Trail of the Hanged Man (6 page)

Dawn came. The row of jagged bluffs to the east hid the rising sun, but they couldn’t hide its magnificence. Gradually, lavender and rose streaks seeped out from behind the ridge flooding the heavens with color.

As if the approach of a new day was a signal, Runs With Head Up emerged from the sacred wickiup carrying Joey. The boy was conscious but very weak. His face was painted white and Lawless’s blood encircled his eyes and lips, giving him a ghoulish effect. He gazed vacantly about him, trying to grasp where he was and why he was there. All he could see were Apaches – men, women and children from the village, lining the opposite bank. They blocked his view of everything behind them and he vaguely
wondered 
where his sister was.

Runs With Head Up waded across the creek. He held Joey in his muscular arms as if the boy were weightless. When he reached the other bank the crowd stepped back, letting them pass through. The more curious Apaches touched Joey, hoping to attain spiritual enlightenment from this ‘Child of the Pale Eyes’ whom the Sacred One had resurrected.

Lawless watched everything from the wagon box. From his vantage point he could see Runs With Head Up approaching with Joey and behind them the crowd, chanting and shouting.

‘Get ready,’ he called out. ‘Boy’s on his way.’

Sven lowered the wagon tailgate and turned to face the oncoming Apaches. Kneeled in the wagon, Violet could contain herself no longer. Jumping up, she began waving excitedly to her brother.

‘Joey! … Joe-eee!’

He raised his head, saw Violet waving to him from the wagon and feebly waved back.

Suddenly a golden eagle flew dangerously low over the village.

Its swooping shadow chased dogs to safety.

Mothers fearfully clutched their babies to their breasts.

The eagle, now a silhouette against the naked blue sky, winged ever upward and was soon lost in the sun. Its shrill screech echoed off the sandstone cliffs.

As if beckoned by the cry, Almighty Sky stepped from the council wickiup. Attired in his ceremonial dress he looked taller, prouder and more dignified than usual, while in his dark, lidded eyes burned the fires of his forefathers. Waiting until Runs With Head Up drew level with him, he fell in beside the young brave and together they walked to the wagon.

There, Almighty Voice turned to his people. They at once quieted. Raising his hands heavenward, he began speaking in Mescalero. He thanked the Great Spirit for allowing the Sacred One to save the child of the Pale Eyes, adding that despite the many differences between the Apaches and their white brothers,
he was happy to have lived long enough to see the day when their hatred for one another had diminished enough for the Pale Eyes to entrust the dying boy’s life in the hands of the Sacred One.

He continued to speak for several more minutes. Then, when he was finished, he nodded to Runs With Head Up, who handed Joey over to Sven. Thanking Almighty Sky, and the Sacred One, Sven gently set the boy next to his sister in the wagon. Violet quickly wrapped a blanket around her brother and cuddled him against her. Tears of joy ran down her face as she began to comfort him.

It was time to leave.

The Apaches slowly dispersed and returned to their wickiups.

Lawless untied the reins from the wagon brake. As he waited for Sven to mount up, Lawless looked across the creek at the sacred white wickiup. Just before dawn he and Violet had wanted to thank Lolotea and tell her how grateful they were, but Almighty Sky had forbidden it. The Sacred One was with the Great Spirit, he said, and could not speak to anyone.

Disappointed, Violet asked Sven if he could change the old shaman’s mind. The big Norwegian shook his head. In order to attain such an exalted level of holiness, Lolotea had to put herself in a deep trance that sometimes lasted for days. So she would not have been able to speak to them even if Almighty Sky had permitted it.

Now, as Lawless looked down from the wagon box, he saw Almighty Sky watching him from nearby. Lawless nodded respectfully, said, ‘I ever ride this way again, Old One, I will bring you much coffee and tobacco.’

‘Such kindness would make this old man happy,’ Almighty Sky said. ‘But you should know it is not meant to be.’

‘Who told you that?’

‘A blue owl came to me in the night and whispered we shall not stand before each other again.’

‘This owl,’ said Lawless, ‘did he say why?’

Almighty Sky shook his head.

Having heard the shaman could predict the future, Lawless probed the Apache’s dark eyes. He saw nothing in them to say Almighty Sky was lying yet he sensed the old man was hiding something, something that pertained to Lawless. Wondering what it was, and why the shaman wouldn’t tell him, Lawless slapped the reins on the rumps of the horses.

