Packing Iron (7 page)

The next morning broke cool and fresh. While Ingrid cooked breakfast, Gabriel and Raven hitched up the team and put all the valises in the back of the wagon. Earlier he had made a crude awning out of four poles and some canvas, attaching it over the wagon box so that mother and daughter would have cover from the broiling sun.

Raven was strangely silent as she worked alongside him. Gabriel guessed Ingrid must have laid down the law when he brought Raven home last night and other than saying good morning to her, kept to himself.

After breakfast, with the sun peeking over the eastern horizon, he saddled up the Morgan and waited by the wagon while Ingrid and Raven placed wild flowers on Sven’s grave and then took a moment to say goodbye to the ranch.

Both were crying when they joined him.

‘You probably think we’re being overly sentimental,’ Ingrid said to Gabriel as he helped her onto the wagon box.

‘No, ma’am. Leavin’ a beloved behind always hurts.’

‘It’s not just my husband,’ Ingrid said wistfully. ‘There are lots of wonderful memories here. Christmases, birthday parties, anniversaries … what good times we had.’ She brushed a tear away before adding: ‘Grandpa Johan and my father and grandfather built this place from the ground up.
It was our wedding present. They planned on being finished the week before Sven and I got married. But wouldn’t you know, it rained nonstop for two days, causing a flash flood, and most of the wood got washed away. Years later I
remember
Grandpa Johan laughing and saying how it took them hours to round it all up and bring it back here. Then they had to work like mad to get everything done by our wedding day so we’d have a place to spend our honeymoon.’

‘But they got it done,’ Gabriel said. ‘My book, that’s what matters.’

Ingrid smiled at him. ‘You are so like Sven.’

‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’

‘I meant it as one.’ She held his gaze for a moment then feeling herself blush, lowered her eyes.

Raven, who’d been watching them, saw her mother blush and felt a wave of jealousy. ‘Bet you didn’t know,’ she said to Gabriel, ‘that I was born here.’

‘That right?’

‘Exactly four minutes after two on a Sunday afternoon, right, Momma?’

‘Yes, dear. Thank heavens it wasn’t two in the morning or your father would never have been able to get the midwife over in time to help deliver you. My goodness,’ she said, fondly brushing Raven’s hair back from her face, ‘you were such a beautiful baby.’

‘I was?’

‘Had the biggest, darkest, prettiest eyes anyone ever saw. And still do.’

Raven, as if overwhelmed by the thought, suddenly put her arms around Ingrid. ‘I love you, Momma.’

‘Love you too, lamb.’ They hugged for another moment then Ingrid picked up the reins and snapped them, setting the team in motion.

Gabriel pulled his old campaign hat over his eyes to keep
out the sun then nudged the Morgan into a walk and the three of them set off for Las Cruces.

The most direct route was an old Butterfield Stagecoach trail that had been abandoned once the railroad arrived. To get to it they had to cross five miles of open desert dotted with dry brush and chaparral. The terrain never varied. By mid morning the sun had climbed high into the naked sky and the heat was remorseless. Now and then they stopped to rest the horses and to take a sip of water. But for the most part they trudged along, eating dust, seldom saying a word.

Finally, Gabriel found the winding, rutted stagecoach trail and signaled for Ingrid to park the wagon in a tiny patch of shade beside a rocky outcrop.

‘Now’d be a good time to stretch your legs,’ he advised, dismounting. ‘We got a long ride ahead of us and for the most part there ain’t much cover.’

Welcoming the rest, Ingrid let Gabriel help her down from the wagon. When he turned to help Raven, she refused his hand and jumped off on her own. Amused, Gabriel joined Ingrid who had plopped down on a flat rock. Loosening the front of her shirt, she began fanning herself with her hand.

‘My God, it’s scorching.’

Gabriel rolled and lit a smoke and then fanned her with his hat.

‘Oh, that’s wonderful.’ She closed her eyes, leaned back and enjoyed the cool air. ‘Days like this I wish I’d never left home.’

‘It doesn’t get hot in Norway, ma’am?’

‘Not like this, never. It can get quite warm in summer. But summer only lasts from the end of June to early August, and for the most part it’s very pleasant.’

‘I once read how the sun shines at midnight. ’Course I knew that couldn’t be true, but—’

‘Oh, but it is. North of the Arctic Circle the sun’s so close to the horizon that it shines all day and night during the summer months. That’s why we call it the Midnight Sun.’

‘How ’bout that?’ Gabriel said, impressed. ‘Learn
somethin
’ every day.’

