Riding the Timberline Read online

  ‘You said there were two reasons why you left?’

  Cassie’s shoulders dropped at the memory. When she looked up at Tyrell her eyes were brimful of tears. When she spoke even he could sense she was having difficulty coming to terms with the reason.

  ‘They killed Sarah. Because she tried to help me. They beat her so badly she died. In my arms, Will. Even after she died I wouldn’t let go. It took two of them to pull me away and they just left poor Sarah lying there in the dirt. After that I knew I had to leave...

  ‘Sarah and I became good friend during those weeks before she died. Truth be told she kept me out of trouble. I get a little tempestuous when I’m pushed.’ Cassie smiled. ‘I’m sure I don’t have to point that out to you.’

  Tyrell acknowledge with a tilt of his head. ‘You speak your mind, I’ll give you that.’

  ‘Dad says it’s why I’m still not married at twenty three. What do you think, Will Tyrell?’

  ‘Me? I’m no expert, but I’d venture the men in your part of the country don’t see a spirited woman when she’s right in front of them.’

  Cassie pondered that for a moment. ‘I do believe that was a compliment, Mr. Tyrell.’

  ‘Did you draw yourself into any trouble back then?’

  ‘Yes. A number of times. And took the beatings that followed. Other times Sarah managed to keep me quiet. But I walked into the kitchen one day and found Shelby attacking Sarah. He’d practically ripped her clothing off. It was plain what he was trying to do. I could smell the liquor on him. I just didn’t think. I took hold of his hair and dragged him off Sarah. He was screaming and kicking but much as he thought he was a big man, Shelby was skinny as a pole. I threw him out of the door and he ended up in the dirt outside. I knew he wasn’t going to let me get away with it. He started to get up, reaching for the knife he wore on his gunbelt. I took hold of a cast iron skillet from the hook by the door and went for him. Maybe if he hadn’t been drunk he would have been faster. It wasn’t until later I realized how stupid I’d been. I took that skillet and went after him. He pulled out that knife and I just swung that skillet and hit him. Kept swinging. Knocked out some teeth. Broke his nose and a cheekbone. Cut his face all over. Laid him out flat on the ground and I thought I’d killed him. But when Callender and some of the men showed up Shelby was sitting up moaning, holding his face in his hands and bleeding something awful.’

  ‘Still don’t understand, do you girl,’ Callender raged. ‘Can’t let go of that pride.’ He peeled off the heavy leather belt and cracked it with a snap of his hand. ‘I figured you was quieting down. Seems I been giving you too much rope to run with.’

  Cassie faced him head on. Inside she was shivering with fear, but true to what Callender had just said, her stubborn pride refused to let her cower in front of him.

  ‘You just do what you need to, Callender. Let them all see what a craven bully you are. I’m a woman. I can’t fight you face to face. If I was a man it would be different because I would be standing up to a spineless coward.’

  Callender lunged at her, a roar of anger bursting from his lips. The belt swung at Cassie, wrapping its length across her shoulders. Despite the dress she felt the burning pain, gasping but refusing to look away. Her defiance only enraged Callender and he lashed out again and again with the belt until Cassie’s body was burning with pain. His attack ceased as swiftly as it had begun. Sweat gleamed on his red face.

  The silence surrounding them made him turn and scan the impassive faces of the women. Their disdain for his actions could not have been stronger. For a moment Cassie saw uncertainty in his eyes. He coiled the belt around his fist, thrusting a finger in the direction of the moaning Shelby.

  ‘See to him,’ he ordered and a couple of his men bent over Shelby. ‘And tell him to keep his damned pecker in his pants from now on. And, you, missy, are walking so close to the edge I would take care. You heed me now. I’ll take no more from you.’

  He turned and strode away, leaving Cassie trembling, her body aflame from the beating. It was only after he had stomped his way across the compound and vanished inside his cabin that she gave in to the pain, tears spilling from her eyes.

  She felt a gentle hand on her arm. It was Sarah. Some of the other women were standing close by, understanding in their eyes.

  ‘Come inside. I’ll put something on your skin,’ Sarah said. As she led Cassie away she whispered, ‘What you did for me. I’ll not forget. Ever.’

