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Tom Badger looked slowly around the room, stared at Nora, then at the body on the floor. "Turn him over," he told Gopher. The convict knelt and turned Jake's body over. "It ain't Danny," he said, surprised. "That's Jake Andrews," Harbin commented. "And that was Clint Wilson we killed." "Clint Wilson?" "The same," Harbin replied grimly. He looked over at Nora. "And whose little girl are you?" "I was with those men ... I am nobody's girl. I am Nora Paxton." "Let's get what we came for," Tom said impatiently. "Joe, get your mind off women. There's plenty of them in Mexico." "You were with them?" Joe persisted. "They were going down to the Gulf, and that was where I wanted to go. They offered to take me along, and there was no other way." "The Gulf? Why the Gulf?" "Business ...my business, and none of yours." Harbin grinned at her. "No offense, ma'am. If you still want to go, you can go with us." Page 20 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Badger was looking at her now. "How did they expect to make it to the Gulf?" "They had a wagon up the street, and they were going to Papago Wells." "And then?" "I know where there is a water hole between there and the Gulf. That's one reason they wanted me along." "I never heard of any such water hole," Badger said. "It's there ... a good pool of permanent water, sweet water." "If that's true," Joe said, "our troubles are over. Okay, you can come along." Badger looked at the box and the scattered papers. "I don't see any gold. You sure Rodelo didn't get it and light out?" "Was he the man who was just here? The tall, dark young man?" "That's our Danny." "He had nothing when he left here." Then she added, "Clint shot Jake. He thought they'd found the gold when Jake located that box, so he just killed him." "Ain't the first time ... not for Clint." Nora was listening. Was Dan Rodelo outside? What was he planning? "Get the gold," Badger said. "Let's get out of here!" Harbin took a rusted poker from the fireplace and pulled a chair over to a place under the central beam that crossed the room from wall to wall. Standing on the chair, he inserted the end of the poker into what looked like a crack, then pried up. A crudely cut piece of beam lifted up, revealing a compartment within the heavy beam itself. As he lifted this a gold piece fell to the floor. Nora picked it up and handed it to Badger. "It's gold, all right," she said. Harbin grinned his triumph. "You're darned tootin', it is! And there's plenty of it, baby." Badger turned to Gopher. "Get the saddlebags. Quick, now!" When he had gone out, Harbin said, "What about him?" Badger shrugged. "We can use help on the trip. When we get to Mazatlan, give him fifty bucks and send him packin'." Gopher came back carrying two pairs of saddlebags, and swiftly they began loading the gold into them. "This is going to be heavy," Tom commented thoughtfully. "I wish we had an extra horse or two." Dan Rodelo, moving quietly, had come in the front door. He held a gun in his right hand, and once inside he moved out of the doorway and stood a moment watching. Tom Badger saw him first, and slowly, carefully, he lifted his hands. He had never seen Dan Rodelo shoot, but he had an idea he would be good. Page 21 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "That's all of it," Harbin said. "Let me look," Gopher pleaded. "Go ahead." Gopher got up on the table and ran his hand back into the opening, feeling around. "Got it!" he yelled, and withdrew his hand, hitting it against the edge in his excitement. "Two of them." "Keep 'em," Harbin said. "That will be your part of this." "You mean that's all I get?" "You're out of prison, ain't you?" "Big-hearted Joe Harbin! You were always a generous man, Joe." Dan Rodelo spoke softly, and Joe Harbin's hand opened slightly as though for a draw. "Don't try it, Joe." Slowly, Harbin's hands went up, as did Gopher's. Joe turned carefully, grinning at Rodelo. "How are you, Danny? You don't need that gun with me. We're friends, remember?" Rodelo smiled. Harbin had never liked him, and he knew it. "Then you will not object if I cut myself in for part of this?" "You're talkin' crazy. I did this job all by myself, and you know it." "And I did time for it." "Let's get out of here!" Badger interrupted. "We'll have the law all around us if we don't, and then there won't be anything for anybody." Picking up one set of the saddlebags, he turned toward the door. "Come on. We'll get their wagon and trail our horses behind." Dan Rodelo did not move. "How do you figure on going?" "South ... why?" "It'll be the wrong way. Go east from here first, then down the eastern side of the Gilas. By the time they've covered everything else you'll be on board that boat down on the Gulf." They stared at him, their eyes hard with suspicion. "What are you talkin' about? What boat?" Harbin said. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |