.44 Caliber Man (14 page)

Although unable
to prevent it, Dusty managed to brace himself and reduce the impact
of his collision with the wall. Then he struck back. To obtain a
better grip, Sam had raised and spread his arms from his sides. So
he presented Dusty with a way of getting free. Once again the small
Texan attacked as Tommy Okasi had taught him. With his fingers
extended and thumbs bent over the up-turned palms, he chopped the
heels of his hands suddenly and savagely into the sides of Sam’s
short ribs. The result of the attack was devastating to its
recipient. Sam’s eyes bugged out, his mouth trailed open and worked
in soundless agony. Opening involuntarily, his hands left Dusty’s
throat and fell limply to his sides.

The rear door
of the barn flew open and Sprig Branch came in. Fury twisted his
face at what he saw, He had never hoped to be so lucky as to grab
Colin in such an easy manner. He had seen Ma’s party enter the
general store and sent Boone to watch for an opportunity to lure
the Scot away, then stationed his men in the empty barn—its owner
and staff being at the Black Bear Saloon—in case a chance arose. It
came, but Dusty Fog’s intervention might ruin everything. Like Sam,
Branch realized they would not have another opportunity to remove
Colin. So the mustanger did not mean to let it slip by.

Looking across
the barn, Branch saw Eric lurch to his brother’s assistance and
advanced meaning to help him. A groan brought Branch’s eyes to
Colin as the Scot tried to force himself on to his hands and knees.
All the mustanger’s fury broke in full force at the sight. Maybe he
would lose the contract, but he aimed to make sure that Ma Schell
did not get it through Colin’s help. Changing his direction, he
went towards Colin.

Freed from
Sam’s grasp by the tegatana, handsword, attack, Dusty went on to
show that he could fight in Occidental fashion. His right fist
ripped into Sam’s belly, jackknifing the other over. Coming up,
Dusty’s knee met the descending face with a sickening thud. Lifted
erect, blood spraying from his nose, Sam reeled away from Dusty and
fell dazed to the floor.

Arriving just
as his brother took the knee in the face, Eric caught hold of Dusty
by the front of his shirt and vest. Having no desire to tangle at
close quarters with the deadly fighting big Texan, Eric exerted all
his strength to heave and hurl Dusty across the barn. He hoped to
be able to draw and use a weapon before Dusty could come to a stop,
then return to the attack.

Going forward,
Dusty saw Branch looming beyond the helpless Colin and drawing back
a foot to deliver a kick. So Dusty did not try to stop himself.
Instead he used Eric’s heave to build up momentum that would help
to save the Scot. Springing from the floor, Dusty cleared Colin’s
body. In midair, rushing towards Branch, he bent and drew up his
legs. Then he thrust them forward, crashing his feet into the
mustanger’s chest. Coming as Branch stood balanced on one leg, the
leaping high kick landed with sufficient force to lift him off the
ground and hurl him backwards so that he collided hard against the
end of the nearest stall’s wall.

Behind Dusty,
Eric jerked the knife from his belt. Again caution prevented him
from going too close. Instead he whipped up his arm, ready to throw
the weapon at the small Texan’s back. Realizing the lanky man’s
intention as she entered the barn, Ma saw also the means of
countering it. Bending, she scooped up the handle of the pitchfork
discarded by Moore. Even as Eric’s arm rose into the air, Ma
gripped and swung the handle in both hands. Hissing round in a
whistling arc, the handle descended on to Eric’s skull and
splintered. Although the knife left his hand, it flew wild and
spiked into a bale of hay. Buckling at the knees, Eric collapsed in
a limp heap.

Bouncing
forward uncontrolled, Branch ran into more trouble. Dusty landed
from the kick and reacted almost instinctively as he saw the
mustanger coming his way. Catching the dazed man’s right arm at the
wrist and shoulder, he pivoted into a kata-seoi shoulder throw,
Bowing his legs, Dusty used Branch’s weight and impetus to catapult
the man over his shoulder. Passing above Colin, Branch crashed
awkwardly to the floor.

Feet thudded on
the street and Mark Counter burst into the barn with his right-hand
Colt held ready for use. Skidding to a halt, the blond giant looked
around. Then he turned to Ma, dropping the gun back into its
holster.

‘
I thought you yelled that Dusty was in trouble,’ Mark
said.

