Montana Gundown

by William W. Johnstone

  “You’ll need a guide,” Baldridge insisted. “I’ll go myself if that will make you feel better, Marshal.”

  Trask hesitated in answering. Finally he said, “Jubal Embry and his men are probably on their way here already. We need to wait for them.”

  “That’s not a good idea,” Frank said. “There are four of us. We can handle three kidnappers.”

  “Blast it, if Embry comes charging in and we’re not here to tell him what’s going on, he’s liable to shoot first and ask questions later!” Trask said. “We’re trying to prevent a war, not start one, Morgan.”

  “That’s a good point, Marshal,” Baldridge said. “If Jubal were to attack the B Star, my men would fight back, I assure you. If we wait and are able to talk some sense into him, then a combined force will be so overwhelming that Cotter and the others will have no choice but to surrender and release the young women without harming them.”

  Salty growled, “If they ain’t been harmed already, you mean.”

  “I’m sure they’re all right. As long as those men believe they can collect a ransom for Miss Embry, they won’t hurt her.”

  Frank supposed that made sense, but the whole business still gnawed at him and made him uneasy. Brady and the other gunmen hadn’t greeted them with hot lead, though, so maybe there was a chance he and Baldridge were telling the truth.

  “It’s settled, then,” Trask said. “We’ll wait here for Jubal, then head for that line shack and see if those varmints are there.”

  “Why don’t you come inside and get out of the sun?” Baldridge suggested. “No one has ever said that Gaius Baldridge is inhospitable, and I don’t intend for them to start.”

  Trask looked over at Frank, who shrugged and said, “Might as well.”

  The delay grated on his nerves, but Trask was right about what Jubal Embry might do. Faye and Katie were probably all right, so it made sense to wait and defuse the situation as much as possible.

  The four riders dismounted, tied their horses to a hitching post in front of the gallery, and went up the steps into the shade.

  “Please come inside,” Baldridge invited. “I’ll have something cool to drink brought to you.”

  Salty and Kitson looked uneasy as they stepped into Baldridge’s house, Frank noted. It was sort of like venturing into the lion’s den, he thought. Although he didn’t really think they were walking into a trap, he made sure that his hand didn’t stray far from the butt of his gun.

  As they entered the living room, Laura came toward them, looking cool and beautiful in a cream-colored dress. Her face wore a concerned frown.

  “I heard what you were talking about out there on the gallery,” she said. “Is it true, Gaius? Some of your men kidnapped Faye Embry?”

  “Men who worked for me until recently,” Baldridge corrected her. “I had nothing to do with this, my dear. I can’t be held responsible for what someone does after he leaves my employ.”

  “No, I suppose not,” she said. “I just hate to see all this violence going on in such a beautiful place as this valley.”

  “It will be over soon,” he promised. “You have my word on that.”

  Trask grunted and said, “I hope you’re right about that, Mr. Baldridge. This trouble has gone on long enough, and if you and Jubal Embry weren’t so blasted hardheaded, it could have been settled by now.”

  “You speak bluntly, Marshal, but you speak the truth.”

  As Baldridge spoke, a Mexican woman entered the room carrying a tray with several glasses of what appeared to be lemonade on it. The servant handed them out. The liquid was cool and crisp and tasted good as Frank downed a long swallow. He had never been much of an alcohol drinker. A good cup of coffee or something like this lemonade was much more suited to his tastes.

  “To the successful recovery of those unfortunate young women, and to the end of the hostilities in this valley as well,” Baldridge said he lifted his glass. “Perhaps if we can help bring Miss Embry home safely, her father will see that we don’t really need to be enemies after all.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Trask muttered.

  Frank would have, too ... if he thought Baldridge really meant it. But something was still nagging at him, a sense that this just wasn’t right. Every instinct in his body warned him that danger hung over him and his companions, and it would as long as they were on the B Star.

  Baldridge’s offer to help, though, was the only real lead they had to the whereabouts of Faye and Katie, so they had no choice but to trust the man ... for now. Frank lifted his glass along with the others ...

