Yancy (The Landon Saga Book 5)

by Tell Cotten

  “You and your birds,” I frowned, and added, “Well, if you can ride, I suggest we get going.”

  “Are they coming after us?” Kolorado asked.

  “Probably not, but I see no reason to wait around and find out,” I said.

  “Me neither,” Kolorado said, and he reached for my hand. “Help me up, and then we can go.”

  Cooper and I grabbed his hands and pulled him to his feet. He swayed a bit, but then he nodded.

  “I’m fine,” he said.

  “We’ll go saddle the horses,” I said, and Cooper and I walked outside.

  Cooper saddled Josie’s horse, and I saddled Kolorado’s. After that we packed the mules, and then we helped Kolorado get into the saddle. His face was pale, but he didn’t say anything as we kicked up our horses and left out.

  We could tell that Kolorado was in pain, so Cooper led out in a walk. Josie and Wyatt were next, followed by Kolorado and then me. Cooper led one of the mules, and I led the other one.

  The nearest town was Landry, and the best way to go was to ride through Valverde’s Pass. It was a steep descend, and Cooper followed an old trail.

  The afternoon passed without incident. As it was getting dark, we reached the old trading post.

  The trading post had once been a gathering spot for trappers to buy supplies, but that was before No Worries attacked and burned the place down. He destroyed everything, and all that was left were a few scattered burned logs.

  The place had an eerie feel to it as we stopped and made camp.

  We helped Kolorado over to a log and got him comfortable. Then, Cooper and Josie tended to the horses while I built a fire, put the coffee on, and started supper. Meanwhile, Wyatt sat beside Kolorado, and he watched us silently.

  Once the chores were done, everyone gathered around the campfire.

  I had gone two days without coffee, and my mouth salivated as we waited for the coffee to boil.

  It was finally ready. I poured everyone a cup, and I cradled my cup and leaned back. I took a swig and sighed in contentment.

  Supper was ready soon. We were hungry, and we tore into our meal with a vengeance. Afterwards, we drank some more coffee.

  “Lotta memories here,” I commented as we sat there.

  “Yep,” Cooper nodded. “This is where we killed the Oltman brothers.”

  “All except for Tom,” I reminded. “I killed him in Midway during the range war.”

  “I remember that,” Cooper nodded.

  “This is also where you got shot in the hip the second time,” I said.

  “No, here it was the first time,” Cooper corrected.

  I thought for a moment and nodded.

  “You’re right,” I said. “You’ve been shot so many times, it’s getting hard to keep it straight.”

  Cooper frowned at me, and I smiled. Meanwhile, Kolorado grunted and shook his head.

  “I declare. Every time we camp, you and Cooper start reminiscing on who was shot here, and who shot him,” Kolorado said.

  “I reckon we have,” I admitted.

  “Just how many men have you two killed?”

  “A lot,” I said.

  ***

  We drank another pot of coffee, and then we turned in.

  I had the first watch, and Cooper relieved me around midnight.

  “Anything stirring out there?” Cooper asked as he walked up.

  “Nope,” I replied.

  Cooper nodded, and I went over to my bedroll. I rolled it out, pulled my boots off, and crawled in. I was tired, and I was out soon as my head hit the ground.

  Chapter fifty

  A rifle shot woke me the next morning. I sat up abruptly, and my Colt was in my hand.

  Everybody else was startled too, and I heard an alarmed cry from Josie.

  Cooper was on his back, behind the log that he’d been sitting on. His face was pale, and I could see blood on his shoulder.

  “Keep down!” I hissed at everyone, and I crawled over to him.

  “Coop,” I said tersely.

  “I’m here,” he said, and his voice sounded strained.

  “Hit bad?”

  “Not sure.”

  I peeled his shirt back while Josie crawled over.

  “You’re hit in the shoulder,” I told him.

  “I told you I always get shot up here,” Cooper grimaced through clenched teeth.