‘
You’re too late,’ Ma replied. ‘We settled everything for
ourselves.’

‘
You all right, amigo?’ Mark inquired of Dusty, while Ma went
across to Colin.

Sucking in a
deep breath, Dusty touched the side of his jaw. Then he nodded and
replied, ‘Sure.’

Among the
people attracted by the disturbance, Colonel Monaltrie made his way
to the barn. Coming through the door, he stared about him.

‘
What the—’ he began.

‘
Branch and his bunch tricked Colin into coming here and jumped
him,’ Ma explained, helping the young Scot to turn into a sitting
position.

Before any more
could be said, the sheriff arrived. Finding a U.S. Army colonel
present, and one who probably had more influence even than the
local post commanding officer, Lansing prepared to show greater
zeal than he normally employed in the execution of his duty.
Glaring around, he took in the sight of Ma kneeling alongside Colin
and Branch’s men scattered about the barn. Putting a brisk,
efficient note into his voice. Lansing demanded to be told what had
happened. So Dusty repeated the information Ma had given to
Monaltrie.

‘
Why’d Sprig Branch do that?’ Lansing asked. ‘It ain’t likely
he’s working for the Flores boys.’

‘
Why should Branch be working for the Flores gang?’ Monaltrie
inquired, turning back towards the sheriff instead of joining Ma
and Colin.

‘
I ain’t saying he is,’ Lansing protested. ‘Only there don’t
seem to be no other reason for him jumping that young
feller.’

‘
So it was Colin there who killed Adàn Flores in the holdup,’
the colonel breathed. ‘And shot the other one in the street. I
thought somebody was jobbing me when I heard it had been done by a
Scot wearing a kilt’

‘
It’s the living truth,’ Dusty confirmed. ‘Which’s likely why
Branch figured he could get away with making Colin disappear.
Folks’d blame it on the Flores boys and it’d leave Ma without a
man.’

‘
You reckon that’s what’s behind it, Cap’n Fog?’ Lansing
inquired.

‘
It figures,’ Dusty answered. ‘Maybe they’ll feel like telling
you when they get to talking.’

‘
Will I be needed?’ asked the town’s doctor, entering the barn
with his bag.

‘
Not here,’ Ma replied, helping Colin to rise. ‘He’s got a knot
on his head, but nothing’s cut or busted.’

‘
You’d best take a look at Branch,’ Dusty suggested. ‘He lit
down kind of awkward.’

Taking the
advice, the doctor crossed and knelt down by Branch. Nobody spoke
as he made an examination of the unconscious man. At last he raised
a startled face towards the on-lookers.

‘
I’ll say he lit down awkward. His collarbone’s bust. And what
the hell kicked him? He’s got three broken ribs.’

Sucking in a
deep breath, Monaltrie let it out again in an exasperated
exclamation. A man in Branch’s condition could not go mustang
hunting. Which meant that, unless the colonel wanted to wait until
other mustangers could be contacted and gathered, only the Schell
family was available. He wondered if two women and a young man
freshly arrived in Texas could fill the contract, even backed by
experienced Mexican mesteneros.

Following his
usual way, Sheriff Lansing adopted the line of least resistance. He
had no desire to antagonize a man with Dusty’s powerful
connections, so gave his opinion that the whole blame for the
trouble rested on Branch. When Dusty declined to swear out a
complaint, Lansing willingly agreed to let the affair be forgotten
and promised to make sure that Branch’s men caused no more
incidents.

After ensuring
that Colin had suffered no serious injury, Colonel Monaltrie left
the barn. He wanted to think over his future actions before
reaching a decision on whether to give Ma the contract.

Picking up
Colin’s bonnet, Mark handed it to him. Although swaying a little,
the young Scot refused help and walked outside with the others.
They found April and Temple waiting and the whole group started to
walk across the street.

‘
Did you fix up about working tonight?’ Ma asked the
blond.

‘
It didn’t need any fixing,’ April replied wryly. ‘When Harve
Jute arrived, he fired me.’

‘
Why?’ Ma demanded.

‘
He’s scared. Reckons that with the Flores bunch after me his
place’s likely to get shot up and paying customers killed. More
likely he thinks the customers’ll stay away.’

‘
I’ll go down and see him,’ Dusty growled and Mark rumbled
agreement.

