Luke's Gold (18 page)

By the time they reached the spot at the bottom of the hill where Cade had tied Loco, they could hear the rapid gunfire and shouts of the men now running to stop the raiders. Running Fox had managed to withdraw the top pole in the corral gate. When the pistol shots alerted the white men in the cabin, the raiders had to abandon plans to open the gate and drive all the horses out. Running Fox and Bloody Feathers, now inside the corral, made a desperate attempt to escape. They each jumped upon the back of a horse, and guiding the animal by grasping its ears, charged out of the corral, holding on with knees and hands as the horses jumped the lower rails of the gate. Running Fox hoped that other horses would follow, but Jim Big Tree and Jack Walker got to the gate quickly and drove the rest of the horses back. Right behind them, Hank turned to send a couple of rifle shots after the fleeing Indians. Seeing the raid hopeless, the remaining members of the party fled after Running Fox and Bloody Feathers.

Emerging from the trees in time to see the two Indians gallop away with two horses, Cade shouted to Ben, “Go over there with your pa and Johnny, and be careful who you aim that damn rifle at.” Then he jumped up in the saddle and urged Loco after the retreating Indians in an effort not to lose them in the dark.

Racing across the grassy plain, he could barely make out the two shadowy images ahead of him as they galloped toward the pass north of the camp. He urged Loco onward and the horse responded eagerly, slowly cutting the distance between him and the Indians. Just before reaching the pass, one of the horses veered off to his left, heading back toward the hills behind the camp. Quickly deciding he had to follow in case the Indian was going back to make another attempt at the horses, Cade let the other raider go.

With the horses rapidly tiring, Cade followed the Blackfoot up through the trees on the hillside. Once in the midst of the firs that covered the west side of the hill, Cade pulled up and dismounted, lest he run headlong into an ambush. The darkness was heavy and still in the forest, but he could hear the Indian moving some forty yards ahead of him. Looking around to orient himself, he realized the Blackfoot warrior was making his way back toward the spot where Cade had killed the first raider.

He could see him now, a lone Blackfoot warrior, leading the horse back downhill, having fashioned a hasty bridle with a rope. Cade looped Loco's reins over a fir bough and followed. He could have shot the Indian on the spot, but he decided that the warrior was only intent upon recovering the body of his friend. Convinced that the raid was over, Cade saw no reason to kill the man.

A few yards farther down through the trees and Cade's speculation proved to be accurate. With his rifle slung on his back, Running Fox was bending over the slain warrior. He grasped him under the arms and started to lift him up when he suddenly froze. Cade looked beyond him to see Ben stepping out from a low bush, his rifle pointed at the Indian.

In the darkened forest, Cade could not see Ben's eyes wide with indecision, his hand trembling on the trigger guard, as man and boy stood immobile in a brief vacuum of time. The momentary image of another ten-year-old flashed across Cade's mind, and he called out, “Ben! Don't shoot! Let him go. Let him take his dead and go.” Ben hesitated, and Cade emerged from the brush behind Running Fox. Startled by Cade's sudden appearance, Running Fox dropped Bear Track's body and started to reach for his knife. Cade quickly leveled his Winchester and aimed it at Running Fox's belly, discouraging the Indian's desperate attempt. Moving between the raider and the boy, Cade said calmly, “Put it down, Ben. We'll let him take his dead home. No need for any more killin'.”

Caught in total confusion now, Running Fox waited for the rifle shot that would send him to the spirit world, knowing he could not get his own rifle off his back in time to save his life. Cade stood squarely before him and motioned with his rifle. “Go ahead and take your friend,” he said, but Running Fox knew no English. Finally, after Cade motioned several times more, the Blackfoot warrior understood. Nodding slowly, he reached down and grasped Bear Track again. Pulling him upright, he let the body fall across his shoulder. Cade offered no help. With the rifle still leveled at the Indian, he watched as Running Fox struggled to heft Bear Track's body up on the horse. Once the body was settled and secure, Running Fox turned back to look at the man watching him. He nodded solemnly, then turned and led the horse back the way he had come.

