“Not on your life,” Pearlie said taking another bite of his still mostly uneaten piece of pie. “Friendship only goes so far, you know.”
Smoke and Cal laughed.
Chapter Fifteen
Sunrise couldn’t be seen because of the range of mountains that lay to the east, but its effect was obvious so that when Smoke, Pearlie, and Cal left Frisco, the sky was the dove gray of a soft dawn. By the time the sun did appear over the mountains, a hot, dry wind moved through the canyon, pushing before it a billowing puff of red dust. The cloud of dust lifted high and spread out wide, making it look as if there was blood on the sun. The three men had ridden in relative silence for the most of the morning. Now Pearlie broke the silence.
“Hey, Smoke,” Pearlie said. “Did you know that when we get back, Cal is going to turn the head of every young woman in the county?”
“Is he now?” Smoke asked.
Pearlie chuckled. “Sure ’nough, that’s what he’s goin’ to do. He’s goin’ to turn the head of every young woman in the county. And he’s goin’ to break a lot of hearts, too.”
“Watch it, Pearlie,” Cal cautioned.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Smoke said.
“Well, just take a look at that fancy silver hatband Cal bought back in Frisco, and you’ll see what I’m talkin’ about.”
“Wait a minute!” Cal said. “Pearlie, are you tellin’ me you knew about my fancy silver hatband, but you didn’t say anything about it?” Cal asked.
“Oh, yeah, I knew about it.”
“How come you didn’t—” Cal stopped in mid-sentence. “Wait a minute! How’d you know about my turnin’ the heads of all the girls in the county?”
“Well, now, Cal, ain’t that what that pretty little girl said when she smiled at you and suckered you into buyin’ that hatband?”
“She didn’t sucker me into it,” Cal said. “I went in there to buy it. You was there, wasn’t you? You was in the store.”
Pearlie chuckled, then mimicked the young girl, speaking in falsetto. “Why, you ain’t really spendin’ your money. When you buy this silver hatband, it’s the same as if you’re just puttin’ it in a bank.”
“I knew it. You was in the store all the time, spyin’ on me.”
“I wasn’t spying, I was just—” Pearlie paused. “Well, all right, I reckon I was spyin’ on you just a little bit, but that’s only because I didn’t want you to go off doin’ somethin’ foolish.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t need you motherin’ me,” Cal replied. He took his hat off and held the band so that it flashed in the sun. “And I don’t care what you say, I like it,” he said.
“Why don’t you show it to Smoke?” Pearlie suggested.
“Smoke’s got more important things to do than look at my hatband,” Cal answered.
“What’s important about just ridin’?” Pearlie asked. “That’s all we’re doin’ now. Come on, show it to him.”
“Ah, it ain’t nothin’,” Cal said.
Pearlie laughed. “The reason he don’t want you to see it, Smoke, is ’cause he figures to get all gussied up for all the girls back in Big Rock and he’s embarrassed.”
“I am not embarrassed,” Cal said.
“Then why don’t you show it to him?”
There was no closer friendship than the one between Pearlie and Cal, but that friendship did not prevent Pearlie from teasing Cal at every opportunity, and his bantering with the young cowboy now about the silver hatband was an example of that.
“Do you want to see it, Smoke?” Cal asked.
“Sure,” Smoke answered.
Cal held his hat out so Smoke could see it it. “This here one is just plain silver,” he said. “I could’a got one that had lots of turquoise on it, but that would have been too ostentatious.”
“Ostentatious?” Pearlie said. He let out a whooping laugh. “It would have been too ostentatious? Where in the world did you come up with a word like that?”
“Miss Sally taught it to me,” Cal said. “Ostentatious means when you are showin’ off.”
“Well, hell, Cal, what do you reckon you’ll be doin’ when you go into that dance hall wearin’ that shiny band on your hat if it ain’t showin’ off?” Pearlie asked.
Suddenly, the peaceful banter was shattered when Smoke heard a bullet pop by his ear, then ricochet off a nearby rock to fill the little canyon with its whine. The sound of a rifle shot reverberated down through the canyon.
