by J. T. Edson
‘Stop there!’ Galsworthy commanded when the trio had moved far enough for them to be unable to use the horses as a shield. They did as they were told and he went on, ‘Now throw down your weapons. Do it carefully and no tricks, or she’s dead.’
Knowing that he had no other choice without costing Madeline her life, Ole Devil extracted the pistol from his belt loop. He tossed it in front of him so that it landed on its left side with the hammer uppermost Having done so, he slid the bowie knife from its sheath and flipped it point first into the ground alongside the other weapon.
‘How about you and the “Chink”?’ Galsworthy asked, looking at Di.
‘Neither of them are armed, Randy,’ Madeline said, before the girl could reply. Then she stepped away from the man.
‘What the—?’ Di spluttered, then realization struck and her voice rose like the squall of an angry bobcat ‘Why you—!’
‘Easy!’ Ole Devil snapped, catching the furious girl by the arm as she was about to spring forward. ‘That won’t do any good!’
Much to Ole Devil’s relief, Di restrained her impulse. She might be hot-tempered, but she had enough sense to recognize sound advice when she heard it. Now she realized that the way in which Madeline’s clenched fists had been raised was not that of a frightened woman, and she also saw the two men who were coming out of the cabin. Although she had not had a close acquaintance with them, she identified them as the Mexicans who had been Madeline’s ‘captors’. Grinning at each other, they went to flank Galsworthy and the woman. Clearly the pair were satisfied that the situation was under control While each was holding a pistol, the muzzles were dangling towards the ground.
‘It’s lucky for you that you stopped,’ Galsworthy told the girl with a grin. Then he swung his pistol, which had been pointing towards Ole Devil, in Tommy’s direction and snarled, ‘Bring it out empty, damn you!’
‘Very sorry, sir!’ the little Oriental yelped, snatching his right hand from his trousers’ pocket into which he had slipped it. However, his hand did not emerge quite as had been instructed. ‘Don’t shoot humble self, excellent and honorable sir.’
‘What’s that you’re holding?’ Galsworthy demanded
Although Tommy had created something of a diversion, causing Galsworthy to take his pistol out of alignment on Ole Devil, there was no hope of it being turned to the trio’s advantage. The Mexicans had brought up their weapons and we’re covering the Texian.
‘Don’t shoot him!’ Old Devil called urgently. ‘It’s only his kongo.’
‘His what?’ Galsworthy asked, refraining from squeezing the trigger as he saw the thing Tommy was holding and decided that it could do him no harm.
‘A kongo, mister,’ Ole Devil repeated. ‘It’s his yawara prayer stick.’
Laying across Tommy’s left palm, the kongo looked harmless. It was a rod of some kind of hard wood, rounded at the ends and with grooves carved around its six-inch length.
‘If I am to join honorable ancestors,’ Tommy went on, displaying the kongo. ‘I must make yawara prayer.’
‘We’ll give you a chance to do it before we kill you, if you behave,’ Galsworthy promised, grinning sardonically and dismissing both Tommy and the kongo as of no importance.
The handsome man considered that he had every right to feel satisfied with the way things had turned out. When Arnaldo Verde had first come to him for help, he had seen a way in which he might make a lot of money. Loyalty to the Mexican citizenship he had adopted was not his motive for serving Santa Anna. In fact, his were much the same motives that Ole Devil had given Grivaljo. Five hundred new caplock rifles and a plentiful supply of ammunition were very valuable commodities. They would command a high price whether sold in bulk or individually. He had no intention of turning them over to the Mexicans if they should fall into his hands. So, while he was willing to destroy the shipment if necessary, he had been determined to gain possession of it if possible.
With his band scattered, looting the properties which had already been deserted by their owners or pillaging such as were still occupied but only lightly defended, Galsworthy had lacked sufficient strength to attack the Brindleys and take over the means to transport the shipment. So, having sent Halford and four men with Verde to intercept General Houston’s messenger, he had tried without success to gather reinforcements. Failing to do so, he had left word for any of his band who arrived at their headquarters to come after him and had taken the remainder, including his wife, to Gonzales. He had not known that the remnants of Halford’s party were in the vicinity when he had visited the Brindleys’ ranch to size up the opposition.
The meeting with Ole Devil had informed Galsworthy that Halford had failed in his assignment. When he had learned of Mucker’s capture, he had known that he must not allow an interrogation to be carried out. Mucker was neither brave nor staunch and would talk. He had known too much to be left alive. So Galsworthy had excused himself and gone to the barn. Finding it deserted and the key in the storeroom’s door, he had availed himself of the opportunity with which he was being presented. Entering, he had killed Mucker with his sword cane. Having laid the body on the bed and covered it with a blanket, he had locked the door and rejoined his party.
Still determined to try and take the shipment, Galsworthy had realized that he could not hope to do so unless he had more men. So he had reduced the number of his already small party by dispatching one of them in search of other members of his band. Having done so, he had brought the rest to the coast He had known that the mule train would have to come to Santa Cristobal Bay and had wanted to study its strength with the idea of taking it over. Instead of staying in sight of the Bay, he had taken his party to a hill which offered a good view of the surrounding country and had set a watch against the train’s arrival.
