Way of the Gun

by Ralph Hayes

  Sumner, though, had heard the revolver slide from its holster, and had begun a drop into a half-crouch as Sloan fired. The Peacemaker answered fire in the next half-second, the guns making a roaring echo in the room. Sloan’s shot, instead of striking Sumner mid-chest, hit him in the low neck, just missing the jugular. Sumner’s lead smacked Ira Sloan just over the heart and sent him crashing loudly through a plate glass window directly behind him, hitting the narrow porch outside on his back.

  The big Colt flashed in bright sunlight as it turned over into its resting place. Gunsmoke lofted to the tin ceiling. The three men at the rear rose from a crouched position. The waiter whistled between his teeth.

  Sumner put his left hand to his neck and it came away stained red. But it felt like a shallow flesh wound. He threw a double eagle coin on to his table and glanced at the waiter. ‘That’s for the coffee and the window.’

  Outside, he stopped a moment to look at Sloan. He was very dead, with a look of surprise still on his heavy face.

  Worried about Dulcie now, Sumner hurried back towards their hotel. And just as he turned off the main street, Duke Latham turned on to it from a different side street, missing Sumner completely. He had walked just a half-block when he saw the small crowd gathered outside the restaurant. He stopped for a moment, a bad feeling in his stomach. Then he walked on up to the crowd and saw Sloan lying there with a man bending over him.

  ‘Good God!’ he muttered.

  He didn’t have to ask what had happened. They had found Sumner.

  He swore several times under his breath, and went and leaned against the front of a store building.

  His first thought was that he should have killed Dulcie while he had the chance. Now there was only him against Sumner. And Sumner had already demonstrated his deadliness by killing both of his men. Now, if he stayed in town, it would be Sumner hunting him.

  His head whirled with wild thoughts. Maybe he could wait for Sumner to come to him. Ambush him from cover and back-shoot him. But that could be very dangerous. Then he remembered the Remington rifle on his mount’s irons, and got an even better idea. He was very good with the long gun, maybe better than Sumner.

  He would ride out now, while Sumner was checking Dulcie out and maybe making a quick search for him. He would find a good spot out on the trail north, and wait for them. He would probably be able to take them both down before Sumner even knew where he was.

  In the next ten minutes he got his horse at his hotel, rode past their hotel and saw that their mounts were still rail-hitched outside, and then rode on out of town.

  Sumner had already found that Dulcie was still safe, and she had just discovered that he was wounded. She had given a little cry of alarm, and was now in the process of putting a makeshift bandana around his neck from a torn piece of pillowcase. He sat on the edge of the bed with Dulcie standing over him.

  ‘It was Sloan that shot you?’

  He nodded. ‘He’s dead.’

  A small smile etched itself on to her face. ‘Are you sure you’re all right? We should have a doctor look at that.’

  ‘We don’t have time for that. Anyway, it’s already healing. I should be out looking for Latham. But I’m afraid to leave you again.’

  ‘Do you think he knows Sloan is dead?’

  ‘Yes. I suspect they were meeting at the restaurant. But we don’t know whether he’s still here or has left.’ He saw the curious look on her face.

  ‘He might prefer to ambush us out on the trail rather than meeting me in a face-to-face. After finding Sloan.’

  Her smile reappeared. ‘They’re all afraid of you, aren’t they?’

  Sumner gave her a sober look. ‘Don’t make me something I’m not, Dulcie. Any time I face down I can make a mistake. One that could be fatal.’

  The smile faded away, but her confidence was not shaken. ‘I don’t think you make mistakes.’

  He sighed, and got off the bed. He tied his blue bandana over the bandage. ‘I could look for him all day here and not find him. But I have a feeling he isn’t here. I reckon we could just ride out and hope he’s not out there.’

  ‘I’m sorry I talked you into stopping here,’ she said quietly. ‘I was sure they had given up on me.’

  ‘No, this is better,’ he said. ‘This is bringing it all to a head, and under fairly favourable circumstances. On the trail, they might have killed us in our sleep. Come on, I’m not going to look for him. Let’s ride out.’

  Sumner was very cautious leaving the hotel, watching for Latham. But unknown to him, Latham was miles away, on the trail north.

