They watched for a while longer. Then, turning their backs on the conflagration, they climbed into leather and rode away, taking a side trail which seemed to lead them in the direction they wanted to follow. At first it was hard going but after a time it led into a high bowl from which they had a good view of the surrounding country. Behind them, smoke drifted into the air from the ashes of Addisonville. The view was deceptive. Looking about from the edge of the hollow, it was hard to believe that the nearby hills and valleys could conceal a whole rookery of outlaws nests. They sat their horses and observed the scene.
‘Which way now?’ Purdom eventually asked.
‘Towards those higher hills. If there’s any outlaws hidin’ out round here, that’s where they’re most likely to be.’
‘What about guards? If there’s another nest of the varmints, they’re likely to have it covered.’
‘They didn’t back there. Still, I guess we’ll have to be careful and just take our chances.’
Purdom looked at Kitchenbrand. ‘Sounds like you thought about this real careful,’ he said. He grinned. ‘Let’s hope it all works out better than your last plan to hide Garland.’
Virginy Garland shuffled from the kitchen with a bowl of soup in her hands. Delta Trace, sitting at the table, looked up at her approach.
‘Here,’ Viginy said, ‘you need to eat somethin’. Lords a’ mercy, you don’t put enough away as would keep old Reba satisfied.’ She placed the bowl on the table and sat down beside the girl.
‘What about you?’ Delta said. ‘Don’t you need to eat too?’
‘I’m an old widder woman. I don’t need no more to keep me goin’ than a crow.’
Delta smiled, took a spoon, and ladled some of the soup into her mouth. Then she looked at the old woman. ‘You’re a widow?’ she said. ‘I never thought—’
‘You ain’t hardly had time to think,’ Virginy interrupted her.
Delta drank some more of the soup. ‘How long have you been a widow?’ she asked. ‘If you don’t mind me askin’?’
The old lady smiled. ‘Mind? Why should I mind?’
‘I don’t know. I hardly know you. Maybe you’d think it was a little impertinent of me.’
‘I don’t think that at all. You and me, we get on. I don’t mind talkin’ about things. Landogoshen, it ain’t as if I get much chance these days.’ She paused for a moment before continuing. ‘His name was Abel, Abel Garland. He were an ornery, hard-cussin’ kind of man. Not everyone took to him. But he was a good man. I guess it took one just like him to see it. He was always good with Walt. That’s Ty’s father.’
She stopped, thinking about what she had just said. ‘Ty’s a good boy too. I know he got caught up with those Yuma boys. But people can go off the rails. Especially young’uns. He saw where he had gone wrong.’
‘I know,’ the girl responded. ‘Look at what happened to me.’
Virginy looked at her and smiled. She hesitated before going on. ‘You’re out of all that too, now,’ she said.
‘I wish I could tell you somethin’ about your grandson,’ Delta replied. ‘But I wasn’t with them for long. Ty must have left before I was ever foolish enough to get involved with Angel Addison.’
‘It’s all right. And if anyone can find him, it’s Kitchenbrand. I can tell that he’s a good man too.’
They lapsed into silence for a few moments before Delta spoke again. ‘I hardly know Mr Kitchenbrand. Sometimes he seems kind of withdrawn, but at the same time I feel comfortable with him around.’
Virginy opened her mouth as if to speak but closed it again. She licked her lips. ‘You’re a bit young to remember about the War,’ she said. ‘Mr Kitchenbrand told me he’d been right through it. I think it wounded him.’
‘You mean he got shot? He seems to be OK.’
‘Not shot. I didn’t mean that. But a person can get hurt in other ways.’
Delta thought about it. ‘I know what you mean,’ she said. ‘I know that too.’
Virginy regarded her closely. ‘Yes, I think you do,’ she said.
When the girl had finished her soup Virginy got to her feet to take the empty bowl back to the kitchen. She was gone for a while and Delta was wondering what had delayed her when she reappeared.
‘You didn’t say what happened to your son,’ Delta said. ‘If you’re sure you don’t mind talkin’ about it.’
