“I saw only one lantern in the barn. Are there more?”
“We have only two; and the other one is in the cellar,” Edie noted with a sigh.
“They’ll never get through these windows; they’re barred too tightly. The only way in is through the front door, and they’ll have to smash it down. If we can keep them away from that lantern, we have a chance to beat them. That shotgun may not kill at fifty yards, but it will make whomever you hit wish he were dead. Guard that lantern with your shotgun; I’ll take care of the other two.”
Dan noticed that Edie was hesitating about shooting and taking a life. “Edie, if you’re squeamish about shooting someone, just remember, that sheriff is the man who killed your husband, and he’s the man who won’t hesitate to kill both you and your daughter. He knows that with you dead, the banker owns this ranch, and he will be well paid.”
“Tomorrow is the day that Lieutenant Brien and his men will be in Lone Hill,” Edie voiced. “If we can hold out and get to the bank, the lieutenant will witness my making the payment to the bank, and we will have won. Do you reckon the sheriff might know about that? If he does, that would explain why he picked today to burn us.”
“Someone, somehow, got the information to Banker Bartle, and he knows that his time to foreclose is running out. Sheriff Taggart is out for blood. The men are just paid thugs, but they are the kind of men who won’t hesitate to kill for money. The two I had a shoot-out with on the trail drive to the fort proved that. Since they didn’t report their job as done, the banker knew that we completed the drive and probably sent someone to find out what happened.”
Dan kept watching for movement from his window and rechecked his guns.
“With the five hundred we took off those back-shooters, and the five hundred you got from your cattle, you can easily pay the mortgage, but that banker wants more than the ranch; he wants the money he paid those killers, too. While the sheriff is at it, he’ll try to get the money you got for your herd as well.”
“Dan! A man has just come out of the barn, and he’s running for that lantern! What shall I do?”
“Guard this door with that shotgun. I know what to do about a man who is trying to burn a woman and her child. I’ll put a bullet through his head.”
Dan got to the window just in time. The killer had already grabbed the lantern and was swinging it round and round over his head to get enough momentum to throw it. Dan put a bullet into his brow just as the swing was on the backside of its arch, and the lantern shattered when it flew against the corral fence. A half swing later that lantern would have smashed against the house, and it would have been too late.
“Joe,” Sheriff Taggart yelled, “I heard the lantern break. Now, throw a match into that kerosene, and all we have to do is wait for them to come out. But don’t allow anybody to leave alive. It’s got to look as though the fire started accidently. . . . Joe! Where are you?”
Joe was in no condition to respond, so the sheriff yelled to the other man. “Spivy, I heard a gun shot about the same time the lantern broke. You’d better check on Joe.”
“Okay, sheriff,” Spivy replied and made his way toward the barn. “The lantern ain’t there, and Joe ain’t moving,” Spivy observed.
“I heard the lantern break. Can you see where it hit the house? Go ahead and throw a match!” The sheriff sounded a little nervous this time.
“Something’s wrong here, Sheriff. You paid me and Joe to shoot a woman and a kid. Are you sure that’s all there are in that house? Somebody in there knows how to shoot. Joe’s got a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. That would take some mighty good shooting from that distance, especially with Joe whirling around the way he was.”
“You just keep putting rifle bullets through that window, and I’ll do what needs doing over here,” Sheriff Taggert bellowed.
* * *
The night dragged on; no lights were burning in the house—it was dark outside, and it was even darker in the house. Dan cautiously risked a look. “Stay low, Edie, I’m going after that sheriff. He’s got his confidence back, and he’ll make the mistake of being careless, and when he does, I’ll be there. I want him alive. I’ve got plans for him—he’ll make a good witness at the trial.”
“Be careful, Dan. That sheriff is a wily old bird. He killed my husband, and I don’t want to lose you, too.”
All of a sudden a rifle bullet splattered a picture frame hanging on the far side wall, away from the window, and ricocheted into the kitchen.