  But he couldn’t help but notice that Brady didn’t.

  Chapter 26

  Frank found himself sitting in a comfortable armchair while they waited for the rest of the Boxed E crew to arrive. Laura came over and took the chair beside him. Baldridge and Trask were on the other side of the room, talking quietly together near the massive stone fireplace, while Salty and Bill Kitson were checking out the collection of animal heads mounted on another wall.

  From the looks of it, Baldridge must have been quite a hunter in his earlier days. The wall was adorned with heads from grizzly bears, antelopes, bighorn sheep, and mountain lions—an impressive display of death.

  “Are you all right, Frank?” Laura asked. “I heard the marshal say that you were attacked as well when Miss Embry was kidnapped.”

  “I’m fine,” he told her. “I was knocked out, but just for a few minutes. My head’s too hard to get a permanent dent from a gun butt.”

  She smiled and said, “I remember just how hardheaded you can be when you want to. I know you didn’t mean it exactly like that, but it still applies.”

  Frank returned the smile. “I suppose it does.” He glanced around the room. “Where did Brady go?”

  “I think he’s upstairs.” Laura sighed and shook her head. “I hate to admit it, but he’s not very comfortable around you, Frank. I should have done things differently while he was growing up, I know that. I still wish things were better between the two of you, but I suppose there’s no hope for that.”

  “Not much,” Frank said.

  In fact, there was no hope. Brady Morgan was a brutal, cold-blooded killer, and Frank didn’t think that would ever change. Brady would stay just as bad as he was until someone ended his life with a bullet or a hangrope.

  He didn’t say that to Laura, though. There was no point in hurting her even more.

  After a moment she went on. “I hope you can see now that Gaius isn’t the terrible man everyone makes him out to be. He’s really worried about Faye Embry, even though her father is trying to steal Gaius’s range from him. When this is over, I’m sure that if you asked him, he could find a place for you here—”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Frank broke in, not letting her finish. “I’m playing out the hand the way it was dealt, and when it’s over, Salty and I will be moving on. We never intended to stay in this valley.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Mexico,” Frank said with a slight smile as he thought about the old-timer’s determination to reach that land of warm sun, warm señoritas, and spicy hot food. “We’re taking our time about it, but we’ll get there.”

  “I hope you do, Frank,” she said softly. “I hope you do.”

  It wasn’t long after that that a rumble of approaching hoofbeats was heard through the open door. Frank stood up and joined the other men who started for the gallery.

  “Stay inside, my dear,” Baldridge told Laura. “Just in case Jubal won’t listen to reason.”

  “He’ll listen,” Trask said. “He’s not going to open fire on a lawman.”

  Frank wasn’t so sure about that. Jubal Embry could be mighty hotheaded at times. But as he moved out onto the porch with the others, he hoped that his presence, along with that of Salty and Kitson, would cause Embry and his men to hold their fire.

  A cloud of dust rolled up behind the galloping riders. From the looks of the packed mass of horsemen, Embry
had brought every member of the Boxed E crew he could find. There were close to two dozen men charging toward the B Star ranch house.

  Marshal Trask went down to the bottom step and held up a hand in a signal for the riders to stop. They were close enough now that Frank could make out the grim faces of Embry and Hal in the lead. They hauled back on their reins and brought their mounts to skidding halts.

  “Get outta the way, Trask!” Embry roared. “We’re gonna turn that house into a damned sieve!”

  “Hold your fire!” Trask bellowed back in a surprisingly strong voice that matched Embry’s tone. “Settle down, Jubal!”

  “Settle down! By God, how can you tell me to settle down? Those no-good skunks have stolen my daughter!”

  Hal said, “Frank, what are you and Salty and Bill doing up there with them? Are they holding you hostage?”

  “You see this gun on my hip?” Frank asked. “Nobody’s holding me hostage, Hal. You and your father had better listen to what Trask has to say.”

