Iron Eyes, no. 1 (11 page)

Like a human
cat, Iron Eyes had spent the next hour using the cover of every
shadow he could find in the canyon to move around without being
spotted by any of the bandits or their women. It had taken nearly
sixty minutes to plant every stick of dynamite and insert various
lengths of fuse wire into them.

Now he had
placed the final primed stick under the end shack where the dead
body of the Snake lay.

It was all
guess-work now, as Iron Eyes reached inside to his shirt pocket and
pulled out his dry box of matches and a long, thin cigar.

He lit his
cigar and inhaled the strong blue smoke. Then he removed it from
his mouth and blew the ash until it glowed red.

The guess-work
was how long each and every fuse would take to reach the dynamite
sticks. He had no idea whether they were slow or fast fuses.

All he knew was
that they were each three feet long.

Touching the
burning tip of the cigar to the first fuse wire, he waited until it
started to hiss and burn before he rushed to the next planted stick
and lit that too. Iron Eyes repeated this action ten times before
he was standing at the end shack opposite the corral where the
injured Maria Valdez and the two saddled horses awaited.

Just as he was
about to run across the gap to them, a door opened behind him. Iron
Eyes span around on his heels and moved instinctively at the figure
in the darkened doorway.

To his utter
surprise as he grabbed at the figure, he realized that this was a
small, round woman. She was naked from the waist up and had breasts
that seemed to reach her navel.

It was too late
to stop himself, and he found himself tackling the creature to the
ground. She was pretty drunk and her breath hit him as hard as a
good left hook.

As they hit the
ground he could see that she seemed to be quite enjoying this
wrestling match and was clinging at his collar with her small
strong fingers.

Casting his
eyes across at the edge of the shack where he had planted the final
dynamite stick he could see that the fuse was half gone which meant
that the first must be almost ready to explode.

Iron Eyes
clenched his fist and hit the woman as hard as he could, squarely
upon the tip of her chin. As his knuckles met her jaw he heard and
felt the bone break inside her skull. Her arms fell on to the
ground as he gathered himself up and started running toward the
corral.

Maria was
mounted upon the smallest horse as he had instructed her earlier.
When he got there, he quickly pulled the poles away from the edge
of the simple corral.

Rushing to the
other saddled horse, Iron Eyes mounted by leaping on to it.
Grabbing not only his own reins but Maria’s as well, he rode behind
the herd of nervous horses and started to force them out into the
canyon. The horses raced through the rain toward the now small
glowing campfire and the few remaining bandits, with Iron Eyes and
Maria in close pursuit.

The horses
could smell freedom and were heading for it. Then as the first few
horses passed the end shack, the first stick of dynamite exploded
in furious horror.

The bandits
were totally confused, and they rushed around, seeking out their
weapons. The second and third sticks exploded almost five seconds
after the first. Bodies and parts of bodies flew up into the night
sky as more horses stampeded in terror around the scene. Iron Eyes
shot feverishly at any bandits who dared to raise their weapons in
his direction. When his first Navy Colt was empty he pushed it into
his deep pocket and drew his other gun. Then three more explosions
went off behind Iron Eyes and his young companion. Some of the
bandits were shooting at anything and everything, whilst further
blasts rocked the area, sending their kinsmen to hell.

As Iron Eyes
rode he used his Navy Colt to shoot any remaining bandits that were
still standing. His aim was still as deadly as ever, even when upon
a galloping horse frightened by the noise and blinding
explosions.

Their mounts
followed the few loose horses that were heading out of the box
canyon. Then behind them the shock waves of the last dynamite
blasts almost drove their horses’ noses into the muddy ground as
they pressed onward.

Iron Eyes rode
as he had never ridden before after the stray horses. He knew they
would lead them out of this maze and into the flat prairie where he
had left the large black stallion.

As the sun was
starting to rise before them and its bright light swept across the
desert, they emerged from out of the mountain range.

