She had smiled at him. “But I have, Mr. Kelso. Leave it to me.” He followed the maid back into the house, shrugging into his coat, for the night was cool. She noticed he was wearing a gun.
“We’re going to see Don Isidro,” she said. “I am going to end this, once and for all.”
“He won’t listen, ma’am.”
“He’ll listen. Dona Elena is there, too. Together we shall make him listen.” Only a few lights showed, but there were several horses in the corrals, and from the men’s quarters there was loud talk and laughter. Kelso stared that way, then said, “That’s a bad lot, ma’am. You sure you want to go through with this? They tell me the old man’s gotten meaner with years.” “They are drinking. They will not even know we are here, and we shall not be.
Not for long.”
Reluctantly he walked up to the door and knocked. There was a long silence, and he was lifting his hand to knock again when a hard-featured woman opened the door.
“Si? What is it?”
“We wish to see Don Isidro.”
“He wishes to see nobody. Especially he wishes to see no gringos.” Miss Nesselrode’s tone was sharp. “Then we will see Dona Elena. We will see her now!”
The woman hesitated a moment; then, turning, she walked away from them and they followed. She passed through an arch, there was muttered talk, and then Dona Elena appeared.
She came to them. “My good friend! You come here? It is dangerous! What is it you wish?”
“To speak to Don Isidro. Don Federico has followed Johannes into the desert. We hear he is watching all the water holes to kill him when he appears. I want it stopped, and I want it stopped now.”
“He will not listen, sefiora. It is dangerous here. You must go.”
“I must see him.”
She hesitated. “Please? Come this way.”
He was slumped in a great hide chair, a cigar in his fingers, and he looked up, then straightened when he recognized Miss Nesselrode. “What is this woman doing here?” he demanded harshly. “Get her out of here! How dare you permit her to come into my house!”
“Don Federico is in the desert. He is pursuing your grandson and is trying to kill him. I want it stopped.”
“You want it stopped? And who are you? Get out of here!”
“I wish her to stay, and I wish you to listen.” Don Isidro turned sharply as Elena spoke. For a moment he was speechless; then he said, “You wish? Who are you to wish anything? Go to your room!” “No, my brother, I shall stay. If anyone leaves, it shall be you.” He stared, the veins in his forehead swelled, and his face turned white “Elena!” he shouted. “You … !” Words failed him.
In the moment of silence as he struggled for words, she spoke quietly but firmly. “No, my brother, you will not order me from this room, which is mine, nor this house, which is also mine.”
Don Isidro struggled to rise, then fell back. “Woman!” he shouted. “How dare you speak to me in such a manner? Your house?”
“My house,” Elena replied firmly. “You ignored the taxes, I paid them. You ignored the loans that came due, I bought them up. This house is my house. The ranch is my ranch. You may live on here if you behave yourself.” He started to his feet and reached for his cane. He grasped it and started as if to strike her, and then her words seemed to have reached him for the first time. “What have you done? Where would you get such money?” Dona Elena seemed no longer frail. “I had money from our mother,” she replied quietly, “and I have invested it All the while you sat about, eaten by hatred and pride, I was doing as many Californios were doing. This land is mine, this house is mine.
“You will send a rider to Don Federico. You will tell him to return. You will tell him he is not to harm Johannes Verne.”
“I will kill you!” He stared at her, his features twisted from the violence of his emotions.
She smiled. At that moment, Miss Nesselrode thought, Dona Elena was magnificent. “If you do”-her voice was clear-“Johannes Verne will inherit. Then you will be living in his house! Eating his food! I have left it all to him. My will has been filed in the manner of this country. My lawyer has been instructed.” “You cannot do this,” Don Isidro muttered. “It is a trick! You are insane! I shall tell them you are insane.”
“And will they believe you or me?” There was a stir in the doorway behind them.
The woman stood there, and beside her were three men. Two of them held guns. Miss Nesselrode started to speak, then stopped. “Ma’am,” Kelso spoke quietly, T told you we should not have come. You surely meant well, but…” Don Isidro sat down again, his cane across his knees. He took up his cigar, brushed away the ash, and held it to the candle. He puffed, then puffed again. The hand that held the cigar trembled.
“So now,” he said, “all is not the same. If what you say, my sister, is true, and if you own this place and Johannes Verne is your heir, then who is his heir? Does he have a son?” The old man smiled. “So I shall win, after all. Don Federico will kill Johannes. You will be killed, and I shall inherit it all!” He waved a hand at the men and the woman in the doorway. “And these I shall pay, richly, as they deserve.”
He looked up at Elena. “You see, my sister, I shall win it all. I shall go to them, these people who sit in their offices, and I shall be greatly worried. I shall tell them you two have ridden into the desert after Johannes, and they will believe me.
“Especially after your bodies are found. They will have no doubts. They will say, ‘Oh, those foolish ones! Why did they go?’ “And I shall smile, and be content, at last.”
Fifty-four
Into the night, into the desert, back to the long days when the heat drained the strength from my body, back into the silences, alone. They would be coming after me when dawn broke; until then they could find no trail, although a sound might bring them.
Pausing, I could hear the sound of running horses, then silence as they, too, listened. If they found me, I would die within minutes, and I did not wish to die. In Los Angeles was Meghan.
Stepping carefully to a flat ledge of rock, I walked along, careful not to kick a pebble that might alert them.
By now they knew I was without a horse and that I had lost my rifle, with which I might kill at a distance. Also, they must have some idea of my physical condition. With the coming of daylight, catching me should be easy, and once I was located, they had only to close in to rifle range and kill me, with no danger to themselves.
There was a large flat rock near where I had stopped, so I sat down. They would waste no time now, not wishing to trample out any footprints, but would wait for daylight.
Now I must think. They would know of my Indian friends and would patrol the edge of the desert to keep me from them. My guess was that Don Federico, probably through Chato, had made contact with one of the gangs of bandits who infested the area and hired additional men.
As I sat, I chewed on a stick of jerked beef, then drank a few swallows of water. No doubt they would scatter themselves in a long skirmish line as they rode into the desert, and he who sighted me would signal the others, who would then close in. When all had gathered, they would kill me. To outdistance them in my present condition would be almost impossible. My alternative was to hide.
Where? How?
Rising, I walked into the desert, and finding a dry wash, followed it for some distance. Heavy sand dragged at my feet, yet in the sand my feet would leave no discernible impression. Off to the east were the Bullion Mountains, of which I could remember nothing, although in the long days and nights among the Indians we had talked much of the desert. They were north and east, and I wished to work my way to the south, closer to the San Jacintos. Slowly, steadily, I walked. Exhaustion left my muscles heavy and my brain dull.
I slogged on, step after step, like a man walking in his sleep or drugged. Several times I stumbled. At least twice I fell. At last, able to go no further, I fell on the ground near several ancient Joshua trees. Rolling over on my back, I looked up at the stars. I was through, finished; I could go no further. My eyes opened to a gray sky. Clouds … I could not hope for rain, but they might stay. Even an hour or two would help. Slowly, and with difficulty, I sat up.