Shivering again, I stepped outside. The sun had gone behind a cloud, but we had a good four or five hours of daylight to ride there and back, or to town for the sheriff, if I decided it was necessary. But even as I thought that, my heart was telling me that I wouldn’t be able to turn Logan in.
Once more the chill went through me as I steeled myself. And then after checking the saddle, cinches, and reins, I mounted up.
We rode in silence for two hours. Several times I saw Morgan looking over at me as if he wanted to say something but I was lost in my own thoughts of Elliot – and of Logan – so I did not care to talk.
The sun peeped out through the pines at a rakish angle. I wondered what Logan would think about my being missing. Surely, he’d be home by now.
“How much longer is it?”
“Not far. Another half hour or so.”
I nodded. My legs were already getting stiff and I recalled now how I’d ached after that long day in the saddle. Still, if it answered my questions, it was worth it.
I couldn’t believe that despite all I’d been through there was a part of me which wanted to find Logan innocent. But everything pointed to his guilt.
Since I had broken the silence barrier, Morgan evidently deemed it all right to speak.
“You know once my brother is taken care of, the ranch will be yours.”
I turned sharply to stare at him. “And not yours?” He gave me a lopsided grin. “What would make you think that I’d inherit?”
“But you’re his brother.”
“Stepbrother,” Morgan corrected. “Pa married his Ma after his father was killed in some sort of accident. The “Rolling J”, that is the original part of it, belonged to his Pa and so he inherited. I’d get it only if sum’thing happened t’him, you, and the kid.”
“Oh.” I looked at Morgan now with new eyes and realized that his resemblance to Logan was only superficial. “So, I’d control the ranch?”
“Right as rain.”
“But I ... I don’t want it.” I twisted on my horse to face him. “I want to go back to Chicago... or someplace like that.”
Morgan shrugged. “You could always sell it, I guess. But it’s hard to believe you don’t want it. This land’s worth a fortune, and when the railroad come through...”
“The railroad? It’s coming to Ruby City?”
“Soon as all the land grants are cleared. Mind, it will take some doin’ to finish everything up. All and all I think it’ll take a few years. Anyone that owns railroad land will be mighty rich. Mighty rich.” He grinned.
I slowed my horse to a walk as I tried to assimilate what he was saying. “Do you mean this land will be railroad property?”
He grinned. “Course Logan ain’t too pleased with that. He likes things just the way they are. Only things gotta change. It’s progress, you know.”
“Progress.” I repeated that word, but it had a leaden quality to it. I looked up towards the sun, seeking warmth, and saw an eagle swooping down from the mountaintop. Proud and free – it cared nothing for progress and frankly neither did I. I could see why Elliot had loved this land and why Logan did, too. I could see why Logan was against the progress that Morgan spoke of. Money could never buy the beauty that I was seeing now.
The eagle continued to glide down and as I shaded my eyes to watch it, I saw the rocky formation of the woman’s figure. “Brentwood Pass?” I turned to Morgan.
He pinched his lips together and then nodded. “Yep, just a little bit further now.”
We continued to ride along, but as we got closer my curiosity grew. “Tell me how you found it, Morgan?”
“Read the letters.”
“The letters?”
“Yep. The ones your brother wrote you.”
Startled, I stared at him. “But how…. ?”
He grinned. “Let’s just say that Logan had me do it.”
“Oh.” I remembered now how my room -had been invaded and the picture of Elliot left on the bed. My body flushed with anger. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
He shrugged. “Never seemed necessary.” He reined his horse to a stop, and I did the same. “We’re here.”
“Where?” I looked around me but could see no opening to any mine.
“There.” Morgan pointed to a hole in the mountainside a little above the road. “Your brother must have found a natural entrance and kept on mining from there. I gather there’s a lot more than what he found, or Logan wouldn’t have killed him for it. Course there was the matter of the land. The James boys don’t like anyone t’have our lands.”
“I thought this was government property. I mean, it did belong to the Indians, didn’t it?”
Morgan grinned at me. “Honey, out here we’re the government. No man from Washington’s gonna come and tell us what t’do.”
As I swallowed the dust, I took a drink from the canteen now to wet my dry mouth. “But when he stopped the stagecoach, Logan said that Elliot had killed a government man. Didn’t that mean... ”
Morgan continued to grin. “Oh, that guy Reynolds came all right. But that don’t mean we paid him any heed, Lisa.”
I grimaced at his use of my nickname. It had been one thing to allow Logan to use it. But somehow it seemed totally different to hear it from Morgan.
“Let’s go in. I want to see what my brother found.”
“You go. I’ll stay here with the horses. Can’t have them spooked by some wild animal.” He paused. “You never know what’s out here... snakes, bears, coyotes and the like.”
“But how will I know what to look for?”
Morgan’s eyes seemed to twinkle with the falling of the sun’s rays. “You’ll know. Believe me. You’ll know.”
I sighed. It seemed that I was stuck. “Do you have a lantern for me to use?”
“There’s one inside. A wood shelf just inside the door.”
