It was a place where Ned would like to sit and relax for a spell without the pressures that were on him now.
“Come on, let’s have a closer look,” Charlie said. He dismounted, looped his reins over the hitchrail, and walked in among the empty benches. Ned and the others tied their horses to the rail and followed him. “There it is,” he said, pointing down the bank toward the docks.
“There’s what? Texas?” Shaw asked in his slow drawl as he ambled up behind Charlie, limping slightly, as he always did.
“No, Texas is across the river,” Killbuck said. “Down there. There’s the ferry we’ll be taking across the river.”
The other four people stretched their necks to look down.
Ned saw the flat raft with its high, wooden plank sides. There was a shorter railing across the front of the ferry and only a rope stretched across the back. The ferry was twice as big as the one in Tishomingo and on one side, near the back, there was a tiny, enclosed cubicle with windows all around. There was a man in there now and Ned figured that’s where the crew kept their paperwork. And he thought the men who worked on the ferry probably used the enclosure when the weather was cold or wet.
A few feet from the ferry, a big ship rocked in the water. It was tied to the dock with two heavy ropes and five or six dock workers were already loading crates onto the ship in the early morning coolness.
“The ferry looks like it’s big enough to hold all of us,” Ned said.
“Yes, it will hold at least ten horses and ten passengers,” Killbuck said. “You people wait here where no one will see you while I go down and arrange our passage. It will be safer that way.”
Killbuck mounted his horse and rode back to the path that led down to the dock. Ned and the others watched as Charlie got off his horse, walked aboard the ferry and talked to the man in the cubicle. Charlie held up five fingers, shook his head once, and nodded several times.
Within minutes, Charlie was back. He stayed on his horse. “Ross will take us across the river as soon as his partner gets back from eating breakfast at the cafe,” he told the others. “The partner’s name is Billy. Ross said that by the time we got loaded aboard, he would be ready to leave.”
“Good,” said Ned as he and the others headed for their horses. “We should be at the Red River Station within the hour.”
“Yes,” said Killbuck. “The ferry trip takes about thirty minutes. The total fare will be two-fifty. Twenty-five cents for each of us and twenty-five cents for each horse.”
“Good enough,” Remington said. “I’ll pay for all of us.”
Five minutes later, Ned and his group were on board the ferry and Ned had paid the fare. Ross, a pleasant fellow with dark, thinning hair, gray around the temples, waited at the back of the boat. A few minutes later, his younger partner, Billy, showed up. After the two men talked briefly, Ross moved to one side of the boat and stood beside a thick, mounted oar.
Billy, a muscular lad of about twenty, untied both ropes from the dock, then stepped onto the deck of the ferry. He walked to the opposite side of the boat, near Remington, and nodded to his partner that he was ready. Both men started rowing and the ferry slid through the water at a good clip once they got going.
They were nearly half way across the river before Billy turned and spoke to Ned.
“Nice time of day to be crossing,” he said. “It gets awful hot in the afternoon.”
“I can imagine. It’s kind of chilly now.” Ned pulled his buckskin coat closer around him and was glad that he was wearing it.
“I see you’re a marshal,” Billy said as he looked at Ned’s badge.
“Yes,” Ned said.
Billy’s oar sliced into the water and he tugged hard on it. He had a puzzled look on his face. “Say, are those other fellows marshals?” He nodded toward the other passengers.
“Two of them are.”
“I wonder if you’re the three deputies them fellows were talking about last night.”
Ned looked at Billy, a puzzled look on his face. “What fellows?”
“Two fellows I took across on the ferry late yesterday afternoon,” Billy said. “One of them was a short Mexican and his name was Paco. I didn’t ever hear the other man’s name mentioned. They weren’t very friendly, but I couldn’t help but hear part of their conversation.”
Ned frowned. “What’d they say?”
“Something about a fellow named Harvey. They said he’d messed up good. The Mexican said it didn’t matter. He’d arrange to have a welcoming party waiting for the three deputies when they arrived on the other side of the river. Didn’t make much sense to me.”
“Damn. It does to me, Billy,” Ned said. “We’re looking for those two men. I’ve got warrants for their arrests right here in my pocket.”
“Then why would they have a party for you if they know you’re coming after them?” Billy asked.
“The party they’re planning for us is going to be complete with gunfire.”
Billy’s eyes went wide. “You mean they’re going to ambush you?”
“That’s what I mean, Billy.”
“Jeeez, I’m sorry,” said the young ferryman. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“I’m glad you told me, Billy,” Remington said. “I hate surprise parties.”
“Do you want us to turn the ferry around so you and your friends can go back to Riverside?” Billy stopped rowing briefly, but tugged on the oar again when the ferry started to go off course.
“Nope. We came here to arrest those bastards and that’s what we’re going to do. Knowing that they’re planning to ambush us gives us the advantage.”
“That’s pretty dangerous, isn’t it?” Billy asked. “Riding straight into an ambush?”
Ned saw the boy shudder. “Yes, it is. Do you know if Paco and his friend are going to be there?”
“I don’t think so,” Billy said. “They said something about rounding up five or six of the best men they had to wait for you. And then Paco and his partner were planning to ride to the Van Hook ranch near Nocona.”
