he experienced a flash of illumination himself. His mind went back to his conversation with Carmen de Menendez on their journey to the Rocking H the previous night. It was clear to him now. Up until then he knew that Scudder had been framed for something, but he had not realized what. But now, to his horror he realized that Carmen de Menendez had killed Rosalind by cutting her throat.
"You killed Rosalind, you murdering bitch!" he exclaimed, his fear of the saloon owner now replaced by pure fury.
Carmen de Menendez spun around, having half-forgotten Cole Lancing’s part in the scheme of things. And now a glance at his face told her that she would not be able to smooth things over this time. She made an instant decision and reacted by bringing her gun around. Lancing had to die.
But Cole Lancing had seen red and all subservience towards her was swept aside. In his mind he heard the words she had uttered to him the night before – "I will take care of you, Cole!"
He fired, saw the red stain spread out over her heart as she was hurled backwards against the wall.
"S-Saul!" she gasped, her gun dropping from her hand as she started to sag. Then Lancing fired again and her body jack-knifed and slid down, dragging a red streak of blood on the wall as she fell.
Saul Horrocks had stared aghast for a moment, but now went for the gun she had dropped, blind fury and hate written across his face. But Jake was on his feet and delivered a two-handed haymaker that lifted him off his feet to land in an unconscious heap in the wheelchair that had for so long been the symbol of his lies and deceit.
"Now it is your turn, Scudder!" Cole Lancing said, turning towards Jake.
But he was stopped by Elly’s warning shout. "Don’t move a muscle, or I will shoot you dead!"
Lancing froze with his gun pointing at Jake. Then slowly he swiveled his head to see Elly Horrocks kneeling on the floor with Carmen de Menendez’s gun in her two outstretched hands. He grinned, his lazy eye almost languid, as if he felt no cause for fear from her.
"Do you reckon you could kill a man, lady?" he asked, doubtfully. "It isn’t easy, you know. But if you are going to do it, better do it – "
Suddenly another voice piped up from the door. "Maybe she won’t need to," said Johnnie Parker, standing at the door with a Winchester primed and aimed at Cole Lancing. "Now if I am right, you are one of the murdering dogs who killed my friends."
A dew of perspiration had formed on Lancing’s forehead, and he vigorously shook his head. "I never killed anyone, except in a fair fight."
"Is that so," replied Johnnie Parker. "In that case I am going to give you a chance in a fair fight. Holster that weapon."
Lancing stared at him in amazement, and then with a contemptuous smile he did as he was bid.
Jake Scudder shook his head. "Don’t do this, Johnnie. This m
an deserves a proper trial and a rope."
"Jake, stay out of this, please," Johnnie replied. Then to Elly:
"Darling, I am going to strap on Cage’s gunbelt. If he moves while I get it – shoot him dead!"
Elly bit her lip. "Okay, Johnnie, but I . . . I think Jake is right."
But Johnnie had already laid down his Winchester and reached for the buckle of Cage’s gunbelt. It was then that Cole Lancing saw his chance. He reckoned that if he could down Johnnie he could then easily take the girl.
His gun had just cleared leather when he felt a thud in his chest. Disbelievingly, he looked down and to his horror saw the handle of a hunting knife protruding from the front of his shirt. Blood frothed from his mouth and he began to stagger as blood flowed freely down his front.
They all watched as the rustler’s body began to convulse. Then he fell back, his lazy eye for once momentarily moving in harmony with the other until the convulsion ended and his sightless eyes stared at the ceiling.
Johnnie turned and nodded at Nantan. "That is twice you have saved me, Nantan. Thanks."
Nantan shook his head. "We are even, my friend. I would be dead by now if you had not blinded Yucatan."
The sound of horses outside was followed moments later by the entrance of Marshal Matt Brooks and his deputy, Samuel McCaid.
"My God – a bloodbath, and no mistake," gasped Pebble-eye McCaid.
Matt Brooks advanced towards Jake. "Nantan told me all about you, Scudder. I guess you will be glad to know that I have the sheriff of Silver City and his posse in custody in Tucksville. He seems mighty keen to have you hanged."
Elly had rushed to embrace Johnnie as he staggered after all his exertions. She helped him to the couch and then turned to the constable.
"There is only one person in this room who needs a rope, Marshal, and it isn’t Jake Scudder." She pointed at her brother, her voice quavering with emotion. "It is that . . . that thing, that used to be my kin."
And between them, they explained all about the plot, the massacre, and the murder of Jeb Jackson.
"I never did take to that sheriff of Silver City," Matt Brooks said. "He certainly is a pitiful excuse for a lawman. Not like my deputy here."