Virginy gently shook her head. ‘No, I don’t mind,’ she replied. ‘Walt was wounded, physically wounded I mean. I went to visit him in the hospital. They thought he might pull through, but he didn’t quite make it.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Delta said. ‘I shouldn’t. . . .’
‘Don’t be silly,’ Virginy said. ‘I wasn’t the only one to lose somebody. After all, like I once said to Mr Kitchenbrand, it was a long time ago now. A lot of things have happened since.’ She got to her feet and walked to the window where she stood looking out for a moment or two. ‘Now, why don’t you and I go for a little walk?’ she said. ‘It’s turning into a lovely evening.’
They got to their feet and walked outside. Before stepping down from the rickety porch Delta stopped Virginy by touching her on the arm. ‘I know how worried you must be about your grandson,’ she said, ‘and I sure appreciate all you’re doin’ for me. But I’m fine now. We don’t have to stay here.’
‘What are you drivin’ at?’ Virginy said.
‘You and Mr Kitchenbrand and the marshal ain’t the only ones with a grievance against Angel Addison. I got reasons for wantin’ to see him brought to justice. Why don’t we follow Mr Kitchenbrand and the marshal and ride for the Buzzards?’
Virginy’s expression registered her conflicting emotions. ‘You mean that?’ she said. ‘You’re sure you’re strong enough after all you’ve been through?’
‘I wasn’t always like I was when you found me. I can look after myself. Yes, I mean it. I’m ready and what’s more, I’m willin’ and able to face up to Addison and the rest of those varmints. Mr Kitchenbrand and the marshal might be able to use a little help.’
A new look of relief and eagerness spread across Virginy’s countenance.
‘If you’re sure,’ she replied. ‘You needed someone to take care of you, but I got to admit I been strainin’ at the bit. Lords a’ mercy, let’s do it. We can pick up what we need in town first thing tomorrow.’
Ty Garland lay for a long time, not moving, not even thinking, lost in some twilight world between sleep and waking, between consciousness and oblivion. When he came round the sun was low in the sky. He ached all over and he was shivering, even though his clothes had dried out in the sun. Slowly, he eased himself to a sitting posture and then got shakily to his feet. A strong breeze rustled in the treetops and sent little choppy waves scurrying across the surface of the water. He looked up at the hillside on the opposite side but there was no sign of Addison and his gang. He knew, however, that they would be after him. They were ruthless and would not stop till they had found him.
At first he had been confused about the whole affair, from the moment he had heard the necktie party causing trouble outside the jailhouse till he had been removed from the marshal’s house and taken to Addison. Now, after giving the matter more thought, he had a pretty shrewd idea what it was all about. He was pretty sure he knew what Addison was after.
When he had ridden with the gang and had foolishly considered Addison to be his friend, in moments when his tongue had been loosened by liquor, he had indiscreetly hinted at having the plans to a disused mine on his grandmother’s property. There was indeed a document of some sort which his grandmother had once mentioned, but he had never looked into the matter in any detail. Now it seemed that Addison had renewed his interest.
What he couldn’t work out was why Addison should do so at this stage and what use a disused mine could be to him even if it existed. Working on some old diggings did not seem to be his style. Something like that was far more likely to interest a man like Landon Clovis, who was growing ever mor
e influential in Chaparral Bend; a man who had a finger in various pies and who had coveted his grandmother’s small piece of property for some time.
He recalled the night that the mob of angry townsfolk had come to take him away. He hadn’t given it any thought at the time, but could there be any significance in the fact that Clovis had been one of them? Maybe that gold mine was more Ty’s own fantasy than he had allowed for. But he guessed the document was real, even though his grandmother had probably forgotten about it. Whatever it contained, it was probably the clue to the mystery.
