The Laredo Kid had been on the trail for about an hour after leaving the sheriff behind. Travel had been slow going. It was hard to see the trail. The night was almost pitch black with no light from the sky above. There was no moon and the heavy cloud cover hid the stars. Laredo guided his horse carefully down the narrow road. He had ridden away from Sheriff Logan at a trot, but soon was forced to slow his mount to a walk. In this darkness he couldn’t afford to risk his horse stepping into a chuck hole. Fortunately, the road was in pretty good shape; fairly smooth and covered with gravel. However, The Kid knew he couldn’t stay on the trail for long. If anyone came after him, he could easily be found. At some point, he was going to have to leave the road and cut across country and either put as much distance as possible behind him or find some place to hide out for a while, until it was safe to move on. He could hardly see the trail now. All that told him he was still on it, was the brush growing on each side of the road, so he decided that as soon as he found a break in the undergrowth, he would veer off and see if he could lose himself, somewhere in the wilderness.
Another half mile down the road, the brush began to diminish and The Kid found an opening on the left side of the trail. He guided the horse, carefully off the trail. Open ground seemed to spread out before him and he urged his mount on. The land was hilly here and gradually sloped downward, The grass was wet with dew and the horse’s hoofs began to slide on the slickness. As the land fell away to the flat below, the horse suddenly stumbled a bit, then regained his footing.
Riding the horse in this darkness in strange land was too dicey. The Kid reined to a halt and stepped down from the saddle. He patted the horse’s neck reassuringly. Then, examined each of his legs. It was too dark to see if the horse had hurt himself, but Laredo ran a hand up and down each leg checking for any tenderness, swelling or bruises. There was none. He was fortunate this time, but he might not be so lucky again.
The Kid, still holding the reins, began to walk forward, checking the ground with his own steps and leading the horse behind.
Over the next fifteen minutes, progress had been painfully slow. Even if he walked all night, he couldn’t put enough distance behind him. He began to consider holing up for the rest of the night. He was tired. So very tired. And now he was beginning to acknowledge it. Not being used to drinking, the drinks he had had earlier, were playing on him now. The thought of curling up some where and sleeping awhile was becoming more appealing with every step.
He found a dry wash, hidden by trees on either side. There were several large boulders that clustered together at one spot, providing some sort of shelter. Here he picketed his horse behind the largest rock, where it wouldn’t be likely to be seen when daylight came; if he had not moved on by then.
He stripped off the saddle and saddle blanket, which he placed on the ground behind another boulder. Luckily, the horse he had borrowed from town had a slicker tied behind the saddle. He could use this to roll up in and go to sleep; which he promptly did as soon as he laid down.
As tired as he was though, he didn’t sleep long. Years of being on the dodge had taught him to sleep light and be wary of any change in sound or movement around him. He suddenly jerked wide awake. What was that? His pistol was in his hand and he was sitting up at full alert and pushing the slicker away from him. He listened intently for whatever it was that had awakened him. He heard nothing except a slight breeze rustling in the brush. The air had turned from cool to downright cold. He could feel the slight wind tugging his hair gently.
Maybe, he was imagining things, he told himself. But then he heard it again. The snap of a branch. The sound silenced just as quickly. A moment later, it sounded again followed by immediate silence. The Kid was now sure that someone or something was near. The sound had been fainter this time, but it did sound like a branch or twig snapping under a foot. Whether it was a human foot or an animal’s foot, Laredo did not know for sure, but he suspected it was human. Someone who did not want to be heard and was taking extra precaution each time a misstep had occurred.
Laredo rolled away from where he had been sleeping leaving the slicker bunched up to give the impression he was still there. He crawled to the other side of the rock and peered out in the direction of the sound he had heard and waited. Hopefully, whoever was out there had not seen him move away.
He waited for several minutes. No more sounds exuded. He waited a few minutes more and was just about ready to decide he had been jumping at shadows, when he saw it. A slight movement. Then another and another. A dark shadow was descending, slowly and silently down the side of the wash. He readied himself, aiming the pistol at the dark shape. He dared not ear the hammer back and cock weapon for he did not want the intruder to hear the tell tale click of it locking into place.
Minutes dragged by as the shadow rolled into the bed of the wash and raised up into a half crouching position. By now Laredo could make out the figure covered by a long duster and broad brimmed hat. He watched as the figure stood up and approached the campsite, stealthily. Whoever it was, was carrying a rifle.
He continued to watch as the intruder stepped within a foot of where Laredo had made his bed. The rifle was pointed downward.
With a sudden burst, The Kid pushed himself away from the rock and leaped toward the intruder. He drove his shoulder into the shadowed back and they both fell forward to the ground. The rifle fell free from the intruder’s hands as they both rolled away from it.
The Kid came up on top, pinning the intruder’s back to the ground. He shoved the barrel of his pistol against the intruders head; now the hammer clicked into place at full cock. The broad brimmed hat fell off revealing long hair. It was Belle Bonner.
