Red River Revenge (Remington Book 1) (9 page)

“Good enough,” Remington said. “I’ll pay for all of us.”

Five minutes later, Ned and his group were on board the ferry and Ned had paid the fare. Ross, a pleasant fellow with dark, thinning hair, gray around the temples, waited at the back of the boat. A few minutes later, his younger partner, Billy, showed up. After the two men talked briefly, Ross moved to one side of the boat and stood beside a thick, mounted oar.

Billy, a muscular lad of about twenty, untied both ropes from the dock, then stepped onto the deck of the ferry. He walked to the opposite side of the boat, near Remington, and nodded to his partner that he was ready. Both men started rowing and the ferry slid through the water at a good clip once they got going.

They were nearly half way across the river before Billy turned and spoke to Ned.

“Nice time of day to be crossing,” he said. “It gets awful hot in the afternoon.”

“I can imagine. It’s kind of chilly now.” Ned pulled his buckskin coat closer around him and was glad that he was wearing it.

“I see you’re a marshal,” Billy said as he looked at Ned’s badge.

“Yes,” Ned said.

Billy’s oar sliced into the water and he tugged hard on it. He had a puzzled look on his face. “Say, are those other fellows marshals?” He nodded toward the other passengers.

“Two of them are.”

“I wonder if you’re the three deputies them fellows were talking about last night.”

Ned looked at Billy, a puzzled look on his face. “What fellows?”

“Two fellows I took across on the ferry late yesterday afternoon,” Billy said. “One of them was a short Mexican and his name was Paco. I didn’t ever hear the other man’s name mentioned. They weren’t very friendly, but I couldn’t help but hear part of their conversation.”

Ned frowned. “What’d they say?”

“Something about a fellow named Harvey. They said he’d messed up good. The Mexican said it didn’t matter. He’d arrange to have a welcoming party waiting for the three deputies when they arrived on the other side of the river. Didn’t make much sense to me.”

“Damn. It does to me, Billy,” Ned said. “We’re looking for those two men. I’ve got warrants for their arrests right here in my pocket.”

“Then why would they have a party for you if they know you’re coming after them?” Billy asked.

“The party they’re planning for us is going to be complete with gunfire.”

Billy’s eyes went wide. “You mean they’re going to ambush you?”

“That’s what I mean, Billy.”

“Jeeez, I’m sorry,” said the young ferryman. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“I’m glad you told me, Billy,” Remington said. “I hate surprise parties.”

“Do you want us to turn the ferry around so you and your friends can go back to Riverside?” Billy stopped rowing briefly, but tugged on the oar again when the ferry started to go off course.

“Nope. We came here to arrest those bastards and that’s what we’re going to do. Knowing that they’re planning to ambush us gives us the advantage.”

“That’s pretty dangerous, isn’t it?” Billy asked. “Riding straight into an ambush?”

Ned saw the boy shudder. “Yes, it is. Do you know if Paco and his friend are going to be there?”

“I don’t think so,” Billy said. “They said something about rounding up five or six of the best men they had to wait for you. And then Paco and his partner were planning to ride to the Van Hook ranch near Nocona.”

“Nocona? Where’s that?”

“Almost straight west of the Red River Station. About ten miles.”

“Do you know Van Hook?” Ned asked.

“No, but I’ve heard a lot about the man.” Billy shook his head. “All bad. I guess he’s got a lot of money. He runs stolen cattle, I think.”

“He does.”

“Paco mentioned something about finding a half breed girl. Can’t remember her name. Linda or Leeanne. Something like that. I guess she must be at the Red River Station, or maybe at Van Hook’s ranch. It didn’t make any sense to me.”

Ned glanced at Lina. She was standing at the front of the boat with the other three men, watching the ferry cut through the water, occasionally glancing at the Texas shoreline. He was glad that she was dressed like a boy. The hired gunmen would be watching for three marshals and maybe they wouldn’t figure that Lina and her uncle were part of the same group.

