Yessir. We live close by, in Little Pit. Up yonder is where I buried my beloved wife and my other son when they died of smallpox. Hugg pointed to a nearby hill where he knew that there were two mounds without an inscription. The real story was that bodies of his spouse and his offspring had been left to rot in their old house in Louisiana. After having committed the crime he skipped town and was on the dodge. He pretended to choke back a sob, wiped away a non-existent tear and continued, Today wouldve been our anniversary. Sixteen years. So me and mboy came up here to spend some time with em. When it started to get dark we headed back home, but then we saw smoke coming from our town. Fearin the worst, we climbed this here mountain to figure out what was goin on. Thats when that man attacked us. He kept askin us about a gunslinger, but I didnt know what he was talkin about. We didn't know what to tell him, so he said he'd take us to some person named Lane who would make us talk." A half-truth was always better than an outright lie.
Lane... Lane Sadlann, I suppose, He said to himself. There we go - finally!
"What? I dont get it." Hugg tried to speculate.
"No, nothing that concerns you. I have to thank you, though. You saved me from having to retrieve the body of that outlaw over there. Now I dont have to, cause I've already gotten what I needed. Your faces dont seem to be on any wanted flyer, at least not from what I can recall. Anyhow, I still don't fully trust you, so youll have to come with me to my companys camp. If you are who you say you are, youve got nothing to worry about. Where did you leave your horses?
We dont have no horses, Sir. How great it would be to have one. We could cross this desert in a few hours.
I suspected as much. Damn! It would take us too long to get to the others at Cactus Cross. The man was cautiously aware that they could be in cahoots with the band of outlaws he was hunting. Therefore, in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises, he would have preferred to take them with him. Everything appeared to be pointing to the contrary, but in outlaw country one could never be too careful. On the other hand, he intended to get back to his companys camp as soon as possible to get the necessary reinforcements. If he was any bit the bounty hunter he once was he would have taken them out at even the slightest suspicion just to get them out of his way. However, he was a man of the law now, so he had to put aside the more cynical part of himself.
"Ok son, tie your father to that tree," he ordered, throwing him a rope. When he saw the young man hesitate, he added, "Don't worry. It's just a precaution. I have to do something first, then I'll come back and untie you. Look, I'll give you my blanket to keep the chill off."
Regrettably, Weasel did as he was told.
"Now, I have to tie you up too. I suggest that you dont do anything stupid or try to take off.
Im not takin off! Im not leavin my Paw, he whined, emulating the insufferable voice of Denner, the only other kid in Little Pit.
The lawman put his gun back into his holster and took him by the arm to tie him up. Without warning, Weasel planted a booted heel on his foot and tried to escape, but to no avail. The man's grip was firm. The only thing he got out of it was a curse, but it bought his father the one distracted moment he needed bash the mans head in with a rock. The boy was skilled at knot-tying, and the false knot was his specialty.
Did you kill him?
He look alive to you? The ill-fated mans eye was dangling from its socket.
"You couldve just knocked him out. After all, he did just save our hides.
Well, since youre so grateful to him, itll be you wholl go warn his buddies since he wont be able to. In these parts not many folks know who I am, but that dont mean theres nobody can identify me. If the Rangers could take out the outlaws, it would eliminate the threat.
1 This side of the law.
Damn it, his old man could have gone a little easier on him!
Before sending him off to approach the Rangers, poor Finns father had practically beaten him to a pulp in order to make his appearance more effective and believable. He probably didnt intend to go so hard on him, but just as appetite increases the more one eats, so the oaf grew a liking to pummeling the boy.
The general idea wasnt bad at all. While many Rangers were corrupt and opportunistic, it was still hard to find one who wouldnt jump at the opportunity to run to the aid of a poor, helpless boy who had been beaten senseless by outlaws. In the end, they were still just jackasses with a hero complex. Weasel struggled with the idea that adults could be so ignorant. He wasnt necessarily surprised by the naivety as much as he was surprised by the fact that they had survived for so many years in spite of it.
He arrived, winded and wheezing at Cactus Cross camp, but it was no act; he really was in bad shape. He fell forward and raised a hand, pleading for help, then unceremoniously face-planted into the dirt.
There were eight men. Right away one of them lifted him up and poured some water in his mouth to revive him.
Hey, kiddo, what happened to you? The man was massive and ungracious, but it was easy to see that he was trying to be gentle with him. Bingo! Here was the first aspiring hero.
