Part 57 (1/2)

”They may have quite a lot of water in them,” I admitted. ”But I shouldn't care to venture over and fetch any.”

”I will.”

”No, you won't.”

”You can keep me covered. Not as he's out there, anyhow.”

”We still have have water,” I pointed out, and shook the bottle at her. water,” I pointed out, and shook the bottle at her.

”Well, there ain't much. We oughta get more now, before the trouble starts.”

”What trouble? We'll simply ventilate him when he goes for his horse.”

”You never know. Anyhow, it's good and dark right now. Moon ain't even up, yet. This'd be the best time to go out there.”

”We needn't go out there at all.”

”You just stay here,” Jesse said. ”Make sure I don't get jumped. Maybe I can find us some good food and smokes while I'm at it.”

”Jesse.”

She popped up. I reached, grabbed hold of her sleeve and tugged it hard. With a ripping sound, the sleeve tore off at her shoulder. It came sliding down empty, so I s.n.a.t.c.hed her wrist and yanked her to the ground.

”You're not not going out there!” I gasped. going out there!” I gasped.

”Look what you done to my s.h.i.+rt!”

”Stay here.”

She reached a hand toward me. I shoved the bottle into it, then leaped out of range. I rushed around to the front of the boulder, filled my right hand with a Colt, then halted and looked back. I waited till Jesse showed herself and hefted her Henry. She shook her head at me.

I turned away and walked into the ma.s.sacre. Even though the moon wasn't up yet, there was enough starlight to see by. Not that I knew quite where to look. I wanted to keep my eyes on the cave, but feared what I might step on.

I walked toward the nearest horse. It had no head. Two of the posse men blocked my way-those that were sprawled one atop the other, feet at both ends, heads between each other's legs. I tried not to look at them, and gave them a wide berth. When I crouched over the horse, I found that it had fallen onto the canteen that hung from its saddle horn. But I pulled hard, and worked it free. I gave it a shake. Water sloshed about inside. There didn't sound like much, though.

Slinging that canteen over my shoulder, I set off for another horse. This was the horse wearing boots. Just behind it, one of the severed heads sat atop a stack of rocks. I couldn't see whether or not the eyes were open, but seemed to recall that all all the heads had open eyes. the heads had open eyes.

I glanced about at the other three heads. Every last one of them seemed to be staring at me.

I quit looking at them, and circled around to the far side of the horse. This one hadn't fallen onto its water bag. Crouching, I lifted the strap off the saddle horn. And heard a low grumble. s.h.i.+vers raced up my back. I looked around quick. Another grumble. From the head just behind me. Well, it couldn't couldn't have made such a noise. It had no body attached, but simply rested atop a waist-high pile of rock. have made such a noise. It had no body attached, but simply rested atop a waist-high pile of rock.

As I gazed at the head, my skin all ap.r.i.c.kle, it suddenly rolled forward. It did an odd bit of a somersault, face first, the ragged stump of its neck swinging toward the sky. I let out a gasp and sprang up as it dropped off the edge. It clomped the ground. It rolled straight at me.

I was in such a state that I dang near shot it. But I held fire and danced out of the way. Just as the head was about to b.u.mp into the horse's saddle, a coyote dashed out from behind the rocks, s.n.a.t.c.hed it up by the face and scampered off with it.

Well, I'd had enough, and raced for our hiding place. I dropped down behind the boulder, all breathless.

”Good job,” Jesse whispered.

”b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l.”

She rubbed the back of my neck. After a while, she took the canteen and water bag from me and shook them. ”We're all set, now. All we gotta do is bide our time.”

She resumed her position, leaning forward against the boulder with her rifle at her shoulder. Once I was able to breathe right, I picked up my Winchester and joined her.

Nothing seemed to be moving, in among the dead. The coyote must've skedaddled.

Now that the sun had been down for a spell, the night was taking on a chill. There were likely a pa.s.sel of bedrolls and blankets on the horses. I judged I'd rather freeze, though, than go out and fetch any such thing. So I kept still about them.

By and by, Jesse whispered, ”Maybe he ain't in in that cave. He mighta rode off before we ever got here.” that cave. He mighta rode off before we ever got here.”

”Why's the horse there, then?”

”Could be he just didn't kill it. No telling why.”

”It might not be his,” I admitted.

”What we oughta do is take a look in the cave.”

”Are you daft?”

”Beats waiting. If he's inside, that's where he's likely gonna stay. Least till morning. If he aimed to ride off tonight, he woulda done it by now.”

”No reason we we can't wait till morning,” I said. ”Whenever he pops out's fine with me. In fact, it would be considerably easier to pick him off come daylight.” can't wait till morning,” I said. ”Whenever he pops out's fine with me. In fact, it would be considerably easier to pick him off come daylight.”

”It'd be easier easier if he's asleep.” if he's asleep.”

”He might not be be asleep,” I pointed out. asleep,” I pointed out.

”Well, he might not be in there at all. But if he is, he ain't likely to stay awake all night. We oughta go and sneak in, see if we can't catch him snoozing. We can fill him with lead before he gets his eyes open.”

I gazed off at the cave's black opening. It was a narrow slot, not much wider than my shoulders, too low to walk through upright. We'd need to duck down and go in one at a time.

If we went in at all.

Spite of Jesse's logic, I wasn't at all eager to embark on such a venture.

”What do you say?” she asked.

”I say we wait him out. We go walking into that cave, we're likely to get ourselves killed. Whittle might have his eyes on us right now. He might just be hoping we'll try such a thing, so he can get his hands on us. And his knife.”

Jesse looked at me and shook her head. ”Well,” she finally said. ”All right.”

”I just don't see any call to rush into danger when we might simply wait here and shoot him from ambush.”

”Okay. If that's how we're gonna play it, though, we might as well get some shut-eye. You wanta go first? I'll keep watch.”