Remington fished a five-dollar bill out of his pocket and handed it to the boy. “Have a beer on me, Billy. You deserve it.”

Billy’s eyes got wide. He let his oar drag, then quickly put it back in motion when he realized it. He hesitated a minute before he finally took the money from Ned.

“Well, thank you, sir,” the boy grinned. “But you didn’t have to do that. I didn’t like Paco and his friend and I would have told you anything I knew about them for nothing.”

“I know you would have, Billy. You look like a decent chap.”

“Thank you, sir,” he said again.

“I’ve got to tell my friends what we’re facing when we reach land.”

“We’ll put in at the dock in about five minutes,”

Billy said as he glanced out at the Texas shore. “But I don’t think the gunmen will be waiting there for you. There’ll be too many people around this time of a morning for them to open fire on the law.”

“Where would they wait?”

Billy thought about it for a minute. “Probably up the bank, close to the Red River Station. They’d figure that’s where you were going. There’s high land just beyond the Station and if you can get up over that hill and out of sight, I think you stand a good chance of making it.”

“Thanks,” Ned said as he started for the front of the ferry.

“If I can remember anything else, I’ll let you know.”

Ned turned back and nodded, then continued toward his friends. “We got trouble waiting for us when we set foot on Texas soil,” he said.

Tom Beck frowned. “What kind of trouble?”

“An ambush.’'

“Gaton and Haskins?” Frank Shaw asked.

“No. Hired guns,” Ned said. He explained what Billy had told him.

Charlie Killbuck had a worried look on his face. Lina stood wide-eyed, listening to Remington’s every word.

“And we’re going to ride right into their nest?” Beck asked when Ned was through explaining.

“Yes,” said Ned. “They plan to catch us by surprise, but we’ll be the ones to surprise them. We’ll be prepared.”

“Why don’t we turn around and head back for the other shore?” Frank asked. “We can find another way to get to Gaton and Haskins.”

“We’re not running away from trouble, Frank,” Ned said. “We’re gonna face it square in the eyes.”

“How can you prepare for something like this?” Beck asked.

“By having our weapons ready when we ride off the ferry,” Ned said as he studied the Texas shoreline that was getting closer all the time. “By watching for the ambushers. By finding the hired guns before they find us.”

“Got any idea what these fellows look like?” Shaw asked.

“Probably much like the brutes who attacked us in Tishomingo,” Ned laughed.

“I can help you,” Killbuck said. “I know this land. I know the places where the gunmen could hide to wait for us. And I know where to go to get away from them.”

“Charley, I wish you and Lina would stay on the ferry until this is over with,” Ned said. “We’re facing hired gunnies and they’re expecting three lawmen to ride off this ferry. They probably don’t even know about you and Lina. You’ll both be safe here.”

“I know I can be of help to you,” Charlie said. “I will ride with you.”

“Me, too,” said Lina. “If you’re outnumbered, you may need an extra gun on your side.”

“Lina, please stay here on the ferry,” Ned pleaded when he saw that they were quickly approaching the dock. He scanned the area around the dock and didn’t see anyone who looked suspicious. But like Billy had said, the dock would be busy this time of morning and any one of the men he saw who looked like workers could actually be one of the gunnies.

“No,” Lina said in her usual stubborn manner.

Ned felt the ferry swing around. He glanced back and saw that Billy and Ross were maneuvering the boat around so that they would land with the loading end of the ferry near the dock. Ned and the others remained at the end of the ferry that was now farthest from the dock, but they turned around so they could keep an eye on the dock and the hill above it where the building of the Red River Station was located.

“Please, Lina,” Ned said. “Billy will take care of you. We’ll come back for you as soon as it’s safe to do so.”

“You know I won’t stay here,” Lina said. “We’re in this together.”

“We’re docking now, sir,” Billy called out from behind him.

“Thanks, Billy,” Ned called back without turning around. “All right, Lina. You’ll go with us. We’ll all mount up and ride off the ferry instead of walking our horses off. You men scatter out as soon as we clear the dock area. Ride fast with your guns drawn. Keep your eyes open and if you see anyone fixin’ to shoot at you, fire at them first and then get the hell out of here. Lina, you ride right behind me. The gunnies will be aiming at me and if I miss my shot, maybe you can pick him off.”

The ferry bounced against dock. The passengers shifted weight to keep their balance.

While Ross stayed at his station and steadied the boat by twisting his oar around in the water, Billy hopped onto the wooden dock. The boy carried the two heavy ropes with him and quickly lashed them around the landing pegs that were mounted on the dock. He snugged the ropes tight, brought the ferry as close to the dock as he could. Then he stepped back onto the ferry and removed the waist-high rope barrier that stretched across the loading end of the vessel.

“We’ve landed, sir,” he announced. He gestured with his arm, indicating that the passengers could disembark.

“Take your time mounting your horses,” Ned told the others. “Ride off the ferry slowly, one at a time. I’ll take the lead, with Lina right behind me. Act as normal as possible until we’ve cleared the dock. Then scatter and ride fast. But keep your eyes open in case the hired guns have positioned themselves among the dock workers.”

Ned had been the last one to board the ferry, so his horse was already first in line to disembark. Using the reins, he pulled Neal around to face the dock, then eased himself up in the saddle and waited until the others were mounted.

Killbuck helped Lina turn her pony around and lined it up behind Ned. As Lina climbed up in the saddle, Killbuck tugged his own horse back so that he would be the last to disembark.

Tom Beck mounted his horse and reined it into line behind Lina. Frank Shaw stayed behind Beck.

Remington glanced back over his shoulder and saw that everyone was saddled up. All of them held their respective reins in their left hands. Their right hands were within easy reach of their holstered pistols.

He took a deep breath and felt his stomach whirl. His hands didn’t tremble, but he knew that every muscle in his body was taut.

“Ready?” he said.

The four people behind him nodded in unison.

R
emington sat
tall in the saddle as he rode across the planks of the dock. He glanced around, as any other ferry rider would do after crossing into Texas. A few of the dock workers paused to look at the newcomers, but most of the muscular men were too busy hoisting heavy crates into waiting boats to bother with such an ordinary occurrence.

As he rode slowly up the narrow path that led to the top of the river bank and the town of Red River Station, Ned saw that there were plenty of places where the gunmen could be hiding. The main building of the docking station, off to the right, was actually painted red. Just beyond the station, he could see the pole fence of the stockyard and the few cattle that were near the fence. From his vantage point, he could see only a few more buildings of the town. The thick rows of trees blocked his view of everything else, except the high ground just beyond the station house, directly ahead of him.

The gunmen could be anywhere up there and Ned knew that his own men couldn’t scatter out until they reached the open ground beyond the trees.

He drew his pistol just before he reached the rows of trees on either side of the main road, and knew that the others would do the same. He thumbed back the hammer and snapped the reins, urging his horse to a full gallop. He raced by the trees and quickly looked in both directions. The gunmen weren’t there where he’d expected them to be.

He rode straight ahead, toward the high ground, and again glanced in both directions as he passed the main street of the town. He saw only the townspeople who were minding their own business. As he neared the red station building on his right, Ned scanned the tree-dotted hill off to his left.

He was still studying the confusing pattern of gullies and ruts on the tree-dotted hill when four riders suddenly darted out from behind the red station building, riding straight for the deputies, guns blazing wildly.

Ned took quick aim and tumbled one rider out of his saddle with the first shot. Just before the am- busher hit the ground, Ned saw the blood gush, from his chest and knew the wound was fatal.

Ned was beyond the station house now and out in the open. He knew his own men had scattered. Two of the gunmen suddenly changed directions and circled to Ned’s left. The other one swung around to his right.

