Parts VI-VIII
Nick hadn�t waited for Bob Hoover to get the sheriff and a posse. Rage fueled by fear sent him riding hard for the ranch. In the main room of the house, he found Victoria and Addie tending Royce.
�What happened?�
Victoria was outwardly calm, but Nick knew her too well not to discern her terror. �Royce took Kate to the creek to wade this afternoon. Someone hit him over the head, and when he came to. . .�
Throwing aside the cold pack that Lupe had brought to stanch the bleeding wound on the back of his head, Royce tried to rise, swayed dizzily, and let Victoria guide him back to the settee. �I�ve got to go after them,� he muttered, but it was clear that he was incapable of crossing the room, much less the range.
�Wait for Bob to get back with the sheriff and a posse,� Addie said gently. �Bob knows every inch of this place�he�ll find her.�
�Did he take a horse?� Nick demanded.
�No�we checked that first,� Addie said.
�Then he couldn�t have gotten far on foot! I�m going. . .�
�Nick!� Victoria left her husband and cross the room. �You�re going to wait for Mr. Hoover and the sheriff.�
�Mother, every minute. . .�
�Nicholas�I said!� She returned to the settee and replaced the cold cloth on her husband�s head.
* * * * * * * *
Forty-five minutes later, the men gathered around the table in the dining room where Bob Hoover had rolled out a map of the ranch. �Which way d�you think he�d have gone from the creek?� asked the sheriff.
�Well, there�s a line shack north of there�about half a mile.�
�If he was on foot, then that�s the best bet.�
�He wouldn�t stop there!� Nick shouted. �He wouldn�t go there at all�if he�s got any sense! It�s too obvious!�
Bob studied the map. �Well, there are some old Indian caves northwest.�
Victoria gasped. �Not�not deep!�
�No�they�re pretty shallow, just rock shelters is all�except for one. It goes into the mountain about fifty yards, but there aren�t any tunnels.�
�Did your father know about them?� Nick put his face close to Bob�s.
�I don�t know what he knew, Mr. Barkley. He�s been here six months�don�t go much farther than the porch. . .�
�How about a gun?� asked the sheriff.
�He�he carries a hunting knife, that�s all.�
�That�s all?� Nick raged. �A gun, a knife, it�s all the same when you�ve got a little girl. . .� He stopped abruptly. �Mother. . .�
Victoria raised her face from Royce�s chest. �You can�t say anything I haven�t already thought of, Nick.�
�We�re wasting daylight!� Nick exploded. �Let�s split up, and. . .�
�Good idea,� said Bob Hoover quickly. �I think we should go north and west and meet.. .� His hand moved over the map. �Meet here�at the caves.�
Lupe�s husband came to the door. �The horses are ready.�
Bob nodded. �All right�let�s go.�
Royce picked up his hat and started out with the men. �Royce, you can�t. ..� Nick began. He looked at his mother for support, but she just stood there.
�Don�t tell me what I can�t do, Nick,� Royce said evenly. �Kate�s my daughter.� He turned to his wife. �Victoria, we�ll get her back, I swear.�
She touched his face. �I know,� she murmured. �I love you.�
* * * * * * * *
Kate had never really been afraid. In her almost-twelve years, she�d known only the love of her family and the security of her home. But she was afraid now. Even the terror of that afternoon last summer when she�d shot the rabid coyote couldn�t compare with what she was feeling now.
Her last sight of her father had been his unmoving body sprawled in the grass beside the creek. She supposed she�d lost consciousness, too, because when she became aware of her surroundings, she was lying face down on a cold stone floor in a dark place. Her whole body ached as she pushed herself to a sitting position and tried to look around, but it was too dark to see anything.
Her first thought was to try to find her way outside, but she decided against that. Someone would be looking for her. Papa would be coming unless�she pushed the thought away. She hadn�t heard a gunshot. Papa hadn�t been shot. He wasn�t dead. Oh, please, God, don�t let my Papa be dead!
She leaned against the wall and listened, but there was no sound anywhere. All right, it was dark, but she was alone�nothing�no one was there to hurt her. Papa would come for her. Papa and Nick. She would just wait. Shakily, she began to sing.
Sam Bass was born in Indiana, it was his native home,
And at the age of seventeen young Sam began to roam.
Sam first came out to Texas a cowboy for to be-
A kinder-hearted fellow you seldom ever see.
Sam used to deal in race-stock, one called the Denton mare;
He matched her in scrub races and took her to the fair.
Sam used to coin the money, and spent it just as free;
he always drank good whiskey wherever he might be.
Sam left the Collins ranch in the merry month of May,
With a herd of Texas cattle the Black Hills for to see;
Sold out in Custer City, and then got on a spree-
A harder set of cowboys you seldom ever see.
On their way back to Texas they robbed the U.P. train,
And then split up in couples and started out again;
Joe Collins and his partner were overtaken soon,
With all their hard-earned money they had to meet their doom.
* * * * * * * *
By midafternoon, the men were at the agreed-upon meeting place. They dismounted and drank from their canteens, letting the horses drink from the branch of the creek that ran through that area. Nick eyed Royce warily. �You all right?�
The older man nodded.
�You�re sure?�
�I�m going to get Kate, Nick.�
�Sure�sure, we�re gonna get her, Royce.�
Bob pushed back his hat. �I just happened to think�the cedar�s pretty thick around the creek about a mile from here. Make a good place to hide out, I guess.�
The sheriff screwed the cap back on his canteen. �Why don�t you check it out�and some of us will make some torches and go into the largest cave.�
Nick noticed that Bob seemed to be waiting on something. �I�ll come, too,� he said quickly.
Royce leaned his head briefly against his horse�s flank. �So will I.�
* * * * * * * *
As they approached the wooded area, Nick drew up. �We�ll leave the horses here and go in on foot.�
Bob took his rifle from its sling on his saddle. �I�ll go around that way�it thins out a little there.�
Nick nodded. �No shooting unless you have to�you might hit KatieBee.�
Royce stumbled a little as he started forward, and Nick caught his arm. �Royce, stay here by the horses. You don�t have a gun.�
�I don�t have my daughter either.� The anguish in his voice pierced Nick to the core.
�We�ll get her�if she�s there, we�ll get her, but we don�t know. . .� A flash of red among the trees cut him off. �Did you see that?�
�Kate! She was wearing a red waist!� Royce jerked away.
�No, wait, Royce! Wait!�
�Kate! Kate, it�s Papa! Where are you?�
Nick drew his gun. �Let her go, Hoover!�
�Ya got the wrong man!� a voice called back. �Name�s Cressy.�
Nick glanced sideways at Royce, who nodded. �That�s his name.�
�Let her go, Cressy!�
�Don�t have her!�
�Then where is she?�
�You want me, Cressy, not her!� Royce called. �For the love of God, she�s only a little girl!�
A chilling cackle emanated from the dimness. �Yer right�she ain�t ripe yet! Not like th� other one!�
�What�s he talking about?� Nick asked.
�Now th� other one�she was real nice, Wardell. I took my turn first when she was fresh, y�see. Twice. Then I let th� others have her!�
Nick saw Royce�s fists clinching and unclinching in helpless rage.
�An� �fore we left, I took this here knife�yeah, I got it back when I got sprung last year cuz they never knew whut I used it fer�I took this here knife and. . .� He cackled wildly. �Too bad y�never saw whut I could do with a knife!�
�Where�s my daughter, Cressy? Where�s Kate?�
�Tol� ya�I don�t got her! Never seen her since yestiddy.�
Nick�s jaw dropped. �I thought. . .�
�I didn�t see who hit me,� Royce murmured.
�I figured. . .�
�So did I.�
Part VII
Victoria accepted the glass of lemonade from Lupe, but she couldn�t sit down. Continuing to stare out the window, she inwardly cursed the desolate land they�d come to only one short week ago. �Texas,� she murmured. �It is worse than Hell.�
Addie Hoover touched her arm. �Why don�t you sit down, Mrs. Wardell?�
�I can�t�I keep thinking it�s all a bad dream and that they�ll come riding up in a few minutes�my husband and my son with Kate riding between them, laughing at some exciting adventure. . .calling out to me that I�ll never guess. . .� Victoria�s voice broke.
�They�ll be back, Mrs. Wardell.�
Victoria turned. �You�ve been so kind, Mrs. Hoover,� she began, but something in the woman�s expression cut her off.
�They�ll be back�just not the way you�re thinking�hoping.�
�What are you talking about?�
�There�s going to be a terrible tragedy, you see�and then, afterwards, you�ll be so unstrung by all of it, there�ll be another. We�ll find you floating in the creek where you threw yourself, unable to bear the loss of your family.�
The glass almost slipped from Victoria�s fingers. She set it down carefully. �Please explain yourself, Mrs. Hoover.�
The woman moved toward the door of the main room and closed it softly. �It�s very simple, Mrs. Wardell. Bob and I have been here a long time taking care of this place for its absentee landlords�it�s ours by rights, wouldn�t you say?�
�You obviously think so.�
The younger woman smiled. �Yes, I do. We both do. And it will be. You see, we were able to get hold of a copy of Judge Lyles� will�and it specifically states that if your husband and his heirs cannot inherit the ranch, then it becomes ours by default. You didn�t know that, did you?�
�No.� Victoria sat down, more to lull Addie Hoover into thinking she was calm than to calm herself. �No, I didn�t. We only received notification from his lawyer that Royce had inherited this ranch.�
�And now he�s going to sell it�or he was. Theodore Emerson is rich�like you�like the Barkleys. And he�s nobody�s fool. He�ll get that independent appraisal, and there�ll be people here looking at everything�even my books.�
�Royce said the books were in perfect order.�
�Oh, they are�the ones that he saw. There�s a third set, of course�ours, Bob�s and mine�showing what we�ve taken. It was no more than we deserved�no one�s ever actually paid Bob what he deserved.�
�So you skimmed the profits.�
Addie laughed. �That�s right. And no one ever knew.�
�But you felt you couldn�t continue with a new owner.�
�Not one that lives on the place. He�d keep his own books.�
�I see.�
�It was meant to be�I knew that when I found out about the connection between Bob�s father and your husband. It will be so convenient for him to shoulder to blame.�
�And go back to prison?�
She shook her head. �No�no, he�ll be part of the tragedy, too. Just an old man who hated your husband so much. . .�
�Where�where is Kate? Have you already killed her?�
�I don�t think so. It�s all got to play out according to plan�and with the sheriff here�brought by Bob�it will. There�ll never be any question about what happened.�
Victoria clasped her hands together tightly. She and Royce had drunk their cup of happiness, but Kate�she was only a child. Dear God, she deserved a chance to live!
* * * * * * * *
�Where�s my daughter, Cressy?� Royce called again.
�Dunno.�
�You�re lying!� Nick yelled.
�I don�t think he is,� Royce murmured.
Nick frowned. �Then who�s got her?�
Royce nodded to the right of the thicket. �He does.�
�Hoover?�
�There�s no one else.�
�But why?�
Royce shook his head. �And his wife is with Victoria.�
�Hoover! You hear me, Hoover?�
There was a slight movement. �I hear you, Barkley. We found him!�
�What kind of game are you playin�?�
There was a brief silence, and then Bob Hoover stepped into full view. �A game I�m going to win,� he said. �This ranch should be mine by rights�I�m the one who�s kept it goin� all these years. All you�ll do is sell it off again, Wardell�but Emerson won�t live a thousand miles away, y�see. He�ll live here�and know what goes on.�
�Just what does go on, Mr. Hoover?� Royce said.
�Y�think I�ve been paid for all the sweat I�ve put in this place? Not by a long shot! Got tired of it�so a few years ago�well, I told ya that Addie was good with numbers.�
Nick blew out his breath. �He�s been skimming the profits,� he said more to himself than to Royce.
�I don�t care about the money, Mr. Hoover. I want my daughter.�
�Sorry, Wardell, it don�t play out that way.�
�How does it play out, you. . .� Nick took a step forward but stopped as Bob Hoover raised his rifle.
�Whut ya doin�, boy?� Shad Cressy asked, showing himself.
�Nuthin� I learned from you, old man�I ain�t gonna get caught like you did.�
The old man cackled. �Mebbe.�
�My daughter, Mr. Hoover. Give me my daughter, and we�ll forget this ever happened.�
�Can�t do it, Wardell.�
�If you fire that rifle, it�ll bring the sheriff and all the rest down here,� Nick said, playing for time, his gun still pointed toward Bob Hoover.
