Dead Trouble (6 page)

Cutler stared at him as he straightened and reached for tobacco and papers.

‘Take my advice. Take along a shotgun loaded with solid slugs.’

The South African didn’t seem to think there was any cause for humour. The way his thick lips clamped, Deke figured the man was mighty mad, fighting to control it. He realized then that Pete had taken his words as a criticism of his courage and dedication to his
singular way of hunting and it had stung him.

‘I’ve been fighting and killing wild game for many years, Deke. I’m willing to listen to warnings about how dangerous a certain animal can be, but I will not change my main style. If I get into trouble, Sam will use his spear.’

‘Judas, Pete. You don’t know what bears are like! This is only a black but they can be plenty mean. If you should happen to run into a grizzly, say around eight feet tall …’

He let the words trail off: van Rensberg was
becoming
even more excited at the prospect of meeting such a formidable animal.

Deke Cutler left them and rode back to Shoestring land. He hipped in the saddle once and saw they were climbing through the timber across the river in Badman’s Territory – or The Nations as a lot of men called the place up here.

Shaking his head, he rode back to the dry wash he had been using for practice with his six-gun.

He was almost back to his old form, fast fluent actions that placed the bullets where he aimed. And he was able to manage it without more than a dull ache in his wrist and arm.

He figured he was now about ready to tackle the worst that this Red River country could throw at him. And that included the wild men who inhabited the Territory.

It was time to go to work and really pull his weight around here.

After shooting six egg-sized stones off the top of a rock
at the end of the dry wash, the Colt empty and smoking, feeling comfortable in his hand now, he heard the horses coming.

It was too late to reload and he had the notion that this trio of beard-shagged, dirty-looking riders had waited until this moment to make their appearance.

Thev had guns out, two with rifles, one with a
six-shooter
. They stopped their mounts a few yards from where he stood, his grey nearby with trailing reins. He had been working on the animal so that it didn’t shy or spook at gunfire, bringing it a little closer to his gun each day. Now he reckoned he could shoot from the saddle and the animal wouldn’t flinch. His own rifle was in its scabbard but on the far side of the horse.

He allowed he had been in less dangerous situations than this one.

Deke nodded curtly.

‘Howdy, gents. Don’t b’lieve I’ve seen you round before. Which spread you with?’

The one with the six-gun was slightly ahead of the others. He was big and dirty and his hat had a floppy brim with ragged edges. His clothes, like the others, were patched roughly, worn through in places. Deke knew these were men who lived wild – and wouldn’t work for a ranch under any circumstance.

They would rather toss a wide loop over someone else’s cattle. These were men from the outlaw territory across the river.

‘We work for ourselves, mister,’ the man in the ragged hat said, jerking the Colt. ‘Might’s well drop that empty gun. It ain’t gonna do you no good.’

Instead of dropping it, Deke replaced it in his
holster. They didn’t like that: they wanted to be obeyed.

Ragged Hat heeled his mount forward. ‘Like the look of your hoss, mister,’ he said, ‘and likely I’ll take it with me when I go, but we’ll give you a choice. Been watchin’ you shoot. Like to have you with us, join our bunch and help us hit the ranches along the river. You could get rich.’

‘Or dead,’ Deke said, shaking his head. ‘I’ll pass, friend.’

The man stopped his horse a couple of feet short of Cutler, glanced at his companions.

‘Now how’d I know all along he was gonna say
some-thin
’ just like that?’

‘Reckon he’s just got that kinda look, Salty,’ chuckled one man, short but solidly built. The third man, small in every way and older, spat on Deke’s saddle.

‘Uh-huh. You boys’re out for trouble, eh?’

Salty grinned, showing gapped, yellow teeth. ‘Well, you sure ain’t gonna give us any!’

And he jumped his mount forward, swinging with his gun at Deke’s head. Except Cutler was no longer
standing
where he had been. He spun between Salty’s horse and the grey, grabbed the outlaw’s leg and heaved him out of the saddle. The man yelled and the ragged hat rolled away down slope, revealing Salty’s bald dome.

As he slid and skidded, the other two worked their mounts, trying to get a shot at Deke who dived under his horse and came up on the other side, reaching for his rifle. They triggered and dirt exploded around Cutler’s boots but he had the rifle now, jumped back from the grey and thrust the gun over the saddle,
levering
and triggering. The older, short man was standing
in his stirrups, looking for a clear shot at Cutler. The first bullet snapped his head back and hurled him from the saddle. The solid built man was hanging over the side of his horse in the Indian fighting position,
levering
and shooting under the racing animal’s arched neck.