The wagon rolled ahead. Behind him, Lawless heard Violet happily telling Joey that they were going home. He didn’t hear her brother’s weak reply but after all the boy had been through, Lawless could easily imagine how relieved Joey must be feeling.

The wagon hit a rut, jolting everyone. As Lawless shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position on the box-seat, he tried to ignore the nagging premonition that kept warning him he was riding into trouble.

It was mid-morning when they arrived at the Morgans’ spread. The sky had turned dark and thunderheads were gathering over the distant mountains. Ahead, the ranch house looked bleak and desolate on the horizon. As they got closer, lightning flashed over the hills to the west followed by the rumble of thunder.

Violet looked uneasily at the cattle and Clydesdales grazing on the scrubland. ‘Will you stay and look after Joey,’ she asked Lawless, ‘while I try to track down the men? If our livestock gets spooked by the storm, they could blow wild and bust right on through the wire. Could take days to round them all up.’

‘Be happy to,’ Lawless said.

‘I’ll ride with you,’ Sven told Violet. ‘I don’t have enough
livestock
to worry about stampeding.’

‘What about your wife?’ Lawless said, surprised that he even
remembered Ingrid let alone felt concerned for her.

‘She’ll be fine. Storms don’t bother her, or Raven for that matter. Like everything else in life they pretty much adapt and ride things out.’ He chuckled ruefully. ‘I swear, if anything
happened
to me, the two of them would not only survive, they’d lick the ranch into better shape than it is right now.’

‘Maybe so. But the desert’s no place for a woman and child to be alone. Especially close to the border like you folks are. Never know when
bandidos
or renegades might cross over and.…’ Lawless left the rest unsaid.

‘Ingrid and I have discussed that,’ Sven said. ‘Took some fancy talking on my part, but she finally agreed that if things got too tough she’d pack up and take Raven to her stepbrother, Reece, a well-to-do banker who lives in California.’

Lawless said no more. But, as they rode across the flatland and picked up the trail leading to the ranch house, he chided himself for the thoughts he was feeling for another man’s wife.

It was sprinkling when Lawless stopped the wagon in front of the ranch house. The thunder and lightning were now much closer, the threat of a bad storm imminent.

‘You take Joey inside,’ Lawless said to Sven, ‘while I unhitch the team.’

The big easy-going Norwegian nodded, seemingly content to be told what to do, and swung down from his horse.

‘I’ll go saddle up,’ Violet said, jumping off the wagon. ‘We shouldn’t have to ride too far to find Miguel and Rios. Most likely, seeing the storm coming, they’re already heading home. Joey,’ she added, ‘you’re to do exactly as Mr Lawless tells you, you hear?’ She ran off before he could argue.

The jolting ride had not been easy on Joey. He hadn’t
complained
about the pain, but it had taken most of the fire out of him and he offered no resistance as Sven climbed into the wagon and gently helped him up.

Meanwhile, Lawless unhitched the traces and led the two wet
horses toward the barn. Ahead, Violet opened the big double doors and hurried inside.

Thunder boomed overhead. It startled the team and, placid as they were, the horses reared up almost tearing the reins from Lawless’ hands. ‘Whoa, whoa.…’ He fought to pull them down. ‘Easy now … easy.…’ It took a few seconds but finally the horses calmed and let Lawless lead them to the barn.

As he reached the big double doors a muffled scream came from inside. Dropping the reins Lawless ran into the barn.

Two men faced him, both wearing deputy stars, both holding cocked carbines.

A third man straddled Violet, pinning her to the ground with his knees. His hand was clamped over her mouth. Above it her gray-green eyes were wide with fear.

Lawless tensed, hand poised above his gun, ready to kill all three.

‘Don’t try it,’ one man warned. ‘We ain’t aiming to harm you or the girl, not unless you go for your iron.’

Tempted, Lawless decided he might not be able to gun them all down before one managed to kill, and not willing to risk her life he dropped his hand to his side. Hunkering down in front of her, he asked her if she was all right.

She nodded.

Lawless rose and faced the other two men. ‘Let her up, or I’ll make you use those shooters.’

