Slocum #396 : Slocum and the Scavenger Trail (9781101554371) (21 page)

“What is it, Slocum?”

The words burned Slocum’s tongue, but he had to tell Baransky the truth.

“Trueheart has taken both Melissa and Stephen prisoner.”

“What happened?” Baransky choked out.

Slocum didn’t know, but he had to find out. For Melissa’s sake. For his own peace of mind. Too many times he had let down members of the Baransky family. But not this time. Not now.

As he rode, Slocum kept looking over the edge of the road, fearing that he would see two bodies cast down the slope and angry when he didn’t. Why had Trueheart taken both Melissa and Stephen prisoner? Melissa was easily enough explained. She was a beautiful woman, and Trueheart might want her for his own before either killing her or sending her back to Sally’s cathouse. But Stephen Baransky was another matter.

“He might be following Trueheart to free her,” Clem Baransky said, breaking Slocum’s concentration.

“How’s he following? He was on foot.” Even as Slocum spoke, he realized that might not be true. He and Melissa had come upon her brother as he lay in ambush. He might have hidden a mule or horse off the road. It had not been a matter to consider at the time, not with Stephen intent on shooting down Trueheart.

“Stephen and I never got along well, but one thing I can say about him, he’s not a dull boy. Always thinking.”

Slocum would have said “scheming” but he didn’t know Stephen as well as his pa. His gut feeling remained, though.
He didn’t much care for Stephen or his attitude toward his sister or anything else.

“I keep looking down the road to see if I can spot the wagons, but they made better time than I would have thought,” Slocum said.

“Where’s this road go? I was brought up from Trueheart’s town.”

“It feeds into the main road just east of Almost There. Trueheart must have stumbled on it because I can’t see him cutting a road on his own.”

“He has a small army doing whatever he wants,” Baransky said. “I found that out every time they took me to his town. For all I know, he owns all the businesses there. He certainly had dozens of miners working to scrabble out gold for months until he hit on the idea of flooding the goldfields. So he might have built it just for his own purposes.”

Slocum doubted that. Trueheart was a scavenger. He stole things others dropped. If it was necessary, he would kill so they’d drop items. In many ways he wasn’t even an honest thief. A road agent had no problem shoving a gun under his victim’s nose, but Trueheart worked in the shadows, darting in as a sneak thief. Slocum wondered if the grandiose plot to flood the goldfields and steal whatever floated up was Trueheart’s idea or if one of his henchmen had come up with it.

“When did he discover the underground river?”

“What?” Baransky jerked around to face Slocum. “I don’t know. Plover was proud as punch about the idea of drowning the miners. He had a beef with somebody there.”

In the end it hardly mattered whether it was Trueheart’s seeking carrion in the watery ruin created or Plover wanting revenge. Men had died, their claims ruined, and Trueheart had made off with more gold than he could ever have imagined.

They rode past the spot where Mackley had been shot. Slocum trotted close to the edge of the narrow road and tried
to find the gold that had been spilled. Only a few pieces of the wagon were visible. A detached, battered wagon wheel was the most prominent evidence that someone had left the road in a bad way.

“What are we going to do?” Baransky asked. “How can two of us go against Trueheart and all his men?”

“I’ve got an idea,” Slocum said, taking one last glimpse over the side. He hated to give up the gold that had been in Mackley’s wagon, but a trade for Melissa and Stephen might be the only way. Trueheart had tasted gold. He would never leave well enough alone and had to succumb to the fever that had infected all the prospectors and miners. There could never be enough gold in any man’s possession.

They reached the junction of the mountain road with the main road going into Almost There. Slocum rode a few yards in each direction before seeing that Trueheart had avoided the town in favor of driving due east.

“He’s not taking chances. He’s hightailing it out of the territory,” Slocum said. For all his failings, Trueheart showed good sense at times. This was one of them. Four wagons creaking under their golden load should never be exposed to the avaricious nature of the men outfitting themselves to crawl over Desolation Pass and risk their lives for a nugget or two. The prospectors might be honest enough, but given the chance for real wealth, not many would stay that way. The lure of sudden riches had brought them to Desolation Mountain.

Killing an outlaw or two to become wealthy beyond their golden dreams would be an easy price to pay.

“How long before we overtake them?” Baransky asked after they had trotted along for a half hour. “They can’t be that far ahead of us.”

