by Tell Cotten
Brian rode beside Winchester, and he looked concerned.
“Ground sure is slick,” he commented.
“Is a little,” Winchester agreed.
“But it’s better than wading though water,” Brian said, and added, “This country can sure flood in a hurry.”
“Sure can,” Winchester replied. “But, it’s just what we needed.”
“How’s that?”
“It wiped out our tracks,” Winchester explained. “Gave us some time.”
“Enough time to ride back to Texas?” Brian looked hopeful.
“Not that much time. Our best chance is still that hill.”
Brian nodded thoughtfully and asked, “How far off is it?”
Winchester thought a moment.
“Long as we don’t stop much, we should reach it sometime tomorrow afternoon.”
Brian nodded again. A few seconds passed, and he said, “I wonder how Yancy and Cooper made out.”
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Winchester replied. “They’re too ornery to die. Especially Yancy.”
Brian smiled at that, and it fell silent as they trotted on.
Chapter sixty-five
No Worries was furious.
Apaches hated to be caught by surprise, but that’s exactly what had happened. As a result, No Worries had lost nearly half his men.
It was a difficult thing, and No Worries refused to accept it. A deep anger burned inside him, and he was determined to have the last victory.
It was still dark as they circled the pass on horseback. They rode in as close as they could, and then they waited for daylight.
It was a long wait.
As soon as dawn arrived, they searched for tracks. However, there were none to be found. The flooding water had wiped away any sign of them.
No Worries was disappointed, but he refused to show it. They rode east, and they spread out as they looked for sign.
No Worries could only guess which direction the hated whites had gone. If they were soldiers, they would go south towards the army posts. If not, they would probably go east towards Texas.
This seemed more likely. However, No Worries was confused, because he’d received no word from the Apaches at the hill.
They rode several miles, and No Worries halted abruptly.
“Look,” he spoke gruffly in Apache and pointed.
In front of them, several hundred yards, was a mule.
The mule didn’t see them. He limped slightly, but he still managed to trot with purpose. His head was close to the ground, and he traveled east in a straight line.
No Worries grunted in thought. One of his warriors started to go after him, but No Worries stopped him.
“What do we do?” The warrior, also speaking in Apache, asked with a confused look.
“We follow,” No Worries declared.
Part Six
“United Paths”
Chapter sixty-six
Yancy and Cooper couldn’t sleep. They finally gave up a few hours before dawn.
Yancy rebuilt the fire, and Cooper cooked breakfast. After they ate, they felt somewhat refreshed. They drank more coffee, and then Cooper unpacked the shovels.
It was easy digging, and it didn’t take them long to bury the dead. Afterwards, they grubbed a few mesquite bushes around the base of the hill so they could better defend it.
“You still determined to set this trap?” Yancy asked.
“Yes, unless you have a better idea.”
Yancy shook his head.
“Can’t think of one.”
Cooper nodded, and he looked thoughtful as he studied the country in front of them.
“If you were the Apaches, where would you leave the horses?” He asked.
It was silent as Yancy studied the landscape.
“There,” he finally pointed to a low spot several hundred yards away.
“I agree,” Cooper said, and they walked over and inspected the area.
It was a likely spot. There was a sand dune between them and the hill, and at the bottom it mushroomed out a bit, making a natural corral of sorts.
“This is the place,” Cooper declared, and Yancy nodded his agreement.
There were several thick, thorny shrubs scattered about, and Cooper gestured at two shrubs that were close together.
“There,” he said.
Yancy agreed, and Cooper started digging between the two shrubs, being careful not to disturb them.
It was sandy, easy digging, and the two brothers traded out often. They dug the hole about the size of a grave, only shallower.
They were both drenched with sweat by the time they finished. Cooper put the shovel aside, climbed in the hole, pressed himself flat, and glanced up at Yancy.
“What do you think?”
Yancy nodded slowly.
“Should work.”
Cooper returned the nod. He climbed out, grabbed the shovel, and glanced at the sun.
“Almost noon,” he said. “According to my calculations, they could show up anytime now.”
“Precise calculations,” Yancy reminded.
“Right,” Cooper smiled faintly.
“Well, we’d best settle in and keep watch,” Yancy suggested.
“Reckon we’d better,” Cooper agreed, and they trudged back to the top of the hill.
Chapter sixty-seven
Winchester kept a brisk pace through the night, and by dawn the mountains were far behind them.
The sunlight was a welcome change. It warmed up quickly, and their damp clothes finally dried out.
Winchester pulled up around midmorning. Their horses were exhausted, and soaked with sweat.
“Best let our horses breathe a bit,” Winchester suggested, and he looked at the women. “We also have some food if you’re hungry.”
Everyone nodded and dismounted.
Winchester rummaged through Jeremiah’s saddlebags and found a can of peaches. Then, he slipped back down the trail a ways to watch their back trail.
Meanwhile, Lee dug out some hardtack and beef jerky and offered it to Rachel and April.
