Chapter Forty-Eight
Speakin' a' the Marshal...
Jim Crown 'groaned' and tried to slide his jammed self away from the chunk of rock that was gouging into his busted--and so unbelievably sore--ribs. But he couldn't budge. Katelyn's trembling body was crammed in on top of his. And the woman's weight--together with his extremely weakened condition and their extremely tight quarters--kept the lawman's movements to a bare minimum. Which meant that--aside from blinking and breathing--the Marshal couldn't move! And--all the while--that piece of rock kept pressing--painfully--into his side. "...ah-ahh," he groaned again and tried--once more--to move his incredibly cramped carcass away from the cause of--most of--his misery. And--this time--the lady lifted herself up and allowed him to assume a less painful position. "You...all right?!" Crown anxiously inquired, upon exhaling a 'gasp' of relief.
"Ye-es!" his still somewhat shaken companion rather shakily replied, "At least...I think so. What about you?!"
"I been better..." her husband had to honestly admit. Then he clenched his jaw and allowed Katelyn to carefully extricate his used--and badly abused--body up out of the crevice they'd been jam-packed into for the past five--totally terrifyin'--minutes!
"Yore wounds have begun bleedin' again," his nurse solemnly announced. The lady lowered the leakin' lawman to the ground.
And he just sat there--gasping...and tryin' real ha-ard not to 'moa-oan'. Crown leaned carefully back up against that enormous outcropping of rock and cautiously looked around. His Honor an' his swarm a' hornets were nowhere's in sight. And--not surprisingly--neither was Wisper. He figured that fancy, flighty filly of his was already well on her way back ta town. He gazed glumly off to the East--where a glow was beginning to appear on the horizon. "Looks like that twister even scared the daylights out a' the sky-y!" he determined lightly--in a attempt to lighten the still tremblin' lady's rather sullen mood.
But it would take more than the mere promise of a few rays a' sunshine to make the moody woman smi-ile'. They needed to make a run for it! However, she doubted--seriously--whether her hurtin' husband could even sta-and! So--as far as Katelyn was concerned--there weren't nothin' ta 'smi-ile' about! "I'll go for help!" she decided, "I'll fetch yore deputies!"
"Once you're in the canyon--STAY THERE!" the Marshal ordered and passed his pretty rescuer his pistol--and two palms full of bullets--which he'd pulled from the pockets of his vest and shirt. "No matter WHAT!" he tacked on rather sternly.
The woman watched--in wide-eyed bewilderment--as her husband handed over his 'hat'--along with all of his spare cartridges. Certainly he had greater need of a gun than she-e! Unle-ess... "They've gone, haven't they! There's no one there! 'Cept for old man Adrian's gho-ost!" she added bitterly and stared down at the now unarmed man through blurring eyes.
"Go on!" Jim Crown gently urged, "Rutger's boys'll be comin' back..."
But, this time, it was the woman who couldn't budge. Did he really think she could je' leave him there--jes' like that?! Oh-oh, if only they had a horse! "Ah-ah!" the lady shrieked as something was suddenly pressed into the small of her back--something warm and soft--not cold and hard! "Wisper!" Katelyn cried as she turned around and stepped aside.
"Lancer?!" her startled husband stated--a bit more accurately. Then he slapped his Stetson back onto his head and slowly started getting to his feet, "Where did you come from, so-on?!"
"Who ca-ares?!" his suddenly deliriously happy wife wondered as she assisted the mystified--and unsteady--man up off'n the ground and then guided him over to where the stalk still animal stood. "Get on!" she ordered rather sharply. Then she plunked the 'Peace-Maker' back into its holster and helped the peace officer up into his seat.
"C'mon!" the horse's handcuffed owner called down, hearing the sound of several rapidly moving riders approaching from the south. The lady placed her hand in his--and was hauled up and laid across his lap, like an orphaned calf! The Marshal headed the horse towards the canyon's entrance and nudged it into high gear! Then he took a tight, two-fisted hold of his pistol, turned and--after taking careful ai-aim--began emptying it into their pursuers!