“They aren’t,” Slocum said. “There’s a bend in the road not a quarter mile away.” He pointed. “They’re camped just beyond it.”

“Camped long?” Baransky choked voice carried the real
question. Had Trueheart and his gang been there long enough to do unspeakable things to Melissa?

Slocum hoped Baransky never found out about how she had been used for long days in the brothel.

“Let me go ahead and scout. We’ve got to approach this careful-like or Trueheart will start shooting. We won’t come out on top of any gunfight.”

“What can we offer him for Melissa that he would want?”

“Leave that to me,” Slocum said. He felt a reluctance to burden Baransky with too much information, not that the man could do anything about the spilled gold from Mackley’s shipment. Explaining what had happened and how his daughter had shot and killed a man might be more than Baransky wanted to hear.

“Don’t take too long.”

The simple statement hung in the air as a warning. Baransky felt the pressure of time on him, maybe more than Slocum did.

Slocum dismounted and tossed the reins to Baransky before setting off on foot to scout the camp. The scent of burning pine came to his nose just a bit before coffee and frying meat. He worked his way toward the side of the road, then down into a field and around through a wooded area that blocked anyone ahead from getting a good view of the road behind.

He cursed the blackberry bushes and their thorns, then silently endured the tiny scratches as he got closer. Pulled off the road in a small clearing were two wagons. What had become of the other two didn’t matter since this cut Trueheart’s gang in half. There were still too many scavengers for him to deal with alone. Slocum watched for a few minutes and finally spotted Trueheart.

The man had flopped on a blanket under a wagon. When he stood, he put on a top hat and strutted to the fire. Slocum drew his six-gun and took careful aim, then lowered his pistol. He had to know if Melissa was still alive, and if so,
was she with Trueheart or had he sent her along with the missing wagons.

He stepped out into plain sight and called, “I’ve got a deal for you, Trueheart!”

A half-dozen men sprang up, rifles ready.

“I’ve got Mackley’s wagon and the gold in it.”

“Is that you, Slocum? I declare, you have more lives than a cat.”

“I’m nowhere near going through nine lives,” Slocum said. “You’ve got an opportunity to get even richer.”

“A golden opportunity? Is that what you’re offering?”

“Mackley’s gold for Melissa Baransky.”

“Who? Oh, the girl. Baransky? Can it be that she’s related to Doc? That explains a great deal.” Trueheart did a dance around the fire. Slocum couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be a war dance or if the man was just crazy.

“There was a powerful lot of gold. She’s worth trading.”

“What became of Mackley? Oh, never mind. I don’t care to know. He must be dead. Good riddance. I always thought he was something of a sneak thief, looking to rob me when I wasn’t looking. But I’m always watching. Always watching and thinking.”

“The girl, Trueheart. Do you have her?”

“What if I don’t? Is there anything I can trade for Mackley’s gold?”

“John, I’m here. Be careful!”

Melissa’s words came from beneath the wagon. But Slocum didn’t need the warning. He dropped into as crouch as a rifle slug tore past his head. He fired twice. His aim proved better than Trueheart’s gunman.

“Don’t go trying to ambush me, Trueheart. I’m not alone.”

“Do tell? Is her daddy with you? This might be a situation where we can hold a family reunion.” Trueheart stopped his cavorting about and stood squarely facing Slocum. “Where do you fit into the Baransky family, Slocum? You got designs on the little lady?”

“I’ve got gold, you’ve got the girl. Do we swap?” Slocum moved a bit more to his right to put a tree trunk behind him. He heard small movement in the woods and worried that another of Trueheart’s men had sneaked from their camp and circled around. Worse, it might be Clem Baransky coming to poke his nose in at the worst possible time.

“How do I know you’ve got squat, Slocum?”

“Where’s Mackley?”

“He ought to be halfway to Thompson Falls by now.”

“He’s dead, and I have the gold.”

“You value her that much? But why not? Sally said you performed in a real spectacular fashion to get her out of the whorehouse. What else would you do for her, Slocum? What else? Why don’t you show me and my boys what else you’d do for her?”

Slocum knew Trueheart was goading him. There were too many of the scavengers for him to ever hope to stand off if real shooting started. Worse, Slocum was aware that he carried only four rounds in his Colt now. He couldn’t reload without Trueheart giving the word to attack him.

