by Tell Cotten
We paused at the doorway while our eyes adjusted, and then we looked around.
The cantina wasn’t much of a place. It was dark, and it smelled of whiskey, sweat, and cigar smoke. There were a few tables spread about, and the bar was two long planks laid on top of two whiskey kegs.
The place was empty except for us and a fat Mexican that stood behind the bar. He looked unconcerned and uninterested as we stopped in front of him.
“Have any other strangers been in here?” I asked.
He looked at me with a blank look.
“Speak-idy any English?” I raised my voice.
“Whiskey?” He asked with a thick accent.
“Coffee’ll do.”
“No whiskey?”
“Coffee,” I said louder. “You savvy coffee?”
“I make,” he said.
I nodded, and Cooper and I walked to the back and sat down at a table. Cooper leaned his rifle in the corner, and we positioned ourselves so that we could see the entire room.
“I wonder why we do that,” Cooper commented.
“Do what?”
“Speak louder when someone doesn’t understand what we’re saying, as if that’ll help.”
I frowned at Cooper, and he smiled.
A few minutes passed, and the Mexican brought us a pot of coffee and two cups.
“Do you have any sugar?” I asked.
He gave me a blank look.
“Never mind,” I said, and he nodded and returned to the bar.
Cooper smiled at me as he poured us both a cup. We took a cautious swig, and Cooper nodded.
“It ain’t too bad,” he said.
“It ain’t too good neither,” I grumbled.
“Better than nothing.”
“It is,” I agreed.
Cooper nodded and changed the subject.
“I didn’t like the looks of them fellers outside.”
“Can’t say I did neither.”
“You reckon they’re Ike’s men?”
“We’ll know soon enough.”
Cooper nodded again, and it fell silent.
Time passed slowly. We each drank three cups, and then we heard a noise from outside.
It was a horse, trotting into town. But then the horse stopped, and Cooper and I glanced at each other.
Seconds later, the swinging doors burst open, and we could see the silhouette of a man standing in the doorway. A few seconds passed, and he stepped inside.
He took a slow look around the room. His gaze finally came to us, and he narrowed his eyes. His face was emotionless, and his eyes were hard.
He walked over to the bar, and I frowned as I studied him. He was dark, lean, and hard looking. I wasn’t sure, but he looked half Mexican and half Indian.
He spoke softly to the Mexican behind the bar. It was in Spanish. The Mexican gave him a bottle and a glass, and he paid for it and filled his glass.
He took a swig, and then he turned around and stared at us. There was nothing else to look at, so we stared back.
Several minutes passed. He took several swigs of whiskey, but he never took his eyes off us. There was a scornful look in his eyes, and I could tell that he was studying us, as if he was wondering who he should shoot first.
I held my coffee cup in my left hand. I took a swig, and as I did I lowered my right hand over my gun handle, just in case.
He noticed my movements, and I heard a slight grunt of amusement.
I set my coffee cup down and smiled at him. He ignored my smile as he took another swig of whiskey.
“Why’s he staring at us?” Cooper whispered, and I could barely hear his voice.
“You want to ask him?” I whispered back.
Cooper frowned, but didn’t reply.
More time passed. We drank more coffee, and the half-breed drank more whiskey. He never took his eyes off us. His face was very solemn, and I could tell that he didn’t like us.
Suddenly, he took a big gulp of whiskey and finished his drink. He slammed the cup down on the bar, looked at us and grinned, and walked briskly towards the door. He shoved the swinging doors open and walked out, and we heard him as he mounted up and rode out.
Cooper looked at me with a startled look.
“Who was that?”
“Not sure. He looked like a half-breed.”
“Do you think that was our man?”
“I hope not.”
“I wonder why he left?”
“Mebbe we scared him,” I suggested.
“So now what?”
“We wait,” I said.
Chapter thirty-one
Another hour passed. We drank another pot of coffee, and then we just sat there.
I studied the Mexican behind the bar. He stood perfectly still, and I couldn’t help but wonder how he could stay in one position for so long.
We finally heard the sound of several horses coming into town. A few seconds passed, and we heard someone step up onto the porch of the cantina.
I glanced at Cooper, and then we watched the swinging doors. They opened, and in stepped a tall man. He paused at the door, and then he walked over to the bar.
He was a very big man. I figured he stood over six feet tall, and he had a muscled torso with dark hair.
There was a cocky way about him, and I could tell that he had a high opinion of himself.
He ignored us as he bought a bottle of whiskey. He grabbed a glass, poured himself a drink, took a deep swig, and then turned and looked at us.
He finished his drink, poured himself another, and walked over.
“Morgan and Boyle Gant?” He asked.
“That’s us,” I said.
“I wasn’t sure where to look for you.”
“Ain’t that many choices in this town,” I said.
He nodded and puffed out his chest.
“I’m Brock Jackson.”
“You Ike’s man?”
Brock frowned as he sat down.
“I thought you boys already understood everything.”
I glanced at Cooper and frowned.
“Understand what?”
Brock glanced at the Mexican behind the bar and lowered his voice.
