The Andre Norton Megapack - 15 Classic Novels and Short Stories

scoutin’ for us.”
    “Stage was jumped yesterday on th’ Sonora road,” Callie volunteered. “One men got him a bullet in th’ shoulder, but they got away clean. It was Kitchell, th’ driver thought. Captain Bayliss took out a patrol right away. You plannin’ on goin’ back with Kitchell out?”
    “Don’t know,” Drew replied absently. Better leave that decision to Nye; he knew the country and the situation. “You ask about the cart, Callie, but don’t make it definite. Have to see how things turn out.”
    Drew started for the Four Jacks to meet Nye. Back here in Tubacca he was conscious how much he had allowed his personal affairs to drift from day to day. Of course he had seen very little of Hunt Rennie at the Stronghold; his father had ridden south on patrol with his own private posse shortly after his own arrival there. But whenever Drew thought seriously of the future he had that odd sense of dislocation and loss which he had first known on the night he had seen Don Cazar arrive at the cantina. Don Cazar—Hunt Rennie. Drew Kirby—Drew Rennie. A seesaw to make a man dizzy, or maybe the vertigo he felt wasthe product of too much sun, dust, and riding.
    There was someone at a far table in the cantina, but otherwise the dusky room was empty. Drew went directly to the bar. “Got any coffee, Fowler?”
    “Sure thing. Nye was in here ’bout five minutes ago. Said for you to wait here for him. You hear ’bout Kitchell holdin’ up th’ stage?”
    “Callie told me. Said the army patrol went out after him.”
    “Yeah, don’t mean they’ll nail him though. He’s as good as an Apache ’bout keepin’ undercover. Here’s your coffee. Want some grub, too?”
    The smell of coffee revived Drew’s hunger. “Sure could use some. Haven’t eaten since we broke camp at sunup.”
    “Sing’s in th’ kitchen. I’ll give him th’ sign to rattle th’ pans. Say—been racin’ that Shiloh of yours lately? Sure am glad I played a hunch an’ backed him against Oro.” Fowler’s red forelock bobbed over his high forehead as he nodded vigorously.
    “No racin’ on the Range.”
    “Hope you’re keepin’ him closer. That border crew’d sure like to git a rope on him! Down Sonora way one of them Mexes would dig right down to th’ bottom of his money chest to buy a hoss like that. I’ll go an’ tell Sing.”
    Drew, coffee mug in hand, sat down at a table where some of the breeze beat in the door now and then. Lord, he was really tired. He stretched out his legs, and the sun made twinkly points of light on the rowels of the Mexican spurs. Sipping the coffee, he allowed himself the luxury of not doing any thinking at all.
    Fowler brought a heaping plate and Drew began to eat.
    “Oh, there you are!” Nye slammed in, swung one of the chairs about, andsat on it back to front, his arms folded across the back.
    “You ridin’ out to tell the army we’re here—with the horses?” Drew asked.
    “Nope, caught sight of them ridin’ in. Looked like Sergeant Muller was in command—he’ll come in here. Hey, Fowler, how’s about another plate of fodder?”
    “Steady on, fella. Make it straight ahead now!”
    Both of them looked up. A burly man wearing sergeant’s stripes steered a slighter figure before him through the open door. Johnny Shannon, a bandage about his uncovered head, lurched as if trying to free himself from the other’s grip and caught at a chair back. Nye and Drew jumped up to ease him into a seat.
    “What’s—?” began Nye.
    Muller interrupted. “Found him crawlin’ along right near town. Says as how he was took by Kitchell ’n’ got away, but he ain’t too clear ’bout what happened or where. Wearin’ a crease ’longside his skull; maybe that scrambled up his thinkin’ some.”
    “Better get Doc Matthews. I think he’s in town.” Fowler came from the bar, a glass in hand.
    “Right. I’ll go.” Nye started out.
    Johnny had slumped forward, his head on the table encircled by his limp arms. Drew was puzzled. Shannon was supposed to have ridden south on the Range, not north. What was he doing this far away from the water-hole route? Had he found a trail which led him in this direction? Or had he been jumped somewhere by Kitchell’s pack of wolves and forced along for some purpose of their own?
    “Was he ridin’, Sergeant?” Drew asked, hardly knowing why.
    “No—footin’ it. Said somethin’ about Long Canyon after we gave him a pull at a canteen. Sure came a