  I started to reply, but before I could someone yelled from below.

  “Hello the camp!”

  I looked over the log and spotted Rocca. He was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed.

  “Morgan! Morgan Gant!” He yelled.

  “Yes?” I shouted back.

  “Come down, and I will let the others live!”

  Kolorado and Josie looked at me with worried looks.

  “What are you going to do, Yancy?” Kolorado asked in a hushed voice.

  “I’m going to oblige him,” I declared, and then I yelled below, “I’ll be right down!”

  I checked my Colt, and then I stood, walked over to my horse, and saddled him.

  “Why don’t you shoot him from here with your rifle?” Kolorado suggested. “He’s close enough.”

  “That’s not how I do things,” I replied as I stepped into the saddle.

  Kolorado didn’t reply, and I looked at Josie.

  “Take care of Cooper,” I said.

  “Be careful,” Josie replied.

  I nodded and kicked up my horse.

  ***

  I rode down the hill, and I pulled up when I was about fifty feet away. I dismounted and tied my horse to a nearby bush.

  Rocca walked forward a little, and he watched me with a scornful look.

  The feeling came over me as I walked toward him. I could feel blood running through my veins, and my heart thumped steadily. I also felt a calmness and a readiness.

  I stopped about twenty feet from him, and we faced up to each other. My gun hand hovered over my gun-handle, as did his.

  “You shot my brother,” I said.

  A smirk crossed Rocca’s face.

  “I do not miss,” he said.

  “Neither do I,” I said. It was silent, and I added, “Those rifles you traded; they were no good except for a few of them. They won’t fire.”

  Rocca looked startled, and he narrowed his eyes.

  “You lie.”

  “Tell you what. You ride back and see for yourself. No Worries would like that.”

  Rocca frowned as he thought on that.

  Moving slowly with my left hand, I reached into my pocket, pulled out my Ranger’s badge, pinned it on my vest, and gave it a little pat.

  “My name is Yancy Landon,” I said, and added, “I’m a Texas Ranger.”

  “No, you are Morgan Gant,” Rocca said, but there was uncertainty in his voice.

  “Sorry to disappoint you, but Morgan Gant is dead. So is Boyle.”

  “You lie.”

  “I killed him,” I said. I let that sink in, and added, “The man who killed your father is dead.”

  Rocca was silent as he thought on that.

  “You are Yancy Landon?” He finally said.

  “I am.”

  “And you killed Gant.”

  “I did.”

  “I thank you for that.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said, and then I continued, “As a Texas Ranger, I’m arresting you for attempted murder and for trading rifles to the Injuns. Unbuckle your gun-belt.”

  Rocca looked amused.

  “If I don’t?”

  “Then I’ll shoot you.”

  “Nobody beats Rocca,” he declared.

  “I ain’t nobody,” I said.

  “Maybe I kill you anyway,” he said.

  “You can try.”

  It was silent then, and we stared at each other. I stood still and waited for him to make the first move.

  He chuckled softly, and then he grabbed for his Colt.

  With an easy movement, I palmed my Colt.
<
br />   Rocca had his Colt out too, but I fired as he brought it up. There was a loud thumping sound, and the bullet caught him in the belly. He staggered backwards but stayed on his feet as he tried to lift his Colt.

  I fired again, and the bullet hit Rocca in his chest. He was flung backwards, and he hit the ground on his back. He kicked out a few times and made some gurgling sounds, and then he was still.

  I watched him for a moment. Satisfied, I reloaded and holstered my Colt and walked back to my horse. I climbed into the saddle, looked at Rocca once more, and rode back up the hill.

  Chapter fifty-one

  I was relieved to see Cooper sitting up. He was leaning against a log, and he managed to smile as I rode in.

  “I saw the whole thing,” he said as I dismounted and walked over. “Rocca was good.”

  “He was.”

  “He almost beat you.”

  “But he didn’t,” I said, and asked, “You all right?”