“Damn!” Ben exhaled after the Indian had gone, swallowed up by the dark forest on the hillside. That was all he said for a few moments, then, “I was gonna shoot him.”

“I know you were, but there wasn't no use to shoot him. He was just tryin' to carry that other feller back home. He didn't have it in his mind to cause no more trouble.” He knew from bitter experience that ten was too tender an age to carry an image of a man dead by your hand. “Let me get Loco, and let's get back before your pa starts worrying about you.” He started toward the brush where Loco was tied. “What were you doin' here, anyway? I thought I told you to go with your pa.”

“You did,” Ben admitted, “but I just wanted to see if that one you killed was still here.”

 

Back by the corral, a relieved Hank Persons came forward to meet Cade and Ben when they walked across the clearing between the cabin and the trees. “Ben, where the hell did you run off to?” Hank demanded.

“He was with me, chasin' off them last two Injuns,” Cade said.

“I was worried about you, boy,” Hank said.

“I was with Cade,” Ben assured him, as if that should tell his father that he was in no danger.

“Lost two horses,” Jack Walker announced as he and Jim Big Tree joined them. “I reckon that ain't as bad as it coulda been. At least nobody got shot.” Although everyone agreed that the Blackfoot raiding party would not likely try again after they found out how much firepower the camp could deliver, they didn't chance leaving the herd unguarded through the rest of the night.

Cade sat on his blanket, drinking his coffee, staring thoughtfully out across the prairie toward the east where the sun threatened to rise at any minute. Summer was getting thin now, and the mornings were chilly. Soon he would be awakening to find frost on the bunchgrass of the valley. He took a cautious sip of the bitter black liquid, careful that the metal cup might still be too hot to touch to his lips. The coffee was strong and good, and warmed him all the way down to his belly. Many thoughts wandered across his mind, and he figured it was time for him to move on. He had agreed to stay until Mr. Kramer and his crew arrived from Deer Lodge, and according to Jack Walker's expectations, that should be any day now. The picture of the Blackfoot warrior bending over his dead friend returned to remind him that he could have recovered one of the missing horses. All he had to do was pull the trigger, or let Ben take the burden on his young conscience. He wasn't sure why he had spared the Indian. It just seemed like there was no sense in killing him. Indians found honor in stealing horses. They'd made a try for Kramer's horses and failed. Why not let it go at that?
Besides,
he thought, thinking of Levi and Willow,
the fellow might have been Levi's brother-in-law.
The idle speculation brought a faint smile to his face. Other thoughts came to replace thoughts of Levi and Willow. The activity of the last few days had pushed Lem Snider to the back of his mind. He told himself that he could not forget his promise to Luke Tucker. It would be a sin before God to let Snider get away with Luke's murder. In spite of that, he had to admit that he was no closer to finding Lem Snider than he had been the day he left Levi's cabin on the mountain. After leaving Butte, the man seemed to have disappeared. Cade's plans to go to Helena were no better than a miner scratching around in the ground hoping gold might be under it. He had no reason to believe that Snider might be in Helena, but he didn't know of any better place to look.

 

In the afternoon of the second day after the Blackfoot raid, Carlton Kramer, with five men and a wagon of supplies, arrived at the Coyote Creek camp. A man of medium height, Kramer seemed to stand taller, carrying the confidence of a man accustomed to leading. With dark, wavy hair and a full beard, he presented a handsome figure of a successful man. Cade felt he was in the presence of one who could build an empire in whatever field he endeavored.

Kramer expressed his appreciation to Cade, Hank, and Hank's two sons for staying on to help guard the horses. When he learned that Cade was on his own with no ties to Hank, he conferred with his foreman, Jack Walker, about the young man and the possibility of hiring him to ride with Jack's crew.

Walker told him that Cade had been responsible for the one warrior who was killed in the raid, and that Cade had showed no lack of courage when he chased after the two stolen horses. “He helped Hank Persons bring the herd over here, and Hank said he's never seen a man better at under-standin' horses than Cade. From what I've seen, he'd be a damn good man to have on the payroll.”

“That's good enough for me,” Kramer said and immediately approached Cade with a job offer.

