Last Stand at Saber River - Leonard Elmore John - Страница 28

Duane stepped close to him again. “How much respect did you show my daughter?”

“What did Lorraine say I did?”

“She didn’t have to say anything. She was all night at your place.”

Janroe, near the edge of the platform, looked at Martha, but her eyes were on her husband. He noticed Duane’s gaze move to her then.

“You hear that Mrs. Cable? Your husband and my daughter.”

“He told me about it,” Martha said quietly.

“He told you, did he.” Duane’s mouth barely moved. “Did he tell you how he dragged Lorraine into that hut?” He turned on Cable and in the motion slashed the quirt across his face. “Did he tell you how he kept her there all night?” The quirt came back across Cable’s face. “How he threatened her and forced his will on her?” He swung on Cable again and again, hacking at Cable’s cheeks and forehead with the rawhide. Cable’s eyes were squeezed closed and he would turn his head with each stinging blow. But he was off balance, leaning forward awkwardly, and he was unable to turn his body with Austin holding his arm twisted behind him. Duane struck him eight times before his arm dropped heavily to his side.

“Did he tell you all that, Mrs. Cable?”

“He told me everything that happened.”

“His version.”

“If you’ve finished, Mr. Kidston, may I take my husband inside?”

Duane stared at Martha, his face tight as he held back the temper ready to flare out at her calm, quiet manner.

He said then, “If you want him, take him. Take him anywhere you like, but not back to your house. You’re finished here, and I believe you’re intelligent enough to realize it. If you think this is unjust, that’s too bad; your husband is lucky to be alive. I’ll tell you frankly, if it wasn’t for your children he would be dead now.”

Bill Dancey watched Martha, waiting for her to speak again; but Martha said nothing, her hand on the little girl close to her side. Dancey walked across the platform. Going down the steps he patted Davis’s shoulder, but the boy pulled away from him. Dancey mounted, then looked up at Duane.

“You’ve said it. What’re you waiting for?”

Duane still faced Martha. He ignored Dancey, and said, “This evening my men leave for the horse pastures. They’ll be gone one week. If you haven’t cleared out by the time they return, we will take your husband out and hang him. That’s my last warning, Mrs. Cable.”

Duane turned and marched stiffly down the steps to his horse. The Dodd brothers followed, almost reluctantly, both of them looking back at Cable as they mounted and rode out after Duane.

Janroe came away from the edge of the platform and studied Cable’s face closely. “Duane laid it on you, didn’t he?”

Cable said nothing. He felt Martha standing next to him now, but he continued to watch the riders. When they had finally crossed the river and started up the slope, he looked at Janroe.

“That one Duane called Jimmie-what did he do with my gun? Did you see?”

Janroe stepped to the edge of the platform again and looked down. “He dropped it right there.”

“Get it for me.”

Janroe seemed to smile. “I’d be glad to.”

Cable felt Martha’s hand on his arm. He looked at her, at her soft, clear expression, at her eyes that seemed moist, though he wasn’t sure if she was crying.

She said, “Cabe, come inside now.”

He followed her through the store, through the main room to the kitchen, then sat down while Martha went to the sink. She dipped water from a bucket into a kettle, and put the kettle on the stove to heat.

Clare and Davis appeared in the doorway, staring at their father until Martha noticed them and told them to go outside and play.

Cable looked up. “No, let them stay,” he said. He motioned to the children. They came in hesitantly, as if this man with the red welts across his face was someone neither of them had ever seen before. But when he smiled and held out his arms, both of them ran to him and pressed against his chest. He kissed Clare on the cheek, then Davis. The boy’s arms went around his neck and clung to him and Cable felt the knot in his stomach slowly begin to relax.

Martha poured the warm water into a basin. She carried it to the table, then leaned close to her husband and began bathing the swollen red marks that crossed both of his cheeks, his nose and his forehead. A bruise colored his cheekbone where Austin Dodd had hit him.

Cable’s eyes raised. “Where’s Sandy?”

“Still taking his nap.”

“I’m glad he didn’t see it.”

Martha said nothing. She moved the two children aside to give herself more room, then pressed the wet cloth gently to Cable’s forehead.

“The second time they’ve seen me beaten,” Cable said. “Beaten up twice in front of my children-standing there turning the other cheek while a man rawhides my face.”

Martha raised his chin with her hand. “Cabe, you don’t have to prove yourself to them. You’re their father.”

“Something they don’t have anything to say about.”

“They’d love you under any circumstance, you know that.”

“Then it’s a question of proving myself to me.”

Martha shook her head. “It isn’t a matter of principle, a question of whether or not you’re a man. This is something that affects the whole family. We want to go home and live in peace. Clare and Davis and even Sandy, we want what is rightfully ours, but we don’t want it without you.”

“Then you want to leave here,” Cable said.

“I didn’t say that. If we run away, we lose. But if we have to bury you, we lose even more.”

“Martha, I don’t have a choice.”

She leaned close to him with her hands on the arms of the chair. “Cabe, don’t go after them just because of what Duane did.”

“You know it’s more than that.”

“You were beaten up in front of the children. Right now that’s all you can think about.”

“Sooner or later this will be settled with guns,” Cable said. “It might as well be now.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Martha said urgently. “If we wait, if we can put it off-Cabe, something could happen that would solve everything!”

“Like what?”

She hesitated. “I’m not sure.”

“Martha, I’m awful tired of waiting.”

She looked at him intently. “You could go to Fort Buchanan. Put it up to the authorities.”

“You know who they’d side with.”

“But we’re not sure. Cabe, at least it’s worth trying.”

From the doorway Janroe said, “I’ve got the only way to solve your problem.” He extended Cable’s Walker Colt, holding it in the open palm of his hand. “Right here.”

Martha turned, looking at him coldly. “That would solve nothing.”

“All right,” Janroe said. “Go up to Buchanan. Tell the Yankees you’re a Rebel soldier come home to find a gang of Yankee horse-breakers using your land and threatening to hang you.” Janroe moved into the kitchen. “You know what they’d do? Supply the rope.”

Martha motioned the two children to the back door. She held it open for them, then, closing it behind them, looked at Janroe again.

“Mr. Janroe, I don’t think this concerns you.”

“Ask your husband whether it concerns me or not.” He stopped in front of Cable and handed him the revolver. “Right?”

Cable said nothing. He took the Walker and looked at it idly, holding it in both hands.

Janroe watched him. “You’re going back to your place?”

Cable nodded.

“That’s the right direction,” Janroe said mildly. His eyes remained on Cable’s lowered head. “Did you hear what Duane said about his men going off this evening? They’ll go over to some pastures Vern’s got way north and west of here and start working the herds home. Duane said they’d be gone a week.” Janroe shook his head. “They’ll be gone longer than that. And just Duane and maybe Vern will be home, just the two of them.”

Cable looked up. “You told me that once before.”

Janroe nodded. “And Duane confirmed it.” His voice lowered. “It would be easy for a man like you. Ride in there and take both of them.”