Angie was so disappointed, she felt like she’d taken a blow.
“This is our chance, Angie.” Sadie dropped what she was doing, went over and took her hand and began pulling her toward the stairs.
“Our . . . our chance?”
They hurried up the stairs, where Sadie took her into the room she and Heath shared. She closed the door firmly and leaned her back against it as if afraid Angie would try to escape.
Sadie had a furtive look in her eyes, and since there was not much sneakiness in her, Angie knew exactly what was going on.
“You know we have to do something, Angie. This can’t go on.”
“But to try to catch whoever is after you ourselves, what if—?”
“You know they had the word bait by my name, don’t you?” Sadie strode to a wooden chest with four drawers. She pulled the top drawer open and produced a gun. Angie knew it was a revolver, but her store of gun knowledge was extremely limited.
“Yes, I saw that list. It made my blood run cold.”
“Well, this is our chance to do something. I sent word to Mel a little bit ago. She’ll have to slip away from her pa, but she said it’d be easy.” Sadie did something and the pistol flipped open sideways on some kind of hinge. She spun the revolver, watching close, then snapped the gun back together.
“Mel’s coming?” Angie swallowed hard. Now they were putting someone else in danger. Although Angie had to admit that Mel and Sadie were pretty tough women.
Of course, the men were tougher, but they weren’t making any progress. Every time they felt like they were getting somewhere, the door slammed shut.
“I thought it was best.” Sadie grabbed a holster off a nail on the wall and fastened it around her waist. “I mean no offense when I say I need someone tougher than you to help me. Heath and my brothers would absolutely forbid us to go. Rosita too. There are a few cowpokes left on the place, but they will soon be heading out, probably for hours. This is the perfect day to carry out our plan.” She shoved her gun into the holster, then went for her coat.
Our plan?
Angie felt a twisting in her stomach. She was almost certain this was strictly Sadie’s plan. Trying to look on the brighter side of things, she said, “If Windy was the only traitor, no one will even know we left the ranch and no harm will come to us.”
“Finding out there’s no one left to betray us wouldn’t be as good as catching the outlaws. But it’s better off than we are now. If someone lies in wait for us, we’ll catch him. Mel and you and me together can handle it.”
Angie wondered if she’d be made to shoot somebody. She really hoped she didn’t have to. Mel had shown her a few things—after she’d stopped laughing—but it didn’t begin to qualify as real training.
“I even know what we’re going to say to let the word out with the hired men, so if one of them is a traitor, they know where to send their outlaw friends.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to tell the men who are still around the ranch that we’re headed out to climb Skull Mesa. Then, after our climb, I’ll say I’m going to show you around the ranch, maybe even ride all the way to the mines.”
“You’re going to lie?” As if a lie was the worst of their sins.
“Nope, we really are going to climb Skull Mesa and then go for a ride.”
With a little gasp, Angie looked out the bedroom window. Skull Mesa.
The long, narrow mesa that for generations had been described as unclimbable. That is, until Heath had found a way up. Angie had heard Heath teasing Justin and Cole about how easy it was. He made it sound like he and Sadie had just strolled up its side to the top. By the Boden brothers’ reaction, Angie knew they were among the men who’d been thwarted by the big old hill. And now they’d been so busy, they hadn’t had time to let Heath show them how he’d done it.
“Besides, it’ll be fun to tell Cole and Justin you got to the top before they did. That’ll chafe for years.” Sadie’s laugh was just this side of evil.
Angie wasn’t sure if she wanted to do something that would upset Justin for years. “Once we’re done climbing, where exactly are we going, and how is anyone going to find us, even if they do notice you leave? Will they come after us themselves or will they need to find their cohorts and pass on the word that their chance to catch you and use you as bait has come?”
“We’re just going to ride out, give them a chance to make a move.” Sadie frowned. “I’m the one who should do it because by using the word bait, I think they’re saying I’m not to be killed—which is exactly what they tried with Pa and Cole. Heath got shot protecting us all, so there was some gunfire there.”
