Chapter Thirteen -- Into the Mouth
As the Arizona Ranger rode out of sight the old prospector laughed so hard
that he had to wipe his eyes. This crazy lawman! If he had only taken the time
to talk to an old prospector then his problems would be solved. But, no, what
could an old man know? Again the grizzled old timer chuckled to himself.
Hagan had forgotten about the old man as soon as he rode away. Which, it
would later turn out, was not such a smart thing to do. However, a lesson
learned the hard way is one that's remembered. The ranger would remember this
one.
Hagan picked up a set of tracks just before the end of the burn. The rider
had ridden up a sandy wash and when he got here he had no choice but to cross
the strip. Apparently there were still outlaws up in the hills here somewhere
and this was a messenger. The tracks went straight in the direction of "the
back door," so the ranger did not follow them directly.
When he got to the point where the fire had been started the smell of coal
tar was in the air, and he understood why the fire took hold so quickly. These
people had been prepared for any contingency.
Were they still around? If Lost Canyon lay somewhere ahead then they must
be.
He crossed the trail above the rocks where the watchers had previously been but
saw no sign of them. Very carefully he worked his way over to the meeting place
with Cody Wells.
Apparently the deputy hadn't arrived yet. Hagan sat and waited for another
half hour before he began to get nervous. He was just about to go looking when
Cody showed up.
"I stumbled onto a meeting," Wells explained, "I ducked out
of sight when I saw an outlaw coming, and he met somebody from town right in
front of me! They talked low so I didn't catch much, but I know I heard two
things. One is that they are going to hit an outgoing shipment of ore on Friday
night. And listen to this. I am sure I heard one of them say the letters
J.D."
"I figured he was involved, and that pretty well proves it. Wes Smith
said the silver goes into Mexico. I wonder which trail they will use? Montezuma
Pass or will they go through Douglas and Aqua Prieta? Probably the later, for
they are heading for Mexico City. Cody, I need to send you back to warn the mine
about the coming hold-up. This is tricky, because we don't want to tip off J.D.
that we're on to him. Do you know anybody there that we can trust?"
"I think so. They shoe their own mules at the mine, but the foremen
bring their horses to me. I think I know which ones are trustworthy. Or I hope I
do."
"Me, too. See if you can contact someone high enough up to hire more
shotgun guards for this trip. That could be a tricky thing to do without showing
our hand. I know, see if they can get a crew to meet the train outside of town
and escort it. Outriders have a better fighting chance anyway."
"Want me to ride with them?"
"Nope. You should be right in town, keeping an eye on Jones and
Company. I should be back by then, but don't worry if I'm not. "
'Okay, see you, and Bud? You be careful, too."
Hagan was now creeping along the steep slope over the back door trail. Cody
had been gone for hours, and in the interim the ranger had actually laid in the
shade of a tree and slept for an hour. He had the feeling he might not get much
sleep during the coming night. It was now an hour before dark and he was trying
to get to the canyon while he could still see.
He realized his mistake even as he embarked on this little trek. He was
heading east and the sun was setting. As the sun gets low it lengthens the
shadows a great deal. He was going to have to be doubly careful.
Everything was going well until he felt a pressure just in back of his ear.
In the very same instant he hear the clack of the cocking revolver. The ranger
did not move a muscle. He had seen and heard of some remarkable feats done to
beat the drop, but there was not even a chance here. He was captured and he well
knew it.
He felt fingers loosen and remove the Colt from his holster and then a
raspy voice said, "Don't move a muscle unless I tell you. This is a 44-40
and it makes a mess when it hits something. That something will be your head if
you get funny. You read me?"
"Sure do. I know when I'm on the short end."
"Good, now slowly get up and start walking. Never mind turning around
and looking at me. Just face straight ahead and start moving."
"Yes Sir, I am on my way."
The outlaw had no way of knowing that this was even too polite for Hagan.
For all he knew he always talked this way. Actually, when he became overly
helpful it was time to watch out.
When they got to a bend of the trail the outlaw had him lean his hands
against a rock with his feet far in back of him. It was an effective way to keep
a man still. Then the other climbed up on a point of rock and motioned with a
set of cavalry signal flags. In moments a horse raced up.
"Hey Vince, what did you catch? Whoeeee, a lawman. An Arizona Ranger
to boot! You found yourself a prize. "
Then the new man turned his attention to Hagan. "So what are you up
to? Looking for anything special?"
