Read Bloody Trail Online

Authors: Ford Fargo

Tags: #western adventure, #western american history, #classic western, #western book, #western adventure 1880, #wolf creek, #traditional western

Bloody Trail (9 page)


Ambush!” Bill shouted. He peeled
off from the posse as a barrage of gunfire burst from the
brush.

CHAPTER FOUR

 

Both deputies were shot out of their saddles
at the first volley. Spence Pennycuff was shot right through his
badge, shards of metal from it driven deep into his chest, along
with the lead slug. He toppled from his horse, rolled several
times, then lay face-down and unmoving. Bill Zachary took a bullet
in his side, and another in his leg. He landed in a shallow
depression, just deep enough to shield him from more gunfire. The
badly wounded deputy pulled himself along on his belly for several
yards, then collapsed on his face.

Phil Salem, the stout young cowboy, only
twenty-two, had his horse shot from under him. His leg broken when
the horse crashed, Phil attempted to crawl to safety, leg dragging
uselessly, but was shot to ribbons by a hail of lead, which slammed
into his side and rolled him onto his back. Phil’s eyes, wide-open
in death, stared unblinking into the blazing sun.

Sheriff Satterlee, Billy Below, Spike Sweeney,
Red Myers, Joe Montgomery, and Doctor Munro, as well as Mack
Haskins, swerved their horses hard to the right, racing for the
shelter of a low ridge. Reaching it, they quickly dismounted,
removed rifles and spare ammunition from their horses, and, with
slaps on the rumps, sent the mounts trotting away, hopefully out of
rifle range. After what had transpired back in Wolf Creek, they had
no illusions about Danby and his men not killing the animals. The
horses would be their first targets, leaving their riders stranded
and easy prey.

Doctor Munro attempted to climb the slope and
reach the downed men, only to be pulled back by Sheriff
Satterlee.


Sheriff, I need to try and save
those men,” Munro protested.


I can’t let you do that, Doc,”
Satterlee answered. “You’d be cut down before you made ten yards.
Like it or not, you’re trapped here with the rest of
us.”

Bill, flattened low over his galloping horse,
reached the safety of a deep, eroded gully. Close behind him were
Charley Blackfeather, Jimmy Spotted Owl, Derrick McCain, and Robert
Gallagher, the bespectacled clerk. They dismounted, grabbed rifles
from saddleboots, and took up positions along the gully’s wall,
where they were relatively safe, yet had a clear view of their
surroundings.


Looks like the sheriff and a few
others made that ridge over yonder,” Rob Gallagher
observed.


Yeah, but they’re pinned down,”
Charley answered. “Can’t move beyond either side of that rise, or
stick their heads up without gettin’ ‘em blown off.”

As if in answer to Charley’s statement, Red
Myers rose from behind the ridge, and started to point his rifle in
the direction of the outlaws. Immediately, his head exploded in a
spray of blood and brain matter, when a rifle slug punched through
his forehead and ripped away the back of his skull.


Well, hell,” Charley
said.


Sharpshooter in that cottonwood
over there,” Bill noted. “Got to get him before he picks off all
those boys.”

He lifted his Winchester to his shoulder,
aimed, and fired. A yelp of pain issued from the trees, followed by
the rustling of leaves and cracking of branches as the sniper
plunged to the ground, Bill’s bullet through his heart.


Took care of one, anyway,” Bill
muttered. The others looked at him in disbelief.


Thought you’d never handled a
gun, Torrance,” Derrick said. “For a man who supposedly wouldn’t
touch a weapon, that was some shot.”


Had a little practice in the
past,” Bill answered. “Now, all we’ve gotta do is figure out how to
get out of this gully, and get the rest of those renegades without
gettin’ ourselves shot to pieces.”


Seems to me we’re in a bad way,
with Danby and his men havin’ all the advantage,” Jimmy said. “They
can move out of that brush and ride off anytime they like, but if
we try and leave this oversized ditch they’ll drill us all, easy.
Well, if we’re gonna die anyway, I’m gonna die shootin’. With any
luck at all, I’ll take a few of those bastards with me.”