The deep lines on Sadie’s forehead told Angie more than words just how much Sadie cared about her husband and family. “I’m not letting them be hurt again. I just can’t.”
Despite believing this was a dreadful idea, Angie understood Sadie’s need to care for those she loved.
“Since they want to catch me, they won’t just shoot from cover like they did before. They’ll have to show themselves. I’d guess there’s gonna be two of them, maybe only one. They’ve never come in a pack before. With you and Mel there to back me up, we’ll be ready for them.”
Sadie went to another drawer and pulled out a second gun. “If we get a chance, I’ll let you practice your shooting some more.”
“Sadie, this seems like a poor idea. It’s extremely risky, and Heath is going to be furious with you.” And Justin with both of them, but Angie hoped Heath’s feelings might sway Sadie.
“There are some risks, I’ll admit that. All I can say is there’s a good chance my plan won’t flush anyone out. But if it doesn’t work today, we can try it again until it does.”
Somehow, Angie didn’t find that very comforting.
Sadie handed the gun to Angie. “Wear your winter coat. The pockets are big enough for the gun. Besides, it’s a chilly day.”
Angie looked down at the weapon. It was a dead weight in her hand, cold and threatening. She said nothing because no words came to her. And also because she was too busy trying to keep all the blood in her head from rushing to her feet. And if she swooned, she wasn’t going to be much help.
The doctor spent what seemed like hours hacking at Chance’s leg with an old saw.
Well, not exactly his leg. He cut the plaster wrapped tight around it. Doc Radcliffe wasn’t being all that careful, in Chance’s opinion, and he braced himself for the bite of that saw.
It never happened, but Chance felt like the whole experience was created to make a man feel too exhausted to walk.
The doctor had probably planned the whole thing for just that reason.
When the bulky cast finally came off, Dr. Radcliffe spent a long time examining Chance’s leg. There was an ugly scar across it, and his whole leg was skinnier than it had been. The doc bent the leg at the knee while Chance gritted his teeth to keep from shouting out in pain.
“It’s normal that the knee hurts. It hasn’t bent for over a month.” Next, the doctor twisted Chance’s foot, exercising the joint.
It was all Chance could do not to punch Radcliffe in the mouth.
“I’m going to put a cast back on so that the bone is held tight, but this time I won’t go above your knee. You’ll soon work the stiffness out of it and be able to sit up comfortably and handle the crutches enough to walk. I’m covering your ankle and foot with plaster to stabilize your tibia.”
“My what?”
The doc smiled. “Sorry, I try not to use doctor language my patients don’t understand. The tibia is the bone you broke, the main bone that connects your ankle to your knee. The new cast will take pressure off your lower leg. Best of all, you’ll have a lot more freedom, be able to get around now.”
“High time.” Chance fought to control his impatience that had worn his temper clean out. “Not blaming you, Doctor. I appreciate your help. And I will be careful with this cast.”
“I said before that this ne
wer, lighter cast needs to stay on a month, but I’ve decided that if you can hold on for two more weeks, most likely you can ride the train home while wearing it.”
The doctor held up a hand to stop Chance from getting excited. “That’s no promise. I’ll make my final decision two weeks from now. But if you’re careful and you keep healing as fast as you’ve done so far, I think two weeks will be enough. I see no reason a train ride will harm your leg. Dr. Garner back in Skull Gulch is a skilled man. I’ll want him to wait two more weeks before he cuts the cast off. My guess is you’ll heal even faster once you’re home. And maybe whatever trouble is following you will ease up by then.”
Chance knew he’d still be unable to ride with his children and fight at their sides. But he could guard the house. One of John’s recent letters told about Justin posting sentries and their suspicion that one of the hired men was a traitor. Chance couldn’t imagine leaving Sadie home alone, which meant they had to leave someone behind to protect her, which cut down on the number of men Justin could ride out with.