  “Mr. Morgan is right, Jubal,” Baldridge said.

  Embry pointed a blunt finger at Baldridge and said, “You shut up, you damned range hog! There wouldn’t be any trouble in this valley if it wasn’t for you!”

  “Just listen to me for a minute,” Trask pleaded. “Tell your men to take their hands off their guns and listen.”

  It was true that the Boxed E punchers were ready for a fight. Some of them held rifles, and others rested hands on gun butts. If they started shooting, the men on the gallery would be cut down in a matter of seconds.

  After a moment fraught with impending violence, Embry lifted a pudgy hand and ordered, “Relax, boys. Hold your fire ... for now. But Trask, if you’ve got somethin’ to say, you’d better talk fast!”

  “All right,” the marshal said. “We know who took your daughter and Katie Storm.”

  “So do we!” Embry thundered. “Baldridge’s men!”

  “No,” Baldridge said. “Men who worked for me, but they don’t now. They quit and rode off yesterday, Jubal. They weren’t acting on my orders when they kidnapped poor Faye. I give you my word on that.”

  Trask added, “As best we can figure, they kidnapped Miss Embry thinking they would hold her for ransom. And we have a pretty good idea where they’re holed up, too.”

  Embry frowned darkly and shook his head. “That’s loco!” he said. “I don’t believe it!”

  “It’s true,” Baldridge insisted. “Think about it, Jubal. These men ... well, I have to admit, even though I hired them to help protect my ranch, some of them proved to be less than trustworthy. To put it bluntly, they’re little more than outlaws.”

  Embry snorted. “Now you realize that!”

  Baldridge pressed on, saying, “Those three men drew their time and rode on yesterday. I’m not responsible for what they might have done today—”

  “You’re responsible for ’em bein’ here in the valley in the first place!”

  With a visible effort, Baldridge kept a tight rein on his temper. “That’s true,” he admitted, “and that’s why I’m going to help you get Faye back safely, along with Miss Storm. I and some of my men will ride with you and take you to the line shack where we think those men are hiding with their prisoners.”

  “And we’re supposed to trust you?” Hal asked. “Why in blazes should we?”

  “Because I think I know where your sister is, Hal, and I’m willing to take you to her. I wouldn’t do that if I were behind her kidnapping, would I?”

  Embry and Hal glanced at each other. They didn’t have an answer for Baldridge’s question.

  Neither did Frank, but he still thought there was more going on here than was apparent. Unfortunately, the only way to find out what it was might be to go along with Baldridge’s plan.

  “We’re wasting time here,” Trask snapped. “Baldridge, how long will it take to get to that line shack you’re talking about?”

  “It’s been several years since I’ve been there, but I think we can make it in a couple of hours,” Baldridge replied. He looked at the sky. “We should get there before dark, but you’re right, Marshal, we don’t have any time to waste.” He swung around to look at Embry. “What’s it going to be, Jubal? Do we go and rescue your daughter, or do we kill each other and leave her in the hands of those desperadoes?”

  Embry snatched off his hat and pawed at his mostly bald head in obvious frustration. Then he clapped the hat back on and said, “All right, blast it! I still don’t trust you a lick, Baldridge, but I’ll go along with you ... for now! But if this is a trick, you’ll be mighty sorry.”

  Baldridge nodded and said, “I’ll fetch Brady, and he can get his men. We’ll be ready to ride in ten minutes.”

  “Better not be any longer than that, or we’ll know you’re up to something,” Embry warned.

  That didn’t make a lot of sense, Frank thought, but Embry was so used to being angry and hostile where Baldridge was concerned that he had to spout something.

  After Baldridge had gone inside, Laura said quietly from the doorway, “Frank.”

  He turned toward her. She stepped out onto the porch. Salty and Kitson had gone down into the ranch yard to untie their horses, and Trask was talking to Jubal and Hal Embry. That meant Frank and Laura were alone on the porch for the moment.

  “I just wanted to tell you to be careful,” she said. “I don’t know what will happen up there where you’re going, but I’m sure it’ll be dangerous.”

