I knew that I was a dead man if either of them was worth his salt in a gun fight, but that didn’t seem to matter so much now. I would take out Caleb Carson. I concentrated on him, aware that Santos, on my left, was continuing to move. I had to draw now… suddenly the unmistakable roar of the Henry rifle shattered the quiet of the morning. From the corner of my eye I could see that Santos had been driven backward and lifted slightly from the ground by the force of the shot. His body turned a half circle in the air before landing heavily on its left side.
Caleb Carson recovered slightly faster than me and his gun was clearing the holster a split second before mine. He fired… too soon. The angry whine of the bullet sped past my right ear and I steadied down and shot him dead center. His second shot went off uselessly into the ground. I took a half step to my left and shot again, then took another step forward and shot the third time. All three shots found their mark in his chest, and he lay still on his back as I took the last few steps in his direction. A quick check told me that both Caleb Carson and Santos were dead.
I holstered my Colt and turned when it dawned on me that someone had fired a Henry rifle and killed Santos. My hand dropped toward the holster, then moved away. Whoever it was, they were a friend. I remained rooted where I was, staring at the dead bodies, trying to absorb what had just happened. The brush on my left rustled slightly, and Kate burst out of the woods. “Chance!” I stared dumbly, trying to understand what had just happened. Kate took three quick steps and launched herself into my arms. We clung to each other and swayed back and forth for a very long time. She tilted her head back, pulled my face down to her and kissed me.
Finally I found my voice. “What…” Apparently I had found my voice but still couldn’t put a sentence together. Kate laughed and filled me in quickly. “Mike came back last night and told us what happened on the road between Mora and Cimarron. I knew you would be out here against three of them, so I came to find you this morning.” My eyes strayed over toward the body of Santos. “And got here just in time” I said. I glanced at the Henry rifle, which now lay on the ground at our feet. “I went to the cave first” she said. “I brought the Henry with me just in case.”
I stared over Kate’s shoulder. Something was nagging me at the back of my mind, but my brain was slow to respond. We were still entwined together, so I was in no mood to move either. Finally it came to mind what was troubling me. “You said three of them” I began. “Does that mean…?” Kate nodded. “I think Jack Carson is still out here somewhere.” That one brought me back to reality. I bent and picked up the Henry. Kate took my hand and led me through the woods to where she had tied her horse. I saw that Archie was standing nearby. I put the Henry in the scabbard on her saddle and took both her hands. “I’m going to take the fight to him now” I told her. “I will go back up past the cave and sweep our old ranch to see if I can find him over there. If not, I’ll come to your house. Please don’t stay out here. Please go back to your house. I wouldn’t put anything past him.” She hesitated for a long time, and then finally nodded. She pulled me back down for another kiss, then went and mounted her horse. “I’ll go with you as far as the stream” she said, then “I can work my way back home without being seen. I’ll go the way I came this morning.” I turned and mounted Archie, and we started toward the stream.
Jack Carson was riding across the tree line at the edge of his land when he heard the heavy roar of a rifle, followed by pistol fire. He reined in and listened. He counted four pistol shots besides the rifle fire. He stopped to consider what this meant. The saloon keeper and his nephew could have come looking for them. Or they may have found some reinforcements to carry the fight to him. He didn’t like the possibilities. He turned his horse even farther to the north and began to work his way quietly into the deep wooded areas above him. He needed a hideout, or an ambush position, or both. He alternated riding and leading his horse on foot, making no noise as he watched the trees and pastures below him. Eventually he struck a small trail and noticed multiple sets of footprints. He knelt and studied the tracks. There appeared to have been two different riders who followed this small trail north to the higher ground, then returned. He squatted and stared up the trail for some time. Finally he mounted his horse and moved back into the woods, following the line of the trail from the cover of the trees and the underbrush.
Chapter Seventeen
We had parted ways by the stream. Kate had promised to return to the Randolph ranch house, going back the way she had come. I was determined to go back to our old ranch next door and find Jack Carson. It wasn’t just about settling an old score. I had killed three of the Carsons now and had no desire to kill more. I just knew it wasn’t going to be over until Jack Carson was gone.