“Son of a bitch! Someone’s shooting at us!” Pearlie shouted.
The three men had been under fire many times before, so they wasted no time asking what was going on or looking at each other in confusion. They knew exactly what was going on, and they knew what to do about it. Simultaneously, they pulled their rifles out of the saddle sheaths, then dismounted and slapped their horses on the rumps to send them out of the line of fire.
“He’s up there,” Smoke said, pointing to the top of the denuded wall of the red mesa. When Pearlie and Cal looked in the direction Smoke was pointing, they saw a little puff of smoke drifting away.
“Yeah, I see him,” Pearlie said.
Even as they were looking, there was another puff of smoke, another bullet striking rock near them, followed a fraction of a second later by the sound of the rifle shot.
“There’s only one way we’re going to get him out of there,” Smoke said.
“I sure hope you ain’t about to say what I think you’re about to say,” Pearlie said.
“We’re going to have to climb up there after him.”
“Damnit, I knew you was goin’ to say that,” Pearlie said.
“One of us can climb up after him—the other two can take up a position in those rocks over there,” Smoke said, pointing to a collection of boulders that was located near the base of the cliff.
“One of us is going to have to climb up?” Pearlie asked.
“That’s the only way.”
“Smoke, you know I can’t climb up that wall. I’m afraid of heights,” Pearlie said.
“I’ll go,” Cal said. “I’m a good climber.”
Another round whizzed by them.
“No,” Smoke said. “I’ll go. You and Pearlie get into those rocks over there.”
“You sure?” Cal asked.
“I’m sure.”
Pearlie took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Come on, Cal, it ain’t goin’ to be all that easy getting’ across there,” he said. Without another word, he started running toward the rocks Smoke had pointed out.
“Ooooooh shit!” he yelled as the bullets popped and whined, kicking up dirt all around him. Finally, with a dive that covered the last five yards, Pearlie made it to the rocks. Cal dived in right behind him.
“What kept you so long?” Pearlie teased.
“I stopped to take a leak,” Cal said with a little relieved laugh. “What now?” he asked.
“We let Smoke know we made it all right.”
“Hell, he was watchin’ us. You think he don’t know we made it?” Cal asked.
Pearlie stood up, then looked back toward Smoke, giving him a little wave to let him know that they were ready. Smoke nodded back at them.
“All right,” Pearlie said. Jacking a round into the chamber of his Winchester, Pearlie raised up and began firing up toward whoever had been shooting at them.
“Who are you shooting at?” Cal asked. “I don’t see anyone!”
Pearlie fired again, then cocked his rifle. “It don’t matter whether we see anyone or not,” he said. He fired again. “All we’re doin’ now is keepin’ the bastard down so as to give Smoke some cover.”
“Yeah,” Cal said. He jacked a shell into his own rifle. “Yeah, I can see that,” he said. Raising up, he fired toward the top of the mesa where he had last seen gun smoke.
Back on the other side of the little open area, Smoke looked around, then saw a possible way up the side of the canyon wall. He followed it with his eyes and saw that it led a
ll the way to the top. Also, except for a few gaps, it appeared to offer cover and concealment for anyone who might climb it. It was obvious that the assailant had not noticed it, or he would not have taken the position he now occupied. That’s because if Smoke could successfully negotiate the climb, he would be on top of the mesa…behind the shooter.
Smoke realized, though, that “if” was the operative word. It was not at all certain that he would be able to make it all the way to the top.
Smoke began to climb. Although the route had looked passable from the ground, climbing it proved to be very difficult. Smoke had been at it for nearly half an hour, and it didn’t seem as if he were any closer to the top. However, when he looked back toward the ground, he could see that he was making progress, for by now he was dangerously high.
All the time he was climbing, he could hear the steady exchange of gunfire between Pearlie and Cal and whoever it was that attacked them.
Smoke clung to the side of the mountain and moved only when he had a secure handhold or foothold…tiny though it might be. Sweat poured into his eyes and he grew thirsty with the effort, but still he climbed. Then he came to a complete stop. There was no place to go from there. Although he had seen this gap from his observation on the ground, he had not realized that it would totally impassable.
