“Oh, but we can,” said Mark. “When we left to join General Lee, Bill, these two little shirt-tail gals was just seventeen. You remember ’em promising themselves to us, once the war was over? There was Betsy and you, Amanda and me.”
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Bill said. “Come daylight, we’ll straighten out this damn bunch of outlaws. But we got to have your help, girls. Can you convince this bunch of bastards that you been spoken for, that you’re hogwild crazy about Mark and me?”
“Save us,” said Betsy, “and I’ll go anywhere with you, doing anything you ask of me.”
“She’s speaking for me, too,” Amanda said.
“Then we have some heavy talkin’ to do,” said Bill. “We got to know as much as the two of you can tell us about your lives in Texas, before you were brought here. Betsy, do you object to being my promised bride when we face that bunch tomorrow?”
“Not in the slightest,” Betsy said. “Just don’t be shocked at how far I’m willing to go when I have to.”
“Amanda,” said Mark, “it’s you and me. Can we convince the varmints you’ve been promised to me for five years?”
“I’m willing to become a wife to you even if we never stand before a preacher,” said Amanda. “I’ll die before Wolf Estrello takes me.”
“Damn it, the two of you deserve better than being tied down to a pair of outlaws,” Mark said. “We have prices on our heads, too, and you’re just swapping one bad deal for another. Even if we had extra horses, we couldn’t take you away from here.”
“We know that,” said Betsy, “but you’re willing to risk your lives to save us. It may be more difficult than you expect. If this is to work out like we’re planning, the two of you will have to join Estrello’s gang. He’s a devil with a pistol, just looking for a chance to kill. I’m afraid for you—for all of us.”
“In anything like a fair fight, Mark and me can face Estrello down,” Bill said, “but we must avoid any gun trouble if we can. We need time to divide the outfit, to win the favor of some of the men who might be willing to turn on Estrello. If it’s our guns against the whole bunch, then the odds go to hell.”
“We need to know as much about this Estrello as we can,” said Bill. “Like how far can we push the situation shy of a gunfight?”
“Estrello has the pride of a dozen men,” Betsy said. “That’s why some of the men hate him. He’s pistol-whipped them for no reason. He vowed to take both me and Amanda to bed last night, and that’s why we ran away. He’s a cruel beast who will beat a horse until he breaks its spirit.”
“That’s why he left us our boots,” Amanda added. “He wanted us to run away, knowing we didn’t have a chance without clothes or horses. Now he’ll feel all the more justified in punishing us.”
“That’s the answer, then,” said Mark. “He’s busy gettin’ a mad on tonight, justifying what he aims to do tomorrow, after he’s run the two of you down. We’ll turn that around and use it against him, forcing the bastard to pull a gun if he has the nerve.”
“Oh, dear God, no,” Amanda said. “He has the nerve. Nobody will draw against him. We heard one of the men say he shot Jake twice, although Jake drew first.”
“Now don’t you worry,” said Mark. “Bill and me have an edge. There’s one thing that every bull-of-the-woods gunman is afraid of, and that’s comin’ face-to-face with a better man, a faster gun. This lowdown son-of-a-bitch is about to meet two of them, all in the same day.”
“You’re risking your lives for us,” Betsy said. “I feel so ... so guilty.”
“Don’t,” said Bill. “Remember, we’re on the dodge ourselves. We got enough jerked beef and bacon for a week. If we stay in Indian Territory, we’ll have to throw in with Estrello. The only way we can do that is to purely scare hell out of him.”
“I’m so afraid for you both,” Amanda said. “A fight over us will hurt your chances.”
“Wrong,” said Mark. “Many a man who’s an outlaw and killer will still respect a good woman. Just bear in mind that after four long years of war, Bill and me come lookin’ for the two of you, expecting you to live up to your promises. Not to say that Estrello won’t try to kill us somewhere along the trail, but we can shame him before his outfit, once he comes looking for you.”
“We know you don’t have much food,” Amanda said, “but could we have something to eat? We weren’t allowed any supper.”
“We still got a pretty good chunk of bacon,” said Bill. “We’ll broil you some of that and make a fresh pot of coffee.”