"Yeah, I got a little time off, and a old man I met in the desert said
there was a lode of gold up here somewhere."
"That's right, I lost it when I dropped my May Basket. What kind of a
fool do you take me for?"
"Is this multiple choice?" the ranger inquired in a most sincere
voice.
" I'll show you..." The man's voice trailed off as another rider
came up from the hidden canyon.
"Hey Trace, J's..."
"Slow down Herk. We have company."
"Oh, Yeah, I, ah, just wanted to say that there's just another rider
coming in from the other way."
"Right, now go back and tell him the story. You might mention this
badge."
Herk left, and in a very few minutes a voice that had to belong to J.D.
hollered, "Take him out of here. Not too far. Just to that watering hole
hidden at the adobes"
At first Bud thought they were taking him out of here - then he realized
that they must be talking about their animal, what ever that might be.
"What are we going to do with him? Shoot him?" This was from the
outlaw that had captured Hagan.
The other man shook his head no. " I don't know much about these
Arizona Rangers, but I'm from Texas. If a Texas Ranger gets murdered the rest of
the force doesn't rest until everyone connected with it is dead."
"That's right," Hagan put in. "They won't rest until they
have your hides stretched out on the sand. Plus my friends Wyatt Earp and Doc
Holliday will want to take a hand in it, too. I saw them last week and they were
just spoiling for a fight."
"Do you really know those guys?"
"Sure do. Why, just last week Earp rode with me over to the Applebees.
He was interested in some far flung story about a strange creature living in the
desert. I don't think there's anything to it, myself." The ranger was quick
to notice the exchanged glances of the two outlaws.
"You think he really knows Earp, Trace?"
"Sure, why not. They're both lawmen, aren't they? You watch him and
I'll run down and talk this over with the boss."
Hagan caught himself just in time. He had been about to say, "You mean
J.D.?"
Once alone with the ranger the remaining outlaw became talkative. "Is
that true about you rangers sticking up for each other? "
"Sure, what do you think? We share a lonely and dangerous job. Nobody
else can understand what it is like except another ranger. You're darned right
we stick up for each other."
Hagan had no idea why, but the outlaw had neglected to tie his hands. The
ranger tried to keep him talking so that he wouldn't think of it. "On the
other hand, what does Arizona do for us? Not much. That's why I'm up here
looking for gold. I'll bet that lode is somewhere close by. You and I could find
it and get out of here without the rest of them even knowing."
The outlaw was thinking about it. He had no way of knowing that the ranger
would not sell out no matter what. He just knew that if he was in the other's
place he would have no sense of loyalty and would grab anything he got a chance
to grab. That was the way he was; why shouldn't the ranger be the same way?
"Why do you hang around with these fellows, anyway? There's no future
with them."
When the outlaw looked up the ranger realized he had said the wrong thing.
He would soon find out why.
"I'll tell you why. Trace is my brother. The rest of them I'd throw
over, but I have to stick by my brother. You know, I should go back and watch
the pass. If you came through there maybe someone else will."
The idea finally came to the guard. "I can't leave you loose. I'll
have to tie your hands and hobble you. If you promise to be quiet I won't gag
you."
"I promise. Who would I shout to, anyway?"
"Okay, put your feet out in front of you and I'll tie them up."
The ranger could not believe his eyes. What had this fellow done, flunked
out of outlaw school? When his would-be captor bent over his legs with a rawhide
strap in his hands Hagan quickly drew his derringer and cocked it in back of the
outlaw's ear. Now it was his turn to freeze.
"Don't even breathe," Hagan said. "Vince, you were fair to
me, so I will be to you. First, with your left hand open the buckle on your gun
belt and let it fall." The other carefully obliged.
"Now, you do have people in shouting distance so I will have to gag
you as well as tie you up. But I'll leave you loose enough that you can work
yourself out in a half hour or so. Fair enough?" The other nodded yes.
"I'll give you one piece of advice. Start with a man's hands when you
tie him up, not his feet."
With that the ranger retrieved his six-gun and headed back out the trail
the way he had came. When he had gone three hundred yards he was out of sight
and he promptly changed direction. He had not come this far without getting a
look at the canyon.
He found himself in a wooded and trackless stretch. Here a cottontail went
bounding away, and not far away a big jackrabbit took off. The young growth was
so thick he had to push his way through. After a while he could see a break
ahead of him and he slowly approached it.
What he saw took his breath away.
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