“What the….?”Laredo muttered with surprise. “Belle? What the hell is this?” He pulled the muzzle of the weapon lower, no longer pressing into her skull.
“Well, if you’ll just take that hogleg away, I’ll tell you,” she said, her breath coming in gasps. Her eyes were still rolled down in their sockets eyeing the pistol barrel that was still inches from her face.
The Kid nodded, released the hammer, let it down slow and pulled it away. He rocked back on his heels and stood up. His gun was still in his hand, hanging straight down. “What’s the idea, sneaking up on me like that?” He demanded. “It’s a good way to get yourself killed.”
“Are you going to yell at me all night or are you going to help me up?” Belle countered.
“Since when did Belle Bonner need help from any man? You can get your own damn self up.”
“You sure do know how to treat a lady,” Belle said as she pretended to struggle to her feet.
“Yeah, well just point me to one and I’ll show you.” The Kid said acidly.
“You know what your problem is, don’t you? You just don’t know how to be grateful. I come all the way out here in the cold and dark, just to help you, and you slam a gun in my face, make me eat dirt and now you insult me. You’re just an ingrate. That’s what you are.”
“You came out here to help me?” The Kid queried. “Since when does Belle Bonner help anyone?” Then it occurred to him. Belle must know he’s The Laredo Kid. She came after him for the reward.
“The only reason you’d come out here is to collect a reward and that ain’t gonna happen.”
“Reward? Is there paper on you?” Belle seemed genuinely surprised. “I surely hope not. I wouldn’t want to have to take you in. You’re too nice a guy.”
Was she bluffing or did she not know who he was? Had he betrayed himself? Maybe he had been mistaken. Now he had to cover his mistake.
“No. I’m not wanted anywhere,” he lied. “I just figured you must have thought so. Why else would you follow me out here? And why were you sneaking up on me?”
Belle stepped closer and gazed up into his face, She could hardly see it in the shadows. “I wasn’t sneaking. I was just being careful. I didn’t want what just happened to happen. You proved me right. At least I’m still alive though.” Then her tone became more serious and
she added, “I came out here to tell you, Sheriff Logan is dead.” Gone was the early sparring and in its place was grim sincerity.
“Dead? What happened? How?”
“Clay Shaw shot him and I’m sure he’ll blame it on you.”
“Clay Shaw? Why would he kill Logan? He’s going to marry Logan’s daughter. That just doesn’t make sense,” The Kid muttered.
“Well, he did. And I saw him do it.”
“You saw him?”
“Yes. Listen to me. This is what happened. I saw you ride out of town with the sheriff. Shaw was coming out of the courthouse when you rode out. He got on a horse and followed you. I figured something was up, so I followed him.”
“By the time I caught up with him, he had met up with the sheriff. I rode into the brush where I could watch and listen. They were arguing and Clay said something about the reward he was going to get for catching The Laredo Kid. The sheriff said he wasn’t going to get it. Clay got mad and shot him. Then he loaded the sheriff’s body onto his horse and headed back to town. I figured he was going to blame you for it, so I came to let you know.”
Laredo remained silent for a moment, thinking and letting this new information sink into his tired and muddled brain. Logan must have told Shaw that Cliff Allen was not The Laredo Kid and that he was going back to town to tell the judge. Shaw, not wanting to miss out on the reward he had been waiting for, shot him to shut him up. Whether the hanging still went on tomorrow or not, the boy would still hang sometime. Laredo’s effort to save the young man had been in vain.
Belle didn’t wait for The Kid to say anything. “You’d better make tracks as far away from here as fast as you can, before Shaw gets up a posse after you,” she said.
“No. I don’t think so.” Laredo mused.
“You don’t think you need to get out of here?”
“No. I mean I don’t think he’ll bring a posse right away.”
“Why not? Why wouldn’t he?”
Maybe she really didn’t know about him after all. She didn’t seem to understand the significance of the prisoner known as The Laredo Kid. That Shaw would let the hangman get away so no one would find out that the wrong man was in jail. Shaw could still get his reward,
Laredo had not liked Clay Shaw from the beginning, but he was surprised to find out just how ruthless this man really was. He would kill a man and let an innocent man hang just to collect a mere ten thousand dollar reward. There had to be more to it. The man had to be downright evil.
“I can’t tell you that, right now, Belle,” The Kid said. There was a look in his eye that said he was on the verge of a fateful decision.
“Why? What is it?”
He couldn’t believe he was saying it. “I’ve got to go back to Plainview.”
“Go back? Why? Are you crazy?”
“Maybe I am,” he said softly. “But, I’ve got to.”
“No.” She gripped his arms and pleaded. “You can’t. Shaw will kill you on sight.”
“Maybe. Or just maybe, I might kill him.”
“That would be just as bad. For sure you’ll be a wanted man.”
Laredo forced a chuckle. “Then you can have first crack at the reward.”
*****
Chapter Eighteen