“Nocona? Where’s that?”
“Almost straight west of the Red River Station. About ten miles.”
“Do you know Van Hook?” Ned asked.
“No, but I’ve heard a lot about the man.” Billy shook his head. “All bad. I guess he’s got a lot of money. He runs stolen cattle, I think.”
“He does.”
“Paco mentioned something about finding a half breed girl. Can’t remember her name. Linda or Leeanne. Something like that. I guess she must be at the Red River Station, or maybe at Van Hook’s ranch. It didn’t make any sense to me.”
Ned glanced at Lina. She was standing at the front of the boat with the other three men, watching the ferry cut through the water, occasionally glancing at the Texas shoreline. He was glad that she was dressed like a boy. The hired gunmen would be watching for three marshals and maybe they wouldn’t figure that Lina and her uncle were part of the same group.
Remington fished a five-dollar bill out of his pocket and handed it to the boy. “Have a beer on me, Billy. You deserve it.”
Billy’s eyes got wide. He let his oar drag, then quickly put it back in motion when he realized it. He hesitated a minute before he finally took the money from Ned.
“Well, thank you, sir,” the boy grinned. “But you didn’t have to do that. I didn’t like Paco and his friend and I would have told you anything I knew about them for nothing.”
“I know you would have, Billy. You look like a decent chap.”
“Thank you, sir,” he said again.
“I’ve got to tell my friends what we’re facing when we reach land.”
“We’ll put in at the dock in about five minutes,”
Billy said as he glanced out at the Texas shore. “But I don’t think the gunmen will be waiting there for you. There’ll be too many people around this time of a morning for them to open fire on the law.”
“Where would they wait?”
; Billy thought about it for a minute. “Probably up the bank, close to the Red River Station. They’d figure that’s where you were going. There’s high land just beyond the Station and if you can get up over that hill and out of sight, I think you stand a good chance of making it.”
“Thanks,” Ned said as he started for the front of the ferry.
“If I can remember anything else, I’ll let you know.”
Ned turned back and nodded, then continued toward his friends. “We got trouble waiting for us when we set foot on Texas soil,” he said.
Tom Beck frowned. “What kind of trouble?”
“An ambush.’'
“Gaton and Haskins?” Frank Shaw asked.
“No. Hired guns,” Ned said. He explained what Billy had told him.
Charlie Killbuck had a worried look on his face. Lina stood wide-eyed, listening to Remington’s every word.
“And we’re going to ride right into their nest?” Beck asked when Ned was through explaining.
“Yes,” said Ned. “They plan to catch us by surprise, but we’ll be the ones to surprise them. We’ll be prepared.”
“Why don’t we turn around and head back for the other shore?” Frank asked. “We can find another way to get to Gaton and Haskins.”
“We’re not running away from trouble, Frank,” Ned said. “We’re gonna face it square in the eyes.”
“How can you prepare for something like this?” Beck asked.
“By having our weapons ready when we ride off the ferry,” Ned said as he studied the Texas shoreline that was getting closer all the time. “By watching for the ambushers. By finding the hired guns before they find us.”
“Got any idea what these fellows look like?” Shaw asked.
“Probably much like the brutes who attacked us in Tishomingo,” Ned laughed.
“I can help you,” Killbuck said. “I know this land. I know the places where the gunmen could hide to wait for us. And I know where to go to get away from them.”
“Charley, I wish you and Lina would stay on the ferry until this is over with,” Ned said. “We’re facing hired gunnies and they’re expecting three lawmen to ride off this ferry. They probably don’t even know about you and Lina. You’ll both be safe here.”
“I know I can be of help to you,” Charlie said. “I will ride with you.”
“Me, too,” said Lina. “If you’re outnumbered, you may need an extra gun on your side.”
“Lina, please stay here on the ferry,” Ned pleaded when he saw that they were quickly approaching the dock. He scanned the area around the dock and didn’t see anyone who looked suspicious. But like Billy had said, the dock would be busy this time of morning and any one of the men he saw who looked like workers could actually be one of the gunnies.
“No,” Lina said in her usual stubborn manner.
Ned felt the ferry swing around. He glanced back and saw that Billy and Ross were maneuvering the boat around so that they would land with the loading end of the ferry near the dock. Ned and the others remained at the end of the ferry that was now farthest from the dock, but they turned around so they could keep an eye on the dock and the hill above it where the building of the Red River Station was located.
“Please, Lina,” Ned said. “Billy will take care of you. We’ll come back for you as soon as it’s safe to do so.”
“You know I won’t stay here,” Lina said. “We’re in this together.”
“We’re docking now, sir,” Billy called out from behind him.
“Thanks, Billy,” Ned called back without turning around. “All right, Lina. You’ll go with us. We’ll all mount up and ride off the ferry instead of walking our horses off. You men scatter out as soon as we clear the dock area. Ride fast with your guns drawn. Keep your eyes open and if you see anyone fixin’ to shoot at you, fire at them first and then get the hell out of here. Lina, you ride right behind me. The gunnies will be aiming at me and if I miss my shot, maybe you can pick him off.”