‘
It won’t do any good at all,’ April assured him. ‘I only just
got Mark and this old goat.’

‘
She means me,’ Temple interrupted.

‘
Who else, damn it?’ April snorted. ‘They were all set to hang
Harve’s saloon around his neck and I only just managed to get them
out afore they started. Did you ever try talking sense to a man,
Ma?’

‘
Allus found whomping ’em with a hickory bar worked better,’ Ma
grinned.

‘
I should’ve had one to hand,’ April stated. ‘It’s lucky you
yelled when you did, or they’d still’ve gone back to do
it.’

‘
What’ll you do now, gal?’ Ma inquired.

April shrugged.
‘I’ve been fired out of better places than the Black Bear. There’re
other saloons.’

‘
Not in Fort Sawyer,’ Dusty warned. ‘The word’ll’ve gone out
about you.’

‘
So there’re other towns,’ April sniffed.

‘’
Cepting that when you try to go to one, the Flores boys’ll be
waiting for you,’ Mark warned.

‘
You’re welcome to stay on with us, April gal,’ Ma announced.
‘Maybe Lansing or the Army’ll get around to doing something about
those Flores critters real soon.

‘
If they don’t, I aim to,’ Dusty promised, before April could
express her gratitude. ‘Soon’s we get to the house, I’m going to
send Lon out on a scout for their hideout.’

‘
Won’t that be dangerous?’Colin asked.

‘
Real dangerous,’ Mark agreed. ‘For Flores and his
bandidos.’

While the
others were talking, Ma had been looking at Dusty with worried
eyes. Taking a deep breath, she made a decision. With Branch out of
the game and Colin acceptable to Monaltrie as a protecting male
influence, she stood a good chance of receiving the Army contract.
Yet she could not fill it without supplies and Hoffer wanted cash
for them. Ma had her fair share-of pride and her brother-in-law’s
behavior made her fight shy of asking favors. Accepting there was
no other way out, she set her face into impassive lines and moved
to the small Texan’s side.

‘
Can I have a few words with you up to the house, Dusty?’ she
asked.

‘
Why sure, Ma,’ Dusty replied, guessing what the topic of
conversation would be. ‘Any old time at all.’

The Schell
house had been erected on the edge of town and clear of other
buildings. Behind it stood their wagon, canopy removed for loading
and empty. The team horses shared a corral at the right of the
building with Jeanie’s coyote-dun mare and Kenny’s powerful grulla
gelding. Curving around from the left, a large bosque stretched to
the rear of the house. However an open area of not less than
seventy yards separated the building from the trees. Although the
hotel’s buckboard was hitched before the porch, it had been
unloaded and was deserted.

‘
I sure hope you’ve plenty of chow in, Ma,’ Mark commented as
they walked towards the building. That Shad and Tex’ll
eat—’

A shot crashed
from among the trees, its bullet slashing in front of Dusty and Ma
to tear into Temple’s chest. Giving a choking cry, the driver
reeled, let his carbine fall from the crook of his arm and crumpled
to the ground. On the heels of the shot, riders burst out of the
bosque. They were Mexicans holding guns and they charged towards
Dusty’s party.

‘
Down!’ Dusty roared, hands crossing in flickers of movement so
that the bark of his left-side Colt echoed the word.

Living in
frontier Texas had taught Ma to react instantly in such a
situation. So she was diving for the ground almost before Dusty
spoke. No less quick to appreciate the danger, April followed Ma
down. Bringing out his Colts, Mark remained standing and cut loose
at the attacking bandidos.

Like Dusty and
Mark, Colin stayed on his feet. Bullets hissed around the Scot and
he realized that the gang were concentrating their fire on him.
Fury filled him as he decided that the first shot had been meant
for him, but missed and killed Lou Temple. At the same moment,
Colin became aware that he did not have a weapon. The alterations
to the gunbelt had not been completed and the Dragoon was still at
the store, while his shot-pistols had been left behind with his
other belongings to be moved to Ma’s house.

Then Colin saw
Temple’s Spencer. Bending for it, he missed death by inches as a
bullet passed just above his lowered head. Grabbing up the carbine,
he sprang over Ma and April to sprint away from the house. In doing
so, he hoped to draw the bandidos’ fire and attack after him, clear
of his friends.