“Damn,” he swore, under his breath, looking around. “Now what?”
From his position behind the rocks, Cal saw Smoke’s predicament.
“Damn, he’s stopped,” Cal said.
“What?”
“Smoke. He’s stopped climbin’.”
“I don’t blame him,” Pearlie said. “I wouldn’t of got that far.”
“He’s reached a place where he’s run out of foot and handholds,” Cal said. “He can’t go any further.”
“Well, I hope he’s got better sense than to keep on tryin’,” Pearlie said. “He needs to come down now.”
“He ain’t goin’ to do that,” Cal said. “You know Smoke. He’s goin’ to keep tryin’ till he makes it up, or gets hisself killed tryin’.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about, the ‘gettin’ hisself killed’ part,” Pearlie said.
“I see a way,” Cal said.
“Where?”
“He’s goin’ to have to come back down a bit, then go up to his right,” Cal said. “Only thing is, from where he is now, there’s no way he can see it.”
“Maybe he’ll see it,” Pearlie said.
Cal shook his head. “Nope, ain’t no way he can see it from there. I’m going to have to point it out to him.”
“Point it out to him? Wait a minute, you ain’t talkin’ about goin’ up there with him, are you?”
“No,” Cal said. “If I can get him to look at me, I can point to it from here.”
“You want him to look at you?”
“Yeah, but he’s still tryin’ to figure out a way to go on from there.”
“Get ready to point,” Pearlie said. He raised his rifle to his shoulder and took careful aim.
“Pearlie, what the hell are you doing?”
“Just get ready to point,” Pearlie said. He squeezed the trigger.
The bullet hit the wall about two feet away from Smoke. The impact of the bullet carved away tiny stone fragments, some of which peppered his face.
“What the hell?” Smoke said aloud, wondering where the shot had come from. Looking around, he saw a puff of smoke drifting up from the rocks where Pearlie and Cal had taken cover. Then he saw Cal stand up and wave at him.
For a moment, Smoke wondered what Cal was doing. Then he saw that Cal was making a motion with his hand, indicating that Smoke should come back down a little ways, then go up by a different route. Cal pointed it out to him.
Smoke waved back at him, then started back down the path he had just climbed. After a few minutes, another bullet slammed into the wall beside him and, looking back, he saw Cal pointing again. Looking around, he saw another chute going up, and he knew this was what Cal meant.
Smoke started up this chute, and though the going was very difficult, he was managing to climb again. Above him was nothing but the uninviting rock face of the cliff. Below him was a sheer drop of more than 150 feet to the rocky canyon floor.
Smoke continued his climb, working hard to find the handholds and tiny crevices by which he could advance. Sweat poured into his eyes and slickened the palms of his hands, but still he climbed. He reached for a small slate outcropping, but as he put his weight on it, it failed. With a sickening sensation in his stomach, he felt himself falling.
“Pearlie—he fell!” Cal said in a shocked voice.
Smoke’s stomach leaped into his throat as he started to fall and, reflexively, he reached out to grab the first thing he could. It was a juniper tree. With one hand, he managed to grab the tree and stop his fall. He was slammed against the wall, feeling the rocks scrape and tear at his flesh. He flailed against the wall with his other hand until he managed to get a hold.
“It’s all right! He caught ahold of that tree!” Pearlie said in relief.
Smoke stayed in place for a moment or two, then, catching his breath, began to climb again. After two minutes of climbing, it began to get a little easier, then easier still, until finally he reached a ledge that showed signs of having been a trail at one time, possibly a trail that had existed until erosion took the bottom part of it away. The trail improved and widened until he could walk upright. Shortly after that, he made it to the top.
Smoke saw the assailant then, no more than twenty-five yards away from him, peering down toward the canyon floor, totally unaware than Smoke had reached the top.
“Enjoying the view?” Smoke asked casually.
“What the hell?” the gunman gasped, spinning around. He stood up.