Cutler’s lead cut him down and dropped the horse, too, and man and animal skidded and rolled
down-slope
.

Salty, dazed, was on his feet and shooting wildly as he started to run up the slope. One bullet struck Deke’s saddle horn and he reared back, stung by pieces of flying, torn leather. His boots slipped in the gravel and the grey twitched and moved away a couple of feet, exposing him.

Salty stopped, baring his teeth as he drew bead on the helplessly floundering Cutler.

Deke put down a hand to push off the slope, still gripping the rifle in his right hand – and then froze as Salty gave a blood-chilling cry.

When Cutler looked in the outlaw’s direction, he saw Salty’s dirty body sagging forward over the long
glittering
spear-shaft that pinned him to a pine tree, the oval blade right through the centre of his chest.

Spain was working with Jimmy Taggart and the big, surly cowhand called Jno, branding maverick calves in the yard, when Cutler rode in. He was weary despite his improved stamina and it showed in the deep vertical channels drawn in his flesh around his mouth.

Spain looked up, coughing a little in the burnt-hair smoke as yet another bawling calf staggered to its feet and joined its protesting companions in the smallest corral.

‘You been gone a long time.’

‘Almost didn’t make it back.’ Those words got the attention of all three men as Deke dismounted stiffly. ‘Doing some shooting with the six-gun in a draw when three hardcases from the Territory set on me.’

He was watching Spain closely but it was Jno who asked harshly:

‘How you know they was from the Territory? There’s lots of riders use them hills.’

‘It was at the sharp bend of the river. Didn’t realize how close to the Territory line our land comes.’

‘No? Thought I showed you on the map. Nothing to worry about. Ringo was a little unlucky but usually they keep to themselves, the men over there.’

‘Didn’t this time. Heard my shooting and came on down. Were aiming to take my horse and everything else, I guess.’

Spain’s eyes narrowed.

‘
Were
? You kill ’em all?’

‘Got two.’

‘What happened to the third one?’

‘He got himself speared, pinned to a white pine, right through the heart.’

The three men were silent. ‘Injuns!’ said Jimmy Taggart after a pause. ‘They reckon the tribes are all gettin’ together an’ there’s gonna be hell to pay once they get guns …’

Deke shook his head.

‘No, Jimmy. Dutch Pete’s sidekick. The Samburu.’

‘That lanky devil?’ asked Jno. ‘Goddamn, I knew that son of a bitch’d end up killin’ someone.’

‘Glad he did. I slipped and the outlaw would’ve nailed me if Sam hadn’t speared him.’

‘What the hell was he doing on Shoestring?’ Spain asked quietly, looking hard at Deke.

‘Saw him and Pete earlier down by the river at the point where our fences meet. They’d found a bear’s tracks and crossed into the Territory. Pete wanted to run it down and fight it with his assegai.’

‘Christ! Man must have a death wish,’ opined Jno.

‘Maybe. Anyway they lost the tracks and crossed the
river a little higher than they meant to. Put them on our land. They heard the shooting and came on down. Like I said, I’m mighty glad they did.’

‘Uh-huh.’ Spain continued to watch Cutler’s face. ‘You don’t seem to have much luck with the fellers from north of the river, Deke. This is twice now.’

Deke nodded, returning Spain’s searching gaze.

‘Yeah. I recognized two of them. Didn’t at first, but when I took a good look after they were dead, I saw who they were – Salty Shaw and that old hellion they called Twist. You recollect him, Durango? He’d use women on a raid and then twist their necks….’ He watched his partner closely now, waiting.

Spain was very tense.

‘Can’t be, Deke,’ he said very slowly. ‘Neither Twist nor Salty. They were both killed down on the Rio. Hell, you knew that, didn’t you?’

‘Thought I did. I
knew
there was something queer about ’em. But they must be twins to the others, one even going by the name of Salty – we buried ’em out there.’

Spain said nothing, just stared.

Deke shrugged. ‘Must’ve been mistaken, I guess.’

‘You must’ve. Why don’t you go on up to the house? Karen’ll make you some coffee. Or there’s whiskey in the sideboy if you feel the need for something stronger.’

‘Yeah, I’ll do that. Where’s Hal Tripp and Ringo, by the way?’

Spain frowned. ‘Out chousing mavericks. Why?’

‘Nothing. Just that Dutch Pete said he thought he saw them riding into a draw across in the Territory.’

‘Well, could be. If they figured there were some
mavericks worth going after.’

