Excerpt

Chapter 1

Gabe was not unfamiliar with heat but this was the kind that after a time took the juices from your body. He had seen parts of animals that looked like parched skin stretched over bone. And there was little relief at night, for it was still too hot to sleep. Mining wasnt bad down in the shafts, but when a promotion took him above ground in the Arizona sun, he imagined that it wasnt too far from hell. I should have headed north a long time ago, I just hope I can find water before my horse and mule give out, he thought.
It was two days before he found any. A nice spring bubbled up and flowed into a willow patch, lush grass grew all around. He unsaddled his two animals and snapped a rope on their halters. After they had drunk briefly, he pulled them away from the cold spring and tethered them. They could drink their fill after grazing .Right now they needed to cool down.
Gabe built a fire, filled his pipe and waited for coffee to boil. He could hear his animals moving, more so than if they were just grazing. They were tossing their heads, with ears cocked back down the trail. Then he heard shod hooves striking rock. Soon a man rode into camp and swung down from a long legged grey that showed signs of traveling far and hard. He offered his hand and said, Im Matt Goring.
Ive got coffee and I can make biscuits. It aint much but youre welcome to share, said Gabe.
We aint bad off. Ive got bacon and beans, Matt said.
By the time they finished their meal, it was almost dark. I better see how the stocks doin. When he came back to the fire Gabe said, Your horse is down, he either got too much water or hes got a kinked gut. Hes damn near dead. Lets see if he can get up and walk. Its the only chance hes got, Gabe said. The grey struggled to get up several times but he was too far gone.
Ill shoot him, Gabe offered, but Matt had his pistol out and put a bullet behind the big grays ear.
Its a damn shame and it leaves us with just my horse and mule, said Gabe.
Or it leaves me afoot, that hose and mule are yours, I shouldnt have started out without a packhorse anyway, said Matt.
Id never leave anybody afoot even if we had to ride double. Here a while back some sons-of-bitches stole my friend Jakes horse and left Jake for dead. If some trappers hadnt come along hed never have got back alive. I aint sure them scallywags aint still around. My mules been lookin and listenin back down the trail. I think them hooligans are waitin for the best chance to nail me. Maybe we ought to ride back and try talkin to em, if theyre who I think they are, theyll have Jakes big bay, said Gabe.
It was two hours before they reached a camp. Three men and an Indian woman were standing by a fire drinking coffee. You aint seen a stray horse have ya? Gabe said.
No we aint, but Ive got a horse Ill sell if youve got enough money. Take a look at that big bay, said one of the men.
It was Jakes horse alright. After looking and feeling for a few minutes, Gabe said, How much?
Three hundred, the man said.
Two-fifty, but Ill have to go get the money. I aint got that much on me, Gabe said.
Matt was watching the other two men, but they made no move to try anything. They rode out of camp a mile or two making sure they werent followed. Matt said, Ive got money in my belt, and counted out three hundred dollars.
They rode back to the camp with rifles in front of them and pistols in hand. The man led the bay over and handed the rope to Gabe who handed him the money.
Back on the trail, Matt mounted the bay and led the mule. As they continued on Matt said, This is a damn good horse. Actually, you stole him.
Well, hes yours now, unless youd rather ride that mule, Gabe said.
That evening after theyd eaten, they talked about the three men theyd encountered that morning. Oh, theyll try for us. They know weve got money and theyll wanna get that bay back, said Gabe.
Lets slip back and go after them. I think wed better walk the last half of the way; the horses are too likely to give us away. Lets set em afoot like they did Jake. Its better than waitin for them to kill us, Matt said.
Suddenly Matt raised his rifle and shot.
You sneakin devil. Youre with em aintcha? Gabe said.
No, I just didnt want you to get snake bit, said Matt as he pointed to a big rattler writhing close to Gabe. I know what you must have thought but there wasnt time to say nothin. That snake was about to strike. It mustve been attracted by the fire.
Ill swear! That was some shootin, exclaimed Gabe.
Not so much good shootin, just damn lucky I was usin bird shot. I was hopin to get a sage hen somewhere along the trail, Matt said.
Gabe looped he snake over a stick and carried it out in the brush. Some critter will get a feed out of it, he said.
Gabe wanted to talk. There wasnt much of a life where I growed up. Just drinkin corn whisky and chasin coon hounds, so I went to Birmingham and worked for a builder long enough to buy that horse and mule, then started west. I ran into some fellers who told me there was plenty of work in the Arizona mines and the pay was good so I sidled off to the south. I worked in the mines for a little over a year. I didnt notice the heat so much when I was workin underground, but when they put me to workin out in the sun, I thought Id died and gone to hell.