The Secret of Lodestar by Tim Champlin

Author:Tim Champlin [Champlin, Tim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101560884
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2012-03-06T05:00:00+00:00

FIFTEEN

“Let me come with you,” Lucy pled. “I can ride the burro. I won’t be any trouble.”

Charvein continued with his preparations, dragging the double-rigged saddle to the center of the cavern, piling three full canteens next to it. “Lucy, I was planning to take you straight back to Virginia City, but I’ll have to put that off a few days. Boyd has about a six-hour head start on me as it is. And he’s trailing fresh mounts. I’ll be lucky to catch him. This might turn into a long chase. And I won’t expose you to that.”

“Not much chance you’ll overtake him this side of Carson or Virginia City,” Sandoval commented.

“He’s not likely to head for town just yet—not packing all that stolen gold. But as long as the wind doesn’t wipe out his tracks, I can trail him wherever he goes. I’m not carrying extra weight or trailing extra horses that I’ll have to find provender for.”

Sandoval looked doubtful. “If he left a couple hours before daylight, the wind has probably scoured away most of his tracks.” He shrugged. “But, if it’s any help, we’re due for a change. Those winds aren’t usually ripsnorters more than three days in a row. And there’ll be a three-quarter moon tonight.”

Charvein added a twenty-pound sack of oats and a nose bag to his pile. “You’ll be safer here,” he told Lucy. “And I can travel faster alone. I’ll be back for you.”

“When?” She looked doleful.

“Not sure. Depends on Boyd, mostly. He’s strong and resourceful. He’s determined to keep that gold at any cost. And he’s armed with my rifle and his Colt. I’ll need some grit and some luck to get him.”

“You said you didn’t have to arrest him—only discover where the gold is and report to your boss,” Sandoval said, stuffing small sacks of beans and coffee into the saddlebags.

“True enough. If I can get close enough to catch sight of him, I’ll hang back. That’s what I was trying to do on the way out here. And you know how that turned out. Wish I could somehow make myself invisible. But, ‘If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.’”

“What?”

“Old expression my father used.”

Sandoval looked thoughtful. “If I were the one packing a hundred twenty pounds of gold bars, I’d sure be in a hurry to find another safe place to stash it. You just can’t go among men in towns with that much gold—especially stolen gold—on the back of a horse or mule. Somebody’s going to find out about it for sure. Then your life won’t be worth a sliver of that gold Stepenaw gave me.”

“If I had any money, I’d buy your mule and rig from you.”

“It’s yours on loan only,” Sandoval replied. “That way I know you’ll be back.”

“The only way I won’t keep my word is if I’m dead.” He heaved the saddle to his shoulder and started toward the mule picketed just outside the cavern entrance. Sandoval’s quick, sure hands were there to help.

“How long should I wait before I can assume you’re not coming back?” Lucy asked.

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