  Sumner hadn’t brought the coffee back with him after the shoot-out with Sloan, so after they had ridden for just over an hour, they stopped briefly under a cottonwood and made a fire. They heated up some of their own coffee and ate some stale biscuits with it just for temporary sustenance. Dulcie was very quiet.

  ‘Are you all right?’ he finally asked her.

  ‘This is my last day alone with you.’

  ‘I’ve been thinking that myself.’

  She looked very sober. ‘These have been the best days of my life,’ she said, looking at the ground.

  Sumner regarded her seriously. ‘Maybe you better withhold judgement on that till this last day is over.’

  She threw the rest of her coffee on to the ground. ‘I’m ready when you are,’ she said abruptly, and went to her horse without looking at him.

  They rode in silence for over an hour, with Sumner scanning the terrain ahead any time he saw a place where Latham could find cover for ambush. Finally they came to a place in the trail where a few low boulders encroached on the right side of the trail. And as they approached, Sumner thought he caught a glimpse of sun-flashed metal behind a head-high boulder about a hundred yards ahead. He held up his hand for Dulcie to stop, and reached down to slide his Winchester rifle from its saddle scabbard. And at that same moment, with his head and torso slightly bent forwards, a shot rang out from behind the boulder.

  The lead would have hit him in centre chest, but because of his simultaneous movement with the shot, he was struck a grazing blow to the head that creased his scalp just above his right ear, and knocked his Stetson off.

  Sumner felt a dizziness from the wound, and swore almost inaudibly. ‘Dismount!’ he yelled then at Dulcie. ‘Hit the ground!’

  Dulcie threw herself off her mount and crawled quickly towards a large clump of bushes a short distance away. There were no boulders or other cover available near them. Halfway there another shot rang out and dug up dirt just beyond Dulcie’s head. She gave a little cry, and then reached the questionable cover of the shrubbery.

  Sumner had dismounted and the stallion had run off behind him. He went to one knee and returned fire to the boulder where the edge of a face showed. He fired again, chipping rock beside the shooter’s head.

  ‘He found us!’ he called over to Dulcie. ‘Stay put and do what I tell you!’

  He knew her cover was marginal. Her mount had trotted off just a few yards and was rearing and whickering nervously. Another shot rang out and tore up shrubbery within inches of Dulcie’s left arm.

  A startled cry from her. ‘Don’t let him kill me, Wesley!’ he heard her say.

  ‘I won’t,’ he answered. Then he raised the rifle again and shot her horse in the head.

  The animal snorted once and fell heavily to the ground not ten feet away, and in front of them. It was dead when it landed.

  Sumner returned more fire to the boulder. ‘Run and take cover behind your horse!’ he yelled at her.

  Dulcie was stunned by his extreme action. But she got to her knees, and then ran very low to the horse and fell behind its substantial corpse. A shot rang out and thumped into the animal’s torso just above her. And in that instant Sumner ran to the horse and dived for cover beside her.

  ‘You shot my horse!’ she said breathlessly when he arrived.

  ‘Would you rather it was a bullet in you?’ he said, studying the boulder.

/>   Suddenly Latham’s shrill voice came from the boulder.

  ‘Well done, Sumner! Just what I would have done! And now we play a little game! A game of life or death! And that Colt won’t help you now! You have to go against my long gun! And I’m pretty good with it!’

  ‘Talk is cheap, Latham! Let the rifle do your talking!’ He raised up to take a look, and there was another echoing explosion and Sumner felt the lead buzz past his right ear. He swore again, ducking down.

  ‘He’s right. He’s good with that.’

  Dulcie’s pretty face was clouded over with raw fear. When she spoke, her voice broke. ‘Oh, Wesley. You’re bleeding. Is it over for us?’

  ‘Hell, no. And the blood is just a graze. Stay calm. Time is on his side. He’ll flank us to get a better look. He has cover all the way to our right.’

  ‘It’s just a matter of time, Sumner!’ Latham called out again. ‘You’re dead and don’t know it! You, too, baby Provost!’

  ‘Oh, God,’ Dulcie mumbled.

  Sumner grabbed her arm. ‘Listen to me. I’m going to kill him. Do you believe me?’

  She hesitated. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Now keep your head down. I’m going to make a run for those bushes you were behind. I’ll have a better view from there. He’ll take a shot at me. When I tell you to, scream! Scream loud!’