When the doctor was finished wrapping his lower leg in the much smaller cast, he washed his plaster-coated hands in a basin of warm water and said, “You stay right there in bed for the rest of the day. Let that dry thoroughly. By this evening you can get up and move around on the crutches, but don’t put any weight on that leg. And be careful—a fall could set you back a long way. The crutches are awkward to use, so start out slow until you learn to handle them.”
Chance was feeling encouraged just looking at the new plaster. “I’ll do as you say, Doc.”
The doctor gave him a suspicious look, then donned the black suit coat he’d shed. “Mrs. Boden, try and keep him off that leg. Two more weeks is all I ask.”
“He will behave, Doctor. I will see to it.” She gave Chance a sassy smile over her shoulder, then walked Dr. Radcliffe to the front door.
“I think we can try standing now.” Ronnie pressed on the cast as she’d done many times.
The sun had set, and Chance had been careful not to even flex the muscles of his broken leg. He wanted his time in this cast to be short.
He sat up and used his hands to lift his broken leg off the side of the bed, following with his good leg. Ronnie leaned the crutches next to him, then reached out.
“Wait.” Chance waved off her hands. “Let me just sit here a minute. I’ve been lying down for so long, my vision just went black. Give it time to clear. I don’t worry about it when a couple of people are on hand to hold me up, but I don’t want to collapse on you and knock you into a heap.”
She smiled and sat beside him until he said, “Now, let’s get me to my feet. I’ll stand there until I make sure I won’t black out.”
She stood in front of him, and he grabbed her wrist while using the bedside table to brace himself. He lurched to his feet, or foot, and stood facing her. His vision seemed to turn into some kind of tunnel, with black all around and only a narrow bit of sight straight ahead.
He waited it out. Before long, the world turned to its normal brightness. “It’s all right,” he said. “Now the crutches. I’ll just take a few steps to make sure I can find my balance.”
Ronnie leaned forward and kissed him, then she propped the crutches under his arms. “I have a feeling you’re going to get out of here real soon, husband.”
25
Justin, Cole, Heath, and Rosita, along with the sheriff, swung down off their horses and tied them in a line outside the jailhouse. The sheriff led the way in and sat behind his desk.
There were six men lolling about in the only cell the town of Skull Gulch had. Two of them sat on the narrow bunk. One leaned against the bars, his back to them. The other three were sitting on the floor, arms wrapped around their knees.
They were dressed in rags. The clothes were filthy, and they all looked downtrodden. Not a one of them looked one bit dangerous.
The sheriff said, “I’ve got some men here who have a few questions.”
“When is the noon meal, Sheriff? If you keep us locked up, you have to feed us.” The man spoke with a heavy Mexican accent, though his English was easy to understand.
The sheriff groaned and glared at Justin. “I’m not keeping them if you don’t find some wrongdoing. I have to feed them out of my own pocket. The town pays me back, but they’re mighty slow about it.”
Justin looked at Cole, who nodded back at him. It seemed to Justin that in the normal run of things, Cole thought all talking was Justin’s job.
Turning to the jail cell, Justin said, “Tell us what you know about this revolution we’ve heard you’re talking about.”
Expecting defiance and resistance, he was surprised by their reaction. Weren’t revolutionaries angry about something? Instead, all but one of the men stared back at him with blank expressions.
The man leaning against the bars spun around, his eyes wide with fear. “We know nothing, señor,” he said. “Please let us go. We mean no harm.”
Scared, just like Ramone. Through gritted teeth, Justin said, “You’re not going anywhere until you talk.”
Sadie shocked Angie into a near fit when she put britches on. Sadie offered her a pair, and Angie felt her cheeks heat up until she thought her hair might catch fire.
“It’s a lot easier to climb with trousers on. At least wear them under your skirt. It’s cold out and we may be gone a long time.”