�That�s right�and they�ll see what happened. Th� old man got my gun and killed the two of you�and then I got yours and killed him.�
�I can fire before I drop,� Nick warned.
�Not straight�not with a bullet in your gut.�
�Nick, wait,� Royce pleaded. He stepped forward slightly. �All right, you�ve won this round. You can kill us�but let my wife and daughter go. They don�t know anything about all this.�
�Ya don�t get it, do ya? The ranch�ll be hers if you�re dead�and she�ll sell it, too. Told ya�don�t want an owner living on the place��sides, Addie figured out how to get a copy of the judge�s will. If you didn�t get the ranch for some reason, it went to me.�
�Then take it,� Royce said steadily. �I�ll give it to you.�
Bob Hoover laughed. �And just how long d�ya think I�d keep it with you still alive?�
�Royce, I can take him,� Nick muttered under his breath.
The older man shook his head. �Wait.� He took another step forward. �Is Kate still alive? Victoria?�
�Fer now. Soon as I get finished here, I�ll take care of th� little girl. See, the old man killed her, didn�t he? And all he had was a knife�so I gotta do it that way.�
Even five feet away, Nick was sure he could feel the tremor that ran through Royce�s body, but the man�s ramrod straight posture didn�t waiver.
�And my wife?�
�Oh, she�ll go mad�wimmen do that, don�t they? She�ll throw herself in the creek and drown when she finds out what happened.�
�Hoover, you�ll rot in hell for this!� Nick screamed.
The old man cackled again. �Ha! Didn�t think ya had it in ya, boy!�
�You�re dead, too, Cressy!� Nick called out. �Didn�t ya hear him?�
�We all gotta die sometime. Just one thing�I wanta see him die first.� One bony finger shot out in Royce�s direction.
There was a movement in the thicket behind Bob Hoover and his father. �Behind you!� Nick shouted.
Instinctively, Hoover whirled and fired�and a white-tailed deer bounded away. Nick fired, too, and the man dropped where he stood. Royce started to run. �Nick! He�s the only one who knows where Kate is!�
Turning the man�s body over, Royce shuddered and slumped to his knees in defeat. The man was dead, and the knowledge of Kate�s whereabouts had died with him.
* * * * * * * *
Shad Cressy shuffled through the grass to stand over his son�s body. �Bloody fool!�
Leading the horses, Nick joined them. �Cressy, if you know anything about the girl, you�d better start talkin�!�
�Nah�nah�I dunno anythin�. Mebbe th� caves. . .�
�The sheriff and his men are searching them now.�
Royce looked up. �He wouldn�t have let them search if that�s where she was, Nick.�
Cressy stroked his chin thoughtfully. �Thar�s anuther one�over yonder�sorta off ta itself.�
Nick reached down and helped Royce to his feet. �You better hope that�s where she is, old man. Royce, get Hoover�s gun.� Nick picked up the rifle.
�How far, old man?�
Cressy pointed. ��Bout fifty yards.�
�How do you know about it?� Royce asked slowly. �You�ve only been here six months.�
�I done some ridin� along.�
Royce leaned down and removed Bob Hoover�s gun from its holster, tucking it in his belt. �All right�let�s go.�
* * * * * * * *
The three men waded through the knee-high grass, skirting the thicket. A low rock overhang jutted from the side of the hidden hill. �That�s it!� Nick said.
Nearing physical and mental exhaustion, Royce managed to keep up with the younger man until they reached the opening of the cave. �Kate! Kate, it�s Papa!� he called, fighting for breath.
�Wait,� Nick said, holding up his hand. �Listen.�
There was the faint sound of singing.
Sam Bass was born in Indiana, it was his native home,
And at the age of seventeen young Sam began to roam.
Sam first came out to Texas a cowboy for to be-
A kinder-hearted fellow you seldom ever see.
A grin spread over Nick�s face. �That�s her! It�s KatieBee! Keep singin�, darlin��we�re comin�!�
�Papa? Nick?� A small voice echoed from within the rock walls.
�We�re here, Kate!�
�Let me go in, Royce,� Nick said. �It might be rough goin�. I�ll get her.�
Before he�d gone fifty feet, Kate�s small wiry body came hurtling through the darkness.