I was well aware he was still out here somewhere and stayed alert as Archie picked his way up the trail, but I couldn’t help wondering what my future with Kate might be. I was well enough off now to be the owner of my own place, or to partner with someone. I had wandered all my life and would dearly love to settle somewhere. Cimarron was really the only home I had known, and I didn’t want to leave again.
I began to formulate my plan for the rest of the day. I would cut over to the east from the cave area and go back through the old ranch property. This time I would check the house. I knew that two of the three men I had seen there yesterday were now dead, but Jack Carson remained. If he were in the house again today, I would have to wait him out. If he wasn’t there, I would work my way back to the Randolph house, looking for any sign of him along the way. If I didn’t find him, my pre-arranged signal with Kate was to fire my pistol in the air twice before approaching the ranch house.
I passed by the cave and started working my way down through the woods toward our old house. I had dismounted and was leading Archie on foot, because the trail was pretty much non-existent at this point and I wasn’t as familiar with it as I had been many years ago. I stopped for a breather and a little water for myself and Archie. As I returned the canteen to the saddle, I checked my ammunition belt and realized I was a little low. Probably there was plenty, I thought, but I didn’t know for sure what the next couple days held. I decided to go back to the cave to pick up a little more ammunition before I got any farther. I turned Archie around and headed back up the mountain.
Jack Carson slipped inside the entrance to the cave, gun out and ready. He held himself against the inside wall and let his eyes get accustomed to the darkness, listening for any sounds. When he had satisfied himself the cave was empty, he returned his gun to the holster and began to explore the interior. It was clear someone had been here recently, probably last night because there was still some warmth to the fire ashes. Bedding lay tossed aside against one wall, and there was still a little food in the cave. He explored further, finding ammunition for a Colt pistol and a Henry rifle, though he didn’t find the guns themselves. He squatted on his heels against the far wall and gave it some thought.
The first question, he decided, was who could possibly know about this place? Neither he nor his brothers had known about it. One piece of the bedding that lay unused at the back of the cave seemed very old, the fabric rotting away in places. So it had to be either someone who had just recently discovered an old hideout or someone who had known about it for a long time and recently returned to it. He was betting on the latter. He thought about the father and son who had lived at the ranch. He and his brothers had surprised the old man and thrown him off the cliff before claiming the ranch. The son had been sent back east, but word was that he had returned and killed Yates several weeks ago. What was the name? O’Reilly or Reilly or something like that.
Carson returned to the mouth of the cave and listened to the stillness outside. He had lived this long by not taking any chances and by getting into fights only when he had a sure thing. If O’Reilly had thrown in with the Randolphs and the town barkeep, odds were getting too long for him, especially if his brother and Santos didn’t turn up. It might be time to head out. On the othe
r hand, this could make a pretty good hideout for a few days until things settled down. And if O’Reilly or Reilly or whatever his name was should show up back here at his hideout, he could arrange a nice surprise. He turned and went back inside.
Kate rode alongside the stream at the top of the property, riding quietly and easily as she made her way back to the ranch. She and Chance had parted about twenty minutes before, when Chance went back to look for signs of Jack Carson at his old ranch. She had stopped to water her horse and to splash some cold water on her face before heading out. She had killed a man this morning, something she hadn’t thought she would ever do, but there were no regrets. Santos would have surely killed Chance if she hadn’t come upon them and fired. Now she just wanted this to be over, and for life to return to normal, whatever normal would be after this. She felt sure Chance would remain here and she found herself looking forward to that very much.
She found herself thinking about her mother, as she often still did. She had been a long time coming to an inner peace with the memory of her mother. She had left the ranch one day and never returned, leaving Kate and her father to make it without her. As Kate had grown older, she better understood how hard life could be here. Her mother had probably wanted a more social life in a city somewhere. Kate wondered what her mother would think of Chance. Her hand strayed to her neck, where she wore her mother’s scarf. It was one of the very few keepsakes she still had. She touched her neck and reined in abruptly. The scarf was gone! She sat for a moment and thought back. She had dipped it in the stream and splashed her face with the cold water. She must have left it there. She turned the horse and started back to retrieve the scarf.