‘Kinda dangerous, ain’t it?’

Spain shrugged. ‘I don’t like the boys doing it but if it’s gonna pay off, why not chance it?’

‘I’d want danger money.’

‘Hell, I don’t
send
’em over. It’s their own choice, so no extra pay. Satisfied?’ Spain’s voice was tight, his face almost belligerent, challenging.

Deke nodded and walked towards the house without speaking, carrying his rifle in his left hand. His right wrist and forearm were a little sore but he was mighty pleased – a couple of weeks back and he’d have been in pure agony. Or lying dead out in the hills.

Karen was solicitous when he told her about the outlaws jumping him – and how he’d thought he recognized them.

‘Must’ve been mistaken, though. Durango said both those fellers were killed down on the Rio when he was still in the Rangers. He said he even shared in the reward because it was put up by cattlemen who’d lost women to that pair; made him eligible to claim, it being private money.’

Karen seemed uncomfortable and avoided looking at him, finding some dishes to re-wash so that her back was to Deke.

‘I suppose when men are living wild like that, all dirty and bearded, it’s hard to be
sure
of their identity.’

‘Guess you’re right.’ Deke sipped his coffee, laced with Spain’s whiskey.’It was a long time ago. I recollect now Durango used part of that bounty for our deposit on this place.’

‘Yes, I seem to recall. Deke, you look a lot fitter now. I’m glad for you. I was afraid for a time that you might not recover for many months.’

‘It’s been plenty long enough.’ He knew she was deliberately changing the subject but he went along with her and soon they were talking about the days before she had married Durango and she even
admitted
that for a time she thought Deke was going to ask for her hand first.

He smiled ruefully.

‘Won’t say it didn’t cross my mind,’ he admitted, cursing the slight flush he felt rising in his gaunt face. ‘But I could see the way you two looked at each other …’

She turned from the clay sink, face sober.

‘But you didn’t notice the way I – looked – at you?’

He felt that tightening in his belly at her words.

‘I guess I didn’t.’

He let it go at that and he saw some disappointment on her face.
What the hell was this? He had considered asking Karen to marry him once, but figured she would say ‘no’ because he still had almost a year to serve in the Rangers, whereas Durango was already out and offering her a home on the Red River
…

Now – was she letting him know she might have preferred – him…?

He thrust the thought from him. She was married now to Spain, his partner in Shoestring. Whatever might have been was long gone and couldn’t be regained – or
wouldn’t
be. His personal code wouldn’t allow it, no matter what….

But he felt it was a rising complication and one he
could well do without. But … one he might have to deal with.

The candle on the end of Spain’s scarred desk in the ranch office flickered and Cutler glanced up from his study of one of the account books.

He stiffened when he saw the door was ajar and then Karen Spain slid into the room, closing the door softly behind her. She wore a gown over her nightdress and there was a scarf tied around her hair. She didn’t seem surprised to find Cutler at the desk, ranch books open before him.

‘You only had to ask if you wanted to see the accounts, Deke.’ She sounded a trifle stiff.

‘I did. Weeks ago. Durango’s been fobbing me off one way and another and I got lost in building myself up and let it slide.’ He stood and looked down at her as she approached. ‘Then tonight my arm was giving me a little trouble, disturbing my sleep, just enough to wake me a few times. I heard horses being saddled at the corrals, saw Durango and Tripp ride out. I kind of thought Ringo might be with them, but I guess his wound was giving him trouble.’

She held his gaze, face sober, then sighed and sat down in a chair opposite the desk.

‘How did you know about that?’

‘Overheard him one night I was in the barn trying to straighten out my arm.’

‘You … do get around, Deke. I suppose being a Ranger all those years, it’s hard not to snoop.’ She said it tight-lipped, her gaze cool.

‘Wasn’t snooping, Karen. Quite a bit of night-riding
being done from here, it seems.’

‘Durango arranges … deals, and sometimes they’re best done at night.’

‘Over in the Territory?’

She hesitated, teeth tugging at her bottom lip.

‘Why not ask him when he comes back, Deke? He’ll explain – if he wants to.’

He nodded. ‘That’s just it. There seems to be a helluva lot that’s not being explained to me. I have the feeling I arrived before Durango wanted me here. He hasn’t exactly put out the welcome mat. If he’s dealing with outlaws, as I suspect—’

‘Suspect! You’ve never really stopped being a Ranger have you?’ She sounded bitter. But he said nothing and eventually she added: ‘Durango nearly drove me mad when we were first married. He couldn’t stop acting like a Ranger, poking his nose into everyone’s business, warning them about breaking the law. It almost got him killed a couple of times until I put my foot down – hard. Then he seemed to realize that all that law business was behind him now and he had to keep it there. He was a
rancher
now, in
near-lawless
country, and he had to adapt to that. If it meant shaving the edge of the law, now and then, up here that was – acceptable.’