“Might not taste the best, but it’ll have to do until we can stop,” he said.
“Tastes just fine to me,” April replied as she bit into the tough hardtack.
“Best meal we’ve had in weeks,” Rachel added.
Lee smiled at them, and then he walked over and examined his exhausted mount, as did Rondo and Brian. Meanwhile, Rachel and April sat on the ground a short distance from them.
“Are you doing all right?” April shot Rachel a concerned look.
“Yes, I think so.”
April nodded and asked, “Does Rondo know about the baby yet?”
Rachel shook her head.
“No, I haven’t told him.”
April looked surprised.
“Why not?”
“I’ve decided to wait,” Rachel declared.
“For what?”
“Until we’re home,” Rachel explained. “He has enough to think about right now. I don’t want to startle him. And, I’d like to be alone when I tell him.”
“Just don’t wait too long,” April cautioned.
“I won’t,” Rachel promised.
April nodded, and they heard a noise from behind. Seconds later, Winchester came trotting up.
“See any Injuns?” Rondo asked from the horses.
“No, but they’ll be along,” Winchester replied. “We’d best keep going.”
Rondo nodded, and everybody moved to their horses and mounted up.
“How close are we to the hill?” Brian asked.
“We’ll be there midafternoon,” Winchester replied.
He kicked up Jeremiah’s horse, and everyone followed.
Chapter sixty-eight
Yancy and Cooper lay stretched out on the ground, on top of the hill, concealed behind bushes. Cooper had his spyglass, and they took turns sweeping the countryside, looking for riders.
It was midafternoon, and the hot s
un burned down unmercifully.
“Where are they?” Yancy asked, irritation in his voice.
“They’ll be along.”
“I’m starting to wonder if we made a bad decision, splitting up like we did.”
“Too late now,” Cooper replied, and added, “Besides, bad decisions make for good stories.”
Yancy snorted at that, it was silent for a bit.
Suddenly, Cooper grunted as he squinted through his eyeglass.
“You see ’em?” Yancy asked.
“I sure do.”
“About time,” Yancy said softly.
“They’re just trotting along, and don’t seem to be in any trouble,” Cooper commented, and he swept the eyeglass to the west and studied their back trail. “No Injuns that I can see.”
“Any sign of Rachel or April?”
Cooper swept his eyeglass back to the riders, and several seconds passed as he squinted through it.
“Yep, I see two females,” Cooper announced, excitement in his voice.
Yancy grinned, but didn’t say anything.
***
Yancy and Cooper kept a watchful eye as they drew close. Finally, Cooper stood and waved at them.
“Come on in!” He yelled.
They trotted up and halted at the tank. Their thirsty horses drank deeply while Yancy and Cooper walked down the hill.
Several seconds passed while everyone looked at each other, and then Cooper cleared his throat.
“You made it,” he said.
“We did,” Winchester spoke.
“Any trouble?”
“Some, but we handled it.”
“Figured you would,” Cooper said, and he glanced at April and Rachel. “You two all right?”
“We’re fine,” Rachel smiled at him.
Cooper returned the smile.
“Good,” he said.
“What happened here?” Rondo spoke up, and he gestured at Yancy’s bandaged arm. “Are you hurt?”
“Just a scratch,” Yancy replied, and added, “No trouble here. We also have three extra horses.”
“I noticed that,” Winchester said as he studied the horses.
“Where’s Jeremiah?” Yancy asked suddenly.
They glanced at each other, and Rondo cleared his throat.
“He didn’t make it,” he said softly.
A look of regret crossed Yancy’s face. He glanced at Cooper, and he then turned away, his hands on his hips.
Chapter sixty-nine
Cooper rekindled the fire and cooked some salt pork and coffee. Meanwhile, Yancy kept watch while everybody else tended to their horses.
“Come get it,” Cooper finally said.
They filled their plates, and they spread out around the top of the hill and kept watch while they ate. It was the best meal they’d had in days, and everyone ate with a vengeance. Afterwards, they refilled their coffee cups.
“So, what’s next?” Lee asked as he took a swig of coffee.
“We wait for the Apaches to show up,” Winchester replied.
“Why don’t we ride out?” Lee replied. “We might be able to outrun ’em.”
“No,” Winchester said flatly. “We couldn’t.”
Lee scowled, but Winchester ignored the look.
“You sure they’re following you?” Cooper entered the conversation.
“They’ll be along,” Winchester said with confidence.
It was silent as everyone thought on that, and then they settled in and kept watch.
The afternoon passed slowly. Rachel and April sat under the shade of a tree and took a nap, and everybody else took turns looking through the eyeglass.
About an hour before dark, Yancy suddenly grunted.
“What is it?” Cooper hissed.
A few tense seconds passed, and Yancy shook his head in disbelief.
“It’s Jug-head,” he announced.
“Jug-head!” Winchester said, surprised. “He was crippled. We had to leave him.”
“He ain’t now,” Yancy replied, and he handed the spyglass to Winchester.
