Ask No Tomorrows Page 16

  They were only a few miles south of Dallas when shots were fired and Sam stuck his head out the window to see what was going on.

  “Looks like a hold-up. Just be very quiet and try not to panic or say too much,” Sam instructed everyone. “If we behave they’ll only take our jewelry and things, not our life.”

  “Our life? A hold-up?” the lady screeched. “Well, can’t you do something? Stop them?” She glanced at her husband who’d been silent almost the entire trip.

  The gentlemen pulled their pistols and Sam pulled Riley’s head down to protect her.

  Suddenly, a shot whizzed by and from the sound of it hit Nodog. Sam gazed out the window once more.

  Blood dripped from the driver’s seat.

  “I think they hit Nodog,” Sam whispered.

  Riley gasped. “Oh no…”

  The two gents fired out the window, the lady sank down beside Riley, holding her hat in place at the same time.

  “Does this happen often?” the woman asked Riley.

  “Only when they know there is money to be had,” Sam answered her.

  The driver suddenly fell from his seat and they watched him being dragged for several miles before the outlaws pulled the stage over.

  The woman screamed and Sam tried to put his hand over her mouth, but she fought him.

  The outlaws were fast to pull the stage over and stop the horses. Dust flew and for a few seconds no one could see what was going on. The outlaws busied themselves for several minutes with the heavy strong box, and were just as quick to unload the stage.

  The lady quivered, and raised her hands high above her head. Three men surrounded them now, eyeing each of them with interest. Riley stayed close to Sam. She knew he would know more what to do than any of the others, and she was thankful he had come with her once again.

  “Okay, unload that purse lady, and your jewelry. You gents throw those guns down,” one of the robbers instructed.

  “Did you see my dog?” Sam asked when he realized Nodog was no longer on the seat.

  “What’s left of him.” One of the outlaws laughed. “Yours?”

  “Yes.” Sam gritted his teeth as he spoke.

  “Well lookie here, this one doesn’t even have a gun. We got some real greenhornes this time.” One of the outlaws laughed at Riley.

  When all the valuables were collected, one of the outlaws turned to the other. “What you wanta do with them?”

  “Take the coach, leave them afoot. Doesn’t look like any of them can take care of themselves nor do us any harm. It’ll still take them a day or day and a half to get to Dallas. By then we’ll be long gone.”

  The others nodded.

  Riley narrowed in on one of them as she recognized or thought she recognized his spurs. But she knew letting them know about it, could mean her life, so she stayed silent. The one with the bright silver spurs looked like Harry. Could it be? Why would he involve himself in a stagecoach robbery? He had her ranch, wasn’t that enough?

  “Don’t you think we ought to tie them up at least, stall them getting back even more?”

  “All right. Tie ‘em to those trees over there,” the leader instructed. “From the looks of them, they are gonna have a hard time just getting loose.”

  Finally, with all of them tied to trees, the outlaws rode off, shooting their guns in the air and laughing at them.

  “My God,” the woman yelled. “Help! Someone, please help us!”

  Sam waited until they were gone a while before moving.

  He wiggled and moved about ‘til Riley figured out he was trying to reach something out of the leg of his pants. He finally dug out a knife and tried to get the knife in his hands. It took a lot of twisting and turning before he could get the knife turned so he could grab it with one hand. He had to kick the knife about to get it in just the right place. He had to twist his body in a million directions to get his hand around the knife well enough to control where he was cutting. Sweat peppered his forehead, Riley watched in fascination as the man she had come to trust was once again saving her and the fellow passengers. The two other men sat very still as though they’d lost all hope of getting loose.

  “Will someone rescue us?” the woman finally cried out.

  “They’ll discover the stage not arriving on time. And then they’ll send out a posse, I’m sure of it,” her husband reassured her with a sense of authority.

  “That may be, but we need water and food and rescue could take a day or two,” Sam replied as he cut the last of his own ropes and began freeing Riley.