Right now he needed to do something about his situation, and quickly. His most pressing needs were for shelter, warmth and dry clothes. He did not feel hungry, but he knew that would come. He walked to the river’s edge, stooped down and drank. When he had slaked his thirst, he got to his feet and walked back amongst the trees. He kept on moving till he reached the edge of the tree line, behind which the hills sloped upwards in a gentle incline. A little higher up they became steeper and just at that point his eyes detected openings into what must be caves. His heart skipped. There was the answer to his most immediate problem. Choosing an appropriate spot, he began to climb the hillside.
Although it wasn’t especially steep, he found it hard going and by the time he reached the opening he was aiming for and flung himself down on the floor, he was feeling exhausted again. Darkness was drawing down as the sun’s last rays struck the hillside and filtered into the cavern.
His refuge didn’t extend very far back. He sat in the entrance and watched the sun drop at last behind the western mountains. The wind freshened up and the trees below swayed. Beyond the river the hills were a black wedge sharply outlined against the sky. He continued to survey the scene and, just as he was about to turn away, his eyes, grown used to the dim light, detected movement along the river away to his right. He was suddenly alert, straining his sight.
For a moment he thought he must be mistaken, when he saw it again. Something was moving on the opposite bank of the river. It got closer and then he saw a couple of riders coming his way. It seemed Addison was close to finding him already.
Instinctively, he shrank back inside the cave. It didn’t seem possible that Addison could have tracked him down so quickly. The best thing would be to remain where he was. Surely there was no chance that Addison could discover his exact whereabouts. It had to be down to luck that he had got this far.
Once he had got over the shock of seeing the riders he moved to the front of the cave again to take another look. Moonshine flooded the landscape and he could see well but there was no sign of the riders. Thinking they might have crossed the river, he looked up at the opposite shore, but there was no movement there either. He wasn’t sure what to make of it when he heard something almost directly below him. The night was still and sounds carried; he could hear the ripple of the river. He tensed as the sound was repeated.
There was no mistaking the soft thud of horses’ hoofs on damp earth. The next moment the two riders emerged from the trees. His heart thumped. If they had been able to follow his trail this far, there was little chance that they would miss the cave where he was hiding. Or maybe it was still just chance that had brought them so close. He peered out once more.
The two riders had stopped and were talking together. Their voices floated up to him but he could not make out what they were saying. Then the moonlight glanced off some object on the chest of one of the riders and Garland’s heart skipped again. It looked like a badge, a star. He squinted, trying to make out the features of the men. Neither of them looked like Addison. Then he started to his feet. The two riders were Marshal Purdom and the stranger he had met in the jailhouse: Kitchenbrand. For a moment he hesitated, uncertain that he had got it right. He continued to look closely at the two men. He was not mistaken; it was Purdom and Kitchenbrand.
He was about to make his presence known when a new thought struck him. What would their attitude be? If they thought he had been involved in the breakout from the marshal’s house, it might not be too welcoming. Was that what they were doing here? Had they tracked him down in order to drag him back for the hanging? Their presence could be no coincidence.
Then he thought of the alternative. He couldn’t last long in the wilderness in his current state and sooner or later Addison would find him. The fact was that he had been abducted against his will. What had happened was none of his doing. He decided that his best course of action would be to throw himself on the mercy of the marshal and hope that Purdom would believe his side of the story. Stepping out of cover, he waved his arms and called to the riders below.
‘Marshal Purdom, Kitchenbrand! It’s me, Ty Garland.’
The riders looked up. Garland saw Kitchenbrand reach for his rifle but then stop. The two men exchanged glances.
‘Garland! We’ve been lookin’ for you!’
‘I guess you found me!’ Garland called back.
It didn’t take long for Kitchenbrand and the marshal to build a fire in the mouth of the cave and have bacon and beans sizzling in the pan while Garland warmed himself at the flames. He had been apprehensive about the reception he would be given, but Kitchenbrand and the marshal had soon set him at ease. It seemed they were at least willing to listen to his account of events. When they had eaten and filled their cups with strong black coffee, they built smokes and settled back.
‘Guess you’d better tell us what this is all about,’ Purdom said. ‘And you’d better be tellin’ it straight.’
When Garland had finished, the marshal looked towards Kitchenbrand. ‘Do you believe what he says?’ he asked.