“Now do you see why I’ve got to go out there?” Dan said, confirming his intentions. “I know where Spivy is. He’s hiding behind that oak tree, and when I get the sheriff, Spivy will fly out of there like a scared goose. I saw a back door to that cellar with bushes growing over it, and that’s exactly the cover I need. Get Venie out of that cellar and stay hidden in your bedroom. Whatever you do, stay away from the windows, and don’t open that door until you’re certain it’s me behind it.”
As Edie watched Dan go out through the cellar door, she became aware of how much he had come to mean to her, and how much she and Venie would lose if he didn’t come back.
Silently, Dan moved into the dark and waited for his eyes to adjust to the surroundings. A shrub moved—the night air was still, so it wasn’t the wind. The Indians had taught Dan that there were times when waiting was the right thing to do. Let the quarry come to you, they advised. Dan was in the deepest shadow he could find, so he waited and watched. The branch that had moved, moved again. Then a face showed. With the butt of his pistol, Dan rendered a smashing blow to the sheriff’s head, and then bound and gagged the unconscious sheriff and dragged him through the cellar door and into the living room.
“Spivy,” Dan called out, “you’re all alone now. I’ve got the sheriff, bound and gagged. If you don’t want to die tonight, you should ride on.”
“Can I take Joe with me?”
“Yeah, you can take him, but you’d better remember, I’m never generous twice with the same killer. If I ever see you again, it won’t be one of your better days.”
Dan listened until the sound of two horses faded. They were going north. Spivy had the pay of two men, and he was clearing out.
Dan turned to the bedroom door, but before he got to it, Edie came carrying Venie; both were crying. Edie spat on the recovering sheriff. He was awake enough to duck, but he couldn’t dodge the point of Edie’s boot. She smashed him in the mouth, and exclaimed, “I’ll see you hanged, you lousy bastard!”
“Make a pot of coffee, Edie, make it hot, make it strong and make it black. I’m going to stay awake until this sheriff is either dead or in prison where he can never again do the killing for a murderous banker. The sun will be up in a couple of hours. You’ll have to harness the horses and drive the wagon. I’m not going to take my eyes off this killer until I get him and the banker he works for in the county jail.”
Dan then grabbed a handful of the sheriff’s scruffy hair. “Sheriff, if you’re very lucky, the good people of Lone Hill will hang you, because if they don’t, I’ll use a few techniques I learned from the Comanche on you, and you’ll be begging to die before I’m through with you. I watched a demented louse just like you burn my parents alive, like you tried to burn Edie and Venie alive. I’m hoping you’ll try to escape. I’d like to do an experiment with you. You like to watch people burn. I’d like to see how much you enjoy it when it’s you burning.”
Chapter 9
The wagon rumbled down the road past the narrows where Dan had earlier defended Edie and Venie, and then on to the fork in the road leading to the Bar-Y Ranch.
Venie’s sharp young eyes spied a wagon coming down the road from the Bar-Y, before either Edie or Dan saw it.
“Aren’t those the people we went to see when we met the bad man?” Venie asked.
“Yes, that looks like Mr. and Mrs. Ganus McClure,” Edie observed. “I guess they’re going into Lone Hill for supplies.”
“They may want to go on ahead of us
when they find out that we have the sheriff all tied up. Let’s wait here and ask them.”
As Ganus drove up to the juncture, he saw Edie and Venie in the wagon. He and Gail were about fifty yards away when Ganus called out, “Edie, where’s Dan? We heard that the sheriff was away on business, so we thought he had gone to your place. Everybody knows that your mortgage payment is due today.”
“If you’ll look in the wagon, you’ll see Dan. He’s keeping an eye on a package we’re taking into town with us.”
“What have you got there, Dan?” Ganus was curious. “It’s sure bundled up nice and tight—it must be valuable.”
“Hello, Ganus,” Dan smiled. “It isn’t valuable, but it stinks. It’s just a bag of manure; that’s why it’s wrapped so well. We’re taking it into town. We thought that someone might like to have it for fertilizer. Perhaps you should take a careful look at this package before you and Gail decide to join us on our journey into town. This package could stir up quite a stink when we deliver it.”