Don’t be givin’ up quite yet,
Jimmy,” Bill advised. “Give me a minute or two to look around.
There might be a way out of this fix.”


Don’t see how,” Robert Gallagher
retorted. He was braced against the sandy bank, holding his .44
Smith and Wesson American revolver. He thumbed back its hammer and
pulled the trigger. One of Danby’s men stumbled out of the scrub,
doubled over, his hands pressed to his gut. He staggered for
several feet, then spun to the dirt. He lay moaning in
pain.


Gallagher?” Charley
exclaimed.


Saw that hombre slippin’ through
the brush, tryin’ to sneak up on us, so I plugged him,” Gallagher
answered, matter-of-factly.


Yeah, but you nailed dead center
him from this distance—with a six-gun.”

Robert shrugged.


Like Bill, I’ve practiced some,
too.”


I reckon,” Charley said. “Bill,
you really think we can shoot our way out of here?”


I think there’s a chance, yeah,”
Bill answered. “This gully runs down to the creek where those men
are holed up. I figure I can use it to reach the creek, then cross
it and get behind ‘em. That should catch them by surprise. When I
start shootin’ at their backs, it’ll give you fellers a chance to
get outta this spot, mebbe gun down a few of those hombres. With
luck, Satterlee will figure out what I’m up to, and he’ll make a
break for it too. I’ll just need you to draw their fire until I
make it across the creek.”


Torrance, that’s plain suicide,”
Derrick objected. “You’ll be cut down before you get halfway
across.”


Mebbe, mebbe not,” Bill answered.
“I only need a few minutes.”


There’s gotta be another way,”
Jimmy said. “Why don’t you—”

He was interrupted by a shout coming from the
ridge sheltering Satterlee and the others.


You men out there,” Mack Haskins
screamed. “You the ones who shot my boys, and took my
wife?”

There was a moment of silence, then a shouted
response.


Yeah, I reckon we did. Surprised
you lived long enough to follow us.”


You got my Mary there, send her
back!”


Sorry, can’t do that. We’ve got
plans for her. Don’t worry about her bein’ killed, though. Once
we’re done with her, she’ll make a fine squaw for some Indian
buck.”


You stinkin’, murderin’ sons of
bitches!”

Satterlee lunged for Haskins, too late, as the
infuriated, crazed rancher ran up the ridge and into the
open.


I’ll kill every one
of—”

At least fifteen bullets tore into Haskins,
slamming him backward. His body lay quivering, his blood soaking
into the parched earth.


They got another one of us,”
Gallagher said.


And they’ll get all of us if we
just sit here waitin’,” Bill answered. “Unless one of you can come
up with a better plan, I’m headed across that creek. Appreciate
your coverin’ me.”


Torrance, listen to me for just
one minute,” Derrick urged. “See that side branch over
there?”


Yeah. What of it? It don’t lead
anywhere.”


No, it doesn’t,” Derrick
conceded. “But I can ride along inside it while you head for the
crick, and lay down better coverin’ fire than just standin’ here.
Maybe with their attention on me and the rest of us, you’ll get
clean across without bein’ spotted.”


That makes sense, Bill,” Charley
agreed. “I say let Derrick give it a try. Rest of us’ll cover you
both from here.”


All right,” Bill answered. “Sure
wish there was a way we could take a prisoner or two, though.
That’d give us the chance to question ‘em, mebbe find out exactly
where Danby holes up in the Territories. I’d be willin’ to bet my
hat that’s not his entire bunch we’re facin’. I’m certain he left
part of his men here to drygulch us, while he and the rest kept on
ridin’ south.”


I don’t think any of us would
take that bet, Bill,” Jimmy said.


No, we sure wouldn’t,” Charley
confirmed. “Far as takin’ prisoners, you leave that to me. Jimmy,
Robert, you two think you can cover Bill and Derrick without my
help?”


We’ll manage,” Jimmy assured
him.


Then, Bill, it seems we’re all
set,” Charley said. “I’m gonna slide on outta here.”

"Just one thing first", Bill answered. He
pulled Jed's Navy Colt from his waistband. "I need some spare
ammunition for this gun. It's only got two rounds left."