  Days later Callender confronted Cassie as she walked across the compound, a heavy wooden pail of water slowing her progress.

  ‘It’s Sunday in three days. Make sure you’re cleaned up, girl.’ He made a vain effort to smile at her. ‘Don’t want you to shame me on our wedding day.’

  He walked away, leaving Cassie staring after his bulky figure. She was lost for words and didn’t recover them until she was back inside the kitchen. She told Sarah what Callender had said.

  ‘He doesn’t do that very often. Cassie, he’ll make you live in his cabin. You’ll have to tend to everything he wants. Being in there is worse than out here. His last two wives were both dead in six months.’

  ‘Then I’ll leave,’ Cassie said. ‘I won’t stay any longer.’

  ‘You’ll never escape. If you try they’ll catch you. They always track anyone who breaks away. And then they kill them.’

  ‘Sarah, I’d rather that happen than have to be any closer to Callender. But I’ll get away, find help and come back to get you all out of here.’

  Sarah realized there was nothing she could say to change Cassie’s mind. She accepted the inevitable as did all the women in the settlement.

  ‘Yes, Cassie.’

  Cassie found it hard to sleep that night. She lay listening to the sounds outside the cabin. The bark of one of the dogs that roamed around the compound. Men’s’ voices raised in raucous laughter. The distant sound of horses in the corral. A fleeting thought entered her mind.

  That was what she needed. A horse. It was the sensible answer to her problem. At the same time she understood however she managed her escape she was going to be placing herself at risk. Callender was not going to sit back and let her run off without pursuit. And every man in his crew was armed to the teeth. Cassie knew it was a risk she had to take. Her choices were minimal. Yet she chose the only one she could even consider practical.

  She had to leave.

  The next day was bright, few clouds in the sky. Out beyond the settlement Cassie could see the distant high peaks that formed a natural barrier behind the settlement. Thick with timber and sloping meadows of lush grass. Lonely, empty country. The sort of terrain a person could hide in.

  Mid-morning the heat was oppressive. Cassie stepped out of the kitchen to escape the heat from the ovens. She leaned against the timber wall of the building, easing her aching back.

  The first scream brought everyone to a halt. The sound tore through the air.

  ‘Get your dirty hands off me.’

  It was Sarah’s voice.

  Cassie saw her being dragged across the compound, towards the kitchen cabin.

  It was Shelby who had her by the hair and the moment he set his eyes on Cassie he began yelling at her.

  Since the previous incident Shelby had not been seen much. He spent his time in his cabin, drinking to dull the pain from the injuries Cassie had caused. Even now his appearance was shocking. His part healed face was covered in weeping scabs. His nose had been pushed out of place so he had trouble breathing through it. He was forced to breathe through his mouth, exposing the swollen gums and the gaps where he had lost teeth. He was unable to shave and his whiskers grew in odd patches.

  ‘I see you, bitch,’ he screamed at Cassie. ‘Goddam, bitch, look at me. You done this to me. You and this one.’ He launched a clumsy kick that slammed against Sarah’s hip. ‘Think I forgot did you? I ain’t never goin’ to forget. Lookin’ in a mirror will remind me. Bitches.’

  He stopped short of Cassie. Kicked out at Sarah aga
in and she curled up, clutching her stomach. Shelby let go of her hair, reaching down to slide his knife from its sheath. He waved it at Cassie.

  ‘When I’ve done no man’s ever going to want to look at you pair ever again,’ he screamed in his rage, spittle spraying from his mouth.

  He lunged at Cassie.

  Sarah pushed herself up from the dirt and made a grab for his leg, clinging on as she slowed Shelby’s advance. He let out another scream of frustrated rage, turning to Sarah. Cassie pushed away from the wall, slamming into Shelby. He tried to push her away but she caught hold of his knife wrist and tried to push it aside. She knew she wouldn’t be able to hold on for long. Shelby was lean and not overly powerful but he still had greater strength than Cassie. For long moments they struggled, Cassie feeling her grip slipping from Shelby’s wrist.

  The first shot startled Cassie because it was so close. It took her a few seconds to realize where it had come from.