  In less than a half hour they were all loose from the trees, but it was obvious the travelers were not experienced in self-survival. They stood around in a circle, all talking at once, and making no sense. The woman gave a hopeless shrug, the men shifted from one foot to the other restlessly as though they really didn’t know what to do now.

  Sam took charge quickly, Riley noticed. And despite his color they all listened to him for he was the only one offering any solutions to the problems they now faced.

  “Something I gotta do before we leave here.”

  “What?” Riley asked.

  “Bury my dog…” Sam informed her.

  Riley nodded. “Need some help?”

  “That would be nice.”

  The others stared at them, as though they’d lost their minds.

  “You’re worried about a dead dog…at a time like this?” the woman huffed.

  “Yes ma’am, I’ll be back and then we’ll travel toward Dallas and a creek,” Sam insisted, tipping his hat.

  Riley followed him.

  “Are you sure he’s…dead?” Riley asked.

  “I’m sure.”

  Sam stared at the stage, the door flopping open in the whistling wind, and Nodog slumped on the ground not far behind the stage. He’d been shot and killed.

  Sam drug him to the side of the road under a shade tree and checked the back of the stage for a shovel that was always handy. In an hour they had buried him.

  “Lord, he was a good dog, I’m sure you can take care of him now,” Sam uttered.

  “He was a very good dog, Sam,” Riley said, putting her hand on his arm.

  Sam looked down at Riley and sent her a passionate glance. “Thanks…”

  They slowly walked back to the others who were still milling about, and arguing.

  “We need to push on as it will be dark soon. We need to find water. The Trinity should be close now.”

  “We have to walk?” The woman stood still and waited for the answer.

  “‘Fraid so, ma’am. We need to be near water by nightfall,” Sam instructed.

  “Why can’t some of you men go get some and bring it back? Or one of you go for help?” she demanded, her hands on her hips.

  Sam sighed heavily. “Ma’am, no one man can carry enough water back for all of us and we can move closer to the river for our own needs. Water is our first priority, then food.”

  “But leaving the stage…wouldn’t it be wiser to stay here so they can find us?”

  “Depends on how thirsty you are, ma’am. No tellin’ how long it will take for someone to realize the stage is late and get out here.” Sam glanced at the woman as though she’d lost her mind. “I guess if you’ve a mind to, you could stay. But you might get awful thirsty.”

  “But walking…in this heat, with no water…”

  “Yes ma’am, I realize it is a strain, but we’ve got to try,” Sam insisted.

  “Is your man servant always so pushy?” The woman looked straight at Riley accusingly.

  Riley gathered what little gear she had and turned on the woman. “My man servant will save our lives, ma’am. He’s done it several times. It’s best if you listen to him. He was raised with the Indians; he knows more about survival than any of us, I’m sure.”

  The woman scowled, but gathered her things.

  “The less we carry the better,” Sam informed them.

  The other men nodded, and insisted the woman did not nee
d her luggage. They would come back for it later, once they were safe. The woman ignored them at first and tried to drag her luggage but soon gave it up along the way.

  The heat of the day weighed on them, but night fall would help.

  Riley tried her best to stay up with Sam, and the others followed.

  “Sam, I saw something familiar on one of those outlaws,” Riley whispered.

  “What?”

  “His spurs. Harry had fancy silver spurs like that, they jangled the same way.”

  Sam stopped for a minute. “Are you sure…?”

  “No, not completely, but enough to suspicion him,” she admitted. “I couldn’t be sure from his voice as it was muffled by his kerchief over his mouth. But he was built like Harry, and those spurs sure caught my attention.”

  “Well now, why would he pull such a hold-up when he’s got hold of the biggest ranch in the territory?” Sam argued.

  “I don’t know. I guess it doesn’t make much sense, does it?”

  “Not to me, but that don’t mean nothing.” Sam shook his head. Then as though he considered something else, he replied, “Could mean he needs money though.”

  “You don’t suppose he’s paying the taxes on the land so he can keep it legally, do you?”

