Part 59 (1/2)
”I know them well,” I said.
Jesse fingered the opening in her dungarees, apparently to check that she was properly covered. ”Whittle, he makes their Injun Joe look like a piker.”
”We're quite better armed than Tom and Becky.”
She nodded. ”Let's go and kill him.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE.
The Final Showdown ”Let's do some figuring first,” I said. ”He's bound to be waiting for us, you know.” I went to Jesse's side. She leaned against me, and I wrapped an arm across her back.
”That's a sight better,” she said. ”Now what've we got that needs figuring? Only just one way out. He likely is is laying for us, but he ain't much of a shot.” laying for us, but he ain't much of a shot.”
”He got you, didn't he?”
”We was pretty sizable targets, and he still missed four outa five.”
”He likely only hit you you by accident, anyhow.” by accident, anyhow.”
”We was both both shooting at him.” shooting at him.”
”He wants you alive, Jesse. You know...so he can...muck about with you.” I hated to tell her that, what with the remains of Whittle's handiwork all around us. But she needed to know the way of things.
Instead of looking troubled by the revelation, she smirked. ”Well, if he only hit me with a stray meant for you, he's a worse shot than I reckoned. We oughta just charge on ahead and blast him down.”
”That's a terrible idea.”
”I'll go first.”
”Are you daft?”
”You said your own self that he don't wanta shoot me. Not sure as you're right about that, but...”
”Anyway, there's no telling where he might be. We won't be able to see anything at all in the dark part.”
”We could take us a torch.”
”And light ourselves up for him?”
”Well, you got a better idea? Maybe we oughta just stay here and wait for him to die of old age. Course, my blood might all leak out while we're at it.”
We both looked down at her leg. Thick as the bandage was, some blood had already seeped through it.
I didn't know much about bullet wounds, but it seemed to me that Jesse ought to be lying down and keeping still. Give her blood a chance to quit running out. She wasn't about to do any such thing, though. Not while Whittle still needed killing.
”What we need,” I said, ”is a good trick.”
”One that'll get us through him?”
”Or lure him to us. us. Like the way McSween and I led that posse into the ambush, something along those lines.” Like the way McSween and I led that posse into the ambush, something along those lines.”
”He ain't likely to fall for any brand of tricks. He's a tricker, himself. Look how he got us in here with his screaming.”
That reminded me. ”Did you see that he was wearing a badge? Letting on to be a lawman?”
”Maybe he is is a lawman.” a lawman.”
Whittle a lawman? Odd as the notion seemed, I judged it was possible. Perhaps he'd actually led the posse up here to hunt down Apache Sam. That would go a long way toward explaining how he'd managed to kill the whole bunch. It's easy to kill folks that trust you.
”Perhaps he is above being tricked,” I admitted.
”We oughta just go. We'll play the hand that's dealt.”
”This isn't a card game, Jesse.”
”Well, I'm gonna fold if we don't do something quick. And I ain't bluffing.”
”Whittle!” I shouted toward the black opening. ”Whittle!”
He didn't answer.
”Jesse's. .h.i.t! You shot her in the leg.”
”Trying to trick him with the truth?” she whispered.
”You can have her!” I called. ”What'll you give me for her?”
Still, no answer came. But I figured he could hear me, figured I'd caught his interest. Not as he was likely to believe a word that came out of me.
”Give me your gun,” I told Jesse.
She looked at me odd, but handed it over.
”I've taken her gun!” I called out. ”I'm throwing it away.” I tossed it some distance. It struck the rock floor with a clatter, and skidded.
”Trevor!” she whispered, scowling.
”That was her six-gun, Whittle! She's unarmed, now. You can have her. For a hundred dollars. Whittle? Do you hear me?”
”It ain't gonna work,” she whispered.
”You've seen how beautiful she is! I only want a hundred dollars for her. She's worth a good deal more than that. Imagine the fine times you'll have with her.”
”Trevor!”
”Stripping her down to the skin. Having your first looks. Before you start cutting her.”