The Trailsman #294

Fargo and Stink rode through the nearly deserted streets and out into the countryside. They passed the whitewashed farmhouses and followed the road as it led through the trees and on into the hills.

They hadn’t ridden far out of town before Fargo suspected that they were being followed. He couldn’t have explained why he had that feeling, so he didn’t even bother to tell Stink. No use to scare him.

Whoever was following, if there was anyone, was keeping so far back that he couldn’t be seen. The mist that had been in the air earlier had turned into a light rain, making it hard to see very far at all.

For a while, Fargo wondered if Martha had decided to trail along, but he knew that wasn’t likely. It was someone else, and the only person he could think of who might have a reason to be tracking him was Custis Kane.

Fargo had no idea how Kane had gotten on his trail, and he didn’t suppose it mattered. He was back there, or someone was, and Fargo would just have to take that into account.

He didn’t much like the thought that he might be leading Kane right to the men he was supposed to kill, but on the other hand, it was nice to know where your enemies were. That way you could take care of them in your own time.

Fargo also thought about laying an ambush for Kane, but he didn’t know how much he could rely on Stink, and he didn’t know for sure that Kane was really the one trailing them. So he figured he’d just ride on to the cabin, warn the Bryans, and see what they wanted to do about Kane.

Fargo was beginning to develop an idea, but he’d have to talk it over with Hob and his brothers. They might not like it, but Fargo thought it might work out just fine.

They reached the cabin a little after noon, after leaving the main road, winding through the forest, and crossing the stream where Fargo had encountered the bear. It was no longer raining, but the sun was still behind the clouds, and the day was gray and unpleasant.

No smoke rose up from the cabin’s chimney, but Fargo knew the Bryans were still there.

“Nice spot,” Stink said. “It’s hard to find this place even if you know where it is. The posse never had a chance.”

Fargo turned around on the Ovaro, bracing himself with his hand on the cantle of the saddle. There was no sign of anyone on their trail, but he still sensed that someone was back there.

“Just sniffing the air. I like to get a sense of things before I walk into them.”

“You ain’t worried about the Bryan boys, are you? They’re all right. You don’t have to worry about them.”

Fargo said that was true, and he turned back to face the cabin, giving the Ovaro a little nudge with his heels.

When they reached the cabin, Hob stepped out of the door, a shotgun cradled in his arms.

“What’s going on, Fargo?” he said. “And what’re you bringing Stink Dugan here for? No offense, Stink, but we’re supposed to be hiding out.”

“Let us get these horses out of sight,” Fargo said, “and then I’ll tell you. You go on inside.”

Fargo and Stink rode around to the back of the cabin where the Bryans had built a little corral. They put the horses inside and went back around to the front of the cabin. The door was closed. Fargo pushed it open and went in.

Corby and Sam sat at the rickety table. Hob still held the shotgun.

Fargo said hello to all of them, and so did Stink. The Bryans didn’t seem happy to see them.

“You’re back mighty soon, Fargo,” Sam said. “We didn’t expect to see you this quick.”

“Things have moved pretty fast,” Fargo said. “Seems like the people that got you into this mess don’t want you to come back to town. Or go anywhere else, for that matter.”

“They want you killed,” Stink said. “They hired Custis Kane to do the job.”

“Shit,” Corby said. “I told you we should’ve gone to California.”

“I think Kane followed me and Stink today,” he told them.

“Shit,” Corby said again. “You mean you led him right to us?”

“I’m not sure it’s him, but yes, I did lead somebody here. He’s out there somewhere, hanging back.”

“I didn’t either,” Fargo said. “But he was back there, all right.”

“Say he is,” Hob said. “You still ain’t told us about your idea.”

“I think we should capture him. If it’s Kane, I’ll take him back to Portland and make him testify for you.”

“Damn,” Corby said. “That’s downright crazy talk. Who’d believe Custis Kane?”

“And even if you got him back to Portland,” Sam said, “he wouldn’t testify for us.”

“And if he did,” Hob said, “who the hell would believe him? There’s not a stack of Bibles anywhere in Portland high enough for him to swear so anybody would believe a word that comes out of his mouth.”