  “Life is dangerous,” Frank said. “Even when you do everything you’re supposed to, sometimes things don’t work out.”

  She smiled. “You’re talking about the two of us, aren’t you?”

  “The two of us ... Brady ... everything we’ve gone through over the past twenty odd years, I suppose.”

  She reached out and touched his hand. “If you had known then what you know now, would you have done anything differently?” she asked.

  “That question has been plaguing everybody since the dawn of time, I reckon.” Frank shook his head. “And I don’t have an answer for it any more than most folks do.”

  “I know what my answer would be,” Laura said with a smile.

  Before she could elaborate, Brady stalked out to the porch and glared at the two of them.

  “Let’s go,” he said curtly to Frank. “We’ve got things to do.”

  “I reckon that’s true,” Frank said. He put his hat on and nodded to Laura. “I’ll see you when we get back.”

  “I’ll be watching for you,” she promised.

  Chapter 27

  Brady Morgan and six other men from the B Star joined the group of Boxed E riders headed for the mountains on the trail of the kidnappers. The other members of Baldridge’s crew were out tending to their ranch duties, too far from headquarters to summon, Brady explained.

  Baldridge and Embry both urged their horses to the front of the group. They were flanked by Brady and Hal, and just behind came Frank, Trask, and Salty. Bill Kitson had fallen back with the other Boxed E hands.

  “My men used to use this line shack we’re looking for when I had herds grazing in the highest pastures during the summer,” Baldridge explained. “I stopped doing that several years ago because it was simply too much trouble to fetch the animals down every fall, and too many of them got lost up there in that rugged country. I have plenty of range just as good lower down.” He shot a glance over at Embry. “Of course, when I was able to graze my stock anywhere I wanted, even west of Loco Creek, it was much easier.”

  “There’s still room enough for both of us,” Embry said. “The valley’s plenty big.”

  “Don’t try to pretend to be the voice of reason, Jubal. It doesn’t suit you.”

  Embry was about to make an angry retort when Hal spoke up instead, saying, “How about this, Baldridge? Your herd is bigger than ours. What say we lease you some range during the winter when you need it more?”

  Embry and Baldridge both looked at him in surprise. Embry said, “What ...
what are you doin’, son? I don’t want to do business with this polecat!”

  “Why not?” Hal asked stubbornly. “The two of you used to get along all right. I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t see any reason why you can’t work together again.”

  “But we’re suing each other!” Baldridge protested.

  “You wouldn’t have to, if you’d just come to an agreement,” Hal insisted. “Mr. Baldridge, you could admit that my pa’s claim to the western half of the valley is legal, and Pa, you could admit that we’ve got a little more range than we really need. Seems like it would work out better all around if you’d just cooperate.”

  Brady said, “He means if you’d just slink away with your tail between your legs like a whipped dog, Gaius. Is that what you want to do?”

  Baldridge had been looking confused and seemed to be considering Hal’s suggestion, but at Brady’s sharp question, his expression firmed up and he shook his head.

  “No, of course not. I won’t let any man run roughshod over me.”

  Hal began, “That’s not what I was saying—”

  “Forget it, boy,” his father growled. “Thinkin’ ain’t never been your strong suit. You’d best leave that to me.”

  Actually, Frank thought, what Hal had proposed made a lot of sense. If Embry and Baldridge had been willing to go along with the idea, it would have solved a lot of the problems in the valley. Sure, the hard feelings between the two spreads would have taken some time to fade away, but eventually they would have.

  Brady had jabbed a sharp stick into Baldridge’s pride before Baldridge could even give it any serious consideration, though. Brady didn’t want peace in the valley. That would mean he was out of a job. The only way he would make a profit was if Baldridge and Embry stayed at each other’s throats ...

  A frown creased Frank’s forehead as several bothersome thoughts stirred in his brain. He asked himself who else might have something to gain if the Boxed E and the B Star were at war with each other.