‘I just remembered somethin’,’ he said. ‘Somethin’ Addison let slip. When one of his men was beatin’ me up, he told him to stop after a while because Clovis would want me in one piece.’
Kitchenbrand and Purdom looked at each other. Garland’s words were a confirmation of what they had felt all along: that Clovis was deeply involved.
‘Did he say anythin’ else?’ Kitchenbrand snapped.
Garland shook his head. ‘No, I don’t think so. I tried to get more information out of Addison when we were ridin’ along, just before I took that plunge into the river, but he didn’t say anythin’ more.’
Kitchenbrand’s brows were puckered. When he spoke again he was voicing the others’ thoughts too.
‘It looks like Addison was takin’ you to see Clovis. OK. Why not let the meetin’ take place? It would give us an entry to the Latigo and might just help make everythin’ a lot clearer.’
‘And you two pass as members of the Yuma gang?’ Garland asked.
Purdom shook his head. ‘That wouldn’t work,’ he said. ‘Clovis knows me.’
Kitchenbrand scratched his chin, continuing to think about the problem. ‘Hell,’ he concluded, ‘we can think about that one as we ride.’
‘If Addison gets back to Clovis first, we could all be ridin’ into a death trap,’ the marshal said.
Kitchenbrand grinned. ‘Seems like we been doin’ plenty of that already,’ he said. ‘And we’re still alive and kickin’.’
As Addison rode hard with his gang towards Chaparral Bend, he began to calm down a little. As they approached a stand of trees set back from the main trail, he drew the band to a halt.
‘What is it?’ Cord asked.
‘Where do you think Garland and his friends are right now?’ Addison said.
Cord shrugged his shoulders. ‘Could be either ahead of us or behind us.’
‘I figure they’re behind us. Apart from anythin’ else, they don’t know the country like we do. They’ll be goin’ slow, on the lookout for us. So why don’t we set a little trap for ’em?’
‘There’s plenty of us. Guess we could spare a few men.’
‘That’s what I was thinkin’. If Garland is ahead of us, it’s no skin off our noses.’ He rose in the saddle. ‘Rogan! Newsome! Get over here.’ He turned back to Cord. ‘Take those two and find a position among those cottonwoods where you won’t be seen and wait to see if Garland comes by.’
‘He might not ride this way.’
‘That’s not likely. Anyone heading in the direction of Chaparral Bend is almost certain to follow this trail.’
Cord nodded. ‘Leave it to us,’ he said. ‘How long do you figure we should give it?’
‘Wait till about this time tomorrow. You can set up camp tonight, make yourselves comfortable. Here, just in case there are more of them than we figure, you can take Smith and Hordern too.’
‘That won’t be necessary,’ Cord replied with a leer. ‘If Garland comes down that trail, he’s gonna be a sittin’ duck. Same goes for anyone riding with him.They won’t know what hit ’em.’
‘I’m tempted to stay behind myself,’ Addison said with a grin, ‘but I got business in Chaparral Bend. We’ll see you there.’
Kitchenbrand, Purdom and Garland rode at an easy pace, not wanting to tire their horses. They had made their way out of the hills without seeing anyone. From time to time one or the other of them looked back but there was no sign of pursuit. Then, after riding further, they came across the sign left by Addison and his party and there was no need to check on their back trail. They dismounted to take a closer look.
‘Couldn’t be more obvious,’ Kitchenbrand said.
‘I’d say about fifteen or more of ’em,’ Garland added.
They rode on, confident in the knowledge that Addison was ahead. Kitchenbrand had been racking his brains about what to do when they got near Clovis’s Latigo spread. At least Addison’s trail would give him some indication of what the outlaw and his gang were likely to be doing.
Even before riding to the Buzzards with Kitchenbrand, Virginy had been familiar with most of the terrain around Chaparral Bend, and she and Delta made good progress. The land was gently rolling with occasional stands of trees, and deserted, so it came as a surprise when Virginy noticed a smudge of dust on the skyline off to their right.
‘Unless I’m mistaken, that dust is bein’ kicked up by a bunch of horses.’