Katelyn--who was having the breath bounced out of her--looked back in time to see five of the fast-moving (and upside-down) figures go falling from their saddles. And all but one of the rest of Rutger's riders go scattering for cover.
Their lone pursuer shot past them just as they were approaching the canyon (He had approached from a much shorter angle.) and pulled his snorting steed to a stop--right smack dab in front of the entrance!
"Hang o-on!" Jim Crown shouted--above the sound of galloping hooves. They were about to make a tremendous leap of faith!
Katelyn screamed and closed her eyes. (The woman didn't want to witness the collision.)
But, just as Wisper loved to run, Lancer loved to jump. And so he did--sailing effortlessly up over the obstacle that was blocking their path! Lance' cleared the other horse--completely! However, his knees caught the judge's man just about at shoulder level and sent him crashing--and cursing--to the ground.
The leaper's landing--although quite smoo-ooth--caused both of his pained passengers to 'gasp' and 'groa-oan'! They then raced--unpursued--through the canyon's corridor, across its opening, and into the safety? of old man Adrian's mine's shaft, where they disappeared--er, were swallowed up--by darkness!
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"We would a had 'em, yer 'Honor'!" Clayton Stevens confidently stated as he came riding back up to where Rutgers sat--seething. "Hands do-own! If only that horse hadn't a' shown up!"
"How did that horse get here?!" the agitated judge angrily inquired, "And how did he get a GU-UN?! I thought I told you to search that woman!"
"I di-id!" Stevens vowed, "She was clea-ean! The horse must a' brung it to him!"
"Then who 'brung' him the ho-orse?!" the fuming magistrate suddenly demanded, "It didn't just blow in on the wi-ind!"
Stevens--and several of the growing group's other stragglers--stared blankly back at their boss--and shrugged.
"Well, don't just sit there!" his irate Honor strongly advised. "GO FIND OUT!"
And--once again--Rutgers' 'hornets' went 'swarming' obediently off.
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The height of the mine's main entrance was such that a fellah on foot could easily enter standing. But, somebody on horseback would have to duck. And so the mounted Marshal had ducked. However, once inside--where the main tunnel branched off in several directions--and the main shaft's ceiling was a good twenty feet above the mine's sloping floor, Lancer's rider remained doubled up in his saddle.
Which meant that Katelyn remained sort a' sandwiched in--between the lawman's leakin' chest and his lap. The lady just hung there--in the pitch blackness--listening to the sounds of their heaving lungs and pounding hearts. The nurse could tell by her husband's breathing that he was conscious. Their little flight seemed to have taken a lot of the fight out of him, however. So she laid there and let him rest--across her back. Katelyn stayed in that extremely awkward--and painful--position until she could no longer stand it. "Yer gonna hafta let me up," she gasped, "all the blood's rushin' ta my head!"
Her husband drew in a cautious breath--and obligingly straightened up in his seat.
"Ni-ice shootin'!" Katelyn commended as she raised herself up off'n his legs and carefully dropped to the ground. (She didn't want to step on any snakes--or whatever little varmints might be inhabiting the cool and damp--and incredibly da-ark--cave. Not to mention old man Adrian's gho-ost!)
"Thanks!" the marksman gasped--and cautiously released his held breath, "When yah have ta hit 16 diff'rent targets...and yah only got 18 bullets...yah tend ta try a little harder...ta make sure every shot counts."
"There's a rifle on the saddle there," the woman excitedly announced, "I felt it as I was slidin' off."
"I hope it's loaded," the lawman solemnly replied, "'Cuz there's still 11 of 'em out there...an' we're down ta our last dozen cartridges..."
"That bein' the ca-ase," Katelyn nervously exclaimed, "I hope I haven't lost any of 'em..." The worried sounding woman began digging bullets out of her dress pockets and passing them--in the dark--up to her equally worried husband.
Who began shoving them into the empty cartridge chamber of his Colt.
"Do no' fear, lass!" some unknown person--er, apparition in the dark--suddenly said, speaking with a discernibly Scottish 'brogue', "For--if it be .45 caliber you're in need of--we've got cases of them! As well as enuff food and fresh water ta last--at least--a month!"