Tom Beck had gone to the left. He ducked a shot coming his way, then rose back up and fired at the men barreling down on him. His bullet crashed into the gunman’s shoulder with a sickening thud. The shot wasn’t a fatal one, but it was enough to stop the man and send him riding off toward the top of the hill. He wouldn’t be back. It would be a long, long time before he could use his shooting arm.

The other two men zeroed in on Remington, one coming at him from each side, pistols aimed.

Beck and Killbuck shot simultaneously at the man on the left, but both were too far away to hit their mark. The gunman whirled around in his saddle and aimed at Killbuck. Ned fired before the gunman could get his shot off.

Ned’s quick shot was low. It hit the man in the upper thigh. The gunman screamed out in pain as blood spurted through the hole in his leg and stained his trousers. The man whirled his horse around, dug spurs into his horse’s side and took off up the hill.

Frank Shaw, who was closer to the wounded rider, took careful aim and fired. The gunman gasped as the bullet caught him in the lungs. He leaned to the left and slid out of his saddle, crumpled to the ground, pink foam gushing from his mouth. He wasn’t dead when he hit the ground, but with his lungs exploded, he wouldn’t take another breath.

Remington swung around in the saddle but couldn’t get a shot off fast enough to stop the man who was coming straight at him from his right. The gunman’s pistol was aimed between Ned’s eyes. A shot rang and for a brief instant, Ned thought he’d been shot. He froze and waited for the bullet to plunge into his heart. In that split second of waiting, he wondered if this was what it was like to die.

The rider jerked backward in the saddle and slid off the back. He fell to the ground with a terrible thud.

It was then that Ned realized that the shot had come from behind him. Lina had fired it. Ned reined back and looked down at the man who had fallen right beside him. The gunman’s face was gone. There was not enough of it left to even tell that it had once been a human face.

Ned looked over his shoulder as Lina rode up beside him, her pistol still smoking. She took one look at the man she’d killed and looked away.

“You saved my life, Lina,” he said softly.

She sighed deeply as she holstered her pistol, and then she rode a few feet away from the grotesque scene. Killbuck and the two deputies rode back and joined Ned and the girl.

The gunfight had lasted only three minutes. Three men were dead and another was so badly wounded, he would have to seek a doctor.

None of them spoke of the gunfight as they rode back toward the Red River Station building.

“Let’s check the cattle in the stockyard,” Ned said.

Lina and the men followed him over to the stockyard where hundreds of cattle mingled. The stench was awful and the bawling of the animals was almost unbearable. Ned and the others dismounted and tied their horses to the pole fence.

“I guess I’d better ask permission to examine the cattle,” Ned said. He walked around to the office and while he was gone, Lina and the others walked through the unlocked gate and wandered among the cattle, checking the brands.

By the time Ned came back, Lina had found what they were looking for. “Here it is,” she called to him.

Ned examined the brand carefully and saw that it had been altered with a running iron so that it now looked like a double diamond, instead of a mirrored M. A line now connected the center of the letter M to the center of the letter W.

Ned walked back to the office and asked the thin, balding stockyard keeper if he could purchase one of the cattle.

“Just one?” the keeper grumped.

Ned noticed the man’s name on a plaque on the paper-littered desk.

“Yes, Mr. Jones. Just one,” he said. “I want you to come look at it and tell me whose brand it is.”

The nearly bald man looked at Remington’s badge and then glared at Ned. Nevertheless, he stood up and followed Ned back to where the others were waiting. In the meantime, the deputies had rounded up ten more cattle with the same brand.

“Whose brand is this?” Ned asked politely as he pointed to the brand.

“It’s the Double-Diamond brand,” Jones said sullenly.

“I can see that, Mr. Jones. Who does it belong to?” Ned demanded.

Again, the stockyard keeper gave Remington a dirty look. He hesitated before he finally answered. “That’s one of Van Hook’s brands.”