Raven, irked by the attention he was paying her mother, went to the water barrel Gabriel had lashed to the side of the wagon. Filling a bowl, she gave the two team horses a drink.

‘Not too much,’ Gabriel warned. ‘Don’t want ’em to bloat up in this heat.’ She gave him a withering look as if to say she already knew that, and then refilled the bowl and held it under the Morgan’s muzzle.

‘Would you like a ham sandwich?’ Ingrid asked her. ‘I made some before we left in case we got hungry.’

‘No.’

‘No, what?’

‘Thank you.’ Pouting, Raven sat beside the Morgan and released her hostility by hurling stones at a roadrunner that was crossing the trail. The black-and-white mottled bird with its distinctive head crest and upward tail dodged them easily and fled in a blur.

Ingrid sighed and shook her head. ‘I hope she’s not going to be like this the whole way or it’s going to be a very long trip.’

‘She’ll perk up soon as you get on the train,’ Gabriel said. ‘Be a new experience for her. She won’t have time to sulk.’

‘Speaking of trains, what do you plan to do once we get to Las Cruces? After you’ve seen Ellen, I mean?’

‘Haven’t given it much thought.’

‘Can you stay in town if you want to?’

‘Mean am I wanted by the law there? Yep. Stadtlander made sure of that. New Mexico, Arizona, Texas – man as rich an’ powerful as him has got a mighty long reach.’

‘Then you mustn’t go there. Once we get close to town you must ride off. Surely you can see that?’

‘You’re forgettin’ Ellie, ma’am. Promised myself I’d see her. ’Sides, the mission’s ’bout two miles away in Mesilla. So long as I don’t cause trouble chances are the sheriff won’t come after me. Not for his wages.’

Ingrid hesitated. She wanted to ask him to come to California with them, but couldn’t find the nerve. ‘Well, I think you’re making a dreadful mistake. I’m sure Ellie would too. But of course you won’t listen to me. So whatever you do I wish you luck.’

‘You, too. Maybe one day we’ll meet up again.’

‘I’d like that. And I know Raven would, too.’

Neither seemed to know what to say next and there was an awkward pause.

‘Reckon we better be movin’.’ Rising, Gabriel stubbed his cigarette out on the heel of his boot, hitched up his
gun-belt
so it rested on his hips and walked to the Morgan. About to step into the saddle, he faked a lunge at Raven as if to grab her. But she sprang back, avoiding him.

‘Hah! You can’t catch me. I’m too quick for you.’

He turned his back on her, as if the game was over. Raven fell for it and walked to the wagon. A faint whirring sound made her turn – but she was too late. His rope looped around her. She tried to wriggle free but Gabriel jerked the noose tight, clamping her arms to her sides, and then slowly, hand over hand, pulled her to him.

Ingrid, watching from the wagon, began laughing.

Gabriel pulled Raven right up to him then held the rope up just high enough to bring her to her toes.

‘Now what was that you were sayin’?’ he asked her.

‘Let-me-go,’ she hissed at him. ‘Momma, tell him to let me go!’

Gabriel grinned at Ingrid. ‘How ’bout I put her ’cross my
knee and give her a few licks?’

‘Hmmm,’ she said impishly. ‘Not a bad idea.’

‘Momma, you make him let me go this instant or I’ll never speak to you again.’

Ingrid cupped a hand to her ear. ‘Did you hear
something
, Mr Moonlight? Or was that just the wind?’

‘Momma!’

‘The wind, ma’am, I reckon.’

‘MOMMA!’

Ingrid chuckled. ‘What do you say, Mr Moonlight? Do we give her one more chance?’

‘Seems reasonable.’ He let the rope go slack, loosening the loop around Raven. Immediately she squirmed out of it and ran off, stopping only when she was out of his reach.

She glared at them. ‘You’ll be sorry. Both of you!’ Before either of them could stop her, she swung up onto the
stallion
and galloped off.

‘Raven – come back here!’

‘Let her go,’ Gabriel said. ‘If there was ever two of a kind deserved each other, they’re it.’

She was waiting for them about a half mile up the trail. As the wagon approached, she got up from the rock on which she’d been resting and offered the reins to Gabriel.

‘Keep ridin’,’ he told her. He indicated the awning
overhead
. ‘It’s a mite cooler where I’m sittin’.’

Exasperated, Raven mounted up and fell in beside the wagon.

They reached Munsey’s Trading Post around noon. Knowing there was another six hours of hard traveling ahead of them, Gabriel suggested they give themselves and the horses a much-needed rest.