"Ma-ac!" the completely astounded Marshal exclaimed. "What are you doin' here?!" he inquired as he quickly recovered his lost composure and lowered his semi-loaded gun.
"Obeying orders," Mac calmly replied and calmly struck up a match. Which he then used to light the torch in his left hand. The entire cavern lit up as the torch's flame flared into brilliant existence. Then, he turned to Jim Crown's lovely traveling companion and further stated, "If there is one thing that Ah have learned in these last five years, lassie--it is to always follow his honor's 'orders' to the letter!"
His 'honor' looked around the empty mine shaft. The prisoners were go-one! So Mac had to have gotten his message. "You must a' got my message..." Jim Crown said aloud, bringing that incredibly confusin' fact to the Scotsman's attention.
"A-Aye!" MacGregor admitted to the Marshal. Then, speaking once again to Katelyn, he added, "Bu-ut his honor's orders were: 'for me ta remain here until Ah heard from 'im that it was safe!" The Marshal's Chief Deputy turned back to his bewildered boss, "And the message that Mr. Fitzsimmons brought us said no such thing! The man merely said that Mareck had gotten his grubby hands on you, and that you had told Danny that you wanted the prisoners moved--immediately!" Mac turned to the little lady, looking extremely smug, "Ah realized, of course, that there could be but one reason for 'im ta have made such a request. The order ta move the prisoners obviously meant that his honor--and company--must be coming here--to the canyon! And so, here Ah am," the deputy declared rather dramatically, stepping right up to his boss and bowing, "your obedient servant!"
"I like yore line a' reasonin'!" Jim Crown informed his rather dramatic friend--and extended one of his cuffed hands to the crafty fellow--when he finally straightened up again.
"Me, too-oo!" Katelyn readily agreed and gave the Scotsman's left cheek a light peck. The woman had--previously--wanted to slug him one for giving her poor, already pounding heart such a...start! (MacGregor had 'scared the beejeebers' out of both of them!)
Mac kept the Marshal's cuffed hand in his. And--after passing Katelyn his torch--the deputy pulled out a key and used it to free both of his boss' wrists. "It's the company that Ah keep!" MacGregor modestly explained and motioned--with a toss of his head--towards her still-mounted--and rather dubious looking--husband.
The woman flashed the modest fellow a beautiful smile. (The lady could easily believe that!)
"Ah did no' mean ta frighten you," the cave dweller told his two visitors, "Ah jes' did no' want ta say anything until Ah was sure you were alone."
Katelyn smiled again and gave their compassionate--and honest--host another kiss--this time, on his other cheek.
"Speakin' a' whi-ich," the Marshal was forced to stop speakin' and catch his breath as MacGregor gently eased him down out of his saddle, "it's gettin' lighter...an' lighter out there," he anxiously surmised as he was carted over to the nearest rock wall and carefully lowered to the ground. "It...ain't gonna take 'em too long...ta figure out...jes'...how alo-one...we really are!" The lawman sat there for a few moments in silence. (He was holdin' his breath again.) Then he rested his back up against that rock wall and carefully drew his right leg up. "Somebody," he grimaced and gasped, "ought ta be standin' guard...They might decide...ta try an' rush the mine entrance...while it's still da-ark..." he gasped again and then placed his hat upon his bent knee. No doubt about it! This was turnin' out ta be one a' the lo-o-ongest nights of his li-ife!
Katelyn exchanged worried glances with the Marshal's Chief Deputy. The nurse then passed the man back his torch and knelt down to tend to the needs of her hurting--and still bleeding--husband.
Mac lowered the torch's handle into a metal bracket that was mounted up on the rock wall--just above the pained peace officer's position. Then he snatched that rifle from off'n his boss' saddle and--after making certain that it was indeed loaded--obediently assumed guard duty at the mine's main entrance. "Ah jes' put a fresh pot of coffee on ta brew," their host announced, "When you've a free moment, Mrs. Edwards, perhaps you could fetch us some?" Then, seeing the lady looking around the dank--and dark--cavern in confusion, Mac smiled and added, "Take the tunnel to yer right. About twenty yards down. You'll find the fire just around the first bend."
The woman returned his smile and willingly accepted her assignment.