  Dulcie frowned. ‘All right.’

  Sumner got his feet under him, and a moment later he was making a crouching run for the bushes, fifteen feet away. When he was almost there, a shot rang out and tore at his shirt, burning a short crease on his shoulder. He yelled out in mock pain as he hit the ground at the bushes.

  ‘Scream,’ he said quietly from his new cover.

  Dulcie, staring towards him, let out a terrible scream as directed. Then there was complete silence from both positions. After a moment, Sumner hissed harshly to her. ‘Tell him I’m dead. Yell at him.’

  Dulcie nodded. ‘Damn you, Duke! You killed him! You killed him!’

  Sumner had slowly gotten to one knee behind his cover, and now aimed the Winchester at the edge of the boulder.

  ‘Maybe!’ Latham yelled. ‘Maybe not!’

  Dulcie, seeing Sumner ready, took a chance. She rose up to her full height. ‘You bastard! Go ahead, shoot me! I don’t care any more!’

  In just a moment Latham’s head emerged from behind the boulder, tentatively. ‘You wouldn’t lie to an old friend, would you, girl?’

  Sumner took careful aim at the part of Latham’s head he could see, and the Winchester roared out. At the boulder, hot lead struck Latham like a club on the bridge of his nose and sent splintered bone back through his brain pan. His head whiplashed, and then he was down.

  ‘Did you . . . ?’ from Dulcie.

  ‘Yes,’ Sumner said casually.

  Dulcie let out a long breath. She was trembling. Sumner walked over to the boulder and looked down at Latham. The back of his head was blown away. His eyes were open, unseeing. When Sumner got back to Dulcie, she fell into his arms.

  ‘It’s over,’ he told her. ‘And you were wonderful. I couldn’t have done it without you.’

  She gave him a wry smile. ‘I’ll bet.’

  ‘I’ll go get the stallion, he’s over by those trees. He missed all the excitement.’ A half-grin. ‘He can carry us both to the first town. We’ll get you a replacement there. I think we can still make it back by day’s end.’

  She was still in his arms. She looked deep into his eyes. ‘Whatever Papa is paying you, it isn’t enough.’

  He released her gently. ‘If I’d known you before, he could have got me for nothing.’

  That took her breath away for a moment, and she was silent.

  ‘Now let’s get you home,’ he told her.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The big stallion was getting tired when Sumner and Dulcie reached the first town after taking up the trail again. Sumner stopped briefly at a doctor’s house and medication was put on his scalp wound, and a real bandage on his neck. The shoulder wound was already caked over. They bought Dulcie a pinto pony that was a better ride for her than Weeks’ mount, and then resumed their journey. There were no more stops, and they arrived at the Provost ranch in late afternoon.

  When they crossed Wolf Creek on to Provost land, Dulcie asked Sumner to stop for a moment.

  ‘This is where it happened,’ she said, looking around her. ‘This is where Duke surprised us.’ She let out a long breath. ‘That seems like a hundred years ago.’

  ‘All those memories will fade,’ he assured her.

  She turned to him. ‘Not the ones with you.’

  He didn’t respond. They rode on to the ranch house, and passed under a big gate into a wide yard.

  There were a few ranch hands there, and they just stared with jaws dropped as the two riders passed them. Corey Ross, the cowboy who had been with Dulcie when she was taken, but was not harmed by Latham, was chopping kindling right in their path.

  ‘Oh, my God!’ he gasped out.

  Dulcie smiled. ‘Hi, Corey.’

  They rode on up to the house, where Jake Cahill was standing talking with another man. He glanced up at them distractedly, then took a second look. He frowned, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

  ‘Dulcie!’ In a hushed undertone.

  She gave him a lovely smile. ‘Evening, Jake. I think you’ve met Wesley.’

  Cahill got hold of himself, and rushed off the porch as the two dismounted. ‘My God, I don’t believe it! To tell you the truth, I’d given up on ever seeing you again!’ He hugged Dulcie briefly, and then extended his hand to Sumner. ‘You did it! Maynard kept telling me you would.’

  Sumner smiled wearily. ‘I’m glad he didn’t lose faith. Sometimes I did myself.’