  She felt Shelby step back from her. He had an odd look in his eyes.

  Rising to her feet Sarah pulled back the hammer of the revolver she had snatched from Shelby’s own holster.

  ‘No more,’ she said in a soft, toneless voice. ‘No damn more.’

  Shelby had dropped his knife. He was looking down at the blood spreading across his shirt where the first bullet had burned into his side. Then he looked at Sarah. She triggered a second shot, then kept cocking and firing the heavy pistol until she had used up the remaining shots. Shelby staggered under impact of the heavy .45 caliber slugs, two of them blowing out through his spine. He dropped into the dirt, moaning, his body shuddering violently.

  Sarah looked at the empty revolver in her hands, then let it drop. Members of the crew were closing in on her, anger on their faces as they rained savage blows on her. There was no mercy in their actions. They beat her bloody and when Sarah fell to the ground they used their heavy boots to kick here even more. They only stopped when Callender’s booming voice made them step back. By then Sarah was a curled and bloody figure.

  When Cassie dropped to her knees beside the young woman she could barely recognize Sarah through the blood covering her face. She cradled her friend to her, ignoring the blood.

  ‘I get to be free first,’ was all Sarah managed to whisper. That was all she said before she died.

  After they had dragged Cassie from the body, pinning her arms to her sides, Callender stood before her, hands on his hips.

  ‘You learned anything from this, girl?’

  ‘You’ll have to drag me kicking and screaming if you expect me to marry you.’

  ‘Sunday,’ he said. ‘Don’t be late.’ Then he turned and ordered his men to bury Sarah and Shelby. ‘Put them in the same grave,’ he said. ‘Make sure you put Shelby on top of her. That’s what he wanted.’

  The notion seemed to amuse him. He was laughing as he walked away.

  ‘I made my escape that night,’ Cassie said. ‘I knew I couldn’t stay in that place any longer. I took a knife from the kitchen. Hid it under my dress. Most nights the men spent time drinking some homemade whisky. By the early hours they were drunk and asleep. That night they held a wake for Shelby so the drinking was even heavier. It was well after midnight when I left the cabin and worked my way around the back of the buildings to the corral. I was going to take Callender’s Arabian stallion but it was a little on the frisky side, so I chose a Mustang. It was a hill bred animal. Used to the terrain. Good, dependable mount.’

  ‘Sounds the right choice.’

  ‘I waited until the night picket took himself to one of the other corrals to check the animals there. I didn’t have time to saddle up, so I just put on a bridle and reins, led that Mustang clear of the corral and walked him round back. I walked him out of the settlement until we were well clear and it was safe for me to climb aboard.’

  ‘No saddle?’

  Cassie shook her head. ‘Wasn’t the first time I’d ridden bareback. And that Mustang seemed to like it. We made good time before first light.’ She smiled. ‘He was a game animal. When he realized we were climbing into the high country it was like he was going home. I didn’t need to do anything except stay on his back.’

  ‘When did you lose him?’

  ‘Three days out. I thought I was doing well. I guess I got a little casual. I needed to rest. Hadn’t eaten. I found water. Took time rest but I forgot to tether the Mustang. When I woke he’d gone. I looked around for him but there was no sign. My own fault.’

  Tyrell took a look out the window. Saw the darkness had fallen.

  ‘Will, I feel bad about bringing you my problems,’ Cassie said. ‘If the Callenders show up it could mean trouble for you. They’re violent men. I saw them kill without a thought. It doesn’t seem fair to burden you...’

  ‘You let me worry about that.’ He added more logs to the stove. ‘So when did the leg break happen?’

  ‘No horse meant I had to walk. Nothing else for it. I knew the Callenders would be out looking for me so I just kept going. I walked as long as it was light. By then I had no idea where I was. I didn’t care. Just as long as I was free. The second day after I lost the Mustang I thought I saw riders on a ridge a long way off. I admit I panicked. Started to run. All I could think of was staying out of their reach. Lost my footing and fell down a steep slope. When I hit bottom I passed out. When I came to and tried to move I realized I’d broken my leg. I crawled as far as I could until the pain became too much.’ She reached out to put a hand on Tyrell’s arm. ‘That was when you found me.’

