The Indian Ring by Don Bendell

Author:Don Bendell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-11-18T16:00:00+00:00

14

REFUGE

Joseph “German” Dietrich and Slim Jim Selders were two of Robert Hartwell’s toughest gun hands and most trusted henchmen. They were now circling behind Joshua’s position, just hoping they would find something, anything that would give them a clue to his whereabouts. Shortly after reading Strongheart’s ultimatum, Hartwell made the plan with them, understanding human nature and knowing that some of his men would desert him.

The two came up on a small ridge and dismounted among the trees. There was a small valley next to that ridge with another heavily wooded rise just to their north. The two, as planned with Hartwell, would glass every wooded rise carefully. They lay down in the trees, and watched the ridge Strongheart was on for an hour, when they spotted some white. Watching more carefully and moving positions, they saw it was Eagle grazing among the trees.

They discussed whether to put the sneak on him, or ride around and warn Hartwell. They chose the latter. These two were the two best gunmen he had in his employ, and between them had many kills. They knew Strongheart’s skills and knew they had to be very careful. However, like most gunmen, they always felt they were faster and better than any living legends.

German Dietrich came from Germany when he was a boy. He killed his first man in New York City while he was still a young lad. There had been no shootout involved. He saw the man had money, so he stabbed him in his sleep and stole his money belt. He still had a little bit of an accent that especially came out before gunfights. By the age of eighteen, he was already working as a gun for hire.

Slim Jim Selders, like Dietrich, lived in Denver and Washington both, serving at the whim of Robert Hartwell. He truly enjoyed killing and was a rapist as well. He had to be more careful about that, because there were so few quality women in the West, there was an unspoken rule about not touching women. There were many outlaws who actually shot or even hanged men riding with them who molested women or girls.

The two men looked carefully at the rise north of them where Strongheart slept. They decided they would go up the small hill, which led to rocky ground that rose above the nearby river. The farm where Joshua was held was far to the northwest of Terre Haute. This was to the southeast of the farm.

The two killers both carried Henry repeaters and had their double dig holsters carrying .44s. German also had a .36-caliber Colt Navy as a belly gun. They spread out about thirty feet apart and slowly, very slowly started making their way up the hill, keeping to the thick woods.

Joshua Strongheart was exhausted. He had been doing a lot of fast traveling through thick trees, doing adrenaline-pumping experiences, and was going on very little sleep. He slept deeply now, soundly.

The two moved slower than they ever had when trying to be stealthy, because they both understood their adversary’s superior skills.

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