I nodded and dismounted. Handing him my reins, I started up the sloping path. It took me only a moment to reach the wide yawning mouth which seemed to swallow daylight for miles around. A cool air came from within and I shivered violently for a moment knowing that I was going to see death inside.
My stomach tightened.
I turned back to look at Morgan.
“Well, go on. We haven’t got all day. You want to get back to your husband, don’t you?”
The way he said “husband” made me blush, but I nodded. Clearing my throat, I asked, “Have you been in here?”
“Nope.”
“Then how do you know it’s my brother’s mine?”
“Because I know. It’s the only possible one around here.”
I sighed, unsure if it was wise for me to attempt going into a mine with my leg still aching as it did from the accident. I hesitated. “It looks like there’s a drop here. Do you have a rope ladder?”
Grumbling, he dismounted and ground-tied our horses.
I didn’t like the look on Morgan’s face as he brought me the rope. “Lantern’s right there.” He pointed toward the shelf directly inside the cave which had obviously been built in. For someone who claimed he’d never been in here, I wondered how he knew. But since I could see he was in a hurry, I didn’t ask.
“Look around. Get what you want and let’s get back.”
I nodded. With the looped ladder on my shoulder, I entered. For a moment, stepping carefully, I fumbled with the matches and finally lit the lantern.
The drop I’d seen was a few feet from the entrance, but it was there all right and I knew that if I had to explore down there the rope would be necessary. It was only then I recalled the rope I had in my pocket, but perhaps I’d use that later if I still needed it.
The flame within the lantern flickered a bit and then burned steadily. I could see Morgan outside, leaning against the entrance with his arms folded Indian style as he waited for me.
Anchoring the hemp ladder onto a heavy boulder, I placed the light at the edge and eased my way down, taking each step carefully as I checked my
footing and carried the lantern with me.
It was getting colder and colder and darker and darker. I was beginning to think that the drop would never end. Certainly, the lantern’s glow barely broke the blackness about me. Halfway down a gust of wind from the tunnel blew out my light. I cursed and hoped that my brother, or whoever was last here, had had enough brains to have another light at the bottom.
Shivering, I felt my foot touch the solid rock of the bottom level and touched the wall around hesitatingly as I felt the slime.
“You down there?” Morgan called from above.
“Almost.” I lied. I didn’t know why I felt the need to say that, but I pushed it out of my mind as I continued looking for the lantern.
Finally, near the uneven floor, my fingers touched the smooth glass.
My eyes were becoming accustomed to the almost total darkness and I could see shapes but little else as I continued to feel for the flint.
It seemed to take forever before I managed to light it but as the light flared, I heard a thud.
Spinning around I saw the rope which I had used to climb down curled at my feet. “What the devil!” I cursed and heard my echo in the walls. I tilted the lantern and looked up to see Morgan standing above the hole now.
“Sorry about that, little sister, but I’m sure you understand. I have to do this.”
“Do what?” My heart hammered like the picks which had carved out this mine.
I saw his smile as the light glinted from his eyes and he pointed a gun at me – my mother’s gun! He began to place a heavy wooden flat over the top of the entrance.
“Morgan! What are you doing?”
“Sorry, Lisa.” he said again, in a voice that didn’t seem sorry at all, “but you wouldn’t take my advice and leave, and I certainly can’t let you stand in the way of progress, or in the way of what should be mine. My brother may have nine lives, but he’s used up eight of ‘em. Three since you’ve come. But you, my dear, only have one.”
In a flash it crystallized. “But you can have the land. I don’t want the ranch. I don’t want any of this.”
“Don’t be a fool. Only a fool wouldn’t want what’s going to be close to a million dollars.”
I nearly gagged on his words. “Really,” I pleaded. “I’m happy to leave.”
He laughed like a man in an asylum and I shivered again.
“Wait!” I called up as he began to push the board further into place, blocking out what little daylight could come in. “I think you owe me an explanation.”
“If you mean about your brother,” he paused, “yeah, I killed him. I also killed the government man. No one’s gonna claim what belongs to me. Clay and me, we’re gonna make one big killing.” He laughed again.
Clay and him! My pulses raced as I thought how my trust had been so misguided.
“Were you the one that – ” My hoarse voice must have carried upwards.
“What do you think, sis?” His voice almost sounded proud. “Of course, I fixed your saddle. Don’t you remember when I met you at the picnic?”
I wet my dry lips as I forced myself to hear the horrible words. “And Logan?”
“I wanted to kill you both and have done with. You weren’t taking the hint. It would have been a relatively painless death, my dear. Now, I’m afraid you’ll just have to linger.” He pushed the wood closer to the edge.
I didn’t ask about Drucilla. I knew he’d been the one to murder her, too. She must have had something to tell me; something that would have saved me all these weeks of fear and worry.
The wood was nearly covering the entrance.
“Wait! But Sara... surely you’re not — ”
My stomach revolved as I heard his gleeful tone. “A little deaf girl. She ain’t even gonna hear the gun that’ll shoot her. Won’t feel nuthin’ either.”
“And what... what about Logan? He’ll be looking for me. He’ll — ”
“No, he won’t, little sister. He’s already found you.”