Ganus handed the reins to Gail, stepped down from his wagon, and walked to Edie’s wagon. “Oh, my God!” he exclaimed as he jumped back. The sight astonished him so much that for a moment he was speechless. There was the sheriff himself with Dan pointing his rifle at the sheriff’s belly.
After his mind registered what his eyes had revealed, his comment was surprisingly calm.
“I think that package is far more valuable than you think,” Ganus said. “Banker Bartle is counting on foreclosing on Edie’s ranch today, and this will probably throw a chunk under his wheels. Me and about a dozen other ranchers are watching this with more than a casual interest. We owe money to that banker; therefore, what happens to Edie will give us some idea what will happen to us. How do you plan on handling this?”
“It’s a long story,” Dan answered, “and I don’t want the sheriff to hear it, so for now you’ll have to trust me. I’ve got the whole case wrapped up even tighter than I do the sheriff. I can tell you, however, that Lieutenant Brien will meet us in town to take charge of the sheriff.”
“I heard about you saving that lieutenant’s life. Is that why he’s here?”
“Partly, but only partly. His commanding officer, a Colonel Mabry, bought a herd of cattle and two horses for the army that Edie and I delivered. Two snipers tried to kill us on the road, and I found a bill of sale signed by Bartle on them. I showed it to the colonel, and he’s going to bring charges of fraud against Banker Bartle.”
“Shorty said you’re fast with a gun,” Garth said. “You must be, because Shorty went looking for Basel Haliford, and he tracked his horse to Edie’s ranch. He found the horse, but there was no sign of Basel. Shorty knew that Basel had visited Edie before, but this time it was different. The horse hadn’t been ridden for a spell, and nobody was home, so Shorty went into town looking for Basel. Basel and Sheriff Taggert were good friends, but the sheriff hadn’t seen Basel since the last time Basel and Shorty had been in town together.”
“Yeah, sorry, Ganus, we meant to let you know what happened to Basel, but the sheriff kept us busy.”
“That accounts for a lot of things,” Edie joined in. “Now we know why Bartle had Taggert hire two more killers to finish the job that the other two botched. The sheriff must have known when we’d be home.”
Overhearing this conversation, Sheriff Taggert snarled, “You can’t make that stick!”
Dan snarled right back. “You’d better hope it sticks, because if it doesn’t, I promise you’ll wish it had. Open your mouth one more time, and I’ll gag you with the corner of my saddle blanket.”
* * *
Genus’s wagon led the way, and Edie’s wagon followed. Lieutenant Brien and his men were already there, with Colonel Mabry and his wife Rhoda, accompanied by a distinguished older man dressed in a handsome suit.
Lieutenant Brien took charge and ordered Sergeant Hoxly to place Sheriff Taggart under military arrest until he could be released to the proper civil authorities with the stipulation that the prisoner be held for trial.
Rhoda did the introductions. “Edie, this is my brother, Attorney Bradford Eaton. Attorney Eaton has been retained to handle the army’s charge of fraud against Banker Bartle. Sheriff Taggert will be charged for abuse of authority coupled with the charge of murder for the killing of Edward Calem. Banker Bartle will also be charged as an accomplice to that murder.”
Edie was so astonished and dumfounded that she didn’t know how to respond, so she hugged Rhoda and cried.
Rhoda saw the strain in Edie’s eyes and weariness in Vanessa’s. “Come with me. I’ll help you get checked into a room at the hotel, and then we’ll have lunch while you tell me what’s happened since we last talked. The men will do what needs doing with Sheriff Taggart.”
Edie checked into the hotel, bought a change of clothes for her and Venie, then took a hot bath, and dressed for lunch. A hot bath had never felt so good. It not only cleansed her, it relaxed her, and perked Venie up a bit.
The manager of the hotel attended to their every need. It was as though they were celebrities. Edie was an important guest. The news of her arrival made quite a stir; an event like this was news of the first order in a small town like Lone Hill.
Rhoda explained to Edie the steps to be taken. “My brother will sue the bank for damages, and if the trial turns out the way he thinks it will, you will be a wealthy woman. You should be. You have suffered the loss of your husband and, if what I’ve heard is correct, you were forced into a compromising position with a very bad man. For something like this to happen in my husband’s area of jurisdiction, it will cast a poor light on him, and he will do whatever is necessary to correct the situation. Believe you me, I’m with you all the way.”