He slowly opened his eyes and pretended to not be able to focus properly on his surroundings, then gave a couple of coughs and began to babble unintelligibly.
Come on, kid! Take another sip and talk slowly. Do you, or do you not, want us to help you?
Theyre gonna kill everybody! Maw! Paw! He said, rolling his eyes to the back of his head.
Whos gonna kill everybody? Where?
They lit the barn on fire! Gunslingers, on horseback. They shot to kill! They lined us all up in front of Joes old saloon. I cried and they beat me! He had to pretend to be recovering from the shock by slowly coming to his senses and giving sensible information.
"Damn, son! Speak up, now! Youre safe here, were the Law. Can you at least tell us where you came from?"
"From Little Pit, Sir!" He pulled himself together and breathed from his nose. "I was on the ground in terrible pain. Sean tried to shoot those bad guys from his attic and I went and hid in the saloons crawlspace. Then I crawled out the other side and ran off into the desert."
Much better! Now try to give me some more information about them, boy. Its important! Any detail you can give us will help. For starters, did you hear them say any names?
There was a guy they called Lane. He was the meanest; he beat up lots of people. Hes the one who did this to me.
Lane, you say? Very good, boy! In return for his story, he got a tender pat on the head that made his stomach turn. Hey! You guys hear? I think the kid may have found the Butcher Sadlann. Seems like Cardigan was right all along. Lets go!
"Well why didnt Cardigan come and tell us, then?" Objected a blond man who had been dozing near the campfire using a saddle as a pillow. He didnt seem to want to inconvenience himself too much by getting up.
"They couldve taken him out. Or worse, they mightve taken him prisoner to interrogate him. Admit it, youre flunking out because Sadlann gives you the willies!" He antagonized the blond man.
Hey, watch your mouth! Id break your face if I didnt have to get up to do it. I fully intend to get another couple hours of sleep. Besides, geezer, yesterday we busted our asses to follow the trail and now you expect me to saddle up again before dawn. Loyalty is all fine and good, but for the beans the government gives us, I aint in no hurry.
Hey, watch your mouth! Id break your face if I didnt have to get up to do it. I fully intend to get another couple hours of sleep. Besides, geezer, yesterday we busted our asses to follow the trail and now you expect me to saddle up again before dawn. Loyalty is all fine and good, but for the beans the government gives us, I aint in no hurry.
Pull yourself together, Rick. Get your ass up! We aint got time to waste! He insisted.
Who the hell do you think you are to boss me around? Piss off! The man turned away to go back to sleep.
"Come on! Youre gonna abandon us as soon as we get a chance to catch those bandits?"
"As soon as we get a chance to get shot by those bandits, more like."
"Gregorys right, now is not the time to dawdle." The new voice which chimed in was one of authority.
Yes, Captain! But since were not altogether certain how this bust is gonna go down, shouldnt one of us first report to the nearest command? As a precautionary measure, I mean. Maybe while Im at it, I can take this poor boy to the El Paso infirmary. Is it, or is it not, our duty to ensure the safety of the people? said the blond.
"You don't have to tell me the process, and it damn sure aint up to you to decide whos going to report to command. Your laziness borders on desertion. Anyway, if you care so much, by all means, coffee boiler, do as you like. Just bear in mind that this skulduggery is gonna cost you three weeks of salary, not counting the annulment of your rights to the bounty for those criminals. The captain scribbled two lines on a piece of paper, crumpled it, and threw it at the man on the ground. "Deputy Richard Keen, hereby enclosed are your sanctions."
"Dont you think youre blowing this out of proportion, James? Three weeks! All right, you've convinced me. Ill get up and come with you. He sat up.
Thats Captain Bluemann to you! Sorry, but its too late to change your mind. That was an order, not a suggestion. You will report back and so help me, if you dont hand over those sanctions, Ill write up a report that sends you straight to the gallows! I've had enough of you, good for nothing! The man was purple.
You commanders sure dont hesitate, do you? Scribble down two lines on a piece of paper and a poor Ranger loses several tens of dollars in salary. All this, after days of hard work! Rick complained.
Quit your bellyaching and remember what I said! Men, rattle your hocks and get going! The law calls! The captain mounted his horse, spurred him on and ventured off into the desert followed by the others.
