.44 Caliber Man (16 page)

‘
Sure,’ Ma agreed. ‘We’re going anyways.’

‘
With young Farquharson?’

‘
He’s one of us now,’ Ma stated. ‘His fight’s our fight. I
wouldn’t leave him behind even if taking him means I don’t get your
contract.’

‘
I intended to give it to you,’ Monaltrie told her. ‘But with
the Flores gang after you and only one white man along—’

‘
You didn’t count right, colonel,’ Dusty interrupted. ‘There
won’t be just one white man along.’

‘
How’s that?’ Monaltrie asked hopefully.

‘
Happen Ma’ll have us, Mark, the Kid and me’ll be going with
her,’ Dusty replied.

‘
If anybody’d told me afore I left Galveston that I’d wind up
riding on a wagon dressed like this and headed for the Lord only
knows where,’ April Hosman stated, wriggling in an attempt to find
a more comfortable position, ‘I’d’ve spit right in their
eye.’

Handling the
reins of the powerful six-horse team with deft ease, Ma turned and
grinned at the blonde. They both wore Stetson hats, men’s shirts,
levis pants and boots. While Ma was used to such attire when
travelling, April had expressed some dismay on discovering she
would be expected to dress that way.

‘
What’s up, gal?’ Ma grinned.

‘
Nothing, except that I look like hell, feel worse and wish I’d
stayed in Fort Sawyer and let the Flores boys shoot me. At least
I’d’ve died pretty and quick. This way, I’ll be pounded to death
from the seat up.’

Ma chuckled.
‘Comes another day or two, you’ll have calluses so thick on your
butt-end you’ll not feel the bumps.’

‘
Calluses on the butt-end’s the last thing I need,’ April
groaned. ‘Do you reckon they’re after us yet, Ma?’

‘
If they are, the Kid’ll see them,’ Ma replied. ‘With luck,
they don’t even know we’ve gone yet.’

On hearing
Dusty’s intention to accompany the mustang-hunt, Colonel Monaltrie
had forgotten all his misgivings and awarded the contract to the
Schell family. After which, things had started to move fast. At
Ma’s request, Dusty had taken command and given April—for one—an
insight as to how he gained his Civil War reputation. Courage alone
had not given Dusty his successes, for he always planned and took
advantage of any opportunity which arose.

Knowing that
the cavalry patrol would drive the Flores gang out of the immediate
vicinity of the town, Dusty stated that they would leave as soon as
possible. After which, he had put everybody to work. Accompanied by
Mark, Ma visited the store and presented Dusty’s bank draft. Hoffer
accepted it without argument, knowing that it would be met, and
gave willing cooperation to Ma’s demands. At the house, Jeanie had
seen to packing their belongings ready to leave.

Going to the
Army post with Monaltrie, Dusty had interviewed its commanding
officer. Colonel Shieling had agreed to have Kenny in the post
hospital, where he would be safe from Flores’ vengeance until well
enough to travel. Although Dusty’s other request had been a mite
unorthodox. Shieling went along with it. Acting on ‘information
received’, Arnie Hogan was arrested as a suspected deserter; to be
held for ‘investigation’ and ensure that he could pass no further
information to the bandidos. In that, Hogan might have counted
himself fortunate. The Kid had suggested a simpler and more
permanent way of achieving the informer’s silence, stating his
willingness to attend to the matter.

After sundown,
the wagon had been loaded and its team hitched. A protesting Kenny
was taken to the post hospital and the party prepared to move out.
Much to their disgust, Shad and Tex were told to return to the OD
Connected and inform Ole Devil Hardin of Dusty’s plans. An empty
wagon which looked much like the Schell’s Conestoga and eight
horses had been borrowed from the owner of the livery barn, to be
left at the house for a few days to induce the notion that Ma’s
party were still there.

Leaving the Kid
behind, Dusty led the others out of town in the darkness. The Kid
remained at the house until morning. Then he made a circle of the
town without finding signs that the bandidos had returned and set
off after his companions.

With four days
between them and Fort Sawyer, there had still been nothing to show
that the Flores gang was following them. Not that Dusty took
chances. While he and Mark rode out on the flanks, the Kid brought
up the rear. Ma and April rode the wagon, leaving the handling of
the small remuda to Jeanie and Colin.

