could see further to the right, he glimpsed Mary and Belle. Both were seated on the ground; both apparently had their wrists and ankles tied. Near them was Schwartz, and further away, Ironhide. Thoughtfully, Brian studied the layout of the camp. He could now make out scattered bits of conversation.
Finally one of the men said explosively, "Damn it! Where's Reub? I want to get this business over!"
"Take it easy, Hob. He'll be along. You know how he is, an' if he ain't here, he's got a reason."
So they were waiting for Kelsey. When he arrived he would likely have more of the renegades with him and Brian's chances would be less. If he were to do anything it must be done quickly. His idea of waiting for darkness would not work. Thunder rumbled among the peaks.
He glanced up at Atlantic and saw that the summit was banked with black clouds. A few spatters of rain fell, and then the rain came with a rush.
Getting up, Brian walked back to the horse and broke open the bedroll. As he had expected, the slicker was there. "A fair weather rider," he muttered, "to pack his slicker." He put on the slicker, then rolled the blankets and put them on behind the saddle.
The prisoners were huddled under a spreading tree, and their captors were now putting a lean-to together.
Brian glanced down at the slicker he wore, and then without a moment's hesitation, he turned back, and found a way down the slope. He held his rifle under the slicker in his right hand. When he reached the bottom the rain was like a gray curtain. He came out of the brush near the camp, walked directly up to where the women and soldiers waited under the tree.
Slipping his knife from its scabbard, he thrust it down behind the ropes that bound Ironhide's wrists.
They were snug, but the blade had an edge like a razor. The ropes cut through, he turned quickly to Mary. He had cut her ropes and had turned to Schwartz while Ironhide was freeing Belle, when a man came up. "Joe," he said, "did you get that lieutenant? We never heard no shot."
Brian merely grunted and the man came closer.
"Look," he said, "if you came back without---
His eyes widened and he started to yell, but Brian jammed the muzzle of the rifle into his wind, then swung a short, chopping stroke with the butt, using both hands. The man grunted and fell over.
"Up the slope!" Brian said. "There's one horse up there."
Turning, he started toward the line of horses, walking swiftly. The men were clustered around the shelter. Suddenly one of them turned, saw the prisoners gone, and started to shout just as Brian reached the horses. He cut the rope to which they were tied, and grabbed the bridle on his gray, swinging the horse around. Nobody had bothered to take the weapons from the saddles of the captured men, and he caught up the bridles and started to move.
The man who had seen the prisoners gone, spun around, yelling as he grabbed for a gun. Brian had slammed his rifle down into the boot and had whipped up his six-gun.
Putting the spurs to the gray, he fired three times into the crowd around the dislean-to, even as his horse was pounding toward the man who had yelled. The man had his gun swinging up when the gray's shoulder hit him and knocked him spinning. Brian fired down at him, knew he had missed, and turned in the saddle to let go with another shot at the crowd around the leanto. He was past the place where he had come down the slope, but he turned the gray up the hill in a pounding scramble, the other horses coming bead. He was scarcely at the spot where the other horse waited when Ironhide leaped from the brush into the saddle.
Schwa heed the horses to the women. Mary was already upon the captured horse, but they were one short Schwartz caught Belle in his arms d threw her into the saddle, then got up behind her and they went along the slope, wet branches slapping at their faces.
Beyond the camp a true seemed to appear from nowhere and two horses were running along it, stirrups slapping their
Finally one of the men said explosively, "Damn it! Where's Reub? I want to get this business over!"
"Take it easy, Hob. He'll be along. You know how he is, an' if he ain't here, he's got a reason."
So they were waiting for Kelsey. When he arrived he would likely have more of the renegades with him and Brian's chances would be less. If he were to do anything it must be done quickly. His idea of waiting for darkness would not work. Thunder rumbled among the peaks.
He glanced up at Atlantic and saw that the summit was banked with black clouds. A few spatters of rain fell, and then the rain came with a rush.
Getting up, Brian walked back to the horse and broke open the bedroll. As he had expected, the slicker was there. "A fair weather rider," he muttered, "to pack his slicker." He put on the slicker, then rolled the blankets and put them on behind the saddle.
The prisoners were huddled under a spreading tree, and their captors were now putting a lean-to together.
Brian glanced down at the slicker he wore, and then without a moment's hesitation, he turned back, and found a way down the slope. He held his rifle under the slicker in his right hand. When he reached the bottom the rain was like a gray curtain. He came out of the brush near the camp, walked directly up to where the women and soldiers waited under the tree.
Slipping his knife from its scabbard, he thrust it down behind the ropes that bound Ironhide's wrists.
They were snug, but the blade had an edge like a razor. The ropes cut through, he turned quickly to Mary. He had cut her ropes and had turned to Schwartz while Ironhide was freeing Belle, when a man came up. "Joe," he said, "did you get that lieutenant? We never heard no shot."
Brian merely grunted and the man came closer.
"Look," he said, "if you came back without---
His eyes widened and he started to yell, but Brian jammed the muzzle of the rifle into his wind, then swung a short, chopping stroke with the butt, using both hands. The man grunted and fell over.
"Up the slope!" Brian said. "There's one horse up there."
Turning, he started toward the line of horses, walking swiftly. The men were clustered around the shelter. Suddenly one of them turned, saw the prisoners gone, and started to shout just as Brian reached the horses. He cut the rope to which they were tied, and grabbed the bridle on his gray, swinging the horse around. Nobody had bothered to take the weapons from the saddles of the captured men, and he caught up the bridles and started to move.
The man who had seen the prisoners gone, spun around, yelling as he grabbed for a gun. Brian had slammed his rifle down into the boot and had whipped up his six-gun.
Putting the spurs to the gray, he fired three times into the crowd around the dislean-to, even as his horse was pounding toward the man who had yelled. The man had his gun swinging up when the gray's shoulder hit him and knocked him spinning. Brian fired down at him, knew he had missed, and turned in the saddle to let go with another shot at the crowd around the leanto. He was past the place where he had come down the slope, but he turned the gray up the hill in a pounding scramble, the other horses coming bead. He was scarcely at the spot where the other horse waited when Ironhide leaped from the brush into the saddle.
Schwa heed the horses to the women. Mary was already upon the captured horse, but they were one short Schwartz caught Belle in his arms d threw her into the saddle, then got up behind her and they went along the slope, wet branches slapping at their faces.
Beyond the camp a true seemed to appear from nowhere and two horses were running along it, stirrups slapping their
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