The two men stood on top of the mesa, silhouetted against the brilliant blue sky. Because the assailant had been using his rifle, he had his pistol holstered. Smoke’s pistol was holstered as well, and for a moment the two formed an eerie tableau, a moment frozen in eternity.
“Who are you?” Smoke asked.
“The name is Shardeen.”
“Why were you trying to kill us, Shardeen?”
“Wasn’t aimin’ to kill you. All I wanted to do was hold you up for a while so as to keep you from getting home right away.” the gunman said.
“You wanted to keep us from getting home?” Smoke replied, his face mirroring his confusion. “Why would you want to do that?”
“To give Van Arndt time to snatch your woman,” Shardeen said. He smiled. “I’ve done my job. By now, we’ve done took her, and I reckon you’ll pay plenty to get her back.”
“Snatch my woman?” Smoke said. “Are you talking about Sally?”
“Is that her name? Sally?” The assailant smiled, though the smile merely exaggerated his bulging eyes, making his visage even more evil. “Well, now, that’s a right pretty name. Yes, sir, it is. But then I’ve heard she’s a real pretty woman. So I expect you’ll pay purt’ near any amount of money we ask for just to get her back now, won’t you?”
“It won’t make any difference to you whether I pay or not,” Smoke said.
The smile left Shardeen’s face. “What do you mean, it won’t make any difference to me? What are you talkin’ about?” Shardeen smiled again. “Oh, wait a minute, I see what you are tryin’ to do. You are tryin’ to turn me against Van Arndt by makin’ me think he won’t give me my share, aren’t you? Well, it ain’t a’goin’ to work.”
“It won’t make any difference to you whether I pay or not because you’ll be in jail,” Smoke said.
“In a pig’s eye, I’ll be in jail. You know better than to try something like that. Don’t forget, we’ve got your woman.”
“You’re coming to Big Rock with us,” Smoke said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Sheriff Carson didn’t have some paper on you.”
“Haw! You’re plannin’ on turnin’ me in for the reward, are you?” Shardeen asked. “Tell me, Mr. Jense
n, are you deef? The reason I asked is, I told you, we have your woman. Now just think about it for a moment. What do you think is going to happen to your woman if I wind up in jail?”
“You let me worry about that,” Smoke said.
“Yeah? Well, worry about this. Van Arndt will kill your woman if you don’t cooperate with him. Only, before he kills her, he’ll pass her around amongst all the others so ever’one will get their turn with her, if you know what I mean. Now, are you still hell-bent on takin’ me into jail?”
“Yes, I am. Come on, let’s go.”
“Mister, you don’t even have your gun out, and you’re telling me to come with you?”
“You can come to jail with me now, or die right here,” Smoke said. “It’s up to you.”
“I ain’t a’goin’ nowhere with you, you son of a bitch!” Shardeen said as he made a desperate grab for his pistol.
“You don’t want to do that!” Smoke warned.
Shardeen’s gun didn’t even break leather before Smoke’s gun was out and booming. Smoke’s bullet hit Shardeen in the chest, and the assailant stood there for a moment, looking on in total surprise. He tried to take a step forward, lost his balance, then fell. Holstering his pistol, Smoke moved quickly to him, then stood, looking down at him.
“Damn, that hurts,” Shardeen wheezed, his voice breaking with pain.
“Where are they taking Sally?” Smoke asked.
“Smoke! Smoke, you all right?” Smoke heard Pearlie’s voice calling anxiously.
“Where are they taking her?” Smoke asked again, but even as he was asking the question, he knew that it would go unanswered. The gunman was dead.
“Smoke! Smoke, are you all right?” Pearlie called up again.
Smoke walked over to the edge to call down. “I’m all right, Pearlie. You and Cal round up our horses. I’ll be right down.”
It took Smoke a lot less time to reach the ground than it had taken him to climb. When he reached the ground, Pearlie and Cal walked over to him. Cal was holding the reins to Smoke’s horse.
“Who was that up there?” Cal asked. “What was all that about?”
Violence of the Mountain Man Page 14