  “I got lucky. The bullet went all the way through. Near as Josie can tell, the bullet didn’t hit anything important.”

  “That’s good,” I said, and then I glanced at his shoulder. It was bleeding, but not near as bad as Kolorado’s wound had.

  “A bullet makes a smaller hole than an arrow does,” Kolorado spoke up.

  “It does,” I agreed, and I frowned as I looked around. “Where’s Josie?”

  “She’s hunting for a stick,” Cooper said, and he had a pained expression on his face.

  I frowned thoughtfully.

  “Well, good luck with that. I saw Rocca’s mules down there, so I’m going to go get ’em, and while I’m down there I’ll bury Rocca,” I said.

  “You ain’t staying?” Cooper protested. “I might need some help. You know how Josie is.”

  “You’ll be fine,” I said, and Cooper scowled as I climbed back on my horse. “Will you be able to ride?” I asked.

  “I can try.”

  I nodded.

  “We’ll leave as soon as Josie gets you patched up,” I said.

  Cooper nodded solemnly. I nodded back and kicked up my horse.

  ***

  It took me an hour to get Rocca buried. After that, I picked up the mules and rode back up the hill.

  Cooper was still leaning against the log. His shoulder was bandaged, and he looked like he was in pain.

  “How’d it go?” I asked.

  “How do you think?” Cooper scowled.

  I smiled, and then I gestured at the mules.

  “Look. You got Jug-head back.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Cooper said flatly.

  “Both of these mules are also packed down with a lot of pelts,” I added.

  Cooper looked thoughtful as he studied the mules.

  “Good looking pelts,” he said.

  “They are,” I agreed.

  “What are we going to do with them?”

  I scratched my jaw.

  “They should be worth a lot,” I said.

  “They sure should.”

  “If we sold them, we could use the money to help Wyatt,” I suggested.

  “Now that ain’t a bad idea at all.”

  “It’s settled then?”

  Cooper nodded, and I glanced at Wyatt. He was watching us closely, but his face was emotionless.

  “Well, are you ready to go?” I looked back at Cooper.

  “Just get me on a horse,” Cooper declared.

  I smiled and nodded.

  Chapter fifty-two

  We limped into Landry three days later. It was slow going, and we were tired, dusty, and in need of a bath.

  We received a few curious looks as we rode to the livery stable. It was late, and Kolorado’s wife had already gone home.

  I dismounted and helped Kolorado down while Josie helped Cooper. Next, I opened up the livery stable, and we unsaddled and fed our horses and mules.

  “Can I go home now?” Kolorado asked when we were done.

  I smiled.

  “You can,” I said, and I reached into my pocket, pulled out the pardon, and handed it to him. “I believe this is yours.”

  Kolorado nodded as he took it.

  “The way it turned out, I really wasn’t even needed,” he grumbled.

  “I reckon not,” I said.

  “To show there’s no hard feelings, I’m going to let you three stay here tonight free of charge,” Kolorado declared.

  I glanced at Cooper and frowned thoughtfully.

  “I appreciate the offer, but I think we’ll get us a room at the hotel tonight,” I said. “How does that sound, Coop?”

  “A soft bed would be nice,” Cooper said.

  Kolorado grunted and shook his head. He muttered something as he limped towards the door, and I smiled as I watched him.

  “Take care of yourself,” I said.

  “Sure. You do the same,” Kolorado said, and then he walked out the door.

  I looked at Cooper, and he smiled and shrugged.

  “He ain’t much for saying goodbye, is he?” Cooper said.

  “No, he’s not,” I replied.

  “Well, I don’t know about you, but I could use a bath and a shave, and then I wouldn’t mind eating some mystery stew over at the café,” Cooper commented as we walked towards the door.

  “And some coffee,” I added.

  “That too,” Cooper said, and we headed towards the hotel.