Iron Eyes
pulled his mount to a halt and held up his arm holding the reins of
Maria’s mount. The two horses cantered to a stop as the long
shadows caused by the morning sun warmed their bones.

She was lying
with her head almost next to her mount’s mane as she felt his
strong hands lifting her from the saddle.

Then her weary
eyes saw the proud black stallion, which she recognized as being
one of her father’s prized horses.

‘
Pepe!’ she called to the stallion, as Iron Eyes carried her
toward it.

The elegant
head of the thoroughbred turned and snorted mutual recognition.

Iron Eyes
lifted her up into the beautiful saddle upon the graceful horse,
and stepped back to watch her. He watched as she sat there patting
and talking to the black horse. He did not dwell upon what had
happened to her before he had managed to get into the bandits’
stronghold, although he was certain that she was marked for the
remainder of her life.

He went back
and mounted the bandits’ pony that had carried him to safety, and
rode up to her.

She looked down
upon him from the high-shouldered stallion as he sat upon the
smaller horse. It seemed quite strange to the tired girl to be back
upon the back of her favourite horse, and finally she knew that she
was indeed free once again. The vermin were destroyed by this thin
man who said little but did much.

‘
Come on, Miss Valdez,’ he said as he spurred his horse
forward. ‘Your poppa is waiting for you back at the
hacienda
.’

Suddenly as she
rode the familiar horse after the strange ghostlike man, she felt a
tear rolling down her cheek. For the first time in ten days she was
shedding tears of happiness and joy.

Iron Eyes stood alone in the lovely courtyard of Dwan José
Valdez’s
hacienda
.
He had done everything and more for the man who owned this place
and much more. Yet he was feeling grim reality burning into his
very soul.

He had washed
the blood off his face and boots, but it remained as a stain on his
memory.

The gold tooth
that he had plucked out of the Snake’s dead mouth had been accepted
by his elderly host with glee. The evil had been vanquished in this
beautiful land. If any of the bandits were still in the land of the
living, it was doubtful if they would ever show their faces
anywhere near this place.

The gold that
was bulging in his saddle-bags seemed somehow worthless to the tall
bounty-hunter, as he dwelled upon the lanterns that were being lit
around the courtyard as night once more approached.

His Apache pony
was saddled and ready, even though he had been invited to stay for
as long as he wished. Iron Eyes was ready to leave this place.

Jane had left the
rancho
whilst he had been away and taken her ox-drawn
wagon to a place where she hoped to find something resembling
happiness. The tall ghost of a man felt a mixture of anger and
sadness at her leaving before his return. What she had feared was
that the strange man with a chunk out of his ear would not
return.

By leaving this
beautiful place she would never have to be told that Iron Eyes had
been killed in his attempt to rescue Maria Valdez.

The cigar was a
good, relaxing smoke, and its thick smoke filled his lungs whilst
he stood beside the pony His reflection in the fountain
water-trough showed a face that Iron Eyes did not recognize. This
was a man who could never say what he meant or do what he wanted to
do. He had chosen a trail that was paved with gold and little
else.

The reflection
showed Iron Eyes as he had never seen himself

Then he heard
the distinctive footsteps coming down the tiled steps behind him.
He knew it was Dwan José without even turning around to look at the
man.

‘
You leave, my tall friend?’ Valdez asked, placing a fatherly
hand upon the bounty-hunter’s shoulder.

Iron Eyes
seemed unable or unwilling to make eye contact as he answered,
‘Might as well go.’

‘
Why?’ The elderly man seemed concerned for Iron Eyes, who had
done him the greatest favour any man could do for
another.

‘
I got places to go and people to hunt,’ came the reply from
the dry, thin lips. ‘Besides, you say that the Hardy brothers were
here. I might just try to catch up with them.’

‘
To kill them?’ Valdez frowned.

‘
They got money on their heads too,’ Iron Eyes said, with
little fire in his voice. ‘I might just collect that before someone
else does.’