“Ike doesn’t want his name to be mentioned. Not here, not anywhere. You understand?”
“Of course,” I said. “We forgot.”
“Well don’t forget again,” Brock warned.
I forced a smile and nodded.
“All right,” Brock said. “I’ve got two mules outside, packed with rifles. We’ll meet back here in eight weeks. You bring back all the pelts, and I’ll pay you your share and give you more rifles.”
“Sounds good,” I nodded.
Brock nodded, and he took another swig of whiskey and frowned at us.
“You boys ain’t exactly what I was expecting,” he said.
“How’s that?” I frowned.
“I’ve heard plenty of talk about Morgan Gant,” he said. “He’s elegant, and he speaks big, fancy words that no one understands. But, I understand you very well.”
“I’ve been working on that.”
“Are you any good with that?” He gestured at my Colt.
I thought a moment before I replied.
“I’m adequate,” I said.
Brock grunted wolfishly, and he finished his drink in one gulp.
“Well, I reckon we’re done here,” he said.
“We’ll be on our way then,” I said.
“I almost forgot. Rocca should be along soon.”
“Rocca?” I frowned.
“Nobody told you about Rocca?” Brock frowned at us.
“Remind us.”
“He’s half Mexican and half Injun,” Brock informed. “We hired him to take you to the Injun’s camp. He speaks Apache.”
“Where is he?” I asked.
“I don’t know. He’s supposed to be here.”
“I think he was here a while ago,” I said thoughtfully. “He came in, had a few drinks, and left.”
&n
bsp; “That’s how Rocca is,” Brock said. “Don’t worry; he’ll find you.”
“We don’t need him,” I said abruptly.
“Why not?” Brock looked startled.
“We have our own man,” I explained, and I looked at Cooper. “Ain’t that right, Boyle?”
Cooper’s face remained blank.
“Boyle,” I said sharply.
Cooper looked startled, and he jumped in his chair.
“Oh. Yes. That is correct,” he said.
I frowned at him and looked back at Brock.
“So Rocca isn’t needed,” I said.
Brock snorted as he stood.
“I don’t care if you use him or not,” he said. “All that matters is that you’re back here in eight weeks with those pelts.”
“So you’ll get rid of Rocca?”
“No. I’ll let you do that,” Brock grinned, and he turned and walked towards the door.
Cooper and I looked at each other and frowned, and then we followed Brock outside.
The tall man, the short man, and the fat man were still sitting on the porch. They were also still chewing tobacco, and they were studying the mules.
Brock had tied his horse and the two mules beside ours. Each mule was packed with two crates.
We got mounted. Cooper led one mule, and I led the other one. I glanced over at the porch, and all three men were still staring at the mules with solemn faces.
I glanced at Brock.
“We’ll be seeing you,” I said.
“Sure,” Brock said, and he kicked up his horse and headed south.
I watched him go, and then I looked once more at the men on the porch. I nodded at them, and the fat one nodded back.
We kicked up our horses and left town in a walk. I could feel the eyes of the men on the porch watching us, and I knew that trouble was coming.
Chapter thirty-two
“What’d you think of those men on the porch?” Cooper asked me as we rode to the top of the hill.
“I thought they needed a bath,” I replied.
“They sure seemed curious.”
“Too curious,” I agreed.
“Think they’ll be trouble?”
“I think we’d better plan for it,” I said.
“I was afraid of that.”
I nodded, and it fell silent as we rode on.
It was about a three-mile ride up to the top of the hill. Josie looked relieved when she saw us, but Kolorado scowled.
“Took you long enough,” he said.
“It did,” I agreed, and I looked over at Cooper. “Can I borrow your spyglass?”
“Sure,” Cooper said, and he dug it out of his saddlebags and handed it to me.
We dismounted, and I walked to the edge of the hill and squatted behind some bushes. From there I kept an eye on Bronc.
“What are you looking for?” Kolorado asked me.
“Trouble,” I replied.
Kolorado waited for me to explain, and he muttered to himself when I didn’t.
A few minutes passed. Kolorado started getting impatient, but I ignored him.
Finally, I saw what I was looking for. Three men on horses rode out of town going north, and I frowned as I studied them through the spyglass.
“It’s them,” I told Cooper.
“They’ll probably ride out a few miles, and then start hunting for our tracks,” Cooper figured.
“I’d say so,” I nodded.
“Why would they come after us?” Kolorado wanted to know.
“They’re probably curious to know what’s in those crates,” I gestured at the mules.
“What are we gonna do?” Kolorado asked.
I thought on that for a moment.
“We’re going to let them find us,” I finally said.
***
We mounted up and rode north. The mules slowed us some, and a brisk walk was all we could manage.
A couple of hours passed, and the sun started to disappear behind the mountains. We were now in rolling hills, and there was a lot of brush and cover.
We rode into a dry gully, and I looked around and nodded.
“This is a likely place,” I said. “We’ll camp here.”
We dismounted, and I gestured at a clear spot.
“We’ll build a big fire there, out in the open.”
Cooper looked at me and frowned.
“What exactly do you have in mind, Yancy?”