They sensed he wasn’t bluffing. The man who’d spoken first, Cory Rivers, nodded to the man astride Violet. The man let Violet up but kept her covered with his six-gun.

‘Unbuckle your belt,’ Rivers told Lawless. ‘Kick it over here.’

Lawless obeyed without argument.

‘Outside,’ Rivers said.

Again, Lawless obeyed him. The three men, with Violet ahead of them, followed him out of the barn.

It was raining hard now. It came slashing down, driven
sideways
by gusts of wind, turning the ground into mud. Lawless
splashed through the puddles, squinting against the slanting rain. Ahead, he saw three more men, armed with shotguns, standing outside the door of the log-house.

Was this the trouble his premonition had warned him about?

Inside the house Sheriff Tishman sat drinking coffee at the table. He was dry, indicating he’d been there a while, and looked relaxed except for the tension in his eyes. His regular deputy, Lonnie Davis, a skinny man with a few greasy hairs combed over his scalp and a bulging Adam’s apple, stood behind him holding a scattergun.

The lamp on the table was unlit. Due to the storm very little light came through the curtained window and the room was dim at best. A shadowy figure guarding the door to the rear
bedrooms
was barely visible.

The front door opened with a wind-blown rush. Lawless and Violet swept in, drenched to the skin, followed by Rivers. All three were chased by a gust of wind that spattered everyone with rain. China rattled on the shelves and the curtains flapped – then Rivers kicked the door shut and everything was silent and still.

‘Well, now,’ the sheriff said to Lawless, ‘I see you decided to give Miss Morgan my regards after all.’ Jerking his thumb toward the bedrooms, he added to Violet, ‘Too bad you shot the wrong fella.’

‘I wish it had been you,’ she hissed.

The sheriff clucked his tongue. ‘Shame on you, missy. Don’t you know it’s against the law to threaten a peace officer? Why, I’d be in my rights if I laid you’cross my knee and spanked the
daylights
out of you.’

‘Just you try,’ Violet said, ‘and when my men get back they’ll—’

‘Men? Mean them two greasers you got riding for you?’ The sheriff leaned back and laughed. ‘Hell, you can forget about them, missy. After the boys dragged’em around behind their horses for a spell, they was only too eager to hightail it back to chili-land.’

‘You bastard!’ Violet lunged for the sheriff, but Lawless pulled her back.

‘If you’re all done baiting her,’ he said, ‘maybe you’d like to tell us why you’re here?’

The sheriff pulled a document from his vest pocket and told his deputy to light the lamp. Lonnie Davis obeyed. Removing the glass shield, he struck a match on his jeans and held it to the wick. Light flooded the room. It not only illuminated the
document
in the sheriff’s hands, but revealed the man standing by the bedroom door.

He was a small man, slim and handsome with sandy hair, large blue eyes with thick lashes any woman would envy and a winning smile. Because of his diminutive size and boyish good looks, it was hard to judge his age or his profession. His tailored gray suit, string tie, and expensive hand-tooled boots didn’t help either – they suggested he might be a rich businessman, successful rancher, or possibly even a riverboat gambler. But he was none of those things. And as he stepped forward, closer to the light, the tools of his trade could be seen on his hips: two
ivory-handled
, nickel-plated Colt .44s that poked from well-oiled, tied-down holsters.

Recognizing him, Lawless hid his surprise and grimly eyed Sheriff Tishman. ‘Didn’t take you long to hire my replacement.’

The sheriff chuckled. ‘Hear that, Latigo – Mr Lawless, here, thinks you’re working for me.’

‘He knows me better than that,’ Latigo Rawlins said.

‘I know you don’t sell your gun just for wages,’ Lawless said.

‘Or work for a sheriff who coils when he sits,’ Latigo added.

Sheriff Tishman reddened, swallowed hard, but kept his
composure
. Handing the document to Violet, he said: ‘As of right now, you and your brother no longer own this spread.’

‘The bank can’t do that!’

‘Read it and see, missy. It’s all written down, neat and legal.’

‘I don’t believe you!’ She turned to Lawless. ‘Bria— Mr Edfors would never kick Joey and me off the ranch. He told me so
himself, a hundred times.’

Lawless took the document from her, scanned it. ‘Seems he changed his mind. Like the sheriff says, it’s legal.’