Learning that Di was approaching accompanied by Ole Devil and Tommy much earlier than he had anticipated, Galsworthy had guessed that they were travelling a long way ahead of the mule train. He had also seen he was being given a chance to outwit them. With the girl in his hands, he could force her grandfather to transport the shipment and, as long as he held her hostage, he could ensure that there would be no trouble from the old man or the Tejas Indian mule-packers.
Knowing that Halford had been a better than fair fighting man, Galsworthy had acquired considerable respect for Ole Devil’s capabilities in that line. Any man who could get by Halford—who had been with Galsworthy for several years and was second-in-command of the band—with the backing that he had was far too dangerous to be treated with anything other than great care. So, with Madeline’s approval, Galsworthy had formulated a plan to get her into his potential victims’ company. He had not been worried about asking his wife to take on the task. In spite of her elegant appearance and air of being a well-bred lady, she was tough, ruthless and able to take care of herself. xxix As long as her true purpose was not suspected, having her attached to the Texian’s party would be a great advantage.
Realizing that there would be a certain amount of danger involved if they were to make the woman’s ‘rescue’ appear genuine, the conspirators had planned it carefully. Although Galsworthy’s warning had probably not been necessary, the Mexican ‘captors’ had been instructed to allow Madeline to ‘escape’ at some distance away from her ‘rescuers’ so as to lessen the chances of being shot by them. The precautions had been justified. However, due to the nature of the terrain, they had been nearer than they had intended before Di’s hasty actions had allowed them to locate the trio and put the scheme into action.
On the other hand, Madeline’s part of the plan had gone without a hitch. She was an excellent rider and had been mounted upon a well-trained horse which she had been confident she could trust While she had been sitting sidesaddle with her hands fastened behind her back, her bonds had been tied around the thick leather gauntlets. So, as an experiment had proved, she could have freed herself if necessary. As a further air, should she have needed to regain control of the black gelding,
its reins were dangling across its neck and the Mexican was leading it by a rope that was too short to have entangled its legs when he had released it.
Everything had gone to plan. In fact, Madeline considered that her worst moment had been when Ole Devil had questioned her about the sidesaddle. Fortunately, she had been sufficiently quick witted to have thought up a plausible excuse.
When Madeline had heard about the presence of the Mexican brig in the bay, she had recognized that it was posing a serious threat to her husband’s hopes. It would either frighten away, or capture, the ship that was delivering the rifles. No matter which happened, the consignment would be lost to them. Listening to her ‘rescuers’ discussing the situation, she had been faced with another dilemma. She was aware of Galsworthy’s desire to capture and use the girl as a hostage. With that in mind, she had tried to talk Di out of accompanying the men. Discovering that the girl was adamant, Madeline had offered to participate in a more active manner than had been suggested. Although not entirely displeased at being refused—for she considered the chances of failure were high—she had been irritated by the way in which Di had turned down her suggestion. Clearly the girl had considered that she would be more of a liability than an asset on such a hazardous mission. Being proud of her reputation for competence and toughness, she had resented being treated that way by a poorly educated country yokel even though she should have regarded it as a tribute to her acting ability. However, she had managed to conceal her resentment and, apparently yielding to Di’s greater experience, had even consented to the exchange of clothing.
Shortly before nightfall, having followed the tracks of his wife and her ‘rescuers’, Galsworthy had found his wife at the cabin. On being told why she was alone and dressed in such an outlandish fashion (although he had regarded the clothing as very fetching due to the way in which die filled them) he had expressed his approval of her actions.
Then, in case the attempt to get rid of the brig should be successful, Galsworthy and his wife had made plans to capture the trio on their return. Wanting to take them alive if possible and having heard nothing to diminish his regard for Ole Devil’s abilities, Galsworthy had told his party what he wanted them to do. There were now only three men with him, the fourth having been sent back to look for and speed the arrival of such other members of the band whom he should meet.
Although Galsworthy had known that it would most likely be after dawn before his victims arrived, he had been disinclined to take chances. So, while he and his wife had spent the night making love in the cabin, their horses had been picketed beyond the nearest clump of bushes. The three very disgruntled men had been compelled to occupy a draughty and poorly constructed barn, being under orders to ensure that at least one of them remained awake and alert at all times.
Galsworthy had had no way of knowing how well, or otherwise, his order had been carried out With his passions aroused by Madeline’s sensual appearance he had been too occupied in sating them to check up on the trio. Certainly he had not found any of them asleep, although all looked damp, depressed and miserable, when he visited them at the first hint of daybreak. The party had eaten a cold breakfast as he had refused to allow a fire to be lit in case their victims should see the smoke and become suspicious. After that, it had only been a question of waiting. One of the men had been sent to keep the horses hidden and quiet The other two had been warned against letting themselves be seen before the Texian and his companions were disarmed.
There had been no doubt in Galsworthy mind that the plan would succeed. A man of Ole Devil Hardin’s background would do nothing to endanger the life of a woman, especially as she had apparently been helpful and was, as far as he knew, a loyal Texian.