�Nick! Oh, Nick! I knew you and Papa would come!�
He scooped her up in his arms and started back toward the light. What he saw as he emerged made his blood freeze. Royce was leaning wearily against the rock wall, and behind him, Shad Cressy�s knife glinted in the late afternoon sun. And Nick had holstered his gun to carry Kate.
Part VIII
�Royce! Look out!� Nick set Kate on her feet and pushed her aside.
�Papa!�
Royce spun around, instinctively lifting his arm to shield himself from the knife.
�Use the gun!� Nick screamed.
Royce grabbed for the gun in his belt. The knife slashed his raised arm, but in the process, he knocked it aside. It clattered against the rocks and disappeared.
Later Nick would describe the moment like the world was standin� still as Royce leveled the gun in Shad Cressy�s face, and Nick waited for the sound of the shot which never came. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, Royce hurled the gun into the brush and turned to gather his daughter in his arms.
With an agility belying his years, Cressy moved as if to retrieve the discarded weapon�and, instinctively, Nick fired. The hasty shot went wild, but as Nick stared incredulously, the old man turned chalk-white and collapsed. Crossing the short space, he felt the man�s neck for a pulse. There was none.
Royce was still holding Kate in his arms, the blood from his wound darkening her red shirtwaist, when the sheriff and his men thundered into view.
* * * * * * * *
Victoria had done her share of waiting in sixty-two years. Waited for Tom Barkley to take her to California. Waited for grain to grow and cattle to fatten and for checks to be written for their sale. Waited for her children to be born and for her husband to return from his many business trips. Waited for his coffin to be lowered into the grave. Waited and wondered if there was any meaning to be found again in her life.
But this day had been the longest and the most agonizing. Hearing the horses, she ran to the window�not wanting to see the bodies of her beloved husband and children tied to empty saddles�but unable to keep herself from looking and knowing the worst.
And then she saw them�Nick riding beside Royce who held Kate in front of him. Her hand flew to her mouth. �Oh, God,� she gasped. �Oh, thank You!�
For a moment, there seemed to be no strength in her legs, but somehow she backed away from the window. Turning, she realized that Addie Hoover was gone. Then she found herself on the veranda with her daughter clinging to her neck�and her husband, one oozing arm hanging limply at his side, holding her hand.
* * * * * * * *
Dr. Lewis snapped shut his worn black bag. �Just watch for infection, Mrs. Wardell�the wounds themselves aren�t too serious. He lost some blood, of course, and needs to rest.� He squatted down beside the settee where Kate was pressed as close as possible to her father�s side. �Now, Miss Kate, what about you?�
�I�m all right,� she said firmly.
�You�re sure?�
She nodded.
�He�Bob Hoover didn�t hurt you?�
�I didn�t see him. I just woke up in that cave. It was cold, but. . .� She sat up and straightened her shoulders. �I just want my Papa to be all right.�
The doctor grinned. �Well, he�s going to be just fine. You and your mother will take good care of him, I�m sure.�
Kate smiled back. �We sure will!�
�Royce, don�t you want to lie down?� Victoria asked.
�In a little while, darling.� He reached across Kate to touch Victoria�s pale cheek. �Are you all right?�
�Of course. Yes, of course.� She read in his eyes that he knew she was lying.
He glanced at Nick who sat slumped in the chair beside the empty fireplace. �Nick?�
Nick startled. �What?�
�Thank you.�
Nick shook his head as if trying to clear it from some entanglement. �Why did you do it? He could�ve killed you! He meant to kill you!�
Royce closed his eyes. �I know.�
�You tossed that gun away like it was burnin� your hand!�
�Perhaps it was.�
Victoria touched his cheek.