“How many brands does he have?” Ned asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t keep track of such things,” Jones said. “Ain’t none of my business.”

“You know these are rustled cattle, don’t you?” Ned asked.

“I wouldn’t know about that,” Jones replied.

“You’d better know about it,” Remington said. “I could arrest you right now for receiving stolen goods.”

“I didn’t receive nothin’,” Jones said. “I don’t own no cattle. This is a public stockyard, Marshal. Ranchers from all over this territory pay me to keep their cattle until they can either sell them or herd them to market.”

“You sell these cattle, don’t you?”

“Sometimes, if a buyer happens along.”

“Do you know what the penalty is for selling stolen property, Mr. Jones?”

“I got nothin’ to do with where these damned animals come from. If I happen to sell some of them, I take a percentage of the sale, which has been agreed upon by me and the ranchers beforehand. I run an honest business here, Marshal. I don’t own a damned single one of them cattle and I couldn’t tell you whether they were stolen or not. Like I say, it ain’t none of my business.”

“Where does Van Hook live?” Ned asked.

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Yes, you do. I’ll arrest you for selling stolen cattle if you don’t want to cooperate.”

“You threatening me, Marshal?”

“Just stating a fact. In Judge Barnstall’s court, the penalty’s pretty stiff for having stolen goods in your possession.”

“I told you they ain’t my cattle,” Jones said. “Van Hook lives west of here, near Nocona.”

“That’s what I was told,” Ned said.

“If you already know where he lives, then why in the hell’re you askin’ me?” Jones snarled.

“Just seeing how honest you are. How much do you want for this bull?”

“Twenty-five dollars,” Jones said.

“Shouldn’t be more than five dollars on the hoof,” Ned objected.

“Van Hook sets the price for his cattle, not me.”

“It’s a big bull, Ned said. “I’ll give you six dollars, no more.”

“Go ahead and take it,” Jones said. “Just leave me alone so I can get back to my paperwork.”

“Don’t I get a bill of sale?”

“For six lousy bucks, you don’t need it,” Jones grumbled as he stalked away.

“That’s because you don’t want a record of the sale, Jones,” Ned called after him. “That money’s gonna go right in your pocket and Van Hook’ll never know about it.”

Jones ignored the remark and slammed his office door when he went inside.

Ned tied a rope around the bull’s neck and led it out of the stockyard. “Frank, will you come with me?” he asked.

“Yes,” Frank said without question.

“Tom, take Lina and Charlie to the cafe around the- corner and buy them some breakfast. We’ll meet you there in a little while.”

After Tom and the others left, Ned and Frank mounted their horses and Ned led the bull by the rope to a field just beyond the stockyard. Ned climbed down from the saddle, drew his pistol and shot the bull between the eyes. The animal’s legs went wobbly under his weight and then it toppled over on his side. Frank shot him again in the heart, just to make sure he was dead.

Ned dug a sharp, thin, sheathed knife out of his saddlebags, and a small jar of salt. Ned cut around the brand, leaving an inch of hide around the outside of the circle. He slid the sharp knife under the circle and sliced it away from the flesh. Frank watched over his shoulder as Ned turned the piece of hide over and scraped all of the flesh away from the inside of the hide.

“No doubt about it,” Frank said. “That was the Mirror M brand.”

“Yes,” said Ned. “The M and W are very clear. They’re old scars, deep scars. The added line doesn’t even show on the inside of the flesh.”

“Looks like Van Hook’s men just ran these cattle through the chute and jabbed them with the running iron.”

Ned scraped the inside perfectly clean, then salted it. “I’ll take this back to Barnstall for evidence,” he said as he tucked it into his pocket.

“What now?” Frank asked.

“Now we get the others and head to Van Hook’s ranch near Nocona. He won’t be expecting us because he thinks we’re already dead.”

“What about the gunman who got away?” Frank asked.

“He won’t get out of town. He’s lost too much blood by now.”