The ferry bounced against dock. The passengers shifted weight to keep their balance.
While Ross stayed at his station and steadied the boat by twisting his oar around in the water, Billy hopped onto the wooden dock. The boy carried the two heavy ropes with him and quickly lashed them around the landing pegs that were mounted on the dock. He snugged the ropes tight, brought the ferry as close to the dock as he could. Then he stepped back onto the ferry and removed the waist-high rope barrier that stretched across the loading end of the vessel.
“We’ve landed, sir,” he announced. He gestured with his arm, indicating that the passengers could disembark.
“Take your time mounting your horses,” Ned told the others. “Ride off the ferry slowly, one at a time. I’ll take the lead, with Lina right behind me. Act as normal as possible until we’ve cleared the dock. Then scatter and ride fast. But keep your eyes open in case the hired guns have positioned themselves among the dock workers.”
Ned had been the last one to board the ferry, so his horse was already first in line to disembark. Using the reins, he pulled Neal around to face the dock, then eased himself up in the saddle and waited until the others were mounted.
Killbuck helped Lina turn her pony around and lined it up behind Ned. As Lina climbed up in the saddle, Killbuck tugged his own horse back so that he would be the last to disembark.
Tom Beck mounted his horse and reined it into line behind Lina. Frank Shaw stayed behind Beck.
Remington glanced back over his shoulder and saw that everyone was saddled up. All of them held their respective reins in their left hands. Their right hands were within easy reach of their holstered pistols.
He took a deep breath and felt his stomach whirl. His hands didn’t tremble, but he knew that every muscle in his body was taut.
“Ready?” he said.
The four people behind him nodded in unison.
Chapter 11
Remington sat tall in the saddle as he rode across the planks of the dock. He glanced around, as any other ferry rider would do after crossing into Texas. A few of the dock workers paused to look at the newcomers, but most of the muscular men were too busy hoisting heavy crates into waiting boats to bother with such an ordinary occurrence.
As he rode slowly up the narrow path that led to the top of the river bank and the town of Red River Station, Ned saw that there were plenty of places where the gunmen could be hiding. The main building of the docking station, off to the right, was actually painted red. Just beyond the station, he could see the pole fence of the stockyard and the few cattle that were near the fence. From his vantage point, he could see only a few more buildings of the town. The thick rows of trees blocked his view of everything else, except the high ground just beyond the station house, directly ahead of him.
The gunmen could be anywhere up there and Ned knew that his own men couldn’t scatter out until they reached the open ground beyond the trees.
He drew his pistol just before he reached the rows of trees on either side of the main road, and knew that the others would do the same. He thumbed back the hammer and snapped the reins, urging his horse to a full gallop. He raced by the trees and quickly looked in both directions. The gunmen weren’t there where he’d expected them to be.
He rode straight ahead, toward the high ground, and again glanced in both directions as he passed the main street of the town. He saw only the townspeople who were minding their own business. As he neared the red station building on his right, Ned scanned the tree-dotted hill off to his left.
He was still studying the confusing pattern of gullies and ruts on the tree-dotted hill when four riders suddenly darted out from behind the red station building, riding straight for the deputies, guns blazing wildly.
Ned took quick aim and tumbled one rider out of his saddle with the first shot. Just before the am- busher hit the ground, Ned saw the blood gush, from his chest and knew the wound was fatal.
Ned was beyond the station house now and out in the open. He knew his own me
n had scattered. Two of the gunmen suddenly changed directions and circled to Ned’s left. The other one swung around to his right.
Tom Beck had gone to the left. He ducked a shot coming his way, then rose back up and fired at the men barreling down on him. His bullet crashed into the gunman’s shoulder with a sickening thud. The shot wasn’t a fatal one, but it was enough to stop the man and send him riding off toward the top of the hill. He wouldn’t be back. It would be a long, long time before he could use his shooting arm.
The other two men zeroed in on Remington, one coming at him from each side, pistols aimed.
Beck and Killbuck shot simultaneously at the man on the left, but both were too far away to hit their mark. The gunman whirled around in his saddle and aimed at Killbuck. Ned fired before the gunman could get his shot off.
Ned’s quick shot was low. It hit the man in the upper thigh. The gunman screamed out in pain as blood spurted through the hole in his leg and stained his trousers. The man whirled his horse around, dug spurs into his horse’s side and took off up the hill.
Frank Shaw, who was closer to the wounded rider, took careful aim and fired. The gunman gasped as the bullet caught him in the lungs. He leaned to the left and slid out of his saddle, crumpled to the ground, pink foam gushing from his mouth. He wasn’t dead when he hit the ground, but with his lungs exploded, he wouldn’t take another breath.
Remington swung around in the saddle but couldn’t get a shot off fast enough to stop the man who was coming straight at him from his right. The gunman’s pistol was aimed between Ned’s eyes. A shot rang and for a brief instant, Ned thought he’d been shot. He froze and waited for the bullet to plunge into his heart. In that split second of waiting, he wondered if this was what it was like to die.
The rider jerked backward in the saddle and slid off the back. He fell to the ground with a terrible thud.
Red River Revenge (Remington Book 1) Page 9