The gamble had paid off. All that remained for Galsworthy to do was secure his prisoners and, provided they had done the work of removing the Mexican ship, await the arrival of the arms and the means to transport them.
Chapter Sixteen – You Need a Lesson, My Girl
Anger, resentment and annoyance at having fallen for the trick that had been played by the woman whom she knew as Madeline de Moreau, was boiling through Diamond-Hitch Brindley. It grew rather than diminished as the girl was watching the woman walking confidently towards her. There was an arrogant mockery and more than a hint of smug self-satisfaction on Madeline’s beautiful features that Di was finding particularly infuriating. However, having no wish to endanger the lives of her two companions, the girl managed to hold her temper in check.
On reaching the place where Ole Devil Hardin had tossed the bowie knife and Manton pistol, Galsworthy halted with the intention of picking them up. Having studied them while he was approaching, he knew that each weapon was far too valuable to be allowed to fall into his men’s hands. The rest of the party stopped when he did and stood awaiting his instructions. Instead of speaking, he thrust the uncocked pistol with which, he had ‘threatened’ his wife through his waistband.
Measuring with his eyes the distance which was separating him from his captors, Ole Devil accepted that it would be futile to take any action at that moment Although Galsworthy was putting away his weapon and had not yet removed the sword from its cane-sheath, the two Mexicans still held their flintlock pistols in their hands. Before he could reach and tackle their leader, unless something happened to divert their attention, one or the other of them was sure to have thrown down on him. At such a short range, it was highly unlikely that they both would miss.
‘The Mexican brig’s gone, hombre, but we did what we planned before it sailed,’ Ole Devil warned, playing for time. ‘Which means it won’t be coming back. There’s no way you can take the ship when it arrives.’
‘Seeing that I’ve got you, I don’t even have to try to take it,’ Galsworthy replied, so delighted by the success of his planning that he could not resist boasting. Respecting the young Texian as he did was such an unusual sensation that he wanted to impress the other in return, ‘All I have to do is use the authorization Houston gave to you and the captain will hand over the consignment.’
‘Like hell he will,’ Ole Devil contradicted, with an air of complete assurance.
‘Why not?’ Galsworthy demanded, having no wish to fail because of some error in his thinking.
‘My Uncle Marsden arranged the shipment and is coming with it,’ Ole Devil explained, so convincingly that he might have been telling the full truth. ‘He won’t turn it over to anybody but me. Try thinking about that before you kill us.’
‘Don’t kill humble self, honorable and excellent gentleman!’ Tommy Okasi wailed, throwing himself to his knees and closing the fingers of his right hand around the kongo stick.
Raising both hands above his head as if in supplication, the small Oriental shuffled forward on his knees and started to howl something in his native tongue.
‘What the hell’s he doing?’ Galsworthy growled, straightening up without having retrieved either of the weapons on the ground. He eyed Tommy with contempt
‘Praying to his ancestors to protect him,’ the Texian replied, raising his right hand slowly. Removing his hat, he laid it reverently across his chest and went on in Spanish, ‘May the Good Lord forgive him for being a heathen.’
The gesture was so touching that one of the Mexicans, being religiously indoctrinated like so many of his race and creed, crossed himself with his left hand. He did not, however, turn his pistol from its alignment on the young Texian. Being either less impressed, or not so pious as his companion, the other Mexican continued to point his weapon in the small Oriental’s direction.
Seeing the way Tommy was acting, Di might have felt disgusted if she had not recollected the things Ole Devil had told her about him. Remembering that he had willingly and without hesitation agreed to handle a potentially dangerous task aboard the brig—even though he had apparently failed in his purpose she found his present cowardly behavior puzzling.
Then enlightenment struck the girl!
With it came the realization that Tommy was only being
partially successful in his—deception. Although the Mexican whom he was approaching appeared to be amused by his ‘terrified’ groveling, the pistol was still aiming straight at the centre of his chest. Before he could get close enough to do whatever he was planning, the man might become suspicious and squeeze the trigger.
What was needed, Di concluded, was something to distract the men’s attention away from her friends.
The next question the girl decided was, how could she do it?
Turning her gaze along the line of her enemies, Di brought it back to Madeline. The woman was standing with her hands on her hips, and looking at Tommy with something between amusement and contempt. Becoming aware of the girl’s eyes on her, she returned the scrutiny.
Having gained some considerable proficiency at playing poker, it being a favorite pastime of her grandfather and all their employees regardless of race, Di possessed a fair ability to read human emotions if they were shown. Taking in Madeline’s obvious delight and pleasure over their predicament, the girl guessed what was causing it.
Although Di had thought nothing of it at the time, having had more important issues demanding her attention, she had sensed on the previous afternoon that—no matter how Madeline was reacting on the surface—there had been an undercurrent of animosity because Di had refused her assistance. The girl now realized what had brought it about Clearly Madeline—who must be possessed of considerable courage, determination and confidence to have accepted her role in the fake rescue—had resented a much younger and far less worldly-wise member of her sex snubbing her. She was obviously incensed that Di believed she lacked the kind of qualities which would be required during the proposed deception of the Mexican naval officer.