“I say we send Fargo to tell him that we’re leaving for California,” Corby said. “Tell him the judge and the others don’t have to worry about us anymore. Maybe then he won’t kill us.”

“We don’t run,” Hob said. He patted the butt of the shotgun. “And nobody’s gonna kill us.”

“You’re not thinking of catching him, are you, Hob?” Corby said.

Hob thought things over. “Kane hasn’t seen us yet. He doesn’t know we’re in this cabin. But if he sees us, and if he gets back to Portland, he’ll tell where we are.”

“He’s not going back to Portland,” Corby said. “Not while we’re still alive.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. So we’ll just have to kill him before he gets us.”

Fargo didn’t think much of that idea. No matter what kind of man Kane was, Fargo didn’t see the point of killing him for no reason.

“We got a reason,” Corby said when Fargo mentioned his reservations. “He’s here to kill us. We get him first, and then we get out of here. Orcutt’s not about to give up, no matter what happens to Kane.”

“We have to get him, whether you help us or not, Fargo,” Hob said. “You agree, Sam?”

“I came here with Fargo to warn you,” Stink said. “Other than that, I ain’t got a dog in this fight. You can do whatever the hell it is that you want to as far as I’m concerned.”

Fargo was sorry he’d led Kane there. He should have tackled him alone, or with Stink’s help. Now somebody was going to get killed, and Fargo was a part of it, whether he wanted to be or not.

“What’s your choice, Fargo?” Hob said. “You with us or against us?”

“I’m not either one. I don’t hold with killing for no reason.”

“Then you can sit down over there at the table. Get up and give him your seat, Corby.”

Corby got up, and Fargo took his chair. “You’re going about this all wrong,” he said.

“You got your opinions, I got mine. Stink, you sit in the other chair.”

“Now we’ll have to tie you up,” Hob said. “Seems inhospitable of us, but I don’t think we can trust you fellas. You might get some high-minded notion to stop us.”

“I did you a favor by going to Portland,” Fargo said. “You saved me when that bear mauled me, and I wanted to help you out. I was still trying to do that. Now you want to treat me like an enemy.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way about it,” Hob said, “but you’ve got the wrong idea about how to handle things. We’ll take care of this part of our business, and if you don’t want to go back to Portland again, then we’ll have to deal with the rest of it, too. Tie ’em up, boys.”

Sam and Corby found some pieces of rope. Corby took Fargo’s pistol and the Arkansas toothpick. Then he tied Fargo’s feet to the chair legs and then tied his hands behind him. Sam did the same with Stink while Corby put the knife and pistol up on a shelf across the room.

“I guess I can’t talk you out if it,” Fargo said, testing the ropes. Corby had tied them well. “But you might not get Kane. He might get you.”

“There’s three of us and one of him,” Hob said. “He won’t have a chance.”

The cabin had no back door, but there was a little window on the back wall. Hob pointed the shotgun at it. “We’ll go out that way,” he said. “Kane’ll be watching the front, so he won’t see us. Then we’ll find him and take care of him.”

Corby seemed to think that was a fine plan. Sam looked as if he had his doubts. But both of them climbed out the window. Hob handed out his shotgun and followed them. When he was outside, they looked back through the window.

“We’ll come back when we’re finished,” he told Fargo. “It won’t take long.”

His head disappeared, and all Fargo could see was the trees. One of the horses in the corral whinnied, and Fargo heard a woodpecker hammering on one of the trees somewhere, a hollow booming sound.

Stink said, “Those boys don’t know Custis Kane if they think they can take him so easy-like. I don’t think they can even take him at all.”

“Three of them,” Fargo said, straining at the ropes. “One of him.”

“Don’t matter. Kane’s mean enough for five men, and he’s smart, besides. I wouldn’t bet on any of them Bryans coming back.”

“That wouldn’t be so good for us, would it,” Fargo said.

“Nope. If Kane don’t come in and kill us after he’s done with ’em, which he probably will, then we’ll starve to death tied to these damn chairs.”

“Before the Bryans all get killed, and us along with ’em?”