  “That might explain it.” Sam nodded. “He’s sure trying to get that property if he is going to this much trouble. And there seems no end to the crimes he’s willing to commit to get it, killing your hired hand, chasing you, now possibly holding up a stage. Yes sir, I would say he is determined to have that land one way or another, and greedy enough to try anything. We can’t underestimate him again, Riley.”

  “Sam…you said you weren’t a gunman, but just how handy are you with a gun?” Riley asked as they trudged through brambles and underbrush.

  Sam stopped for only a second to smile at her. “It isn’t how fast you are Riley, but how little you hesitate to pull the trigger that really counts.”

  “And your hesitation?” She smiled back.

  “Let’s just say a black man can’t afford to hesitate.”

  Riley relaxed then, knowing that Sam could handle almost anything.

  By evening, the woman was dragging herself and ready to keel over. Unused to walking, she nearly fainted when they came upon some shade and collapsed there.

  Sam heard the rush of water and knew they were near enough so he didn’t push them any further.

  They all had water and Sam had some jerky wrapped in his kerchief so he shared that with the rest.

  “I’m sorry about Nodog, Sam,” Riley said as they lay down on the warm earth.

  “Yeah, he was a good dog. I’ll miss him, that’s for sure. I’ve had him for a long time, he was getting old.”

  Sleep came easily to them all and only a horse’s neigh brought them awake the next morning.

  A cowboy passed and saw them. “Hello folks, what has happened here?” he asked.

  “Stagecoach was held up,” Sam answered.

  “Well, where is it…the stage, I mean?” he asked as he chewed his tobacco and eyed them with open curiosity.

  “A few miles down the road. We walked to the river for water,” Sam explained.

  “Well, I’ll be. Guess I better ride back and tell someone to come pick you folks up,” the man said, holding his reins in his hands.

  “Could you take me with you? This heat is really getting to me,” the lady cried.

  The cowboy hesitated. “Well…I guess so. If’n you don’t mind riding behind me, ma’am.”

  “Really Laura, don’t you think you could wait with me until he returns?” her husband asked with frustration.

  “No…I can’t,” she persisted. “I don’t mind, I don’t mind at all. This heat is killing me…” she protested and went to move toward the cowboy.

  The cowboy pulled her up behind him, tipped his hat and hollered, “I’ll be back soon, folks.”

  Not more than a couple or three hours later, a wagon approached; they’d been rescued.

  Chapter Fourteen

  By the time they set foot in Dallas, it was nearly dark and they all had to give an accounting of the robbery. Riley didn’t mention that she thought she knew one of the culprits. She wanted to be sure before she incriminated Harry. After all, it would only be another stepping stone for him, if she were wrong. The deputy took their statements, as the Sheriff went to collect the stage and get any clues he could before nightfall.

  Hot, thirsty, and hungry, Sam and Riley headed for the nearest place to eat.

  Feeling the pull of Sam leaving her, Riley ate her dinner quietly.

  “You’re kinda quiet tonight, you that tired?” Sam asked.

  “I am pretty tired. Just thinking on all the things that have happened and wondering how it’s all gonna end.” Riley sighed heavily.

  Sam wiped his mouth, and sat back in his chair. “It’s gonna end in your favor, of course. You are the lady here. You are the one that was wronged. By tomorrow afternoon this could all be over for you. I’d think you’d be very happy about that.”

  “I get to thinkin’ about it and it all seems like some kind of dream. Harry suddenly wanting my ranch, and doing all he did. Us pulling off this charade. The tornado that nearly took us, meeting Mavis, now it’s all come to a head, like a festerin’ sore. The only thing I wasn’t expecting was that hold-up and them shooting Nodog.”

  Sam eyed her. “And as you know all sore’s must be opened to drain of the bad stuff, and to heal. Why didn’t you tell the Sheriff your suspicions about Harry and the hold-up?”

  “If I was wrong, it might help Harry convince others I’m crazy. Thought I’d wait and see if the Sheriff got any leads. Maybe I’ll mention it to him before I leave, I don’t know. But…It’s been a real adventure with you, Sam,” she said and looked up.