After eating, Amanda and Betsy went to the spring, where they filled their tin cups with fresh water.
“My God,” Mark said softly, “did you ever see two more beautiful girls? I’d fight my way through fire and brimstone and wrestle the devil for a smile from either of them.”
“By the time we bust up this Estrello gang—if we can stay alive—we’ll each have a woman beside us that’ll rattle the eyeballs of every man in Texas. But we ain’t takin’ ’em without going before a preacher, are we?”
“Not if we can avoid it,” said Mark, “but this Estrello may be just cruel enough to see that the girls live up to their promises to us, with or without a preacher.”
“We’re a mite shy of blankets,” Bill said when Amanda and Betsy returned from the spring. “Betsy, you take my blankets, and Amanda, you’ll take Mark’s. We won’t have you lying naked on the ground.”
“The wind is cold,” said Amanda, “but it’s not fair, us taking your blankets. Perhaps we can share them.”
“Yeah,” Bill said. “The two of you sharing Mark’s, with Mark and me sharin’ mine.”
Mark almost choked, while the girls burst into laughter.
“Mark will sleep next to me,” said Amanda, “while Bill sleeps next to Betsy.”
“Yeah,” said Bill, “and you got nothin’ to be afraid of. We only take off our hats.”
Chapter 2
Outlaw camp on the Washita. July 18, 1866.
Wolf Estrello decided against further humiliating Amanda and Betsy Miles. He was just vain enough that he didn’t want any man in the outfit seeing them naked, so he folded their clothing and placed it in his saddlebag. For appearances’ sake, he would take some of his outfit with him, carefully choosing those who wouldn’t question whatever he did.
“Jules Hiram. Hugh Odell, and Bert Hamby, you’ll ride with me,” Estrello said.
“Four of you against two scared, naked girls is a mite one-sided,” said Todd Keithley. “I’ll just ride along and see that the girls aren’t mistreated and their clothing’s returned.”
“You’ll go nowhere against my orders,” Estrello shouted. “I’ll have you bound and horsewhipped for insubordination. Now two of you saddle two extra horses.”
“Then you’d better include me in whatever you have in mind,” said Ed Stackler. “Jake Miles was my friend. I should have gut-shot you last night, before you stripped those two girls and drove them out of camp. I’ll be riding with you this morning, like it or not.”
Wolf Estrello found himself in trouble. As Todd Keithley backed away from the group, Ed Stackler stood beside him. Behind the two of them came Carl Long, Lee Sullivan, Nick Ursino, and Vernon Clemans. Every man carried two guns. Some of the other men looked doubtfully at Estrello, perhaps of half a mind to join the opposition. It had soured them, seeing old Jake Miles baited into a gunfight he couldn’t win and being shot down.
“Then I’ll take four men,” Wolf Estrello said. “Keithley, you and Stackler can go, and I’ll take Hiram and Odell. Does that strike everybody as fair?”
“As far as it goes,” said Stackler. “You’ve made your brag, but you won’t be taking either of those girls against her will.”
“I’m with you on that,” Keithley said.
There was immediate agreement from the others. While these men were outlaws, there was a streak of decency within them all that forbade this disgraceful thing Wolf Estrello had in mind.
Without a word, Keithley and Stackler saddled their own mounts and then a pair for Amanda and Betsy. They rode out behind Estrello, Hiram, and Odell. The trail wasn’t difficult to follow, for the girls had kept close to the riverbank, and their boot tracks were plain. There were bits of dried blood on leaves on the ground and on tree trunks.
Hiram laughed. “Looks like they got cut up some, or nicked by some lead.”
But his laughter withered quickly away when the cold eyes of Keithley and Stackler met his.
“Rein up,” Estrello ordered. “I smell smoke.”
“Them two wouldn’t have no way to start a fire,” said Odell.
“Who says it’s their fire?” Estrello said. “It could be the law. We’ll leave the horses here and go on afoot. We got the wind in our favor.”
But in the camp a quarter of a mile distant, Mark Rogers and Bill Harder waited, not depending on the wind. Each man stood next to his grazing horse, and when the animals raised their heads and perked their ears, their riders quickly caught their muzzles before they could nicker. Amanda and Betsy had covered themselves with the blankets.