‘You mean there are some riders coming towards us?’
‘They’re a good ways off yet,’ Virginy replied. ‘All the same, I figure it might be sensible for us to take cover.’
Digging her heels into her horse’s flanks, she led the way off the trail in the direction of some tall cottonwoods. They rode into the trees, then drew their mounts to a halt. The cottonwoods rustled and from their depths a crow cawed. Virginy turned to her companion.
‘Now you don’t suppose that could be Reba?’ she said. The girl smiled and shook her head. She was aware that Virginy was joking in order to steady her, but the strange thing was that she didn’t feel nervous. Since she had been rescued from the clutches of Angel Addison she felt a different person. She had recovered her old self.
‘Whoever those riders are,’ Virginy said, ‘they ain’t gonna find us here.’
She slid from the saddle and Delta followed her. After tying their horses they had started to move further into the trees when Virginy paused, went back to the horse and drew a rifle from its scabbard.
‘Picked this up in Chaparral Bend,’ she said. ‘We’ll wait here till those riders have gone. We’re probably makin’ somethin’ out of nothin’, but it don’t hurt to be careful.’
They started to move forward once more when suddenly Virginy stopped and, turning to Delta, put her finger to her lips. They both froze. Virginy pointed ahead. They listened but all they could hear was the breeze whispering in the trees. Then they both heard something else – a faint murmur of voices.
‘There’s someone up ahead,’ Virginy whispered.
‘What do we do, go back?’ the girl asked.
Virginy thought for a moment. ‘I’d like to know just who it is. You wait here. I’ll carry on and try taking a look.’
The girl shook her head. ‘I’m coming with you,’ she said.
Virginy didn’t argue. Together, they crept forward. Although they listened intently, they could no longer hear any voices. Delta was beginning to think that they must have been mistaken when there was another sound; the unmistakable snicker of horses.
Again Virginy put her finger to her lips. The trees were thinning and Virginy could tell that they were approaching an edge of the wooded patch more or less on the side furthest away from where they had entered. Peering ahead, she suddenly thought she detected movement. Then her eyes travelled downwards and she saw some figures lying in the grass near the trees. One of them suddenly stood up and Virginy could tell that the girl had seen him too, because she started involuntarily.
‘I know that man,’ she said. ‘He’s called Cord. He’s one of Addison’s men.’
‘The Yuma boys,’ Virginy said. She motioned to the girl to move back. When they had retraced their steps a little way they stopped and took cover.
‘Are you sure you recognized that man?’ Virginy asked.
‘Yes. I’d know him anywhere.’
Virginy looked puzzled. ‘I’d like to know what they’re doin’ in the woods.’ Suddenly a light of understanding dawned in her eyes. ‘I reckon they’re waitin’ for someone,’ she said. ‘And if they’re the Yuma boys, they ain’t doin’ it to be friendly.’
‘What? You think they’re waitin’ to ambush someone?’
‘Yes. Where they’re camped, they’ve got a clear view of the trail.’ Her mouth opened a little wider. ‘Kitchenbrand!’ she said. ‘I bet they’re waitin’ for Kitchenbrand and the marshal. I wonder how long they’ve been here?’ She thought for a moment longer and then touched Delta’s arm. ‘You get on back to where we left the
horses,’ she said.
‘What are you gonna do?’
‘I’m goin’ to stick around and see what happens. I got a feelin’ I might be needed.’
‘And I got a feelin’ we might both be needed,’ Delta replied. She reached into her skirt and produced a Colt Army revolver.
‘You aren’t the only one can handle a gun,’ she said. ‘I’m stickin’ with you.’
Virginy was about to argue but, seeing the determined look on the girl’s face, she did not attempt to dissuade her. After all, it was good that Delta believed in herself again.
‘Don’t make any noise,’ Virginy said. ‘And keep that gun out of sight.’
Delta smiled and they began to move forward again to where they had a view of the owlhoots. They could see now that there were three of them. Concealing themselves in the undergrowth, the two women began to watch.