It was a matter of only a few minute’s ride to get back to where she had stopped earlier. Her eyes were on the ground searching, and she saw a splash of color where the scarf had caught in some brush at the water’s edge. She heaved a sigh of relief, dismounted, and retrieved the scarf. It was a sign of how disoriented she was this morning that she had ever left it there. She turned to mount and go back to the ranch when something caught her eye in the brush, up at the edge of the trail. Were those tracks? She walked her horse over to the brush and trees at the edge of the faint trail leading up to the cave. There was a set of tracks there, back in the underbrush where it would be hard to see. She followed it a few steps farther. No doubt about it, someone besides either herself or Chance had gone up there. She gasped as the realization hit her. Jack Carson! As she turned and mounted her horse, she heard the gunfire.
I stepped into the cave and I knew something was wrong as soon as I stepped in. I had become too accustomed to coming into a safe place, and it hadn’t occurred to me that someone could use this cave against me. I saw movement from the corner of my eye as I stepped in, and the only saving grace was that he wasn’t ready either. I froze inside the entrance and he stopped in his tracks as he turned his head toward me. We stared at each other for what seemed like a very long time. He finally spoke first. “O’Reilly, right?” “Reilly” I answered. He seemed to turn fractionally toward me. “You killed my brother Yates.” “And your brother Caleb” I said. “And your Cousin Bud. Santos is dead too. Time for you to ride out of here.” He seemed to turn fractionally farther, and my hand edged toward the holster. I tried to remember what Sam had told me about the brothers. Jack was the best gun hand. Make your first shot count.
I concentrated on his eyes, knowing only one of us would leave here. He dropped his eyes slightly, and then looked back up. “We killed your old man, you know.” It had the desired effect. I lost concentration for just a second, and then I saw his gun coming up. I reached for mine, but first I heard the blast and felt the blow down low on my right side. I staggered backward, then steadied down and shot him. He fell back but fired again and I felt another stab of pain in my right leg. He stumbled back against a rock and began to tip over backwards. I stepped forward on my left leg and fired a shot that went in under the point of his chin as he was falling. He collapsed against the back wall of the cave.
I stepped slightly forward and to my left, dragging the right leg behind me. I fired, then stepped and dragged the leg again. Tears of rage rolled down my cheeks as I triggered the Colt again and again and again. Finally my brain registered the sound of the hammer falling on an empty chamber. I found myself standing over Carson, weaving slightly and staring down. I could see now that the second shot had finished him. I felt dizzy and weak. I moved to put my gun back in the holster, but fell to my knees instead. The gun clattered loudly onto the floor of the cave. I thought I heard Kate calling me. Was that possible? I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came. Then the blackness closed in and I felt myself pitching forward.
Chapter Eighteen
I opened my eyes slowly and the room seemed to swim around me. I blinked twice and gradually began to bring things into focus. Nothing seemed familiar. I was lying in a bed, but it wasn’t mine and it didn’t remind me of anyplace I had been. Come to think of it, I hadn’t actually slept in a bed in a very long time. There were windows with curtains, and flowers in a pot on the dresser. Something stirred to my left, so I swung my eyes over there and tried another focus. It was a woman, getting up from the chair! Recognition came in a rush and I saw her smile. “Chance! You’re awake!” Kate leaned down and gave me a kiss.
I felt a smile spreading across my face. Kate pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat down, stroking my hand. I started to turn towards her, but the pain in my side and my leg stopped me. She put out a restraining hand. “Doc says you’re to get a lot of rest and don’t try moving around much for a couple days. He said you’ll mend in a couple weeks though. I’m going to take care of you until you’re better.” I relaxed and lay back on the pillows. That same silly smile stayed on my face. “You can take care of me after I’m better, too” I said. She laughed and took my hand again. “Deal” she said.
