The Long Trail (The McCabes Book 1) by Brad Dennison (microsoft ebook reader .TXT) 📗

the name. He got it from what a Kiowa did to his face with a knife, years ago. He was the most dangerous man I’ve ever known. They say he’d skin a man alive just to hear him scream, and I believe it. And he was even worse to a woman. He’s actually part Apache, and rode with ‘em for a few years when he was younger. But to an Apache warrior, honor is everything, even more precious than life itself. There was no honor in Kiowa Haynes, and they say he was banished from the tribe.”

“Why’d Patterson ever let him ride with him?”

“Because he’s a top notch scout, and a good man to have on your side in a fight, and one of the worst when he’s not. You can bet Pa has heard of him.”

“How did Patterson keep him in line?”

“As dangerous as Haynes is, he’s no match for Patterson with a gun. And when it comes to fighting with fists or a knife, Haynes was more savage, but he never dared challenge Sam. Old Sam always had this sort of quiet confidence about him. I think Haynes just wasn’t sure, and didn’t want to take the chance.”

Dusty tipped his canteen for a sip. “Kiowa Haynes is the second reason I’m out here, trailing these men. I have a personal score to settle with him. Haynes was opposed to having me along from the start. I was too young to be of any good to them, and he said they couldn’t afford to have one more mouth to feed when I couldn’t pull my own weight, but he didn’t dare buck Patterson.

“Then, one night when we were all feasting off an elk one of the men had brought down, Haynes gabbed a steak I was fixing to eat. He came up behind me and with his knife, and speared it right off my plate, and told me if I gave him any grief, he’d carve me up like that elk. He loved to hear children scream, he said, and he knew how to make a person live for days while he was working on him.”

“I’ll bet you were scared.”

“Absolutely. I was barely eight years old. Well, Patterson came walking by, as Haynes was saying what he said to me. Patterson whipped out a pistol. So fast I could barely follow the motion of his hand, and he snapped a shot into the ground between Haynes’ feet. Haynes jumped back and looked at Patterson wide-eyed. Patterson told him if he ever hurt me in any way, the next shot would be between his eyes. Patterson said he would shoot him as soon as he would shoot a rabid dog, because he didn’t see much difference. He said to Haynes, ‘You have a job with us, and you do it well. But if you ever cross me, and you’re dead.’

“That was when I realized Haynes was really afraid of Sam. Haynes never bothered me again. He’d glare at me whenever he had the chance, just to let me know the hate was still in him, and that he would never forget. But he didn’t dare take a chance on crossing Sam.

“I rode away when I was fifteen. I’ve never seen any of them again.”

Josh put the cork back in his canteen and slung it on the saddle horn. “Looks like you’ll at least be seeing Falcone, once we find their camp. What will you do if that Haynes hombre is there?”

“I’d like to shoot him. I know I’m faster now than he’s ever been. I’ve seen him in action, and he’s good, but I know how good I am. I’d like to goad him into a gunfight, and then rid the world of him.”

“But that wouldn’t be right.”

“Why not?” Dusty returned the canteen to his saddle, and then began tightening the cinch. “Especially after they attacked the ranch, and almost killed Pa. The thought of what Haynes would do to Bree and Aunt Ginny if we had lost the battle, using his knife on them, makes me mad enough to kill.”

“The reason you can’t is because you’re Pa’s son. If you did that, you’d be no better than they are. You got something to live up to, now.”

Dusty nodded. “I always had my own conscience to live up to. Patterson said your own conscience is your hardest judge. But now, it’s almost like the family is looking over my shoulder. I find myself feeling like I don’t want to let any of them down.”

Josh nodded. “That’s part of what belonging to a family is about. You’re not alone, anymore. You have people who will be there for you when you need them, and you’ll be there for them. And your actions reflect on them, and theirs on you.”

A scent caught Josh’s nose, a faint touch of peach blossom was on the breeze. How odd, he thought, glancing about. Peach trees don’t grow in these hills.

They mounted up and rode on.

The trail led them further into the mountains, westward for a while, then turned north once again.

They camped the night at the base of a steep slope, in a grove of tall pines. Josh drew his knife and dug a hole three feet deep, in which they built a low fire. The walls of the hole would block most of the firelight. Kind of like what Zack and his men did in the small grove of trees at the edge of the ranch yard, before the raiders attacked. No need to let Falcone and his men know someone was on their back trail.

Dusty and Josh had finished their last can of beans the night before. They had seen three or four rabbits during the day, but didn’t dare chance a shot that might let raiders know they were out here. In the mountains, a gunshot can echo and carry a fair distance. However, Dusty had dug some roots they could chew on, and Josh had brought a long some jerky from