Gimme that gun,” Charley said.
“I’ll load it while you get your horse.”


Much obliged,” Bill said, passing
the Colt to Charley. He headed to where Cholla stood, patiently
waiting. The horse nickered when Bill approached, then nuzzled his
cheek. Bill placed a hand on each side of Cholla’s muzzle, then
gently shook the big paint’s head.


Just like old times, eh, Cholla?”
he murmured. Cholla snorted, and tossed his head. Bill placed his
head against Cholla’s forehead, then his nose to Cholla’s right
nostril. Man and horse stood, exchanging breaths, each absorbing
the other’s strength and spirit.


Bill, I hate to interrupt, but if
you’re through makin’ love to that horse, we’d better get started,”
Charley said, with a grin. “Here’s Jed’s gun.”

Behind him, Derrick was already mounted, rifle
lying across the pommel of his saddle.


All right, and thanks. Sure hope
Satterlee’s clever enough to figure out what we’re tryin’. Good
luck to all of you,” Bill said. He tucked Jed’s gun into his
waistband.


You’re the one who’s gonna need
it,” Jimmy answered.


Give me just one minute before
you start,” Charley ordered. He slipped silently into the
underbrush and disappeared. Bill waited until a minute had passed,
then heeled Cholla into a dead run. Derrick followed, reining his
horse into the side gully. The minute he did, he opened fire in the
direction of the outlaws. Behind him, Gallagher and Jimmy did the
same.

Joe Montgomery spotted Bill as he rode for the
creek bed.


Sheriff, I told you not to bring
Torrance along. The son of a bitch is runnin’ out on us. I’ll stop
that bastard!”


Joe, you fool, no! Looks like
he’s tryin’ to draw those renegades’ bullets,” Satterlee yelled,
uselessly. Montgomery leapt to his feet and leveled his rifle at
Bill’s back. Before he could pull the trigger, concentrated fire
from the outlaws tore into him, dropping him in his
tracks.

As Bill had hoped, Danby’s men, distracted by
the gunfire from the gully, didn’t notice him until he splashed
across the creek and circled behind them. Cholla’s reins were
wrapped around the saddle horn, Bill guiding the paint with knee
pressure. He held a Colt in each hand, and began blasting away at
the outlaws’ backs as soon as they were in sight. Three of Danby’s
men died before any of them realized one of the posse had gotten
behind them.


Get that bastard!” someone
yelled. Several of the renegades turned to concentrate their fire
on Bill, but he was an elusive target. Cholla, experienced in
battle, twisted and turned—taking a zigzag path and making himself
and his rider almost impossible to hit. Bill put bullets into two
more men’s chests, another into one’s belly. He grunted when a
bullet clipped the top of his shoulder, and Cholla squealed with
pain when one grazed his hip. Bill shoved his now-empty Colts into
their holsters, pulled out his Winchester, and urged Cholla
onward.

Derrick, reaching the steep end of the side
gully, spurred his horse up the slope. The animal struggled, nearly
going to his knees, but Derrick’s strong pull on the reins kept him
upright until they burst over the gully’s rim. Derrick charged
straight into the brush, adding his fire to that of Bill. He shot
one man, then ran his horse right over another, trampling
him.


We can’t just stay here and let
Bill try’n handle this by himself,” Rob Gallagher shouted, when he
heard Bill’s first shots. “Let’s give him a hand,
Jimmy.”

Crouched low, he and Jimmy left the protection
of the gully, running across the open plain, guns blazing. Jimmy
shot one outlaw through the throat, then a bullet ripped through
his thigh. He dropped to one knee, then rolled behind the scant
protection of a large clump of prickly pear. He flattened himself
behind the cactus, reloaded, and resumed firing. Rob, his gun
empty, dove into an old buffalo wallow, gasping for breath. A
moment later he also had reloaded, and reentered the
fray.


Men, Torrance has given us the
chance we needed. Get mounted. We’re goin’ after those bastards,”
Satterlee ordered. He grabbed his horse’s reins and swung into the
saddle, not waiting for the others to follow. He galloped the mount
over the ridge and straight at the outlaws, gun blazing. His
gunfire was quickly joined by that of the other
possemen.

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