“Well, I figure we’ll roll our bedrolls out by the fire, puff them up a little, and then hide out in the bushes and wait.”
“Seems like a mighty simple plan to me,” Kolorado objected.
“We’re dealing with simple minded folks,” I replied. “We get all tricky, and it’ll throw them off. It’ll make ’em use common sense, and that’s the last thing we want.”
Kolorado frowned uncertainly, but didn’t reply.
“Anybody hungry?” I asked. “We’ve got time to cook supper.”
“I ain’t hungry,” Kolorado replied, and Cooper and Josie shook their heads.
“Well, think I’ll make some coffee anyhow,” I said.
Everybody got busy. Josie and Kolorado took care of the horses and mules, and Cooper rolled out the bedrolls. Meanwhile, I built a fire and put the coffee on.
The coffee was ready by the time everybody finished. I poured a cup for everyone, and then I put a few more branches on the fire and built it up bigger.
We walked out into the bushes and found some cover. Coop, Josie, and I sat behind a log while Kolorado sat between two shrubs and leaned against a tree.
Cooper’s rifle was laid out in front of him, and I had ahold of my Colt. Josie had her bow and arrows, and Kolorado held his rifle.
The night air was cool, and Cooper and Josie huddled together. I was cold, but I didn’t show it.
A couple of hours passed, and it got colder. Finally, Cooper glanced at me.
“Where are they?” he whispered.
“Mebbe they’re waiting to make sure we’re asleep,” I suggested.
“I thought you said these were simple minded folks.”
“Well, they sure looked simple minded,” I replied.
“I can’t argue that.”
“Are we gonna stay out here all night?” Kolorado spoke up.
“If we have to,” I replied.
“I don’t think they’re coming.”
“We’ll know soon enough,” I said, and added, “Now be quiet.”
Kolorado grunted, and it fell silent.
Chapter thirty-three
Another hour came and went.
By now I was stiff. My back ached, and my legs felt cramped. But, I didn’t dare move.
I heard a soft snore. I glanced at Cooper and Josie, and they heard it too.
Kolorado was out. His head was leaned back against the tree, and his rifle rested in his lap.
Cooper looked at me, but I shook my head.
“Let him sleep,” I said softly. “We’ve got ahold of things.”
Cooper nodded, and he rubbed his shoulders and shivered.
“Remarkable, how cool it gets up here at night,” he whispered.
“It is,” I agreed.
“Fire sure does look warm.”
“It does.”
“Be sorta funny if they don’t show up.”
“How’s that?”
“You know. Us sitting here, all cold like, and looking at a warm fire all night.”
“I don’t see the humor in that.”
“I just wish they’d hurry up,” Cooper murmured wistfully.
“Mebbe they froze to death.”
I heard Cooper grunt softly.
“We could be wrong about this,” he said.
“I don’t think so. They looked greedy to me.”
“But they could have gone way ahead of us, and be waiting to ambush us tomorrow,” Cooper suggested.
“That’s a strong possibility.”
“I reckon we’ll find out soon enough.”
<
br /> “Reckon we will,” I agreed.
Cooper nodded, and it fell silent.
Another thirty minutes passed. The fire started to go out, but I didn’t want to chance moving to build it back up.
Suddenly, I heard something in front of us. But I wasn’t sure what I’d heard, and I cocked my head sideways as I listened.
I heard something again, only this time it was behind us. I heard it again, and I knew that somebody was walking towards us.
“Coop,” I whispered tersely. “Behind us!”
Cooper nodded. He pulled the hammer back on his rifle, and it made a soft click. Meanwhile, Josie placed an arrow in her bow and held it ready.
We listened as they got closer.
From experience, I knew that Cooper was waiting on me to make a move. But I waited, because I wanted to draw them in closer.
A rifle shot suddenly boomed out, and I heard a thumping sound as it hit flesh.
With a surprised yell, I jumped to my feet and spun around with my Colt in my hand.
The tall man stood in front of us, and he was holding his rifle. He was just as startled as we were, and I shot him before he could recover. Cooper shot him too, and his body was flung backwards.
I spotted the short man to my left. He had his rifle up, but an arrow struck him in the chest before he could get a shot off. I heard a gasp of pain, and he dropped his rifle and staggered backwards. He grabbed for his Colt, but I shot him as he brought it up. There was a loud thump as the bullet connected, and he was flipped over backwards.
It was silent, and then we heard another rifle shot. It was close, and we all jumped.
It was Kolorado. He was sitting on the ground, and he was holding his rifle with the barrel pointed up. He looked confused and scared.
“Watch where you’re pointing that thing!” I glared at him.
Kolorado looked at me but didn’t reply. Meanwhile, I glanced at Cooper.
“I heard something over there,” I gestured.
Cooper nodded, and he and Josie crouched down and went that way while I turned towards the two men that we had shot.
I walked out a ways, and I spotted another body. It was the fat man, and he lay on his back. He had been shot in the chest, and he was dead.
Kolorado joined me. He was out of breath and was panting hard.
“What just happened?” He asked.
“I’m not sure,” I replied.