Then her voice turned more personal. “Now, Edie, bring me up to date on what has happened between you and Dan since we last talked. How do you happen to be in possession of a man like Sheriff Taggart? We heard people say that perhaps he went to your house to make sure you couldn’t make the payment on your mortgage. Today is the last day, isn’t it?”
“Yes, today is the last day, and everything was riding on Lieutenant Brien being here. Sheriff Taggert tried to burn us out. If Lieutenant Brien hadn’t come, Dan would have had to take care of the matter in the only way left and kill both Taggart and Bartle. Then he would have had to run again, and I would have lost another man.”
“Dan seems devoted to you. How do you feel about him? He sure is handsome, and it seems to me that he has proven himself worthy.”
“Oh, yes! Dan is both handsome and worthy, but my husband Ed was also, and we were in love. When I lost Ed, I seemed to have lost my ability to love another man. I don’t know what I’m going to do about Dan.” Edie searched Rhoda’s eyes and asked, “What do you think I should do?”
“Like I told you before, women in the military often lose their husbands and have to adjust to someone new. Love comes slowly for some, but in some ways, army wives are lucky. They have many men to choose from because there are many who want to marry them. You don’t have that many to choose from, Edie, and if you let Dan leave—and he will leave—what will you do then? Do you want to live alone? And what about Venie? She’ll need an education, and if you send her away to school, you’ll be completely alone and a long way from town. Don’t you ever feel the need for a man? I sure would. Doesn’t Dan desire you? I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and it looks like desire to me.”
“At first, Dan pursued me gently, but unconsciously I pulled away offending him when I did.” Edie bit her lip as she thought about the incident. “He hasn’t tried to be intimate with me for a long time. I see him looking at me as though he is waiting, but I feel guilty about wanting him to pursue me farther. I feel as though Ed is watching, and I’m relieved that Dan doesn’t persist. Oh, Rhoda, is that abnormal? I don’t know what to do.”
“It isn’t abnormal, Edie, but it isn’t wise either. Think about it. What would you do if you were Dan? I can tell you, you’d leav
e thinking it’s hopeless. Dan doesn’t know it yet, unless my husband has told him, but his parents had a lot of friends, and they asked questions. When they got answers, they cleared Dan’s name and restored his farm. Dan owns a good farm in a good area, and he’ll be going home soon.”
Rhoda shook Edie’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. “And if you’re smart, you’ll go with him. Venie adores Dan, and the town where Dan owns his farm has a good school. I don’t know about you, but if it was me, I would at least attempt to revive Dan’s interest . . . . For a woman as beautiful as you are, a slight suggestive nudge is all it would take. Why don’t you and Venie rest up this afternoon, and we’ll all have dinner together this evening? Things will seem clearer after you have rested and thought about it. Dan’s room is right next to yours, and the rooms have an adjoining door—I’ve made sure about that,” Rhoda winked.
“I’ve got to make the mortgage payment before I can rest,” Edie remembered with a start, “and Dan and I will have to go back to the ranch and take care of our animals, it takes four hours in a wagon, but if you will watch Venie, Dan and I can ride it on horses in only two. No one will be trying to kill us tonight. I hope Dan can get some rest before we go—he didn’t sleep a wink last night.”
“Don’t worry about Venie. I’ll be glad to take care of her. We’ll have an early dinner, so you and Dan can ride in the twilight. I can’t think of anything more romantic than a twilight ride. Tonight you and Dan will be alone; perhaps it would be a good time to make that nudge. I love my husband, but I wish I could change places with you just for tonight. Humm. That’s an idea. Would you consider staying here with Venie while I go with Dan?” Rhoda asked with a sly smile.
“I think I’ve got the idea, Rhoda,” Edie giggled. “And I think I can handle it.”
“I’ll go with you to the bank,” Rhoda commented. “I want to witness that banker refuse payment. Surely he isn’t so greedy that he would refuse payment with witnesses present.”
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