Part 5 (1/2)
He led the way into the stable, and moments later Croxton was as easy as they could make him on an improvised bed of straw and clean horse blankets. Dandy turned to them with Croxton's gun belt swinging free in his hand, still weighted down with two revolvers.
”You want these?”
Drew glanced at his two companions. His own carbine was gone; he had dropped it at the verge of the millpond when he had taken charge of Croxton. Boyd was without any weapons, and Kirby had only side arms.
Drew started to reach for the belt and then shook his head. If Sam was able to ride soon, he would need those. And the rest of them could take their chances at getting more arms. Boyd opened his mouth as if to protest, but he did not say anything as Drew refused the Colts.
”You keep 'em--for him.”
The ex-jockey nodded. ”Better be riding on, Mr. Rennie. They'll come looking, and I don't fancy having any fight here. With luck we'll get your friend on his feet all right and tight, and he can slip south when the dust is down a bit. But you'd better keep ahead of what can come down the pike now.”
Kirby moved, the spurs jangling musically on his boots. ”I've been thinkin' 'bout that theah road,” he announced. ”Any other trail outta heah we can take?”
”Cross the pasture--” Dandy directed with a thumb--”then a cornfield, and you'll hit the pike again. Cuts off about a mile.”
”That sounds right invitin'.” The Texan led the way back to the yard and their waiting mounts. ”Obliged to you, suh. Now,” he spoke to Drew, ”I'd say it's time to raise some dust. Ain't far to sundown, an' we oughta git some countryside between us an' them rip-snortin' javalinas--”
”Javalinas?” Drew heard Boyd repeat inquiringly.
”Kid--” the Texan reined his bay--”there is some mean things in this heah world. Theah is Comanches an' Apaches, an' a longhorn cow with a calf hid out in a thicket, an' a rattler, what's feelin' lowdown in his mind. An' theah's javalinas, the wild boars of the Rio country. Then theah's men what have had to ride fast on a day as hot as this, swallerin' dust an' thinkin' what they're gonna do when they catch up to them as they're chasin'; an' those men're 'bout as mean as the boars--”
Drew lifted his hand to Jim Dandy and followed the other two through the pasture gate. Now he grinned.
”You sound like one speakin' from experience--of bein' chased, that is.”
Kirby chuckled. ”I'm jus' a poor little Texas boy, suh. 'Course we do a bit of fast ridin'. Mostly though I've been on the other end, _doin'_ the chasin'. An' I know how it feels to eat dust an' git a mite riled doin' it. I'd say we could maybe help ourselves a bit though.”
”How?” Boyd asked eagerly.
”You”--Drew rounded on him--”can cut cross-country and get home!” There was nothing in Boyd's clothing or equipment to suggest that he had been a part of the now scattered raiders. ”If the Yankees stop you,” Drew continued, ”you can spin them a tale about riding out to see the fight.
And Major Forbes's name ought to help.”
Boyd's scowl was a black cloud on his grimy young face. ”I'm one of General Morgan's men.”
”Only a fool,” remarked Kirby, ”stops to argue with a mule, a skunk, a cook, or a boy what's run away to join the army. You figgerin' to take this kid home personal?”
”You'll have to tie me to a horse to do it!” Boyd flared up.
”No thanks for your help.” Drew frowned at Kirby, then turned to Boyd again. ”No, I can't take you back now. But I'll see that you do go back!”
Boyd laughed, high, with a reckless note. ”I'm comin' along.”
”As I was sayin',” Kirby returned to his half suggestion of moments before, ”we can see 'bout helpin' ourselves. Them Yankees are mighty particular 'bout their rigs; they carry 'nough to outfit a squad right on one trooper.”
Drew had already caught on. ”Stage an ambush?”
”Well, now, let's see.” Kirby looked down at his own gear, then critically inspected Drew and Boyd in turn. ”We could do with carbines.
Them blue bellies had them some right pretty-lookin' hardware--leastways them back by the river did. An' I don't see no ration bags on them theah hosses you two are ridin'. Yes, we could do with grub, an'
rifle-guns ... maybe some blue coats.... Say as how we was wearin' them we could ride up to some farm all polite an' nice an' maybe git asked in to rest a spell an' fill up on real fancy eats. I 'member back on the Ohio raid we came into this heah farm ... wasn't n.o.body round the place at all. We sashayed into the kitchen an' theah, jus' sittin' easylike an'
waitin' right on the table, was two or three pies! Ain't had me a taste since as good as them theah pies. But maybe with a blue coat on us we could do as well heah 'bouts.”