There were three, sweat-lathered saddled ponies hitched to the rail outside the large, adobe-walled building and two
other wagons had just pulled out. Gabrielle watched them plodding toward the horizon for a moment then unhitched the team and led them to the drinking trough. Raven had already taken the Morgan there and, as Gabriel approached, the all-black stallion lifted its dripping muzzle from the water and snorted, warning him to stay clear. Gabriel ignored Brandy and told Raven to join her mother, who was looking for something in one of the valises.

‘Tell her yourself. You’re not my father.’

‘Don’t try to buffalo me,’ he warned gently. ‘I’m hot an’ tired an’ leanin’ toward irritable. So go round up your mom an’ the two of you go on inside an’ get washed up. By then I’ll be ready to join you. Mrs Munsey sets a fine table.’

‘Mean we’re gonna eat here?’

‘My treat.’

‘But what about the sandwiches?’

‘We’ll save ’em for later. Nothin’ but desert ’tween here an’ Las Cruces—’ He broke off as two disheveled-looking men with beards and long straggly hair came out of the trading post. One glimpse told Gabriel they were saddle tramps. They wore long grimy dusters over their soiled clothing, pants tucked into knee-high boots, and
sweat-stained
hats that hung down their backs, Mexican-style. They staggered drunkenly as they walked, and the larger man held a near-empty bottle of whiskey in his fist.

They stopped as they saw Ingrid, grinned at each other and lurched toward her.

‘Stay here,’ Gabriel told Raven. He started for the wagon, unhurried but purposeful, his gun hand hanging loosely beside his holster.

Neither man saw him coming; they were too focused on Ingrid. She, in turn, didn’t see them. Bent over the open valise, engrossed in her search, they were on her before she knew it.

‘Well, lookee here, Jesse,’ the big man said. ‘We found us a woman.’

‘Yeah,’ said Jesse. He stroked Ingrid’s hair. ‘If y’ain’t the purtiest damn filly I ever did see.’

Alarmed, she tried to squeeze past them. But they grabbed her and pinned her back against the wagon.

‘P-please,’ she begged, ‘let me go.’

‘Sure, sure, all in good time….’ Jesse ripped open her shirt and clumsily fondled her breasts.

Ingrid jerked away. ‘Stoppit! Don’t you dare touch me!’

‘Hear that, Turk?’ Jesse grinned at his partner. ‘Little lady here don’t want me to touch her.’

‘Teach her a lesson, Jesse. G’wan. Show her who’s ramrod.’

Jesse laughed, showing broken snuff-stained teeth, and tried to kiss Ingrid. She twisted her face away. He grabbed her by the chin, forced her to face him and again tried to kiss her. She bit his lip, bringing blood. Cursing, he went to slap her.

Ingrid cringed, but to her surprise the blow never came. Hit from behind by Gabriel’s Colt, Jesse’s eyes suddenly rolled up into his head and he crumpled to the ground.

Turk gaped at Gabriel, who now leveled his gun at him.

‘D-don’t shoot, mister,’ he stammered, hands raised. ‘Please. We didn’t mean no harm. We was jes’ funnin’ with her. I swear….’

Gabriel, eyes ablaze, thumbed back the hammer.

‘Leather it!’ a voice snarled behind him.

Gabriel looked over his shoulder. A third saddle tramp, who’d just stepped out of the trading post, moved toward him. He looked and smelled as badly as the others. Difference was he was aiming a scattergun at Gabriel and Ingrid.

‘Y’heard me, mister. Do like I say or you an’ the skirt get
blown to yesterday.’

Gabriel slowly slid his Colt back into the holster.

‘That’s more like it,’ said the man with the shotgun. ‘You awright, Turk?’

‘Be a helluva lot better when I shoot this no-good sonofabitch!’

‘What’s left of him, y’mean.’ He began to squeeze the trigger – when a small stone struck him on the temple,
stunning
him.

Even as the man crumpled to the ground Gabriel drew his Colt, fired and put a bullet between Turk’s eyes.

Turk collapsed, gun still in his holster.

Ingrid turned away, sickened.

Gabriel whirled and aimed his gun at Jesse, who still lay in the dirt but was starting to come around.

‘Go on,’ Raven urged. ‘What’re you waiting for? Kill him. If you don’t,’ she added when he didn’t move, ‘I will.’ Putting another stone in her slingshot, she angrily pulled it back and aimed at Jesse’s head.

‘No!’ Ingrid stepped between Jesse and her daughter. ‘For God’s sake, child, put that thing away! Hasn’t there been enough killing!’

‘But, Momma, they were gonna hurt you. They ain’t fit to live.’