  ***

  An hour later, we sat around a table at the café. We had just finished supper, and we were drinking coffee. Wyatt liked coffee too, and he drank just as much as the rest of us.

  “Well, it feels good to be alive,” Cooper declared.

  “Does,” I agreed, and Josie and Wyatt nodded.

  “There’s one thing I don’t understand,” Cooper said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Why did Rocca shoot me for?” Cooper complained. “I ain’t the one who killed his father.”

  “I reckon he wanted to get our attention,” I said.

  “Couldn’t he have just yelled or something?”

  “It probably had something to do with his father,” I explained.

  “He wanted you to know what it felt like, to lose someone close,” Cooper surmised.

  “Something like that.”

  “So, this was all about revenge.”

  “I’d say so.”

  “And, it got him killed,” Cooper declared.

  “With a little help from me,” I smiled.

  Chapter fifty-three

  We rested up for a day, and then we headed for Midway. Because of Cooper we had to ride slow, and it took us three days.

  We caused quite a commotion as we rode into Midway. Folks crowded around us, and they all stared at the boy. There was some applause and even a few cheers. I looked around for Sheriff Wagons, but I didn’t see him.

  I didn’t care much for all the attention, and Wyatt didn’t like it either. He was scared, and he stuck by Josie’s side. Several folks offered to take him, but we decided that he would stay with us.

  The crowd finally broke up and left us alone. We tended to our horses, and then we went to the café and ate supper. After that, we went to our house. Josie fixed Wyatt a bed in the corner, and we turned in early.

  ***

  It felt good to be in our own house, and we slept in a bit the next morning.

  I made another pot of coffee after breakfast, and Cooper and I went out onto the front porch. I poured us both a cup, and we sat and watched the activity on the street. It was shady and cool and pleasant.

  “I wonder where Sheriff Wagons is,” Cooper said.

  I took a swig of coffee.

  “I’m sure he’ll show up,” I said.

  “I haven’t seen Judge Parker either.”

  “I heard last night that he’s out of town on some business,” I said.

  Cooper nodded, and it was silent for a while. We drank some more coffee, and then I cleared my throat.

  “How’s Wyatt doing?” I aske
d.

  “He still ain’t talking much.”

  “That’s probably why he’s fitting in so well,” I said wryly.

  “He sure likes Josie,” Cooper said as he ignored my comment. “They seem to have bonded.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Josie understands what he’s gone through. She wants to help.”

  “If anybody can, it’ll be Josie,” I said.

  Cooper nodded and looked at me.

  “Josie and I talked it over,” he said. “She wants the two of us to finish raising him.”

  “You and me?”

  “No, me and Josie,” Cooper frowned at me. “Course, you’re part of the family too. You’ll be Uncle Yancy.”

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “It’s what Josie wants, and I want what she wants.”

  “Shouldn’t we try to find out if he has any family first?”

  “Josie asked, and he said he doesn’t.”

  “Wyatt actually talked?”

  “He’ll talk to Josie when nobody else is around,” Cooper explained.

  I nodded thoughtfully but didn’t say anything.

  “This will be good for Josie,” Cooper continued. “It’ll make her feel like she’s doing something worthwhile.”

  “I reckon it’s settled then,” I said. It was silent, and I added, “I’ll help any way I can.”

  Cooper nodded, and we drank some more coffee.

  It was real peaceful, sitting there, and we were in no hurry. Another hour passed, and we spotted some movement down the street.

  I squinted against the sun, and I frowned when I recognized Jessica. She had spotted us, and she was walking towards us.

  Cooper saw her too, and he looked at me and smiled.

  “Looks like Jessica is back from Empty-lake,” he said.

  “I see that.”

  “She’s coming this way too.”

  “She is,” I said, and already I could feel a nervous feeling building up inside me.

  “This should be interesting,” Cooper said.

  I scowled, but Jessica arrived before I could say anything.

  It was silent while we looked at each other. Jessica looked nervous too, and she tried to smile.