“Well, I hadn't really thought about anything but ridin' up to Helena to take care of some business for a friend of mine,” Cade said in answer to Kramer's offer.

“Jack says you're a good hand with horses,” Kramer replied. “I can always use a good man.” He paused a moment, sensing that Cade was giving it serious thought. “I pay top wages, and you'll be working with a fine crew.”

Cade had to think about it. He needed the money, and Kramer was offering him work right through the winter. But it was hard to shake the feeling that he was letting Luke down. However, with Kramer growing impatient for his decision, Cade took the offer, silently promising Luke that it would not destroy his promise, only delay it. “Good,” Kramer said. “If you're as good as Hank says you are, then I'm sure Jack can put you to work right now breaking those horses.”

Early the next morning, Hank and his sons prepared to start back home. Hank pulled Cade aside while Johnny and Ben were saddling the horses. He extended his hand, and Cade shook it. “Cade, I'm much obliged for your help. Them horses would have been a handful without you.” The wide grin on his face faded to a more serious expression, and he lowered his voice so the boys would not hear. “I appreciate what you did with little Ben. He told me he was fixin' to shoot that Injun back up on the hill. He was scared to death, and he was some relieved when you let the Injun go.” Cade didn't know what to say, so he merely shrugged. “Anyway,” Hank said, his voice loud again, “we'll most likely be seein' you again since you'll be workin' with Jack. Won't we, boys?”

“Yes, sir,” Johnny said and walked up to shake Cade's hand.

Ben hung back, looking undecided. Finally, he said what was on his mind. “I could stay and work with Cade. Me and Cade are partners. Ain't we, Cade?”

Cade shot a surprised look in Hank's direction, and received a weary smile and a shake of the head in return. Turning back to Ben, he said, “We're partners, sure enough. That's a fact. But your pa needs you to help him. You're too good a hand to lose.” When the youngster showed disappointment, Cade strode forward and shook his hand. “Like your pa said, I'll be seein' you from time to time. We'll still be partners. You just be sure you take care of him and your brother.”

Resigning himself to the inevitable, Ben smiled and said, “I will.” He jumped up to get a foot in the stirrup, then pulled himself up by the saddle horn. The three members of the Persons family turned their horses back toward the mountain pass.

An amused spectator to the farewell, Jack Walker sidled up to stand beside Cade. Chuckling, he asked, “Horses and kids seem to take a likin' to you. How about women?”

“I don't know,” Cade answered honestly.

 

The rest of the week brought long days with the horses, breaking them in to be good working stock to herd Carlton Kramer's cattle. After the first couple of days, Cade found himself in a contest of sorts with Jack Walker's top man, a man named Bucky George, not much older than Cade. The competition, unintentional on Cade's part, came about when the other men noticed the difference in the methods used to break the horses. Bucky was of the old-school method. He believed that brute force was necessary to initially show the horse that he was boss, and there would be painful consequences if the animal did not submit. To Bucky,
breaking
a horse meant breaking its spirit, a practice that was totally repugnant to Cade, and one he never saw the need to employ.

Cade had learned from his father that a horse is by nature a frightened animal. In the face of danger, his instincts tell him to run. He feels safest when his feet are moving, or when he's in the security of the herd, and feels that he has the herd leader to guard his safety. A horse is perfectly happy to be dominated by another horse, or a man, as long as he feels he is being protected and he can trust the man. Cade never made any comments about Bucky's methods, but the rest of the men soon began to notice that the horses Cade broke were willing to do anything their riders asked. And, as was bound to happen, the day came when the two young men had a conflict.

It was late in the afternoon, and Cade was working with a spirited little bay mare on a lead rope in a makeshift round pen. It was the last horse for the day. Finished with his chores, Bucky wandered over to watch. Unable to hold his comments for very long, he finally dispensed some unsolicited advice. “You know, Hunter, you'd break as many horses a day as I do if you didn't pussyfoot around with 'em like that.” Cade ignored the criticism and continued to work the mare. “I'd have that mare ready to ride by now. The first thing I'd do is take an ax handle and get her attention, so she'd know who the boss was.”