  “It has.” He smiled.

  “I don’t know how to begin to thank you, for all the help,” Riley began as tears clouded her vision, but she didn’t let them spill.

  “No thanks needed, Riley. Friends help friends, it’s an unwritten law.” Sam cleared his throat.

  “So I guess you’ll be headed west soon…” she mumbled.

  “I reckon…” Sam didn’t meet her searching gaze. “You still a mind to sell the ranch?”

  “Yes, I am. After all this, ranchin’ is sorta dull…” She almost choked on her unexpected laughter.

  Sam sent her an appreciative glance and a big smile. “I guess it is…”

  “So…how does Ethan Morgan measure up?” she asked with a laugh.

  “Quite the gentleman…you’ve grown into yourself, Riley.” Sam’s voice lowered a notch.

  “Ethan…” she quipped.

  “Ethan.” He laughed.

  “You didn’t eat much of your steak.” Sam eyed her plate.

  “Too tired. All I want now is to go to sleep…” She sighed.

  “Yeah, a good night’s sleep is what we both need,” Sam agreed.

  When they found a hotel, Riley didn’t want a double room, and asked for separate rooms from the clerk, but the clerk shook his head. “Cattlemen’s Association is having a big conference here tomorrow, we’re full up. Most of the hotels in town will be full. Got a double, that’s the best I can do fer ya, mister,” the short, beady-eyed desk clerk muttered.

  Riley sighed heavily, she didn’t want to spend maybe her last night with Sam in his room. She loved the man, and staying her distance had been hard the last few days. She hungered for another kiss, and talking him into staying with her. But the reality told her she wouldn’t win this one. Sam was bent on going west, and he must not love her, despite how she felt.

  Riley nodded to the clerk and they got their key.

  As they walked down the hall though, they passed Harry. Riley’s eyes widened and Sam watched her cover her face with her hand.

  Harry didn’t recognize her, he was half-drunk and boasting about something to his partner who was once her lawyer.

  As they went into the room, R
iley plopped on the edge of one bed and sighed loudly. “That was close.”

  “What?” Sam turned to look at her.

  “That bunch of loud cowboys, that was Harry and my ex-lawyer.”

  Sam came to stand in front of her. “What would he be doing here? Are you sure you aren’t seeing things, since he’s on your mind a lot these days?”

  Riley jumped up and met him almost nose to nose. “No, I’m not seeing things. It was Harry, I recognized him for sure, and my ex-lawyer. How could I forget him? Known the man for years.”

  “Then we got to hurry up and get things done. We’ll see the lawyer, get things straight once and for all, and since he’s in town for the conference, we could sneak back to your ranch for the rest of the money too. What do you think?”

  Riley eased away. “Sounds like a good plan if we can get things settled up in the morning with the lawyer here, and then we could get that money and be out of there.”

  “Why don’t you go ask the clerk how long the conference is gonna last and that way we’ll know how much time we got?” Sam suggested.

  “Good idea,” Riley replied and putting her bowler round atop of her she ambled back to the front desk.

  “Excuse me, but I was wondering exactly how long the conference is gonna go on?” she asked the clerk.

  The short thin clerk, with a handlebar mustache twitched then answered, “They’ll be here most of three days. Big buyers and the Railroad Commissioner will be here. They got lots of news for the ranchers this time. Big tadoo.”

  “Thank you.” Riley tipped her tap slightly.

  “No problem at all, sir.”

  The smell of tobacco and whiskey waifed through the large lobby leading off to the room where most of the conference was being held.

  Riley strolled outside for a moment; the air was full of dust as lots of ranchers were just now arriving for the conference. She went back to the room.

  Sam was shaving.

  “The conference is for three days, so we got time.” Riley came to stand beside him and watched his action with the knife. He had his shirt off and for some reason goosebumps rose on her arms.

  “Good. Looks like we can get it all done.” Sam finished, wiped his chin and turned to smile at her.