  ‘I’ve been thinking. That leg needs proper medical attention. There’s a town. Madison Springs. I used to live there. It’s the only place that has a good doctor. Doc Lanier. He’ll fix you up and at least we’ll be able to get you a place to stay while you mend. Get some sleep. We’ll head out come morning.’

  He turned from her then, suddenly quiet. His manner told her he had no more to say and Cassie had the feeling it was because he had been reminded of something he would rather have forgotten. The only thing he had mentioned was the town of Madison Springs.

  Was it the town?

  Had something happened to make him leave?

  Cassie watched him move around the cabin, tidying things away and washing the eating utensils, his back to her. He seemed to have withdrawn into himself. As if there was something on his mind he had no inclination to speak about. Whatever it was Cassie knew for sure it had nothing to do with the Callenders.

  Sheer exhaustion claimed Cassie and it was well after full light when she woke. She could smell coffee. The cot was warm and comfortable. Sometime while she slept Tyrell had worked a folded blanket beneath her splinted leg to support it. His kindness towards her made her guilty feelings even stronger, and she lay wondering just what trouble she might be bringing down on him.

  The cabin door swung open and Tyrell stepped inside. When he saw she was awake he crossed to the cot and helped her sit up, placing her leg on the box again. Then he filled a mug with coffee and handed it to her.

  ‘You slept well,’ he said, taking coffee for himself. ‘Fair to say a gun going off close by wouldn’t have woke you.’

  Silence fell between them. Cassie drank her coffee. Fiddling with the empty mug.

  ‘More?’ Tyrell asked and she nodded. He refilled the mug. ‘I don’t have much to offer for breakfast. I was due to ride to the other side of the divide and restock.’

  ‘I don’t care about breakfast, Will. But I’d like you to explain why you cut me off last night after you’d mentioned Madison Springs. I get the feeling you’d rather not return there. Am I right? Damn it, Will, tell me if I’m making you go somewhere you don’t care to.’

  He sat down across from her, swirling the steaming coffee in his mug. When he spoke Cassie sensed the regret in his voice.

  ‘I was the law in Madison Springs for a few years. It was a tough town way back and being hard was the only way to tame the place. Trouble was it got into me. I never knew when to ease up. Came to the time w
hen I started to lose my edge. Took to drinking a little too much. Seemed the only way to stay on my game. Town didn’t take to my way of keeping the law once the hard days were gone. I should have backed off but I guess pride got in the way. One night it all went to hell in a hand cart. I should have been able to handle it without breaking sweat.’ Tyrell stared off into a distance beyond the cabin walls. ‘Three men died that night. All because I couldn’t make it doing my job. I caught a slug that almost took the top of my head off. After Doc Lanier patched me up I kind of drifted for a few weeks. Town took against me. Had me as a gun loose badge. In the end I collected my possibles, took what I’d saved and rode out. Ended up here. Spent some time feelings sorry for myself until I figured the only person who could help me was me.’

  ‘And now I’m forcing you to go back there. Will Tyrell, you must be cursing your bad luck finding me stranded out there.’

  He smiled. ‘No,’ he said. ‘It was the best thing happened to me for a fair time yesterday.’

  ‘I wager you say that to all the young women you find stranded on your mountain.’

  Tyrell stood up. ‘You were my first. I’m going to get the horses ready. We’ll leave then.’

  ‘All right, Will.’

  He crossed the cabin and eased the door open.

  Splinters of wood from the frame peppered his right cheek as a bullet struck the timber. As Tyrell stepped back the sound of the shot rattled away in a recurring echo. He turned and snatched up the Henry. He worked the lever, pushing a round into the breech.

  ‘Will?’

  Without turning his head he said, ‘I’m fine.’

  He used the toe of his boot to swing the door shut, then moved to the window. The shutter was already up, so he flattened against the wall, peering cautiously outside. At first he couldn’t see anything but the close ranked trees across the area he had cleared. Then he made out shadowed riders under the lower branches. Three of them. Caught a glimpse of sunlight flashing off the barrels of rifles.