Soul Catcher (45 page)

^{"Have we met somewhere before?" he asked Cain, scratching his chin. Cain knew that the man recognized him, that he was just pretending.}

^{"We have," Cain replied. "Up north."}

^{"Oh, that's right," the leader said, his eye on Rosetta. "I do recollect that pretty nigger gal you got there."}

^{"I thought you were headed for Baltimore. This is a little out of your way, isn't it?"}

^{"We got sidetracked with other business," the man replied, smiling. He had a broad, square face and a wide mouth full of crooked, broken teeth. "Where are your friends?"}

^{"They went into town," Cain said.}

^{"That a fact?"}

^{"They should be back directly."}

^{"Funny thing is, we were just in town and we didn't see them. They'd be two heavyset fellows and a scrawny blond one with a birthmark on his neck? Bell," he called to the bearded man, "you see those fellows that were with this here gentleman?"}

^{The one called Bell looked up from his eating, his beard slick with grease and dark blood that shone in the firelight. "Ain't seen nobody fit that description."}

^{"Well, they were there," Cain insisted. "And they'll be back any time now."}

^{The leader looked down at Cain and nodded. Finally he dismounted and walked over toward the fire. He was shorter than he appeared in the saddle, perhaps only five eight, but broad shouldered and thick through the middle. Not fat, but solid and imposing in the manner of a well-fed Angus bull. The three others were sitting close by the fire, intent on eating.}

^{"Move," he commanded. When they didn't make way for him fast enough, he gave one man a firm kick in the butt.}

^{"God dang it, Clayton," the man cried. "What'd you have to go and do that for?"}

^{"I said move."}

^{Grumbling under his breath, the man quickly made room before he was kicked again.}

^{The one named Clayton squatted and took hold of one of the doe's front legs and twisted it roughly, bone and tendon and cartilage snapping. Then he withdrew an onyx-handled clasp knife and with his left hand severed what continued to attach the leg to the body. Still squatting on his haunches, he started to gnaw on the joint, holding it with one hand, the other dangling at his side. Cain watched his jaw muscles working as he tore off hunks of meat and chewed them with his snaggle teeth.}

^{"Yessirree, this here's right tender venison," the man said. "My compliments to the chef. I figure that must be you?" he said, glancing across at Rosetta.}

^{She looked over at Cain.}

^{"You don't have to ask him. You cooked it, didn't you, girl?"}

^{Rosetta nodded.}

^{"See, I don't bite. I bet you cook for your master?"}

^{She just stared at him.}

^{"I bet you do a lot of things for him," he added.}

^{The man's greatcoat was open, exposing the pair of Tranter revolvers. They were of British make, ugly blunt weapons but good at doing damage at close range. Cain glanced over at the others, did a quick inventory. The bearded one carried a small-caliber Smith & Wesson pistol on his hip, a five- or six-shot revolver, and he had about him the look of a man who knew how to use it. One of the remaining two, red-haired, soft and jowly, showed a single-shot Navy pistol sticking into the waist of his britches and a knife in a sheath slid down into his boot. The third, a thin, wizened old man with a bad cough, had his coat buttoned up, and Cain couldn't tell what all he carried. He turned his gaze back to the one called Clayton, figuring whatever would happen would start only with his blessing.}

^{As discreetly as he could, Cain lowered his right hand and pretended interest in a twig on the ground. Casually he released the leather loop holding the hammer of his Colt, then left his hand poised there. The movement did not go unnoticed by Clayton, who eyed Cain suspiciously. Suddenly the man reached toward his coat pocket. In an instant, Cain drew, cocked his gun, and pointed it at the man.}

^{"Hold it!" Cain commanded. The others stopped eating and turned to look at Cain. Skunk beard made a move for his gun and Cain turned the Colt on him, and would have shot him if the leader hadn't called out.}

^{"Whoa!"
he cried. "Just hold your horses, the both of you. Bell, don't do a doggone thing." Then, to Cain, he said, "Easy with that thing, friend. I was just fixing to offer you something to drink. No call to draw on me like that. We don't mean you any harm."}

^{"Take it out," Cain said. "But real slow."}

^{The man cautiously withdrew his hand from his pocket.}

^{"See," he said, holding in the air a pint of some clear-colored liquid. "Just moonshine. Bell's pappy made it. Didn't he, Bell?"}

^{"Best licker you ever did drink," skunk beard said.}

^{Gradually Cain released the hammer of his gun and let his arm drop to his side. He held it there for a few seconds, his instincts still warning him that he hadn't been wrong. Finally, though, with no other evidence to go on, he holstered the weapon but didn't take his eye off Clayton.}

^{"Here," the man said, passing the bottle across to him. "You could use you some."}