They didn’t have long to wait. Suddenly the outlaws became animated and jumped to their feet. They began talking to one another but neither Virginy nor Delta could make out the words. They didn’t need to, however, because it was apparent what the gunnies were about. They slid away from the patch of comparatively open ground where they had been lying to take up position behind some trees. Virginy had a shrewd guess that whoever they were waiting for was fast approaching.
From what she could see, the outlaws had chosen their hiding-places well. The trees behind which they were concealed were on the edge of the woods and the site commanded a good view of the trail. She glanced at Delta. The girl signalled that she was OK. Virginy shifted her position slightly. She couldn’t see anything but soon her ears caught the sound of horses. She was thinking rapidly, trying to decide on the best course of action. If it was Kitchenbrand coming down the trail, the best thing would be to fire a shot in warning. If it wasn’t, she would be giving her position away. But what if the approaching riders were more of Addison’s gang?
She leaned forward, her eyes straining to catch a glimpse of who the newcomers might be. Then her heart skipped. She couldn’t be certain of who the other two riders were, but her old eyes could not mistake the sight of her grandson. Her sight was good and she would know him anywhere.
Without further hesitation, she raised her rifle and was about to fire a warning shot when she saw one of the outlaws raise his gun. Instantly she brought her rifle down and, steadying herself for a moment, aimed and fired. The rifle boomed and she felt the recoil slam against her shoulder. Almost in the same instant the man opened fire on the approaching riders but Virginy’s bullet caught him in the shoulder and he fell forward, his shot slamming harmlessly into the ground.
Immediately there came a fusillade of shooting from various directions. Out of the corner of her eye Virginy saw a stab of flame. Delta had fired her weapon. Virginy aimed and fired again; she saw a branch of a tree fall to the ground. Then a bullet thudded into a tree next to her and she realized that she was under attack.
Shouting to Delta, she began to run back through the trees. Both of them kept running till they found cover behind more trees and stopped to look back. Gunfire was ringing out but there didn’t seem to be any sign of pursuit and no bullets came their way.
‘I guess that warnin’ shot musta worked,’ Virginy said. ‘Those varmints have got their hands full now fighting off Ty and the others.’
‘Ty!’ Delta gasped.
‘Yes. One of those riders was Ty and I guess the other two are Kitchenbrand and the marshal.’
Delta’s smile was radiant as she reached out to hug the old lady.
‘Jumpin Jehosophat!’ Virginy said. ‘Just be careful that gun don’t go off.’
The sounds of firing grew more insistent, then suddenly there was silence. The two women exchanged glances.
‘What do you think’s happened?’ Delta asked.
‘Well,’ Virginy replied, ‘seems like one side or the other has won out.’ They looked at each other again, afraid of what might have happened.
‘Come on,’ Virginy said, ‘there’s only one way to find out.’
Holding their guns in readiness, they crept forward once more. When they got to the spot from which they had originally viewed the outlaws, they paused. They were near the edge of the woods and going further would place them in an exposed position. They both peered ahead, trying to see what had become of the gunhawks. There was no sign of any of them. Then they heard the sound of voices. Virginy raised her rifle in readiness. The voices got closer and a figure came into view. It was Kitchenbrand. He was bent double, glancing to right and left before running forward to hurl himself behind the cover of a tree. He was looking towards them but had not seen anything. Virginy dropped her rifle and called out.
‘Kitchenbrand, it’s Virginy, Virginy Garland! And I got Delta here with me!’
Kitchenbrand emerged from behind the tree, his rifle still at the ready.
‘Virginy!’ he shouted, and his tone of voice indicated his amazement.
The old lady nodded to the girl and they both stepped from concealment. At the same moment Virginy saw the marshal coming up behind Kitchenbrand and, just behind him, her longed-for grandson.
‘I can’t believe it,’ she muttered. Ty began to run and the next thing Virginy was aware of was being held in his arms. Kitchenbrand and the marshal waited a few moments before coming forward.
‘Landogoshen!’ Virginy murmured at last. ‘Is this really happenin’?’