  Cahill was grinning from ear to ear. He turned to stare at Dulcie again. ‘I don’t believe it. I really don’t believe it!’

  ‘It’s good to see you again, Jake,’ Dulcie told him.

  ‘Oh, my God. Maynard. I think he’s in his office. Wait till he sees you! Come on, let’s go in.’

  The three of them entered the coolness of the interior, with its rich look. Sumner saw Dulcie looking around, enjoying seeing everything again. Cahill arrived at Provost’s office doorway ahead of them.

  Provost was there, studying some papers. He heard Cahill approach, and looked up at him, standing in the doorway.

  Provost frowned. ‘Jake. What is it?’

  Cahill took a deep breath in. ‘Well. There’s no easy way to tell you. Just don’t have no heart attack on me now. Dulcie is back.’

  And at that very moment, Dulcie appeared there, too, with Sumner just behind her.

  Provost’s face revealed the tumbling of several emotions as he rose slowly from his chair. ‘Dulcie? Is it really you?’

  ‘It’s me, Papa. Thanks to Wesley here. I’m really back.’ She ran to the desk he stood behind, and threw herself into his arms.

  A stunned Provost accepted her awkwardly for a moment, then he was hugging her to him so tightly she could barely breathe.

  ‘My girl! My baby.’

  Tears were running down the cheeks of both of them. Sumner stood across the room, watching with pleasure. Cahill looked very emotional.

  ‘I’ll leave you three now,’ he said quietly to Sumner. Then he was gone.

  Provost had pulled his daughter away from him, at arm’s length, so he could get a good look at her. ‘Are you all right, honey? Did they hurt you?’

  ‘Not really, Papa. I’m fine.’

  Provost took her with him over to Sumner. ‘I kept telling everybody. That you could do it.’ He proffered his hand to Sumner, and Sumner took it.

  ‘It’s the best job I’ve ever taken,’ Sumner told him honestly.

  Dulcie smiled her lovely smile at him. ‘Did you know how good he is, Papa?’

  He returned her smile. ‘I saw him shoot. That was enough for me.’ He turned to Sumner. ‘How did it go? Will we ever see Latham again?’

  ‘Not unle
ss you dig him up,’ Sumner responded.

  ‘Wesley got them all, Papa,’ Dulcie added proudly. Her gaze fixed admiringly on Sumner.

  Provost nodded his approval. ‘Good. I’m very grateful, Sumner. You just rid the world of some especially ugly trash.’

  ‘He was quite marvellous,’ Dulcie said. ‘I’ll never see anything like it again.’

  Provost was watching his daughter’s face when she looked at Sumner. ‘I reckon you think pretty highly of this fellow.’ With a tentative grin.

  Dulcie hesitated, took a breath in. ‘Yes.’

  There was a short silence in the room. Then Provost spoke again. ‘Well. It looks like you and me have some business to conduct, Sumner.’

  ‘Whenever you’re ready,’ Sumner told him.

  ‘We can do it right now. I just have to get into my safe here.’

  ‘I’ll just go freshen up then,’ Dulcie told them. ‘You’ll be staying the night, won’t you, Wesley?’

  Sumner shook his head. ‘I have business elsewhere, Dulcie. I’ll be moving on.’

  She sighed heavily. ‘I knew you’d say that.’ With a light frown. ‘I’ll be back shortly.’

  In the next few minutes, Provost got a wad of cash from his safe, counted it out, and handed it over to Sumner in an over-size leather poke. ‘That should keep you in grub for a spell.’

  ‘Appreciate the business, Provost. It was very satisfying to me, too.’

  ‘Are you sure you won’t take that bonus I offered you when we started all this? I’d have given this ranch to get my girl back.’

  ‘I couldn’t,’ Sumner said. ‘It was a pleasure riding with her.’ He paused. ‘I know you know this. But you have a very special daughter there, Provost.’

  Provost studied his face. ‘I think she’s a little sweet on you.’

  Sumner was embarrassed. ‘I got that figured out myself. I’m right sorry about that. I did nothing to encourage it.’

  ‘I don’t think you would,’ Provost said. ‘That’s why you won’t stay the night.’

  ‘It doesn’t seem appropriate.’ He rose, with his poke. ‘I’ll be making tracks now. It was a pleasure knowing you and your daughter.’