^{Cain hesitated, then accepted the bottle and took a drink. His heart was pounding, and so he took a second. The liquor went some way to quietening it.}

^{"Appreciate it," Cain offered, extending the bottle back to Clayton.}

^{"Give the girl a drink. She looks like she could use it, too."}

^{"She doesn't drink liquor."}

^{"Never saw a nigger refuse free liquor," Clayton exclaimed, accepting the bottle and taking a drink. Then to skunk beard, he said, "You ever see a blue-eyed nigger, Bell?"}

^{"Can't say I have. Then again, she don't look like she got much nigger blood in her," the other replied. "Pass that bottle over yonder, Clayton."}

^{"You bringing her back for auction?" the leader asked Cain.}

^{"No. She's a runaway," he said, glancing over at Rosetta. "I have papers for her from her owner."}

^{"A fine-looking wench like her would fetch a goodly price on the block."}

^{"Her master hired me to bring her back."}

^{"I can see why he'd want her back, too," he said, looking over at Bell and winking. Clayton had been working on a piece of gristly meat for a while and he finally gave up and spit it into the fire, where it popped and sizzled. "How much he paying you?"}

^"Enough."

^{"Three hundred?"}

^{"I don't see as that's any business of yours," Cain said.}

^{"My business is--"}

^{"I
know
what your business is," Cain interrupted.}

^{"How's that make us any different from you, friend?"}

^{"I have a warrant for what I do. I don't go grabbing any Negro I can lay my hands on and selling them downriver."}

^{The man grinned at this, the action pushing his fleshy cheeks into round balls under his eyes and exposing the missing front tooth. He stared across the fire at Cain. His eyes were heavy-lidded and dark as calf liver. In them was a smug look, that of someone holding a pair of aces to your jacks and just waiting for you to bid into his hand.}

^{"You call it what you want. It comes down to the same thing. We both make our living peddling flesh."}

^{"Clayton," the red-haired man interjected.}

^{"Shut up."}

^{"I got to piss."}

^{"Well, go piss then. You looking for me to hold it for you?"}

^{The others laughed raucously and teased the man with obscene gestures. The red-haired man got up and plodded off into the birch trees.}

^{"Tell you what, friend," the leader said to Cain, "I have hard cash." He patted his coat over his breast. "Name your price."}

^{"I told you she's not for sale."}

^{"Hell, everything on God's green earth is for sale if the price is right. So go ahead and name your price."}

^{"Not in this case, friend," Cain replied, giving the other back the same smug smile.}

^{"You're just trying to drive up her value. I respect that. You're a businessman just like me. How's four hundred sound to you?"}

^{"I can't sell her to you."}

^{"All right, I'll go five hundred. That's cash on the barrelhead. Right here and now."}

^{"I promised I'd bring her back."}

^{"A man of integrity," Clayton said, his tone laced with a sarcastic edge. "That's the problem with this here country. Nobody has integrity anymore. Everybody's just out for himself. Even our beloved president. Hell, all the cotton interests have old man Buchanan sewn up tighter than a drum. You think he cares a fig for the South? He just knows where his bread is buttered. No integrity left nohow. I'll tell you what. I'll go you five hundred and fifty dollars cash. That's my final offer. That'll buy you a lot of integrity." He looked over at the skunk beard and winked again.}

^{"You must be hard of hearing. I said, she's not for sale," Cain repeated flatly.}

^{"All's you would have to do is tell her owner she escaped. You could pocket the money and be on your way, friend."}

^{"I'm not your friend," Cain snapped. "And I think it's time you boys be on your way."}

^{Clayton looked over at the other two and smiled. "But we haven't finished eating yet."}

^{Cain watched as the man ate some more from the joint of meat. He kept the other two in the corner of his eye and tried listening for the one who'd gone off into the woods, but he couldn't hear a thing in the darkness.}

^{"I said, you need to leave."}

^{"All right, I can see your game, friend," offered the leader.}

^"Game?"

^{"You drive a hard bargain. But I'm feeling in a generous mood. Six hundred then. And that's my final offer. After all, I got to have some room for profit. We both know that's more than fair."}

^{"You and your no'count boys get your asses on those horses and get the hell out of here," repeated Cain, watching the man's hands. "Now!"}

^{"You know, I'm sorely disappointed in you, corncracker," Clayton said, shaking his head.}

^{"Is that so?"}

^{"Here I am, making you a generous offer--more than generous-- and you got to treat us like dirt." The leader turned to the one named Bell. "What did I do to deserve such treatment?"}

^{Bell laughed. "Ought to teach the corncracker some manners, Clayton."}

^{"Friend, I didn't have to offer you a plug nickel. I could've just taken her and been off. Instead, I try to treat you fair, and here you go disrespecting me."}