Cutler was seated behind the desk now and he watched her closely, saw that this was something she had apparently wanted to get off her chest for some time.

‘You convinced him of that?’

Her eyes blazed.

‘He convinced himself! I just wanted him to feel
more at … ease! ‘She steadied her breathing. ‘We had a lot of arguments, Deke – some about you – and things weren’t so rosy for a long time. Then, when he started to lose cattle and fences were torn down and there were outlaws trailing through here – Shoestring land, I mean – he suddenly saw that he had to bend to the Red River way of life – or quit. Or, worse, be killed.’

Deke tapped the books.

‘Well, I can’t make head nor tail of these. I’d just about decided Durango had fixed things that way to bamboozle the banks. Now I’m sure of it.’

She coloured some, toyed with the robe’s tie.

‘Deke, you’d best ask Durango for any more details. I’ve probably said too much already. It’s not really my business.’

‘Well, I’d say you played a big part in Durango’s
decision
, whatever it was.’

She frowned.

‘Why do you say … that?’

‘There’s the piano – the floor and wall rugs – the furniture. All had to be shipped from back East if I don’t miss my guess. Glass in every window. Hell, Karen, that’s almost unheard of even in some of the bigger towns!’

Karen’s face was angry now.

‘D’you think I haven’t earned those things? Those small … comforts? You have absolutely no idea of what it’s like for a woman out here! I’m not some farm girl who’s used to hard living and could easily adapt! You know damn well I come from a good family and – well, I didn’t listen to them, of course, but they warned me I would find it – difficult. And
they were right
! I had some
dreadful times early in our marriage. I – I really don’t know how I coped.’

‘But then Durango showed you there could be some rewards, huh?’

‘I wish you wouldn’t sound so damn … smug! I know I was spoilt before Durango swept me off my feet and – I was terrified, Deke! Living way out here kept me in a constant state of terror and worry! Indians, drunken, half-crazy outlaws turning up on the doorstep night and day. I was left here so much … alone!’

He nodded in understanding. ‘Yeah, it must’ve been tough for you, Karen. I guess you thought you had to do all you could to change things. But did you have to push Durango into bending the law? Something he’d risked his life to uphold for all those years? No wonder he never seems happy.’

She stood swiftly, hands clasped and twisting the cord in front of her.

‘You’re trying to make me feel guilty!’

‘Yes, I am. Durango Spain was one of the finest Rangers ever and he taught me all I know and it saved my neck many a time – but basic to it all, was his code: don’t bend the law unless it’s to end some lawlessness; don’t sell out for a dollar or a thousand dollars; live by your Ranger’s oath no matter what. That way you’ll keep your pride. I’ve tried to do that and I’m damn sure Durango did, too. Until …’

She was flushed deep red now and there was a glint of moisture in her eyes.

‘I
know
, damn you I
know
all that! It was one of the things I admired about Durango –
and
you! But – I was at my wit’s end, Deke! I felt as if I was falling apart!
Durango was working desperate hours, killing himself and getting nowhere and we were losing our marriage …’

‘Yeah, well, I guess it wouldn’t be hard to start
looking
around for an easy way out when things were that bad.’

‘You – you understand that?’ She sounded surprised.

‘Guess so, Karen, I can’t judge you. I just wish Durango hadn’t taken that step across the line—’

‘Oh, Deke, it’s not a big step! Just a few small … arrangements now and again. Just about everyone up here does it. Durango says they have to or they won’t survive. The outlaws will simply wipe them out.’

He knew that wasn’t true: if everyone was involved doing deals with the outlaws, there wouldn’t be any need to wipe anyone out.

‘D’you know where he’s gone now?’

‘He and Hal are meeting some men. It’s to do with allowing them to drive some steers across our land. Down in the west pasture there’s a lot of flatrock and trees beyond the rocks.’

‘Hard to track,’ opined Deke, half-aloud.

‘It’s close to a secret canyon or valley across the river where the outlaws hold their cattle until they can get rid of them. Deke, Durango’s not involved in the actual rustling.’

‘If he lets stolen stock cross his land and does
nothing
about it, he’s a rustler, Karen.’