Royce met her eyes briefly, and then looked back at Nick. �I�d have been sorry you had to be the one to do it, Nick. Perhaps it was God�s mercy for all of us that it happened the way it did.�
�It�s not that, it�s�it�s�hell, Royce, I�d a-blown his face through the back of his head!�
�No, you wouldn�t have, Nick,� Royce replied. �Not when it came down to it.�
When Kate shivered and buried her face in her father�s side, Victoria gathered her strength to take charge. �All right, I�m going to help you clean up, Royce, and then you�re going to lie down. Kate, I�d like for you to bathe and change, too.�
Kate got up obediently and started for the door, then stopped and looked back. �Papa, was it my fault? For talking to the man, I mean. I told him your name�and that you�d fought in the war�maybe he wouldn�t have known.�
�He knew, Kate precious. What he did�what the Hoovers did�that was their decision. You didn�t cause it. And we won�t dwell on it. The important this is that we�you and your mother and Nick and I�are all right.�
She nodded. �I love you, Papa.�
�I love you, too, precious Kate.�
She blew her mother a kiss and, stepping out into the long hall, found Lupe waiting for her.
* * * * * * * *
Nick hadn�t moved from the chair when Victoria returned almost two hours later. �They found Addie Hoover�in the creek�like she meant for you,� he said without looking up.
Victoria drew a sharp breath. �What happened?�
�Who knows? It�s over. Th� sheriff�s gone back ta town with th� �bodies, but he left a couple of men here. Said he�d feel better.�
Nick didn�t miss how his mother all but tumbled onto the settee and knew that shock was setting in. He leaned forward and took her hands between his.
�Mother, I don�t understand what happened down there this afternoon�maybe I don�t need to understand�but I�ve never seen a man refuse to kill to save his own life.�
�He was saving his life, Nick.�
Nick shook his head in confusion.
�And you�re right that you don�t need to understand.�
He smiled a little. �He�s�quite a man.�
�Yes.�
�That first Christmas�when I punched him in the barn�he didn�t fight back�not even with words.�
�That surprised you.�
�Yeah�yeah, I guess it did. Funny thing is, after seein� the way he handled himself this afternoon�I keep thinkin� he�s the bravest man I ever met.�
�Nick, barring anything unforeseen, we�ll live to raise Kate�but we can�t just be concerned with the now�we have to think about what she�ll remember about us�the influence we�ll have even when we�re not here. Royce would�ve counted his own life well lost rather than kill in cold blood, especially in front of Kate. He told me the knife was gone, and that Cressy couldn�t do anymore damage. Of course, he didn�t see him go for the gun, but he said if he�d shot Cressy, it would have been for revenge.�
�Didn�t the old devil have it coming�revenge, I mean?�
�No, not anymore.�
Nick frowned. �I just don�t understand.�
�I know you don�t, Nick. Let�s just leave it at that.�
He squeezed her hands gently. �Y�know, Duchess, I wouldn�t let it go for anybody but you.�
�Thank you, Nick.�
He got to his feet wearily. �I�m going to clean up, too. Lupe fix any supper?�
�She has something in the kitchen. I told her we wouldn�t sit down formally tonight.�
He kissed the top of his mother�s head as he passed. �You�re quite a woman, too, y�know.�
* * * * * * * *
Kate watched Nick as he helped hook the private car onto the train. �It would be easier if you were on the other side,� she said earnestly.
He grunted.
�If you were on the other side, you could. . .�
He lifted his head, which made contact with the iron railing at the end of the car, and yelped in pain. �Doggone it, KatieBee!�
Victoria bit back a smile. �Come, Kate, don�t pick on your brother.�
�But Mother, I�m just trying to help!�
�I don�t think he wants you to help, darling.�
�Darn right, I don�t need any cheeky little. . .�
Kate giggled and reached for her mother�s hand. �Fine,� she said, lifting her chin imperiously. �I�ll just take Mother�s iron fist and go.�
Victoria hurried Kate out of earshot but not before they both heard Nick sputtering, �Iron fist be hung! She needs the wooden spoon, that�s what! The wooden spoon, Mother! Do you hear me?�
Kate smiled smugly and began to sing.
Sam met his fate at Round Rock, July the twenty-first,
They pierced poor Sam with rifle balls and emptied out his purse,
Poor Sam he is a corpse and six foot under clay,
And Jackson's in the bushes trying to get away.
Royce paused in his directions to the men loading the luggage. �Kate, precious, didn�t I speak to you about singing such songs?�
�Yes, Papa.�
He winked at Victoria. �Perhaps Nick is right, Victoria. Perhaps the wooden spoon. . .�
�Papa!�
The sound of their mingled laughter was sweet music in Nick�s ears.
THE END