“John!”

He saw Melissa on her feet by the wagon. She had slipped out of whatever ropes held her ankles but her hands remained tied behind her back. She twisted about, then dashed away.

Slocum saw instantly that she had made a bad mistake. If she had just run, she might have reached the edge of the woods. Trueheart was moving even as she called out. He caught her around the waist and swung her feet up off the ground.

“Got her, Slocum. I got her, and I’m keeping her.”

“The gold, Trueheart. You harm her and you’ll never get the gold Mackley had.”

“I’m rich now, Slocum. Can a man spend that much more?”

“Ask your gang. They’d all like five more bars of gold
apiece. Or maybe it’s ten. There was a powerful big load of gold that came down the mountainside with Mackley.”

Slocum started walking steadily toward Trueheart. He kept his hand at his side so the six-shooter wasn’t obvious, but the scavenger knew he had it. All of Trueheart’s men did, too. But he hardly seemed a threat walking as he did.

“He’ll kill us both, John. Save yourself!” Melissa struggled in the circle of Trueheart’s arm securely around her waist. Kick as she might, he was too strong for her.

“Go on, John. Save yourself,” mocked Trueheart.

“The gold. Your men think it’s a good deal trading the girl for more gold.”

“I don’t care what they think!” Trueheart glanced to the side when one man came up, rifle pointed at his boss.

“We want more gold,” the outlaw said. “You want the girl, you pay for her out of your own cut.”

“You—”

Trueheart tried to face his insubordinate man but ended up staggering. Melissa kicked him hard in the knee, almost dropping him to the ground. She jerked free.

“Down!” Slocum bellowed as he lifted his six-shooter.

Whether she obeyed or simply fell didn’t matter. Slocum fired twice. A third time. One of the slugs hit Trueheart and he fell forward, writhing on the ground and crying out in agony.

Melissa got her feet under her again and rocketed toward Slocum. He had a single round left but couldn’t figure out which of the scavengers to shoot.

He looked down at his gun foolishly when a shot spun around the outlaw who had confronted Trueheart. Then all the outlaws opened fire. Slocum found himself bowled over as Melissa crashed into him. Again going to the ground saved both of them. Rifle fire from the woods drove the outlaws to cover.

“Come on,” Slocum urged, then he picked up the girl and put her on her feet. There wasn’t time to free her hands, so
they ran bent over, him helping to keep her from falling until they found cover behind a tree.

Slocum whirled and fired his last shot in the direction of the wagons, then worked to reload. He looked up to see Clem Baransky come from deeper in the woods. Smoke curled from the rifle muzzle.

“Thanks for saving my bacon,” Slocum said. He turned and threw some lead in the general direction of the wagons. For every shot he fired, the outlaws returned five.

“Is he dead? Trueheart?”

“Can’t say,” Slocum admitted, “but he was in a bad way.”

“What are we going to do?” Melissa asked.

“We’re going to run for it,” Slocum said. “We can’t outgun them.”

“No! They must be punished. Brought to justice. I’ve got to know if Trueheart is dead!”

“What about Stephen?” Slocum asked. “Was he tied up with you?”

“Stephen?” Melissa spat out the name. “He was responsible for Trueheart catching me. I don’t know where he is.”

“Doesn’t much matter,” Slocum said, seeing Trueheart’s men finally beginning to come together and make an attack plan. “You two stay back. Shoot if I tell you.” He handed Melissa his six-shooter, then stood and went to a spot where he could duck for cover fast but was visible to the outlaws.

Slocum shouted, “We’re about evenly matched in firepower. I want a truce.”

“What kind of truce?” Whoever answered wasn’t Trueheart.

“We don’t want to end up dead. We don’t even want the gold. You get in your wagons and drive away. Otherwise, we’re going to be shooting each other till there’s nobody left.”

“You’d let us go scot-free?”

“With the gold.” Slocum heard Baransky hiss like a snake behind him. He motioned for the man to stay quiet.

“What about Trueheart?”

“What about him? He’s dead. Take his body with you or leave it behind for the buzzards. We don’t care.”

“We don’t know if he’s dead.”

“Then leave him for us and you drive off. Time’s getting short. and my posse’s thinking about trying to take you all.”