Kitchenbrand nodded. ‘I believed old Virginy all along,’ he said. ‘I ain’t gonna change my mind about Garland now.’
‘How is my grandmother?’ Garland said.
‘She’s fine. She sure is a plucky old girl.’
When Kitchenbrand mentioned the destruction of Virginy’s house, Garland was angry but he calmed down somewhat when Kitchenbrand told him how they had destroyed the outlaw settlement in return.
‘I gotta get even on the rest of those coyotes,’ Garland said when Kitchenbrand had finished.
‘I think we’re with you there,’ Kicthenbrand said. ‘We figure there’s some other hole in the wall around here where they’re hidin’ out. Do you know where it might be and do you reckon you could find your way there?’
Garland thought for a moment. ‘There’s a lot of old trails and I hardly know the hills, but if I get back to Addisonville and start from there, I reckon I might be able to figure somethin’ out.’
‘That’s good,’ Purdom said. ‘How are you feelin’ now? Do you reckon you’ll be up to ridin’ in the mornin’?’
‘I ain’t got a horse.’
‘That isn’t a problem. There are some horses in a corral back at Addisonville. You can ride with me and pick one up there.’
They relaxed and enjoyed the coffee and tobacco. Eventually Kitchenbrand spoke again.
‘From what we know now, it seems that Addison has been workin’ in cahoots with Landon Clovis. Seems like we might have him to deal with as well as Addison. But what I don’t understand is what interest either of them would have in your grandmother’s property.’
‘I think I got a good idea what that is,’ Garland said. He proceeded to tell them about the rumour of a disused mine which he had put about.
‘You ever come across anythin’ like that?’ Marshal Purdom asked when he had finished.
‘Nope. Grandmother don’t know nothin’ about it either. I guess I went a bit too far with that gold mine yarn. It was her tellin’ me about that document that the previous owner of the Chicken Track deposited with the lawyer in Chaparral Creek that started me off.’
‘It’s a good job she did leave it with the lawyer in view of what happened,’ Purdom said. ‘If there’s anythin’ in it, that is.’
‘That document is sure gonna make some interestin’ readin’, one way or the other,’ Kitchenbrand said.
‘I
f we ever get that far,’ the marshal added.
Conversation dwindled, and when they had finished their smokes and the last of the coffee was gone they settled down for the night. Kitchenbrand and Purdom agreed times to keep watch but they excused Garland from guard duties, despite his protests. He had no sooner laid his head down than he was asleep.
‘He’ll be fine by tomorrow,’ Kitchenbrand said.
Purdom lay back, his head on his saddle, and watched the firelight cast flickering shadows across the walls of the cave. The last thing he was conscious of was the figure of Kitchenbrand hunched in the cave entrance.
He was awakened by someone gently tugging at his shoulder. Instinctively his hand reached for the six-gun which was concealed beneath his blanket, but as his eyes grew used to the dim light he could see that it was Kitchenbrand. He put a finger to his mouth and signalled for Purdom to follow him. Purdom shook off his blankets and moved quickly to the mouth of the cave.
‘Over there,’ Kitchenbrand whispered.
Purdom’s eyes followed Kitchenbrand’s outstretched finger. Advancing down the river trail that they had followed was a group of riders. It was difficult to make out any details in the darkness but there seemed to be at least nine of them bunched together, with another two riding slightly behind.
‘Seems like we weren’t the only ones to find Garland,’ Kitchenbrand said.
‘Maybe they’ll pass on by.’
‘I doubt it. It won’t be Garland’s tracks they’ve followed, but ours. They might even have caught a slight glow from the embers of the fire.’
Purdom weighed up the situation. ‘What do you think?’ he asked. ‘Do we stay here and fight or make a run for it?’
‘Neither,’ Kitchenbrand said. He glanced at Purdom’s puzzled features. ‘I don’t like bein’ bottled up. We move out of here but we don’t run for it. We choose where we make a stand.’
Purdom grinned. ‘I’d best rouse Garland,’ he said.
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