to pull this off,” Sharp said. “How do you think the two of ’em got together?”
“Vrable’s good at sidling up to people to get what he wants. The man doesn’t lack for charm. I’m sure he searched Bane out and drew him into his scheme.”
“But Bane musta been like handlin’ nitroglycerine.” After a pause, Sharp added, “Vrable may be a snake charmer, but he doesn’t sound like a match for Bane in a fight, so they must have separated peaceably … and if they did, do they have some more mischief in mind?”
That caused McAllen to sit up. Finally, he said, “You’re right. Bane kills without thought. Friend or foe. For them to quietly separate means there’s more at stake. Damn it.”
“What?”
“I need to question Vrable. I need to know what else he has in store.”
After a moment, I asked. “Does anyone know about us?”
McAllen looked away from the campfire and caught my eye. “What are you suggesting, Steve?”
“That the three of us ride into Leadville and scout out the situation. You come in separate and stay out of sight till we figure out what’s going on.”
Sharp immediately said, “Steve’s right. Don’t charge into town until we know the lay of the land. Vrable might bolt.”
McAllen picked up a rock and twirled it in his fingers. “I want to go in and kill the bastard, but … you’re right. I need him alive.” He flipped the rock into the fire. “We’ll do it your way. At least at first.”
“Can you hide in Leadville?” I asked, thinking it was too cold for even McAllen to stay outdoors.
“Yeah, no problem. Leadville’s almost thirty-five thousand people. On second thought, I’ll wait in Twin Lakes at the Inter-Laken Hotel. It’s about twenty miles from Leadville. You come get me when you know something.” McAllen’s voice took on an edge. “But if I don’t hear from you in two days, I’m coming in. Understand?”
“Yep,” Sharp said. “Now that we got a plan, can we crawl into our bedrolls?”
No one waited for an answer. We stoked the fire with plenty of wood and took up positions as close to the flames as we dared. Just as I pulled my blanket up around my ears, Dooley asked, “Where’d Bane go?”
McAllen pulled his own blanket up and said, “That’s one of the questions we need to answer.”
Chapter 20
I awoke to gray. And cold. Everything around me was shrouded in a heavy fog that made it hard to discern the features of the landscape. I wore my sheepskin coat over two wool shirts and a bristly pair of wool long johns. I had kept my boots on and had jammed my hat between my head and the saddle that I used as a makeshift pillow. Still, the cold made me reluctant to throw off my blanket and face the day. Rolling over, I saw Sharp putting the last of our gathered wood onto the fire.
“Get yer butt outta that bedroll, Steve. The day’s a wastin’.”
“You sure it’s day?”
“Sun rose over a half hour ago. Get moving. You’ll feel better.”
I rose to a sitting position and tried stretching, but every joint seemed frozen in place. “Where’s McAllen and Dooley?”
“Saddling up. McAllen wants to ride off as soon as we finish with coffee.”
I made it to my feet. “At least we get coffee.”
“As soon as I get it boiling, but I had to threaten McAllen to get him to wait.”
“How’d you threaten him?”
Sharp laughed. “I told him I’d sing all day if I didn’t get hot coffee in me before we left. By the time ya get Chestnut saddled, it’ll be ready. Jump to or McAllen might change his mind.”
I reached down and grabbed my blanket, saddle, and rifle. My muscles still resisted moving, and everything seemed twice as heavy as normal. We had let the horses forage free, and I turned in a circle looking for Chestnut. I could see nothing in the fog.
“Why don’t ya just call him?” Sharp laughed.
“Because the words’ll freeze before they get ten feet.”
This got a respectable laugh, and I trudged off
“Vrable’s good at sidling up to people to get what he wants. The man doesn’t lack for charm. I’m sure he searched Bane out and drew him into his scheme.”
“But Bane musta been like handlin’ nitroglycerine.” After a pause, Sharp added, “Vrable may be a snake charmer, but he doesn’t sound like a match for Bane in a fight, so they must have separated peaceably … and if they did, do they have some more mischief in mind?”
That caused McAllen to sit up. Finally, he said, “You’re right. Bane kills without thought. Friend or foe. For them to quietly separate means there’s more at stake. Damn it.”
“What?”
“I need to question Vrable. I need to know what else he has in store.”
After a moment, I asked. “Does anyone know about us?”
McAllen looked away from the campfire and caught my eye. “What are you suggesting, Steve?”
“That the three of us ride into Leadville and scout out the situation. You come in separate and stay out of sight till we figure out what’s going on.”
Sharp immediately said, “Steve’s right. Don’t charge into town until we know the lay of the land. Vrable might bolt.”
McAllen picked up a rock and twirled it in his fingers. “I want to go in and kill the bastard, but … you’re right. I need him alive.” He flipped the rock into the fire. “We’ll do it your way. At least at first.”
“Can you hide in Leadville?” I asked, thinking it was too cold for even McAllen to stay outdoors.
“Yeah, no problem. Leadville’s almost thirty-five thousand people. On second thought, I’ll wait in Twin Lakes at the Inter-Laken Hotel. It’s about twenty miles from Leadville. You come get me when you know something.” McAllen’s voice took on an edge. “But if I don’t hear from you in two days, I’m coming in. Understand?”
“Yep,” Sharp said. “Now that we got a plan, can we crawl into our bedrolls?”
No one waited for an answer. We stoked the fire with plenty of wood and took up positions as close to the flames as we dared. Just as I pulled my blanket up around my ears, Dooley asked, “Where’d Bane go?”
McAllen pulled his own blanket up and said, “That’s one of the questions we need to answer.”
Chapter 20
I awoke to gray. And cold. Everything around me was shrouded in a heavy fog that made it hard to discern the features of the landscape. I wore my sheepskin coat over two wool shirts and a bristly pair of wool long johns. I had kept my boots on and had jammed my hat between my head and the saddle that I used as a makeshift pillow. Still, the cold made me reluctant to throw off my blanket and face the day. Rolling over, I saw Sharp putting the last of our gathered wood onto the fire.
“Get yer butt outta that bedroll, Steve. The day’s a wastin’.”
“You sure it’s day?”
“Sun rose over a half hour ago. Get moving. You’ll feel better.”
I rose to a sitting position and tried stretching, but every joint seemed frozen in place. “Where’s McAllen and Dooley?”
“Saddling up. McAllen wants to ride off as soon as we finish with coffee.”
I made it to my feet. “At least we get coffee.”
“As soon as I get it boiling, but I had to threaten McAllen to get him to wait.”
“How’d you threaten him?”
Sharp laughed. “I told him I’d sing all day if I didn’t get hot coffee in me before we left. By the time ya get Chestnut saddled, it’ll be ready. Jump to or McAllen might change his mind.”
I reached down and grabbed my blanket, saddle, and rifle. My muscles still resisted moving, and everything seemed twice as heavy as normal. We had let the horses forage free, and I turned in a circle looking for Chestnut. I could see nothing in the fog.
“Why don’t ya just call him?” Sharp laughed.
“Because the words’ll freeze before they get ten feet.”
This got a respectable laugh, and I trudged off
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