Sunset Pass (1990) (17 page)

"Glad to meet you, beef rustler," returned Rock.

"Am givin' you my card pronto," called Ash, louder.

"Gave you mine at the dance. But I got six left! Caramba!"

That stopped the restless crouching steps, but not the singular activity of body. Ash's muscles seemed to ripple. He crouched yet a little more. Rock could catch gleams of blue fire under the wide black brim of Ash's hat. "Senor del Toro!"

"Yes. And here's thiry's mask--where she put it herself," flashed Rock, striking his breast. "See if you can hit it!"

At the last he had the wit to throw Ash off a cool and deadly balance--so precious to men who live by the gun. When Ash jerked to his fatal move Rock was the quicker. His shot cracked a fraction of a second before his adversary's. Both took effect. Ash almost turned a somersault.

Rock felt a shock, but no pain. He did not know where he was hit until his right leg gave way under him. He fell, but caught himself with his left hand, and went no farther than his knees, the right of which buckled under him.

Ash bounded up as he had gone down, with convulsive tremendous power, the left side of his head shot away. Blood poured down. As he swept up his gun Rock shot him through the middle. The bullet struck up dust beyond and whined away. But Ash, sustaining the shock, fired again, and knocked Rock flat. The bullet struck high on his left shoulder. He heard two more heavy booms of Ash's gun, felt the sting of gravel on his face. Half rising, braced on his left hand, Rock fired again. He heard the bullet strike. Ash's fifth shot spanged off Rock's extended gun, knocked it flying, beyond reach.

Preston was sagging. Bloody, mortally stricken, he had no will except to kill. He saw his enemy prostrate, weaponless. He got his gun up, but could not align it, and his last bullet struck far behind Rock, to whine away. He swayed, all instinctive action ceasing, and with his ruthless eyes on his fallen foe, changing, glazing over, setting blank, he fell.

Chapter
15

Rock was lying in the pleasant sitting-room, of the Winters' home where a couch had been improvised for him.

The little doctor was cheerful that day. "You're like an Indian," he said, rubbing his hands in satisfaction. "Another week will see you up. Then pretty soon you can fork a hoss."

"How is your other patient'?" asked Rock.

"Dunne is out of danger, I'm glad to say."

Sol Winter came bustling in, with an armful of firewood. "Mornin', son! You shore look fitter to me. How about him, Doc? Can we throw off the restrictions on grub an' talk?"

"I reckon," replied the physician, taking up his hat and satchel. "Now, Rock, brighten up. You've been so gloomy. Good day."

"Trueman, there's news," said Winter. "Might as well, get it over, huh?"

"I reckon so," rejoined Rock.

"Gage Preston paid me the money you gave Slagle. Yesterday, before he left."

"Left?" echoed` Rock.

"Yep, he left on Number Ten for Colorado," replied Winter, evidently gratified over the news he had to impart. "Rock, it ail turned out better 'n' we dared hope. They tell me Hesbitt was stubborn as a mule, but Dabb an Lincoln together flattened him out soft. Wal with the steer market jumpin' to seventy-five, even Hesbitt couldn't stay sore long. They fixed it up out of court. Dabb an' Lincoln made it easy for Preston. They bought him out, ranch, stock, an' all. Cost Preston somethin' big to square up, but at thet he went away heeled. I seen him at the station."

"Did he go--alone? asked Rock.

"No. His three grown sons were with him. The rest of the Prestons are in town, but I haven't seen them. Funny Thiry doesn't run in to see me. I met Sam Whipple's wife. She saw Thiry an' Alice, who are stayin' at Farrell's. She said she couldn't see much sign of Thiry's takin' Ash's death very hard. Thet shore stumped me. But Thiry is game."

He went out, leaving Rock prey to rediscovered emotions. He had sacrificed his love to save Thiry's father and therefore her, from ignominy. The thing could not have been helped. It had from the very first, that day in the corral here at Wagontongue, been fixed, and as fateful as the beautiful passion Thiry had roused in him. He had no regret.

But with the accepted catastrophe faced now, there came pangs that dwarfed those of gunshot wounds. His heart would not break, because he had wonderful assurance of her love, of the sacrifice she had tried to make for him. She would go away with her family, and in some other State recover from this disaster, forget, and touch happiness, perhaps with some fortunate man who might win her regard. But she owed that to him. And he realized that he would find melancholy, cconsolation in the memory of the service he had rendered her.

"Son, lady to see you," announced Winter.

"Who?" asked Rock, with a start.

"No one but Amy."

"Tell her I'm sleepin' or--or somethin'," implored Rock.

"Like hob he will," replied a gay voice from behind the door. And Amy entered, pretty and stylish, just a little fearful and pale, despite her nerve.

"Trueman, are you all right?" she asked timidly. "Oh, Trueman, I've been in a horrible state ever since I came home."

"Well! I'm sorry, Amy. How so?"

"I hate to tell you, but I've got to," 'she replied. "For it was my last miserable, horrible trick! Trueman, the day I got back I met Ash Preston on the street. I told him you--you were Senor del Toro. You cannot imagine what I felt when they fetched you here--all shot up. Trueman, I don't want to abase myself utterly in your sight, but--well I am a chastened woman. It opened my eyes. I told my husband, and since then we've grown closer than we ever were."

