They Rode Together (4 page)

Chapter ten

Rondo and Rachel rode up to the Tomlin’s headquarters just in time for supper.

It was an impressive layout. The main house was long and big, and the pole corrals were well kept and in good shape, as was the barn and bunkhouse.

Besides Rondo and Rachel, there were four others at supper. Mr. and Mrs. Tomlin, Buster, and the young ranch hand Rory Wheeler.

Craig Tomlin had white hair, and his face was weathered and wrinkled. But his eyes were attentive and sharp, and he never seemed to miss a thing.

He looked thoughtful during supper, and afterwards everyone drifted out onto the front porch. They got comfortable, and Mr. Tomlin looked over at Rondo.

“Well, what happened?”

“How’d you know something was wrong?” Rondo was surprised.

“Only by the strained look on your faces,” Mr. Tomlin explained.

Rondo grinned sheepishly, but his expression turned dark as he explained all that had happened.

“I hate to leave Rachel here,” he finished, “but it’ll only take me a few weeks to warn Lee and then go see Tussle.”

Mr. Tomlin nodded as he thought it over.

“We’ll help any way we can,” he said, and added bitterly, “I’ll also be talking to the town council about this. What a foolish bunch, to fire the best sheriff Empty-lake ever had.”

“Don’t cause any trouble on my account,” Rondo looked worried.

Mr. Tomlin grunted in response and stood.

“If you’re leaving at sun up, we’d best get to bed,” he suggested.

“Yes, sir,” Rondo smiled.

***

Sun up came early.

While Rondo saddled his horse, Mrs. Tomlin made breakfast. It was a quick meal, and afterwards everybody gathered in front of the house.

Rondo said goodbye to everyone, and afterwards they all backed off and left him and Rachel alone.

Rachel smiled warmly at Rondo, and he got that weak feeling in his knees again.

“Well, you go do what you have to do,” she said.

“I will.”

“Just come back to me.”

“I plan to,” Rondo promised.

He kissed her gently, climbed on his horse, and rode out.

***

Rondo trotted back to town.

He needed supplies, so he pulled up at the general store. He bought canned goods and coffee and packed them in his saddlebags.

He was almost done when he spotted April Gibson. She was hurrying down the street toward him, and she looked tense and anxious,

April worked at The Palace Hotel. She was a tall, graceful looking woman with a wisp of natural gray hair here and there.

She had strong feelings for Lee Mattingly, and almost everybody in town knew it.

“I heard what happened,” she said as she walked up. “I’m so sorry for you and Rachel.”

“Don’t be,” Rondo replied. “We’ll be all right.”

“You’re leaving town,” she observed.

“Yes, I’ve got some things to tend to.”

“Is Rachel going with you?”

“Not this time.”

“I see,” April nodded. She hesitated, and then blurted, “Will you see Lee?”

Rondo was surprised by the question. He studied her a moment and nodded.

“It’s a strong possibility.”

“When you do, could you give him a message?”

“I can do that.”

“Tell him-,” she paused, and a wistful look crossed her face. “Tell him there’s a little girl named June that prays every night for Mister Lee to come back. Would you please tell him that?”

Rondo’s face turned soft.

“Sure. I’ll tell him,” he promised.

“Thank you,” April said, and added, “Good luck.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

April nodded. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but instead she turned abruptly and hurried down the street.

Rondo watched her leave, and then he stepped into the saddle and kicked up his horse.

As he rode out of town, Rock Bullen watched curiously from the shadows beside the hotel.

Chapter eleven

Rondo knew the general direction Lee and Brian had gone. He rode out of town a few miles, and then he rode in a big semi-circle, looking for tracks.

He finally found some sign, but following the trail was painfully slow.

Now and then he would see a faded hoof print, but mostly he followed them through horse droppings and the signs of old campfires. 

Three days out, he got the distinct feeling that he was being followed. He did his best to cover his tracks, and when he was on high ground he would watch his back trail for several hours at a time.

He never saw anything. But still, no matter how careful he was, he just couldn’t shake the feeling.

Because of this, at nighttime he didn’t risk the light of a campfire. Instead, his camps were dark, and he sipped water from his canteen while he ate his canned goods.

The landscape started to change a few days later. The ground got rougher, and there were steep hills, more rocks, and a few canyons. There were also some small ponds that were spring filled spread about.

Rondo smiled as he remembered back. Ben Kinrich often liked to hide out in these same canyons after pulling a job.