‘
Iron Eyes.’ There was sadness in the older man’s
voice.

‘
Not that I’ll try to catch up with them.’

Valdez was not
convinced by the man’s answer, and knew the true reason. ‘You are
sad, my tall one. It is because your Jane left here whilst you were
saving my child, is it not?’

Iron Eyes
grunted.

‘
Stay,
amigo
.’
Valdez stepped in front of the taller man, forcing him to look into
his face. ‘Stay here. You are a hero to my people and myself.
Stay.’

‘
Can’t,’ Iron Eyes said in a low voice. ‘I gotta
ride.’

‘
You go after Jane?’

‘
Nope,’ Iron Eyes replied. ‘She don’t need me and I don’t need
her.’

‘
But she was so concerned about you, my friend.’

‘
Then why did she light out?’ Iron Eyes felt betrayed by the
woman with the wagon.

‘
She was angry at me for asking you to save my daughter,’ Dwan
José answered. ‘I think she was terrified that you would be killed
and she could not face that.’

Iron Eyes untied his reins from the hitching-pole, and stared
at the beautiful
hacienda
. ‘You got a fine place here,
Dwan José.’

Valdez watched
as the bounty-hunter mounted slowly. ‘You are a strange man.’

‘
Because I have no woman?’

‘
Because you turn away from those who care, Iron Eyes.’ The
words of the elderly ranch-owner were closer to the truth than
either of them could admit.

‘
I ain’t got nothing but my guns, Dwan José.’ Iron Eyes rested
his hands upon the handles of his weapons and tried to look
impressive.

‘
Stay here and you will never have to lift a finger
again.’

Iron Eyes
puffed on the cigar. ‘I like lifting my fingers.’

‘
You will continue hunting men and killing them?’

‘
It’s what I do.’

‘
You go to catch up with Jane?’

‘
Which way did she head?’ Iron Eyes sucked on the cigar and
blew out the smoke.

‘
She headed north toward the border.’ Valdez walked beside the
man as he rode slowly toward the arched gateway ‘You can catch up
with her very quickly, I think.’

Iron Eyes
patted the saddle-bags. ‘Thank you for the gold, Dwan José.’

‘
Thank you for giving me back my Maria,
amigo
.’ Valdez stopped as the tall
rider paused for a moment before looking down at him.

‘
I think that little lady got hurt real bad by the
Snake.’

‘
This I understand.’ Valdez bowed his head in
regret.

‘
They paid the price.’ Iron Eyes nodded as he puffed upon his
cigar. ‘I made them pay the price in full.’

‘
Thanks to you,’ Dwan José reached up and shook the
bounty-hunter’s hand, ‘she is now safely home.’

‘
You better keep an eye on her,’ Iron Eyes advised. ‘I seen
women go loco after that sort of thing.’

‘
My Maria is strong.’

‘
No woman is that strong.’ Iron Eyes flicked the ash off his
cigar. ‘They just pretend to be.’

There was
silence from both men for a moment.

Then the older
man watched as the lone rider spurred his mount and rode into the
dusky desert.

The sun was
setting and the sky was burning as red as hell itself above their
heads. As the phantom-like man rode, he raised a fist to the sky
and yelled out to the watching Mexican.

‘
The sky’s on fire.’

‘
Si, my tall friend,’ Dwan José Valdez agreed.

‘
The sky is on fire!’

Iron Eyes drove
his spurs into his mount’s flesh, and the horse started to move
faster into the wilderness.

Dwan José
Valdez shook his head as he realized that Iron Eyes was not heading
north after the woman named Jane. Iron Eyes was heading east, after
the Hardy brothers. If he caught up with them he might just send
them to where he had sent their late brother.

There was
always room for one more outlaw in hell.

Soon the dust
rose behind the hooves of the Indian pony, and the lonely
bounty-hunter was no longer visible to the tired old man.

Riding with
death as his only companion, and the smell of blood in his
nostrils, Iron Eyes was gone.