I didn’t know what he meant until I turned around. The flickering light from the lamp showed me Logan propped up in a corner of the mine. Blood caked on his right temple. His eyes were closed.
“Logan!” I screamed as I ran to him.
“Bullet only grazed him. He’ll wake in a bit and you two will have time to say goodbye.” He laughed as he pushed the rest of the wood over and the light went out with the breeze.
Logan and I were in total darkness now.
Chapter 29
With fumbling hands, I managed to relight the lamp.
“Logan!” I shook him gently. “Logan! You have to wake up.” Tears came to my eyes as I realized that it was probably because of me he’d landed here. I also realized, probably too late, that I loved him and that he’d been innocent all along.
Morgan must have placed those incriminating things in Logan’s desk drawer.
As I replayed the events in my mind, I could see that it had been Morgan who’d engineered everything. Had it been Morgan or Logan who blackballed me in town? It had to have been Morgan. He was, after all, trying to chase me out of town. And even Miss Lily had only said “Mr. James.” She must have meant Morgan and not Logan. I cursed myself for being so stupid and so blind.
Blind? Tears again came to my eyes as I gently touched the bloody spot on Logan’s brow. Would he be blind after this? Would he or I ever live through this? I still didn’t understand then why Logan had been so anxious to marry me. But he had and now I wanted to be his wife. Really be his wife.
Sniffling, I stilled my tears as I laid my head on his chest.
His heart continued to beat. He lived, but for how long?
Frantically, I searched the area.
There had to be another way out of here besides up.
I huddled in my coat – or rather Logan’s coat – and shivered.
“Logan. Logan.” I called his name softly. Relief hit me as he moved a little.
“Lisa.” his voice cracked.
Joy jumped inside of me. He said my name and not Ginny’s. I leaned over to kiss him.
“I know you’re full of passion, my darling – but is this really the proper place?” He opened his eyes.
I pulled back. “You’re awake.”
“Guess I am… not sure.” He attempted a smile but groaned as he moved. “Wake me in twenty minutes.”
“Oh, Logan.” I managed a laugh and placed my arms around him. “Are you in pain?”
His lips brushed my brow. “There are only two reasons I’d groan, my darling.” He paused as his eyes met mine. I couldn’t believe he’d speak about this now. “But you’re right on the first count.”
I sniffled.
“Don’t you dare cry on me now. We must remain calm.” He brushed my tears away with his fingers. “That my old coat?”
I nodded.
“Share it with me.”
I saw then he wore nothing but a flannel shirt and scooted over to place both of us together in the shearling.
We were both silent a moment. I leaned against him. “This probably isn’t the right time,” I said, taking a deep breath. “But why were you so anxious to marry me?”
“Why?” He twisted a bit to look at me and then groaned slightly. “Maybe we’d better blow out the light and save the oxygen. Don’t know how much time we’ll have.”
I did as he asked, startled for a moment just how black the darkness around us was. “Logan?”
“Right here, my dear.” His hand reached out to me, touching me, comforting me as he pulled me to him.
There was another moment of silence. “You wanted to know why I wanted you so badly?”
“I do.” The words oddly reminded me of my marriage vows. I promised myself if we escaped from here, I’d be his wife in every way.
His lips brushed my brow and I felt a wetness.
“Are you crying or is that blood?” I touched his face. “You can’t die on me now!”
But did it matter if we died together?
> He moved my hand to his cheeks.
“You are crying!”
“Elisa, now that I’ve found you, I will not lose you.”
My heartbeat quickened as love engulfed me. I knew I felt the same way. “But before... ”
He sighed. “I think I probably fell in love with you even before I knew you.”
“How?”
“Your brother worked with me for a time. You knew that.”
I nodded.
I rested my ear against his chest and heard his beating heart.
“He talked about you often. About how good you were with kids; about how you’d worked at that school and had these grand ideas; about how he wanted to make a fortune so he could open a school for you here... ”
“Elliot said that?” I blinked, as my heart filled with love for my brother and a double sorrow now that he was dead, that I’d never heard him say that.
“He said that and more. Used to show me your picture.”
“Which one?” I could feel myself blushing.
“The two of you together at the cemetery. Your mother’s grave I think.”
I was silent a moment as I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Yes. It was my mother’s grave.”
“Anyway, Sara was getting worse and worse.” He paused and touched my hand, closing his fingers gently around mine. “I’d already decided that when you came, I was going to ask you out to the ranch to teach Sara. I knew you’d want to be with your brother.”
“Yes.” My voice choked.
“He said he was going to send for you soon. He said he thought he’d found something up north here. I gave him leave to investigate. And then he disappeared.”
He drew my hand to the scar above his other eye. “I’d told him I wanted to marry you. He laughed and threw a plate at me. It was all in fun, but it cut me, nevertheless. He hadn’t meant to hurt me. But that was the last day I saw him. I had no idea what happened to him.
“When your telegram arrived, I could scarcely believe it. Morgan brought it to me. Convinced me that Edward – rather Elliot – as I only later learned – was still alive and gonna make a run for it. Course I didn’t believe him. I think even then he wanted to scare you away.”
Logan's Land Page 22