‘Seems like we owe you our lives, ma’am,’ the marshal said. ‘We sure feel grateful.’
When his joy and relief at seeing his grandmother had calmed, Ty held her at arm’s length. ‘You always stood by me,’ he said.
Virginy looked to Kitchenbrand. ‘You got this man to thank for savin’ you from the noose,’ she said. ‘Him and the marshal both.’
‘I know,’ Ty said. ‘They done a lot more for me too.’ He seemed to become aware of the girl for the first time. Virginy, perceiving that Delta had been to some extent ignored, introduced her to her grandson. He hesitated for a moment and then awkwardly removed his hat.
‘Glad to make your acquaintance,’ he mumbled. Kitchenbrand, observing that the young man seemed to have become suddenly tongue-tied, turned to Virginy and began an explanation of what had happened. While he was doing so Purdom moved away to check on the condition of the outlaws. All three were dead.
The marshal reflected upon how easily their roles might have been reversed; on how close he, Kitchenbrand and Garland had come to being in the outlaws’ shoes. It was true what Kitchenbrand had said. Virginy Garland was quite a lady.
Angel Addison, with the rest of his gang, drew rein outside the ranch house of the Latigo spread. He sat for a moment looking about.
‘Where is everyone?’ he said.
‘We didn’t see nobody as we were ridin’ in here,’ one of his men replied.
‘Go and take a look inside the bunkhouse.’
The man urged his horse forward. Coming to a halt, he slid from the saddle and disappeared inside. After a few moments he reappeared.
‘Nobody there!’ he shouted.
Addison’s teeth were gritted. ‘Now what do you suppose Clovis is up to?’ he said.
‘Maybe he’s out on the range somewhere. Maybe he’s at that line shack you were supposed to be meetin’ him at.’
Addison continued to sit mute and grim-faced. There was something about the quietness which unsettled him. Something was not quite right. Suddenly, as if in answer to his questions, the door of the ranch house opened and Clovis appeared. At the same moment the shutters of the building flew wide and gun barrels were pushed through; men appeared on the roof of the ranch house and the adjoining buildings with rifles pointed at the little group of horsemen. Clovis stepped on to the veranda and behind him three men emerged, also carrying arms.
‘Hello, Addison. I been expectin’ you,’ Clovis said.
Addison looked about him. A drop of sweat appeared on his forehead. ‘Why the welcomin’ committee?’ he said.
‘Garland got away but it won’t take long till we round him up.’
‘I’d say that was more than a little careless.’ The rancher’s tone annoyed Addison. It didn’t take much to grate on him.
‘What are you doin’ here?’ Clovis said.
Addison had to think for a moment. ‘You want Garland,’ he said, ‘and so do I. But I want whoever’s been helpin’ him even more.’
‘Then it seems we’re after pretty much the same thing,’ Clovis replied. ‘Now, it seems to me we ain’t goin’ about things the right way facin’ each other in some kind of stand-off like this. I’d say it would make a lot more sense for us to pool our resources and go and get Garland and his friends. And since they’re almost certain at some point to make an appearance in Chaparral Bend, that’s the place we ought to be.’
‘Some of my boys are in town already,’ Addison said.
‘That’s fine. I’ll leave a few of my men here to keep an eye on things and the rest of us will head out.’ He turned to the man with the rifle standing next to him and issued a few instructions. ‘Just give us a few minutes to get saddled up and we’ll be right with you,’ he added.
He turned on his heel and made for the stables, thinking rapidly. It had been his policy so far to dissociate himself from Addison, but there didn’t seem to be much point in doing so any longer. He wouldn’t be able to keep their acquaintance from public attention much longer. Already people like the marshal were aware of it. But the new situation provided him with an opportunity. A lot of the townsfolk were still angry with Garland. They still held him responsible for the bank robbery. If he played his cards right, he could get the information he wanted from Garland before doing his duty as a good citizen and handing him over to the law. There might yet be a use for that gallows. Furthermore, if things worked out, it would round things off nicely if Garland was to be joined by Angel Addison.
Six-Gun Nemesis Page 10