Riding along at
the rear of the ten spare saddle horses, Jeanie looked from the
corner of her eye at Colin. Over the past four days, with the
Texans away on the skyline most of the time, she had been thrown
into the Scot’s company as they kept the remuda together. Looking
at him, she felt the usual tangle of emotions which always filled
her in his presence.

Jeanie could
not explain her feelings. While part of her sought for Colin’s good
points, another part saw only his failings. Sure he had acted
bravely during the attack, but before that he had walked into a
trap from which Dusty Fog and her mother had rescued him. Despite
his outlandish clothes—he still wore his bonnet, shirt and kilt—he
rode well. Yet he lacked knowledge of things any Texas boy learned
afore his tenth birthday. Sniffing disdainfully, Jeanie recalled
how she had had to show him how to hitch up the wagon team and
overheard him asking Dusty’s advice about saddling the horse
allocated to him. She did not take into account that the Texas
range kak might differ from the saddles to which Colin was
accustomed.

‘
He’s such a greenhorn!’ Jeanie mused. ‘Not that I care one way
or another.’

Conscious of
the girl’s scrutiny, Colin made no attempt to address her. At first
during the journey he had tried to talk with her, but the
conversational attempts were received so coldly that he stopped
them. Jeanie’s attitude hurt him more than he cared to admit, even
to himself. However he gritted his teeth and promised silently to
prove he was as much of a man as any of the Texans. The Dragoon
hung at his side, but he was becoming less aware of it with each
passing day. Not that he was allowed to forget it. Each evening on
making camp, Dusty, Mark or the Kid would give him instruction in
gun handling. Accuracy with the sights was no problem and he found
himself able to plant his bullets close enough to where he wanted
them at up to thirty yards range. Drawing and shooting by
instinctive alignment would take longer to master, yet his teachers
expressed satisfaction with his progress.

Sitting relaxed
in his bay gelding’s saddle, Colin looked around him. They were
travelling across rolling country without as much as a set of wheel
ruts to guide them. Yet Ma clearly knew where they were going, even
though Colin could hardly tell one fold of land from another.
Wondering if he would attain a similar skill if he remained in
Texas, Colin turned his eyes towards where Mark Counter appeared on
a distant rim. A yell from Jeanie jolted the young Scot out of his
reverie.

‘
Over there!’ the girl shouted, pointing to Colin’s
right.

Following the
direction she indicated, he saw a horse coming from a clump of
bushes. Colin had rarely seen such a fine animal and so stared at
it with admiring gaze. Letting out a shrill whistling whinny, the
horse ran forward. With its mane and tail flying in the breeze, it
came closer. Snorts broke from the remuda and the bay under Colin
fiddle-footed restlessly.

‘
He’s after the remuda!’ Ma yelled. ‘Head him off,
Colin!’

Snatching the
rope from his saddle, Colin urged his mount towards the stallion.
Although the bay usually responded promptly to commands, it showed
some reluctance to obey. Kicking its ribs, he started it moving.
Behind him, Jeanie yelled something but Colin could not catch the
words.

Nearer
thundered the stallion, until it seemed certain to collide with the
bay. At the last moment, while the bay fought to turn away, the
stallion swung aside. Seeing it start to go by, Colin flipped his
rope out. Pure luck guided the noose, dropping over the stallion’s
head and down its sleek neck. Remembering what Dusty had said the
previous night when discussing roping, Colin knew he must secure
his lariat before the noose snapped tight. Swift he threw a couple
of turns of rope around the horn. Only just in time, for the rope
snapped tight between the bay and stallion and tore from his
grasp.

Coming around
the remuda to help drive off the stallion, Jeanie stared in
amazement at what she saw. She also knew the danger of Colin’s
actions. Jerking the Sharps carbine from its boot, she cut loose
from the mare’s back and hoped that she would be in time to save
the Scot from the results of his folly.

The force of
the stallion slamming to the end of the rope almost jerked the bay
from its feet. Instantly the wild horse came around in a rearing,
sky-pawing turn. Screaming in fury, it laid back its ears and bared
its teeth. More experienced than its rider, the bay knew what to
expect. As the stallion charged, the bay began a bucking, pitching
evasion. Taken by surprise, Colin lost his seat and tumbled to the
ground. Desperately he rolled over, hearing the stallion’s teeth
chop together above him. The stamping forefeet missed him by inches
and he continued to roll as the raging horse began to turn for
another attack.