“I’ve got woolen underwear on, surely that’s enough warmth.”
Sadie shrugged. “Suit yourself, but you’re failing the first test of being tough.”
“This is a test?”
Sadie nodded.
“And how is insisting on ladylike clothing a failure?”
“Just is.” She badgered a bit more, called on Angie’s common sense, and finally Angie agreed to wear pants under her skirt. It was the most outrageous thing she’d ever done in her life.
They saddled up and were riding for the mesa just minutes later. They didn’t have to make any excuses about what they were doing because the men were all out working.
They climbed a rope ladder for the first little while. With trousers on, Angie handled it with ease. The rope was new and sturdy, no signs of wear. Sadie was so familiar with it, Angie figured Sadie had helped put the rope there.
When she reached the top of the rope, she stepped out onto a good-sized ledge that had plenty of room for both of them. “I can’t imagine why anyone thinks this is hard to climb.”
Sadie laughed.
“I can’t believe you’ve found a way up,” Mel shouted from below them.
“Come on. Cole and Justin haven’t had time to climb it yet.”
“Yeehaw!” It was a shout of joy.
Angie backed carefully away from the edge in case Mel’s enthusiasm somehow knocked her over.
Mel scrambled up the ladder like a limber squirrel. She had on britches just like Sadie.
This was a new kind of world out in the West. Just yesterday she’d gone with Sadie to collect eggs. The hens were nasty things that pecked until Angie’s hands were sprinkled with tender little sores. Sadie laughed at Angie’s suffering, told her the chickens had her buffaloed, which made no sense at all. While talking, advising, and laughing, Sadie quickly moved down a row of nest boxes, pulling eggs out from under one hen after another. The hens didn’t bother her at all.
And now she was climbing a mountain and wearing trousers.
Which reminded Angie of the heavy gun in her pocket. The frontier took some getting used to.
She thought of the strangely absent Justin Boden. Did he really have something to do? Or had he just come to his senses after she’d agreed to become involved with him, and now he was avoiding her?
Another thing she’d probably have to get used to—a broken heart.
Sadie led the way up what was nearly a staircase, walking carefully in sections, while Mel brought up the rear. Mel caught Angie a couple of times when she stumbled backward, so the order of this line was no coincidence.
Angie didn’t think she’d have realized they used to be buildings if Mel hadn’t mentioned it. But what else could they be? The top of the mesa was close to level. Grass and some scrub brush covered the rocky ground, with nothing to suggest the piles of stone had occurred naturally.
“Not old houses,” Sadie said, “ancient houses. Looks like they’ve been abandoned for thousands of years.”
Mel approached the nearest mound while Sadie picked the one farther on. Angie wandered around looking at the stones, searching with curiosity. She heard Mel and Sadie talking, exclaiming about the wonder of it all. Mel was excited to be up here. Sadie was thrilled to be back.
Angie saw something fluttering and white pinned beneath a stone. As she walked toward it, she realized it was a weathered piece of paper. She got a firm hold of it before lifting the fist-sized rock.
It was a wanted poster.
“Look at this.”
There must have been something in her tone, because Sadie and Mel hurried to her side.
Sadie studied the picture. “That’s Dantalion, the man who set off the avalanche that nearly killed Pa. He’s also the one who shot Heath and Cole, or hired the men who did.”
“The same man you say died on the trail you and Heath were on?” Angie asked.
“Yes, but the poster has a different name with the picture. Web Dunham. And it’s dated years ago, in Missouri. He’s wanted for murder.” She raised her eyes from the paper. “Far as I know, he’s not been seen around these parts since he killed Grandfather Chastain. This might be why. He left the area, committed his crimes somewhere else. If we take this to the sheriff, maybe we can find out where he was all this time, and even better, who his friends are. There’s a good chance whoever paid Dantalion that gold we found in his pocket is the same person who wrote those notes with the terrible handwriting.”
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