Estrello led the way, followed by the other four. None of them expected what they encountered.
“That’s far enough,” Bill Harder said. “You’re covered. Who are you, and why are you invading our camp?”
“I’m Wolf Estrello, and I’m here to claim a pair of runaway females that’s been in my camp for near five years. Turn them over to us and save yourselves some trouble.”
“They’ve told us about their experiences in your outfit, including the shooting of Jake Miles, their pa. But that won’t make any difference to you.”
Suddenly from beyond the spring, Mark Rogers stepped out, and it was he who spoke.
“I’m Mark Rogers, and my amigo is Bill Harder. Amanda and Betsy Miles are twenty-three years old. Five years ago, before Bill and me joined the Confederacy, Amanda and Betsy were promised to us. They would wait until the war was done. Now Bill and me are callin’in those claims, with or without your approval.”
“Wolf,” said Olson excitedly, “these hombres got prices on their heads. I saw the wanted dodgers while we was in St. Louis. Hell, they’re worth twenty thousand dollars, dead or alive.”
Wolf Estrello laughed. “So you’re no better than we are. What do you aim to do, here in Indian Territory, with two females on your hands?”
“We thought we might do the same thing you’re doing,” Bill Harder said coolly. “After all, you don’t have a government franchise to sell rotgut whiskey to the Comanches and Kiowa, do you? Mark and me can handle anything up to a six-horse or -mule hitch.”
“Compete with me?” Estrello roared. “I have thirty men. By God, both of you will be dead by this time tomorrow.”
“Wolf,” said Stackler, speaking for the first time, “you have maybe fifteen men who will likely pull a gun for you. The others will turn on you, if only to revenge old Jake’s death. Wouldn’t you say so, Keithley?”
“I would,” Keithley replied, “and Wolf, I think it’s time Amanda and Betsy had their clothes returned. I saw you put them in your saddlebags.”
“I’ll see that they get them,” said Estrello angrily. “Where are they hiding?”
“Don’t you come near us, Wolf Estrello,” Amanda shouted. “We’re living up to our promise of five years ago. Let Mark or Bill bring our clothes to us.”
There was no help for it, and removing the rolled-up garments from his saddlebag, he silently passed them to Bill. But Estrello wasn’t the kind to take water, and as Bill turned away, Estrello went for his revolver. Mark made no move until he was sure of Estrello’s intentions. Drawing left-handed, he put a slug through Estrello’s gun hand, and the outlaw dropped the weapon as if it were hot. In an instant, Bill had drawn his own Colt, holstering it when he saw it wasn’t needed. Keithley and Stackler were watching Hiram and Odell as though they might take a hand if the other two outlaws bought in.
“Here are your clothes,” said Bill when he reached Amanda and Betsy. “I don’t think they can see you from here, but maybe I’d better hold a blanket in front of you.”
“Please do,” said Betsy. “Who fired the shot?”
“Mark,” Bill replied. “Estrello’s just learned he’s not the fastest gun around anymore.”
“That will help you,” Amanda said, “but would you and Mark go up against Estrello’s bunch? It’s awful dangerous. It wouldn’t be just him after you. The federals will be, too.”
“That was a bluff, threatening to start an outfit of our own,” said Bill. “Fortunately, two of the men Estrello brought with him dealt us a royal flush. We now know that with a little prodding, half of Estrello’s outfit can be hazed off in another direction. I think, after he’s thought about it, he’ll want Mark and me to join him, if only in the hope of gunning us down.”
“Oh, God,” said Betsy, “he’ll be looking for ways to kill you. Every time you ride out, we’ll remember what happened to Jake.”
“Don’t speak a word to Estrello, unless it’s to answer a question we’ve already agreed on,” Bill said. “If he feels threatened enough to take us into his outfit, there’s going to be a condition. There’s room enough on a wagon seat for two, and wherever Estrello sends us, you’ll be going, too. Dangerous, maybe, but no more so than leaving you in camp with some of his outlaws. Estrello could always send away all who might turn against him, leaving you at the mercy of the others. Can either of you fire a rifle or revolver?”