I tried to remember what had happened. I knew I had killed Jack Carson, and I remembered falling forward in the cave. I asked how I came to be here. Kate explained that she had seen Carson’s tracks and had come back up to the cave. When she had gone in, Carson was dead and I was lying on the floor, passed out, but breathing and with a strong pulse. She had taken a pan down to the stream, filled it with cold water and bathed my face and hands until I’d come around enough to stand with help. She’d found some rags in the cave and used them as bandages to slow the bleeding, and I’d been able to lean on her and drag myself out of the cave. She’d brought Archie around, and I’d been able to mount, with a lot of help. I had promptly passed out after mounting. She had then tied me in the saddle and brought me back to the ranch.
I absorbed that information, looking at Kate’s face, a little afraid to ask the next question. I gingerly touched my side. “What about the bullet wounds?” I asked. “Will I…?” Kate smiled. Doc says you’re going to be fine. You lost a lot of blood from the wound in your side, but it passed through and didn’t hit any organs. Your leg will be sore for a while, but it isn’t broken. Doc says you will heal up completely if you get some rest and good care. I’m going to take care of both those things.” I heaved a sigh of relief and looked back up at the ceiling, knowing full well how lucky I was on all counts. Another random thought struck me: “How long have I been here?” She pulled open a curtain and let the morning sunlight stream in. “You’ve been here a full day” she said. “I brought you in yesterday morning.”
There was a tap at the door and Jim Randolph stuck his nose in. He glanced from one of us to the other. “Can I interrupt this party long enough to have a couple words with Chance?” he asked. “Sure” I said. Kate rose from her chair. “Do I need to leave?” she asked. “No” answered Jim. “I’d like you to hear this too.” He pulled a chair up to the other side of the bed and sat down. He walked with a slight limp but he looked strong.
He examined his hands for a minute before beginning. “Chance, I’ve been thinking – and stop me if this isn’t for you.” He twisted the sheets in h
is hand for a moment. “That ranch next door rightly belongs to your family. It was taken from you, but all the Carsons are dead now, and the land is vacant. I spoke to the people at Cimarron Bank. They hold a note on the ranch for a loan the Carsons took. It’s a pretty big loan -- $3,000. They said, though, that if you could pay the note, the ranch will belong to you. So I was thinking I could…” “Done” I told him. Jim stared at me blankly. “I could lend you…” he began again.
Another big smile broke out on my face. “I don’t need the loan” I said, “and I definitely want the ranch. This is the only home I’ve ever known. You and Kate…” The words caught in my throat and I had to stop for about 30 seconds before I could go on. “Well,” I said, and then I went on to tell them the story of my gold mining experience. “So,” I concluded, “I have the $3,000 and some money besides to fix up the house and start a herd. I’m your new neighbor! How about that?” Jim laughed, but there was a tear in the corner of his eye too as he reached across the bed and shook my hand. “I’ll help you get started with that herd as soon as you’re well. Now I’m going down to talk to somebody at the bank. You get some rest.” With that he left, pulling the door shut gently behind him.
Kate’s eyes were shining as she sat back down and rested her head on my shoulder. “All those terrible things happened…I started to wonder what if things could ever be normal again. Now there’s nothing but sunshine. Normal is going to be wonderful.” I looked at the top of her head on my shoulder and turned that phrase over in my mind a few times. “Normal is going to be wonderful” I breathed. My eyelids became heavy, and I found myself drifting off to sleep.
There was a light tap at the door, and I pulled myself to a sitting position, leaning back against the pillows. “Come in” I called. Kate came in; followed by Jim and a middle-aged man I hadn’t seen before, wearing a coat and a bow tie. Jim introduced the man as Bill Samuels, from Cimarron Bank. He carried a small leather briefcase. Jim pulled up a chair for the banker and another for himself, slightly farther back toward the middle of the room. Kate leaned over and felt my forehead. “No fever” she announced cheerfully. “Are you hungry?” Come to think of it, I apparently hadn’t eaten in a day and told her I was very hungry. “Good sign” she said. “I’m going to make you some soup.”
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