"Then Amy, I forgive you." Quick as a bird she pecked at his cheek, to lift a flushing, radiant face. "There! The first sisterly one I ever gave you. Trueman, I am the bearer of good news. You are a big man now: Yes, sir, in spite of--or perhaps because of--that awful gun of yours. But your honesty has gone farther with John and Tom Lincoln. I have the pleasure of telling you that you've been chosen to run the Sunset Pass Ranch for them. On shares."

"Never, Amy, never!" cried Rock, shivering. "I shall leave Wagontongue again--soon as I can walk."

"Not if we know it," she retorted as she rose. "You've got more friends than you think. Now I'll go. I've excited you enough to day. But I'll come again soon. Goodbye."

Amy had hardly gone when a squeak of the door and a deep expulsion of breath from someone entering aroused Rock.

"Thiry!--how good--of you!"

Haltingly she approached. "Trueman, are you--all right?" she asked, apparently awed at the helpless length of him there on the bed. She sat down beside him.

"Reckon I'm 'most all right--now," he replied.

"Mr. Winter told me everything," she went on, "but seeing you is so strange. Can you move?"

"Sure. All but my left leg."

"Was that broken?"

"No, I'm glad to tell you."

"And the other hurt--was that here?" she asked, pale, almost reverent, as she laid a soft hand high upon his left shoulder.

"Lower down--Thiry."

Fascinated, she gently slipped her hand down. Then she felt the throbbing of his heart. "But, Trueman--it couldn't be there."

"You bet it is."

"What?"

"The hurt you asked about."

"I was speaking of your latest wounds," she replied. Then she looked him squarely in the face. "I had to fight myself to come," she said. "There was a cold, dead, horrible something inside me--but it's leaving! Trueman, you're so white and thin. So helpless lying there! I--I want to nurse you. I should have come. Have you suffered?"

"A little--I reckon," he replied unsteadily. "But it's--gone now."

"Has Amy Dabb been here?"

"Yes. Today. She was very nice."

"Nice! Because she wheedled John Dabb to offer you the running of Sunset Pass Ranch?"

"Oh no--I mean, just kind," returned Rock uncertainly.

"Trueman, you will accept that offer?" she queried earnestly. "I don't care what Amy says. I know it was my father's advice to Dabb."

"Me ever go to--Sunset Pass--again? Never in this world."

"Trueman, you would not leave this country?" she asked in alarm.

"Soon as I can walk."

"But I do not want to leave Sunset Pass," she returned with spirit.

"I'm glad you don't, Thiry. Perhaps, somehow, it can be arranged for you. Someone of course will take the place. Is your mother leavin' soon?"

"She is terribly angry with Dad," replied Thiry seriously. "But I think some day she'll get over it and go back to him."

She edged a little closer, grave and sweet, and suddenly bent over to kiss his knee where the bandage made a lump, and then she moved up to lay her cheek over his heart, with a long low sigh. "Trueman, did you think I'd--hate you for killing Ash?" she whispered.

He could not speak.

"I thought I would. And it was a sickening, terrible blow. But before that same night was over knew I couldn't hate you. And I believe, even if I hadn't learned what changed it all, I would have forgiven you--some day.

"What changed, all?"

"What Dad told me."

"Thiry--have mercy!"

"Ash was not my brother," she said in a smothered voice.

Rising, Thiry slipped to the floor on her knees, and leaned upon her elbows, clasping his hands, regarding him with remorseful tenderness. "My brother Range beat the others home that night, with the news of the fight. I had my terrible black hours. I knew we were ruined--that Ash in some way had brought it about. Perhaps my love for him turned then. But I want you to know that even then believing Ash my brother I'd have forgiven you in time. I know it. After the agony was spent I was learning how deathlessly I loved you. Sometime in the night, late, Dad came to me. He told me not to take it too hard--not to visit the sins of others upon your head. You had been driven to kill Ash. Someone had to do it, for the good of all, and no one but you could.

"Then came the story, torn from his most secret heart. Ash was not his son, but the illegitimate son of a girl he had loved long ago, who abandoned and dying, gave him her child. Dad said he was what his father had been. Next day I went to mother, and she corroborated dad's story. It seemed I was delivered from hellish bonds."

"Thiry, darlin'--there must be somethin' in prayer," cried Rock.

"I was to learn how you had bought Slagle's silence--how you persuaded Dabb and Lincoln to force Hesbitt to settle out of court--oh, how from the very beginning you had meant good by all of us! Yet I could not drag myself to you. It took time. I had such dreadful fear of seeing you lying in danger of death, bloody, pale with awful eyes that would have accused me. Oh, I suffered! But now I'm here--on my knees."

"Please get up," said Rock, lifting her to a seat beside him.

"Now will you accept Dabb's offer and take me back to Sunset Pass?" she asked.

"Yes, Thiry, if you will have it so," he replied. "If you love me that well."

She gave him passionate proof of that "Dear, Dad told me you were one of the marked men of the ranges. Our West is in the making. Such men as Ash--and those others you--"

Sol Winter came in. He beamed down upon them. "Son an' lass, I'm glad to see you holden' each other thet way--as if now you'd never let go. For I've grown old on the frontier, an' I've seen but little of the love you have for each other. We Westerners are a hard pioneering outfit. I see in you, an Allie, an' some more of our young friends, a leanin' more to finer, better things."

THE END