The Hunting of Lope Gamboa by Jack Sheriff

Author:Jack Sheriff
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780719823855
Publisher: Robert Hale

TWELVE

By the time Carson and Creed moved out of Yuma the moon was high, the thin cloud had cleared and it was an easy matter to pick up the sign left by the Conestoga wagon. The fresh ruts overlaid others left by wagons – few in number – that had earlier set out along the Oxbow route. With the signs as clear as a carefully drawn map the two men hunting Lope Gamboa were able to settle down to tracking the wagon with a minimum of effort.

Nevertheless, as the faint lights of Yuma fell behind them Carson was quick to voice his frustration.

‘No matter how fast we go,’ he said, ‘time’s against us. Consider it: how long did Sorensen say that Conestoga had been gone?’

‘Four hours. But it’s carrying a heavy load, and mules ain’t the fastest creatures. I reckon, what, four or five miles an hour? At best that puts it twenty miles ahead of us.’

‘But it’s still moving away from us. What bothers me is that at any time in those four hours, and in the time it takes us to catch up. Gamboa and the Coogans could’ve pounced.’

‘That’s true. Them, or those two ex-cons.’

Carson snorted. ‘Forget ex-cons. I’m after Gamboa – and so are you, though I’m still not sure why.’

He glanced across. Creed was mostly looking straight ahead into the moonlit distance, only occasionally leaning sideways in the saddle and studying the trail to make sure they were still riding in the Conestoga’s ruts. He gave no reaction at all to Carson’s open invitation to tell more of his story.

‘If Gamboa’s already hit that wagon,’ Carson went on, ‘we’ve lost him.’

‘That would indeed be bad,’ Creed said. ‘I came to Yuma and you gave me hope. I’d hate to have that dashed because we foolishly went off chasing the wrong wagon.’

‘Hope is about all I’ve ever had,’ Carson said.

As they began riding through a stand of trees that closed in on the trail so that they were riding between dark walls of evergreen, he flicked another glance at his companion. ‘You told me about a Mex bandit telling gruesome tales, but you never did explain why that made you throw in your badge—’

‘Look, there’s been trouble here,’ Creed said.

He’d pulled his horse back to a walk. Now he drew rein and sprang down. When Carson turned back and dismounted the tall man was walking to and fro, head bent as he studied the ground. The tall lives rearing high on either side were turning the trail into a passage beyond the reach of the moon’s rays, yet despite the gloom Carson could see that where before there had been clear ruts proceeding in an easterly direction along the Oxbow route, now the earth was churned by wheels and hoofs moving in all directions.

‘There was a second wagon,’ Creed said as he prowled. ‘Here’ – he gestured – ‘it was broadside across the trail. Then, see here: the Conestoga’s ruts come right up to it. But now,

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.