There was a particular canyon that Rondo remembered being ahead, and Lee and Brian’s trail led to the opening. It was a deep descend to the bottom, and the walls were mostly rock.

The trail split at the base of the canyon.

Rondo dismounted and studied the ground, but there were no markings to suggest which way they had gone.

As he squatted there, he suddenly heard a chipping sound. It was faint, but Rondo could still tell that it was a horse traveling on the rocks behind him.

His horse heard it too, and his head came up sharply.

“Easy, Desperate,” Rondo spoke softly.

He frowned thoughtfully as he studied the terrain.

The trail to the west went towards higher ground, and he nodded as he came to a decision.

He turned towards his horse. He checked his rifle and Colt, and then he climbed into the saddle and nudged Desperate forward.  

Chapter twelve

Lee Mattingly held a thick cigar in one hand, and in the other he held a long, slender cedar limb. All the bark and twigs had been carefully whittled off, and the end result was a smooth fishing pole.

A fishing line made from horsehair and rawhide had been tied to the end, and a crudely built hook was at the end of the line, baited down with worms.

Lee was in his mid-thirties. He had a gentleman-like way about him, and he had a different set of ethics than most outlaws. He was soft spoken, and was loyal to those that he considered friends.

Brian Clark sat beside Lee, and they were both resting under the shade of a tall tree. They watched Lee’s fishing line as it playfully swayed in the water.

Brian was in his mid-fifties. He was a grizzled veteran, and he was wanted in nearly every territory or state there was.

Like Lee, Brian also had a gentle-like way about him. He was always careful; he never took any chances unless he had to.

“Fishing is a skill,” Lee was saying as he took a puff on his cigar. “You have to know how to find the fish, how to approach them, and what bait to use.”

“You sound like an expert, but your results suggest otherwise,” Brian replied matter-of-factly. “We’ve been here for days, but so far all you’ve snagged is a branch.”

“It takes time,” Lee frowned.

“You’ve proved that.”

“If we had more horses I could have made two lines,” Lee commented.

“I don’t mind. It’s more fun watching you.”

Lee grunted, and it fell silent.

A few minutes passed. Lee took in a deep breath, and he looked wistful as he exhaled.

Brian looked sideways and studied his friend with a thoughtful look.

“Miss them, don’t you?”

“Miss who?” Lee looked startled.

“You know who,” Brian shot Lee a dark look. “April and June.”

Lee started to deny it, but then he stopped. He sighed and nodded miserably.

“I’d be a fool if I didn’t,” he admitted softly.

“We should have brought them with us.”

“We’ve already discussed this,” Lee said irritably. “We’re wanted outlaws, remember?”

“But Yancy promised us a pardon.”

“Yes, but that was before I killed that politician.”

“It was self defense,” Brian argued, and added, “Rondo saw it. He’ll testify.”

Lee nodded slowly as he thought on that.

“After we visit Jessica, perhaps we should ride into Midway and explain what happened to Yancy,” Lee figured. “Mebbe he and Judge Parker can do something.”

“After all we did for them, I reckon they owe us,” Brian agreed, and then he asked, “Speaking of Jessica, don’t you think it’s time we went and saw her?”

“I reckon it is,” Lee looked hesitant, and he admitted, “Tell you the truth, I’ve been dragging my feet on purpose. I’m not all that anxious for another confrontation with her. Her last words stung me like a whip.”

“But this time we have good news,” Brian reminded. “We got her hotel back.”

“I don’t think that’ll matter much. She hates me.”

“Hate might be too strong a word. Dislike sounds better.”

“No, I think hate is the perfect word.”

“April and June don’t hate you.”

“You just
have
to keep reminding me of that,” Lee scowled.

“I don’t want you to forget about them,” Brian said truthfully.

“I won’t. Especially with you around.”

“Good,” Brian looked pleased, and he added, “I liked April and June.”

“Why don’t you marry her then?”

“She loves you.”

Lee was startled, and he frowned to cover it.

“You’re talking too much,” he said roughly. “Scaring the fish away.”

“You’re talking just as much as I am.”

Lee glared at Brian. He started to respond, but his fishing pole danced in his hand before he could. He grunted in surprise, and his cigar dropped to the ground as he grabbed the limb with both hands.

“I’ve got one!” He exclaimed.

“Looks like a fighter too!” Brian added enthusiastically.