“Yes,” said Amanda. “We learned in Texas by the time we were twelve, thanks to the regular visits of the Comanches.”
They had been taking their time, for Bill wanted to reassure them of the need to join Estrello’s gang. When they were dressed, except for their boots, Bill folded the blankets, and they were ready to face Estrello. They found him gritting his teeth, a bloody bandanna wrapped about his injured hand.
“I reckon,” said Estrello when he finally spoke, “you’ll need horses and saddles for these troublesome little wenches. I’m figurin’ two hundred and fifty dollars per horse and saddle.”
“Then you’d better do some more figurin’,” Stackler said. “These are the horses and saddles they rode when Jake first brought them to the territory. Right, Keithley?”
“Right,” said Keithley, “and there’s Jake’s two Henry rifles and his Colt. All that should go to Amanda and Betsy.”
“I shall make up my own mind what I intend to do,” Estrello snarled, “and I’ll listen to no more speculation at my expense. Before I make any decisions, I want the rest of the outfit to know what those possible decisions are.”
“Then let’s mount up and ride,” said Mark. “You and your men lead out, and the rest of us will follow.”
It was clearly an insult, and the outlaws took it exactly as Mark had intended. While Hiram, Odell, and Estrello were furious, there was just a hint of a smile on the faces of Stackler and Keithley. Estrello’s men watched in silence as the riders approached the camp. They had heard the shot Mark had fired, and their attention was immediately drawn to Wolf Estrello’s bandaged hand. Amanda, Betsy, and the two strange riders were careful to remain behind the outlaws. Estrello wasted no time. Dismounting, he turned to the men who had gathered and began speaking. Some outlaws grinned when they learned Amanda and Betsy had been claimed by Mark Rogers and Bill Harder.
“That ain’t so hard to figure out,” said Alfonso Suggs. “Let’em take the women and ride out. I wasn’t ever in favor of Jake bringin’ ’em here.”
“Me neither,” said Burrel Hedgepith, the black man.
“They refuse to ride out,” Wolf Estrello said. “They’re threatening to build an outfit of their own and horn in on us.”
“Like hell,” shouted one of the outlaws. He reached for his revolver, only to find himself covered by Colts in the hands of Mark and Bill. Without a word, he let his weapon slide back into the holster. It was enough to convince the rest of the gang, for Estrello already nursed an i
njured hand, and none of the outlaws had ever seen him beaten to the draw.
“These hombres is Rogers and Harder,” said Estrello. “I’m thinking it won’t be a bad idea if they was part of our bunch. We all end up fighin’ among ourselves, and none of us makes any money.”
“We ain’t makin’ none now,” Skull Worsham said. “Not after your fifty-percent cut.”
“I’m willing to lower my share to forty percent,” Estrello said. “It would be worth it to get some new teamsters. We’re already two men shy.”
“They’re bluffin’,” said Waddy Jackman. “Ain’t no way they can raise an outfit here in the Territory, and they got no mules or wagons.”
“When the need arises,” Mark said, “we’ll have riders. As for our wagons and teams, we’re figurin’ on using some of yours.”
There was surprise on the face of every man in the outfit, and several were violently angry, but nobody made a move toward his gun. Not a man of them wanted to challenge these gun-handy strangers, and they began to understand the predicament Estrello faced. But knowing Estrello, they believed he was taking in Rogers and Harder only to dispose of them at some convenient opportunity.
“All right,” said Estrello, “it’s time for a vote. Anybody object to us takin’ in Harder and Rogers as teamsters?”
Nobody said anything, although some were obviously tempted.
“That’s settled,” Estrello said. “Harder, has you and Rogers got anything to say?”
“Matter of fact, we have,” said Mark. “Wherever we go, Amanda rides the wagon box with me, while Betsy rides with Bill. As all of you now know, they’ve been promised to us, and we aim to see that nothing happens to them.”
“Take ’em with you, and welcome,” Wolf Estrello said, “but the first damn troublesome mischief they bring down on the outfit, all of you will answer to me.”
The outlaws didn’t have a common fire for preparation of food. Instead, they worked in teams of two or three, hunkering down to eat alone when their food was done.
Ralph Compton Whiskey River Page 4