‘B-but he promised! Gave me his word that we’d never have to worry. Why, he even asked me to mar—’

‘What?’ said Lawless as she broke off. ‘What did he ask you?’

Violet blushed, too embarrassed to explain.

Sheriff Tishman grinned, enjoying this. ‘Reckon you played him for a love-sick fool once too often, missy. Worm’s finally turned. And if you’ll excuse me for gloating, it’s about time. Now’ – he took out a big Hamilton timepiece and checked the time – ‘you got exactly one hour to gather up your personal belongings, load’em on your wagon – which by the way Mr Edfors kindly says you can keep – and ride on out of here.’

‘Don’t be a fool,’ Lawless said. ‘You’ve seen Joey’s condition. He can’t leave here, not for a week or two at least.’

The sheriff rose to his full height, dug out a bag of lemon drops and put one in his mouth. ‘I don’t know what your play in this is,
amigo
, but unless you’re anxious to be behind bars, best get on your horse and keep riding till you reach Arizona. Oh, and by the way. Don’t count on saving my life to mean anything. You already traded that favor to keep Joey out of jail.’

Behind him, Deputy Lonnie Davis cocked the hammers on his shotgun and aimed it at Lawless.

Unfazed, Lawless turned to Latigo Rawlins. ‘What about you?’

‘What about me?’

‘I’ve known you to do some mighty ugly things, Lefty, but evicting a girl and a shot-up boy in a rainstorm – surely you haven’t stooped that low?’

Latigo grinned. ‘If you’re trying to shame me into backing you, Ben, forget it. My conscience died on me in the cradle.’

‘Ben?’ the sheriff said, disappointed. ‘That’s his real name?’

‘Yep.’

‘Not Will?’

‘Uh-uh. Will’s his cousin.’

‘You know that for true?’

‘Sure. I know Will Lawless. He, Ben and I used to—’

‘That’s enough,’ Lawless warned.

The little gunfighter bristled. ‘You giving me orders now?’

Before Lawless could answer, the sheriff said, ‘If they look that much alike, how can you be sure which one it was?’

‘Easy. Tell Ben, here, to unbutton his shirt.’

‘Do it,’ the sheriff ordered.

Lawless didn’t move. ‘You’re making a mistake,’ he told Latigo.

‘How you figure that?’

‘You’re counting on being faster than me.’

‘I am faster than you,’ Latigo said. ‘I’m faster than anybody.’ He spoke casually, without bravado, his voice surprisingly deep for someone his size. ‘But that ain’t what I’m counting on. I’m figuring you don’t want that thundergun the deputy’s holding to go off. ’Cause at this range, it won’t only blow daylight through you but through that little gal next to you, too.’

Lawless sighed. He knew when to fold. Grudgingly he
unbuttoned
his shirt, revealing the ugly white scar circling his neck.

Sickened, Violet quickly looked away.

Both deputies did the same.

Sheriff Tishman whistled softly. ‘Godawmighty,’ he said. His hand strayed to the rope burns around his own neck. ‘How come you ain’t dead?’

‘I wonder about that myself sometimes,’ Lawless said.

Latigo chuckled. ‘The
rurales
would rest easier if you were.’

‘They the ones who hanged you?’ the sheriff said.

Lawless made a sound that could have meant anything and buttoned up his shirt.

But the damage had been done. Even though the scar was no longer visible, the others could still visualize it along with the horrors it conjured up, and remained silent.

The only sound was the rain hammering on the roof and against the window.

Lawless said, ‘How about it, Sheriff? Will you let Violet and her brother rest up here till morning? A night’s sleep might mean all the difference to Joey.’

‘Couldn’t even if I wanted to.’

‘Why not?’

‘I’m here to uphold the law. And the law wants ’em off this property – now.’

‘Law be damned,’ Violet said contemptuously. ‘Brian Edfors is the one making you do this. It’s his way of spiting me for
refusing
to marry him.’

‘What’s been going on ’tween you and Mr Edfors is no concern of mine,’ the sheriff said. ‘Judge Ainsley signed this
eviction
notice, and he’s the one who told me to carry out the instructions. I aim to do just that.’ Turning to Deputy Davis, he added, ‘Bring Bjorkman and the boy out.’