"Scalawags!" The blond man spat, passing a hand over his face. He got up very slowly, despite having a strong physique. He yawned, had a good stretch, and with a sudden leap, was on top of Weasel.
"So brat, spit it out!" He threatened, grabbing him by his unruly hair as though he were yanking a yucca plant out of the squalid earth.
"But Sir, I dont know what youre talking about!" Finn made his voice tremble.
"Look here, little shit! You can pull the wool over the eyes of that windbag James or that nitwit Greg, but not me. First off, theres no way you couldve made it this far. Second, there aint a chance in hell those outlaws wouldve missed a little whelp like you right under their noses. Finally, I know how Lane Sadlaan works. Hes refined, a perfectionist. I would almost say hes a master of pain. His victims are not simply beaten, but meticulously mutilated, he said, his tone held a note of esteem.
"Didnt you hear the officer?" contested Finn. The guy was not the sluggard he appeared to be. In terms of hostility, he was shaping up to be quite the adversary. If he wanted to win him over, he had to keep quiet and listen as much as possible in order to discern his intentions and act accordingly. He stayed silent a few moments.
Snake got your tongue, huh? Looks like I nailed it! Alright then, Ill help you out a little. Lets see how much my theory proves true. Youre probably spooked, and I have a hunch as to why. Ive come pretty close to the collecting the beans that you never would have dared to spill because youre aiming to be a man of your word! He was smart, but he was underestimating him. As such, he was making the mistake of talking too much. When playing poker, one must take care that the opponent does not see their hand. This the man knew very well, but what he did not realize was that his most worthy opponent was the brat which he currently had by the hair. In the land of jackals, an emaciated appearance and timid demeanor would have been taken for shortcomings, but the boy had learned to use them to his advantage in order to appear harmless.
Let's begin. Lane and his men showed up at your town and lit it on fire. This I dont doubt. Now, whats not clear to me is the motivation behind it. Cant you throw me a little bone? You do something to piss him off?
At this point he had to conjure a half-truth, otherwise he would start to be suspicious.
Before they got there, someone else showed up. He had a nice hat and nice boots. Also, as soon as he got to the watering hole, he pulled out what looked like a gold pocket watch and checked the time. Studd thought he could have other valuables with him, so he shot him to get his stuff. They did end up finding some valuables on him, which caused a whole heap of people to rush in and grab for em. Not long after, the mans cronies arrived. There were nine of em and they did everything I told you before."
Lookie there, now the story is starting to make some sense! They feared they had the law on their trail in Little Pit, so they sent one of them to check; perhaps the least known face. Evidently, the guy didn't know that its never a good idea to show a pack of hungry dogs a nice, juicy steak. Well, since youve started to cooperate, Ill help you out a little. In my opinion, you were sent here by Sadlann's band. They forced you to put on this little show to set a trap, and to make sure you dont do anything funny, theyre holding your family hostage. Am I right? It was clear that Blondie had been able to draw the most plausible conclusion from the clues at his disposal. A battered boy was the perfect bait. Ironically enough, his father had also thought the same thing. Fortunately, there was no evidence that would lead the man to conclude that one of the criminals had escaped by pocketing all the loot. Plus, the truth was even more arbitrary and beyond believing than anyone could invent.
Finn's silence was taken as a hesitating affirmation. If the answer was no, he would have responded immediately. He wanted to give the impression of wanting to talk, but being scared to do so. It was working.
"Here, see... I said it. You didn't spill anything. His grip on his hair was matting it. "So let's keep playing this little game. If you are here, it means that someone told them where we were. Did you see any hostages?"
Silence was the best way to make him keep exposing his cards and it was exactly what Weasel kept doing.
"Mighty fine!" Although the cop hadnt received an answer, it was clear that he had been convinced that they had captured Cardigan and made him talk. "Now listen up, boy. I could still make it to my troop, warn them and stop the ambush."
"No! Im begging you, if something goes wrong they would kill Paw, Maw and Emily! That was the icing on the cake.
The officer continued, "Or... I could leave my colleagues to their inauspicious fate, outnumbered and caught off-guard. I dont think they would come back in one piece. Blondie had sardonically placed his bets in favor of the outlaws. Reality, however, was quite different than what he was envisioning. They were not outnumbered, since the bandits had suffered the loss of two other men in addition to the one Blondie also was aware of. Then there was the fact that there was no trap at all, and the outlaws would be the ones caught off-guard by the Rangers.