“How ’bout that,” Winchester said, pleased. “Good ol’ Jug-head.”
Neither Yancy nor Cooper replied, and several seconds passed as Winchester squinted through the eyeglass. He swept the countryside, and he sat up abruptly.
“Injuns,” he said softly.
“Where?” Yancy demanded.
“’Bout a half mile behind Jug-head. I only caught a glimpse.”
Yancy glanced at Cooper and looked back at Winchester.
“Are you suggesting they’re following Jug-head?” He asked, disbelief in his voice.
“What it looked like to me,” Winchester said.
Everyone was silent as they thought on that.
“And Jug-head’s leading them straight to us,” Yancy finally said.
“It would appear so,” Winchester agreed.
Chapter seventy
“I’ve never liked that mule,” Yancy declared irritably.
“Aw, it ain’t his fault,” Winchester said. “They’d have found us eventually anyway.”
Yancy didn’t reply. Instead, he asked, “How many Apaches?”
“About a dozen, give or take.”
“You fellows narrowed them down some,” Yancy said, surprised.
“We got a few,” Winchester nodded.
“But there’s still more than us,” Lee spoke up.
Yancy looked thoughtful, and they watched as Jug-head trotted up. As soon as he spotted them, he perked his ears and brayed.
“Yes, we hear you,” Yancy said sourly.
Jug-head trotted over to the horses and took his place beside No-see-ums. There was no need to tie him; it was obvious he wasn’t going anywhere.
Yancy scowled at the mule, and then he glanced at Winchester.
“What do you reckon they’ll do next?” He asked.
“You’re asking my opinion?” Winchester looked surprised.
Yancy frowned.
“I am.”
“Well,” Winchester looked thoughtful. “They’ll probably wait until dark and ride in as close as they can. Then, they’ll surround us on foot and be ready to attack come dawn.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Yancy agreed. He glanced at Cooper and asked, “Still want to try it?”
“It’s worth a shot,” Cooper replied.
“Try what?” Winchester asked, confused.
“We set up a trap of sorts,” Cooper explained.
“Trap?” Winchester raised a doubtful eye. “What sort of trap?”
“Just watch and learn something,” Yancy replied curtly.
Chapter seventy-one
“I’ll be right back,” Yancy said, and he and Cooper stood.
“You’re going out there?” Winchester frowned his disapproval.
“That’s right,” Yancy said. “Everybody else stay put and keep a sharp lookout.”
Winchester wanted to object, but he remained silent.
Before they left, Cooper grabbed a saddle blanket. Winchester wondered what it was for, but he didn’t ask as they slipped out.
They worked their way down the hill, crossed the sand dune, and arrived at the hole.
Cooper crawled in, and he held his rifle beside him.
“Ready?” Yancy asked, and Cooper nodded.
Yancy worked quickly. He placed the saddle blanket over Cooper’s head and back, and he scooped up handfuls of sand and covered the blanket. Then, he spread out the remaining sand over Cooper’s legs.
Next, he pulled out his knife and slashed the roots of a nearby greasewood. He swept the area clean of any tracks or disturbance.
Yancy stood back and observed his work. Everything was covered and concealed, and he grunted his satisfaction.
“You all right under there?” Yancy asked.
“Just lovely.”
“How does it feel?”
“Sandy.”
“Don’t suffocate,” Yancy warned.
“Hold on,
” Cooper replied.
Moving slow so he wouldn’t disturb anything, Cooper pushed a stick up beside the blanket. He pulled it back, and it left a tiny hole in the sand.
“See that hole?” Cooper asked.
Yancy shook his head.
“I can’t tell if you just shook your head,” Cooper replied after a moment of silence.
Yancy scowled.
“I don’t see anything,” he said.
“Good, now I can breath,” Cooper replied.
“I’m glad you’re comfortable.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
Yancy smiled, and said, “Well, I’d best get back up there. Be careful.”
“I’ll try.”
“And remember; this was your idea.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll see you in a bit.”
“I hope so.”
Yancy took careful steps backward. He dragged the greasewood behind him and covered his tracks as best he could.
He made his way back to the top of the hill, and Winchester gave him a questioning look.
“Where’s Cooper?”
“I left him in a hole,” Yancy said, and then he explained.
It was silent as everyone thought on that.
“This might actually work,” Winchester grudgingly admitted.
“Glad you like it,” Yancy said, and added, “We need to be ready to ride. Best keep your horses saddled.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Yancy glanced at the lowering sun, and then he settled in behind a shrub and looked out at the countryside.
“Now comes the hard part,” he said softly.
“What’s that?” Rondo asked.
“Waiting.”
Chapter seventy-two
Night settled over their camp. Yancy kicked out the fire, and darkness surrounded them.
An hour passed, but it felt longer.
Especially for Yancy. He looked anxious, and Lee watched him for a moment.
“You worried?” Lee finally asked.
“About what?” Yancy glanced at him.