They jumped to their feet, and Lee instinctively yanked back on the cedar limb.

“Easy now, or you’ll lose him!” Brian instructed.

“I know what I’m doing!” Lee yelled harshly.

He stepped into the water, all the while tugging on his cedar limb. He kept walking forward, and before he knew it he was waist deep.

Brian laughed and followed after him.

“He’s a big one!” Lee exclaimed.

He yanked back sharply. A loud crack sounded out, and the cedar limb snapped. They were both helpless as the broken limb hit the water.

“I told you to cut a green limb,” Brian chided. “It wouldn’t have broken so easy.”

Lee didn’t reply as Brian waded up beside him, and they watched somberly as their fishing line disappeared.

Several seconds passed, and they suddenly realized that they were soaking wet.

They looked at each other. Brian chuckled, and then they both laughed.

It felt good to ease their tension. However, their jovial mood changed abruptly when they turned around.

There was a man on a horse beside the bank, and he had a cruel snarl on his face. His rifle was laid over his saddle in front of him, and it was pointed straight at them.

Chapter thirteen

“Move and I’ll kill you,” the man warned them in a rough, curt voice.

“Take it easy. We ain’t looking for trouble,” Brian spoke up, and asked, “Who are you? Want do you want?”

“The name’s Rock Bullen,” he announced. “I’m hunting two outlaws.”

Brian glanced at Lee and looked back at Rock.

“No outlaws around here,” he said.

“Sure,” Rock laughed, but not humorously.

Lee stood perfectly still in the water. An irritated feeling was coming over him, and he scowled, thrust out his jaw, and glared at Rock.

“Who are these outlaws you’re looking for?” He demanded to know.

“Lee Mattingly is one of them,” Rock replied, unmoved by Lee’s stare. “You heard of him?”

“Who hasn’t?” Lee smiled tightly. “A real ladies man. Supposed to be mighty handsome. Good with a gun too.”

Rock grunted and asked, “How ’bout Brian Clark? You heard of him too?”

“Sure. He’s the ugly one.”

Brian scowled, but Lee’s face remained the same.

Rock pulled the hammer back on his rifle, and it made a soft click.

“You heard of me?” Rock asked softly.

“Some,” Lee said.

“You heard I don’t take prisoners?”

“I’ve heard that, yes. You must not like conversation.”

“That is correct,” Rock’s eyes glowed in triumph, and he raised his rifle to his shoulder.

“You’re making a mistake,” Lee said.

“You ain’t Lee and Brian?”

Lee wasn’t in the mood to lie. He took in a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, and exhaled.

“We’re them,” he said flatly.

“Thought so.”

“I don’t reckon it would do us any good to say that we’re innocent.”

“That’s right. It wouldn’t.”

“But we are innocent.”

“That ain’t my problem,” Rock said, and without another word he took aim.

“Run for it!” Lee shouted at Brian, and they lunged through the water.

A rifle shot sounded out, and Lee instinctively fell backwards. He thought he’d been shot, but then he realized that he hadn’t.

There was a whining sound as a bullet ricocheted, and Rock’s horse jumped forward. Three more rifle shots bellowed out, and the bullets slammed into the rock surface around Rock’s horse.

The horse was spooked, and Rock lowered his rifle as he fought to keep him under control. Meanwhile, Lee and Brian reached the bank.

More bullets came whining down, and Rock cursed. He slammed his spurs into the side of his horse, and the terrified animal took out in a dead run.

Lee and Brian grabbed their rifles and fired at the retreating bounty hunter. But he was moving too fast, and their hasty shots missed.

“You hit?” Brian gasped as they hunkered down behind the tree.

“Don’t think so,” Lee looked himself over to be sure. “You?”

“Nope. Whoever’s shooting must not be shooting at us.”

“I’m glad he jumped in, but whoever’s up there is a terrible shot,” Lee muttered as he peered upwards. “He completely missed Rock.”

“Looked to me like he done it on purpose,” Brian said. “Probably wanted to just scare him off.”

Lee snorted his displeasure. He started to respond, but suddenly he grunted in surprise and jolted forward.

“What’s the matter?” Brian asked, worried.

A sheepish look crossed Lee’s face.

“My cigar,” he explained. “I was squatting on it.”

“You and your cigars,” Brian muttered. It was silent, and then he scowled, looked at Lee, and asked, “The ugly one?”

“Sorry ’bout that. I was under pressure.”

“Sure you was.”