Part 55 (1/2)
”Blast you, Jesse!” I shouted.
She smiled down at us. ”No call to get riled there, Trevor. Howdy, Barney.”
”Howdy yourself, Miss Jesse.”
”Hope you folks didn't wear yourselves out.” With that, she stood up and turned her back to us. She dropped out of sight for a spell, then came walking around from behind the boulder with General in tow. In spite of the cheery words she'd thrown at us from up above, she had a rather sheepish look about her. To Barney, she said, ”Mighty kind of you to show Trevor the way.”
”Saved his feet some, I reckon.” He smiled at me. ”You can thank me, now. Gotcha to her.”
”I'm very grateful. Thank you ever so much.”
”Well, I heard me a good story outa the deal. You two take care, now.” He touched the brim of his hat.
”You're not leaving?” I asked.
”Yep. Done what I aimed to do. Got no room in my plans to hunt after Apache Sam or Whittle or none of their ilk. I always figured it's a sight more healthy to shy away from trouble than to go looking for it. So it's adios adios, kids. Try and keep alive.”
He wheeled Joey around and trotted off.
”Thank you again!” I called after him.
He gave his hat a wave in the air. Then the trail curved around behind some rocks and he was out of sight.
I turned to face Jesse.
”Now don't you look at me that way,” she said. ”I only just did what I had to. Surprised you didn't think of it first and take off on me me last night.” last night.”
”I thought of it,” I admitted. ”But I had more sense than to do do it. That was mighty lowdown and ornery.” it. That was mighty lowdown and ornery.”
”Well, it worked. You're here and so am I. How'd you get Barney to come along?”
”He was quite willing to help, soon as I explained what you'd done. He said you must be touched.”
”I just didn't aim to get left out, that's all.”
”I wasn't aiming to leave you out.”
”Was, too. I know you, Trevor Bentley. Ain't no way you would've struck out after Whittle without you got rid of me first.” She jammed her hands onto her hips and shoved her face at me. ”Am I wrong or am I right? You tell me, now.”
”I wouldn't have dodged off and left you alone.”
”Don't go saying I left you alone. You was with Barney.”
”I wouldn't have left you with Barney, either. I wouldn't have left you, at all. We're 'pardners,' remember? Partners stick together.”
She let her hands drop away from her hips. Her head lowered. Voice soft, she said, ”Well, I knew you'd come along.”
”I didn't want you anywhere near this place.”
”I know that.”
”It's only 'cause I care so much about you.”
”I know.”
Reaching down, I took hold of her hands and gave them a squeeze. She raised her head. Her eyes looked awfully solemn.
”I don't want Whittle getting you,” I said.
”Well, that goes both ways. I don't want him getting you, either, but you need to face him down. If you back out and call it quits, you won't never feel right about yourself. I don't want that for you. And I don't wanta be the cause of it. You turned away from Tombstone on account of me.”
”That had to do more with Sarah than...”
”It had mostly to do with Whittle, and you know it. You figured you'd rather give up on him than take a risk of me getting hurt. Well, I went along with it yesterday. But that was selfish. That was me wanting to keep you from Sarah, even if it meant you had to call it quits on your hunt for Whittle. It was wrong. For the both of us. I'm just almighty glad Barney came along so we'd get a chance to do the right thing.”
”What if it is is Apache Sam up there?” I asked, tipping my head toward the mountain looming above us. Apache Sam up there?” I asked, tipping my head toward the mountain looming above us.
”Then we'll help the posse kill Apache Sam. After he's taken care of, we'll start after Whittle. We'll go back to Tombstone, if that's what it takes. But we'll pick up his trail, one way or another, and follow it till we've run him down. You and me. Together.”
”I don't know,” I murmured.
”What's not to know?”
”I don't want you getting killed, Jesse. I shouldn't be able to stand it.”
She gave my hands a squeeze. A corner of her mouth turned up, and a glimmer of her usual mischief came back into her eyes. ”I ain't easily killed,” she said. ”Nor are you, either. We'll be fine and dandy.”
”I do hope so.”
”You worry too much, Trevor Bentley.”
”McSween once told me that very thing. He's dead.”
Jesse leaned forward a bit and kissed my mouth. ”Come on,” she said. ”We've got us a cave to find.”
CHAPTER FIFTY.
Troubles in Monster Valley I tossed the saddlebags across General's back. I filled my hat with water from the mule-gut bag, and let him drink some. We strung both rifles together and draped them over his back so we wouldn't need to lug them ourselves. Then we led him along the trail.
By and by, we came upon a trail going up the mountain. It was steep, and hitched its way back and forth up the rocky slope. I'd had some experiences with such switching trails, and didn't look forward to it.
”Must be the way up,” Jesse said.
”Are you sure you want to do this?”
She didn't say a thing, but threw me a smirk. Then she commenced to slog her way up the trail.