Gun for Revenge (12 page)

The two of them rode side by side down the long steep slope from the top of the knoll.

Every stride the Morgan took felt like a knife-stab in Gabriel’s lower back. But not wanting Ellie to know how much pain he was in, he gritted his teeth and looked straight ahead as if nothing were wrong.

But once they had passed under the arched entrance to the Double SS and were out on free range, he knew he couldn’t hide it from her much longer. If he was going to say goodbye, he knew he had to do it quickly.

‘What’s wrong?’ she asked as he reined up. ‘Can’t you ride any further?’

‘Sure. But first I’d like to know why—’

‘—I’m not on my way to Las Cruces?’

Gabriel nodded and shifted painfully in the saddle.

‘Well, I fully intended to catch the train. But as I was leaving the hotel I ran into Sheriff Forbes and two of his deputies. They said you had killed the Iversons.’

‘They gave me no choice, Ellie—’

‘Oh, I’m not blaming you, Gabe. In fact, hateful as it sounds, I’m glad they’re dead. It’s just that as I started
walking to the tracks, I began thinking … worrying about you and. … Is that who shot you, one of the Iversons?’

‘Uh-uh. Slade.’ He paused, trying to ignore the burning sensation in his lower back; then, thinking aloud, said: ‘Damn fool. I must be gettin’ old. Time was I never would’ve turned my back on a snake like that.’

‘Well, you won’t have to worry about him or his kind any more,’ Ellen said. ‘It’s over now. For everyone. Now Cally can rest in peace and we can get on with our lives …’ She saw him wince and, concerned by how large the bloodstain on his shirt had gotten, said: ‘Gabe, we have to hurry. You’re losing a lot of blood.’

He ignored her. Numbness was slowly replacing the pain between his spine and the wound – not a good sign.

‘Your outfit,’ he said. ‘Where’d you get it?’

‘One of the sisters at Mission Santa Rosa loaned it to me.’ She smiled wanly. ‘It took some persuading but I thought a little help from God might come in handy.’

He didn’t say anything. His eyes went glassy and he felt himself drifting off.

The Morgan, as if sensing something was wrong, snorted and shifted restlessly on its feet.

Jolted back to reality, Gabriel shook the cobwebs from his head and grinned.

‘Rescued by a nun,’ he said. ‘… if that ain’t one for the cavalry.’

Blood was now seeping through his Levis onto the Morgan’s flank.

‘Please, Gabe,’ Ellen begged, grasping his arm, ‘no more talking. We must get you to the doctor—’

‘No doctor,’ he said firmly.

‘W-What’re you talking about? If you don’t get that wound taken care of you could die.’

‘I told you, it ain’t that bad. Just a lot of blood is all. Day or two it’ll heal on its own.’

‘Or you could be dead.’

‘Ellie, right now I don’t have time for doctors. No,’ he said as she started to protest, ‘let me finish. You don’t know Stillman Stadtlander like I do. In a little while he’s gonna regret lettin’ me ride out of there. Then he’ll get to ragin’ an’ send his men after me. Maybe even whip up a posse. Only chance I got of dodgin’ a rope is to get a good jump on ’em.’

‘Then we’ll take the train—’

‘Next train’s tomorrow mornin’, Ellie. By then I won’t need patchin’ up.’

‘Then we’ll go to the mission. I’m sure Father Quivira will hide you….’ she broke off, realizing by his
tight-lipped
expression that he wasn’t going to change his mind.

‘Where will you go?’

‘California.’

‘But that’s so far away. We might never see each other again.’

‘I thought about that. They have lots of missions out there. All up an’ down the coast. My pa was always talkin’ about them. Said they were built by this padre from Spain who made believers out of the Indians.’

‘Father Serre?’

‘Yeah, that’s him.’ Gabriel felt his tongue grow thick and unmanageable. He coughed, spat away the blood and said: ‘Maybe later, after you get to be a proper nun, you could find a way to transfer to one of ’em. Then I could ride over an’ visit you all the time.’

She sensed he was lying but said anyway:

‘That’d be wonderful. But how will you know which one I’m in?’

‘I’ll write you at the convent. Let you know where I am.’

The numbness was spreading up his spine and starting to affect his left arm. He knew time was running out.

‘I better ride,’ he said.

‘Promise you’ll write?’

‘Got my word on it.’ He pressed her soft cool hand against his lips. It felt good holding her hand and he didn’t want to let go. But he knew that no one ever got what they really wanted and at last he released it.

‘See you soon, Ellie.’

Emotion choked off her reply.

Through her tears she watched him ride off across the open wasteland. The urge to follow him almost consumed her. But somehow she resisted.

And as Gabriel’s diminishing image became blurred in the desert heat waves, she spurred the blue roan into a canter and sadly rode back to Santa Rosa. 

While hiding out in Mexico Gabriel Moonlight is confronted by Ellen Kincaide, a novice nun who begs him to avenge the death of her sister and Gabriel’s former girlfriend, Cally. He refuses to help, knowing if he returns to New Mexico he will be hanged for his crimes as the outlaw Mesquite Jennings.

Later, Gabriel learns Ellen has been kidnapped by bandits and now sets out to rescue her. With a change of heart he also promises to kill the man who murdered Cally. But when he discovers the identity of the murderer Gabriel knows that to exact retribution means almost certain death.

Even so, a promise is a promise.