Dropping to her
left knee, Jeanie flung the carbine into the firing position. Raw
anxiety gnawed at her, but she refused to let it fluster her.
Making sure of her aim, she squeezed the trigger. Flying true, the
heavy bullet struck and broke the stallion’s neck. Down it went in
a kicking, thrashing pile close to where Colin stopped rolling.

Jeanie had no
time to congratulate herself on a good shot. Leaping to her feet,
she ran to the mare. Already the remuda had started to flee, fear
of the stallion combining with the sound of the shot to set them
going. Catching hold of the saddle-horn, she swung afork her horse
and sent it bounding after them. Reaction set in as she rode and
her temper rose to boiling point at the thought of Colin’s
behavior. Once more the Scot’s stupidity was making trouble:

Bringing the
wagon to a halt, Ma leapt agilely off the box. Followed by April,
she dashed across to where Colin sat up and looked around in a
dazed manner.

‘
Are you all right?’ April asked.

‘
I think so,’ Colin answered.

‘
You won’t be if you pull another fool trick like that,’ Ma
warned. ‘If Jeanie had moved a mite slower—’

‘
Aye!’ Colin said soberly.

‘
Come on,’ Ma ordered as the Scot stood up. ‘Get your rope off
the stallion and we’ll catch up to the remuda.’

Having seen the
trouble, Dusty Fog turned his horse and headed to help Jeanie. The
huge paint stallion he sat could run like a racehorse and he
encouraged it to do so. On the other side of the wagon, Mark
Counter galloped his great blood bay stud-horse inwards. Converging
on the remuda before it had time to scatter, the men brought it to
a circling halt. Jeanie boiled up on her mare and the cowhands
could see she was in a blazing temper.

‘
Did you see it?’ she demanded. ‘Did you see what that loco
Scotch son-of-a-bitch pulled? He roped that mustang
stallion!’

‘
The hell he did,’ Dusty grinned. ‘That Colin’s got
guts.’

‘
Guts!’ Jeanie yelped. ‘He’s loco. Any kid’d know better than
try roping a wild stallion when it came after the remuda. Damned if
I know where he keeps his brains.’

‘
He’s new to this game, Jeanie,’ Dusty pointed out.

‘
And he’s not likely to grow much older,’ the girl snorted,
‘happen that’s the way he’s going to act.’

‘
How’d you reckon Jeanie’d work out was she fresh arrived in
Scotland, Dusty?’ Mark inquired.

‘
Better than he’s doing out here!’ Jeanie replied hotly. ‘You
men’re all alike, way you stand together.’

With that she
swung her mare around and galloped towards the wagon. Colin rode
out to meet her, after removing his rope from the dead stallion’s
neck.

‘
Thank you, Miss Jeanie—’ he began.

‘
I’d’ve done it for anybody!’ the girl snorted and went by him.
Halting her horse alongside the wagon, she indicated the dead
animal. ‘Did you see it?’

‘
Sure,’ Ma answered. ‘Good hoss.’

‘
Real good,’ Jeanie admitted.

‘
And Colin tried to catch it for you,’ April went on. ‘He’s got
guts enough to try, all he needs now is somebody to tell him what’s
right and wrong.’

A slight frown
creased Jeanie’s brow as she thought over the blonde’s words. Maybe
Colin had acted hastily; but, as April said, he had had the guts to
try. If he did want to learn the mustanging business, it was only
hospitable to help him. With Kenny out of the game, it fell on
Jeanie to do the honors. Being Jeanie, she could not bring herself
to display openly a change of mind.

‘
Maybe you’re right,’ she said and reined the mare around to
ride after the remuda.

‘
You’ve got her thinking,’ Ma grinned. ‘Good thing that. It’s
time she eased off a mite on Colin. Like you’d know, you can ride a
feller so long afore he rides away from you.’

‘
Are you match-making, Ma?’ April asked with a
smile.

‘
Me?’ Ma gasped. ‘As if I’d do a thing like that.’

Shaking his
head sadly, Colin joined Dusty and Mark at the remuda. He felt, in
view of Jeanie’s attitude, that some explanation of his actions was
necessary.