“May I see them?” he asked. “They are my friends.” The Indian nodded. He studied Rafe for a minute. “I think you are good man. My name Man Afraid of His Horse.” The Oglala chief.
Rafe looked again at the Indian. “I know the name. With Red Cloud you are the greatest of the Sioux.” The chief nodded. “There are others. John Grass, Gall, Crazy Horse, many others.
The Sioux have many great men.” The girl led Rafe away to a tent where he found Tex Brisco lying on a pile of skins and blankets. Tex was pale, but he grinned when Rafe came in. “Man,” he said, “it’s good to see you! And here’s Ann!” Rafe turned to look at her, and she smiled and then held out her hand. “I have learned how foolish I was. First from Penn and then from Mullaney and Tex.” “Penn? Mullaney?” Rafe squinted his eyes. “Are they here?” Quickly, Ann explained about Barkow’s killing of Penn and her subsequent attempt to overtake Bruce, guided and helped by Rock Mullaney. “Barkow’s dead,” Rafe told them. “Shute killed him.” “Ann told me,” Tex said. “He had it comin’. Where’s Dan Shute now?” Caradec shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m goin’ to find out.
was “Please!” Ann came to him. “Don’t tight with him, Rafe! There has been enough killing! You might be hurt, and I couldn’t stand that.” He looked at her. “Does it matter so much?” Her eyes fell. “Yes,” she said simply, “it does . . . .” Painted Rock lay quiet in a world of white, its shabbiness lost under the purity of freshly fallen snow. Escorted by a band of the Oglala, Ann, Rafe, and Tex rode to the edge of town and then said a quick good-bye to the friendly warriors.
The street was empty, and the town seemed to have no word of their coming. Tex Briseo, still weak from loss of blood and looking pale, brought up the rear. With Ann, he headed right for the Emporium. Rafe Caradec rode ahead until they neared the National Saloon. Then he swung to the boardwalk and waited until they had gone by.
Baker came rushing from the store and with Ann’s help, got Tex down from the horse and inside.
Rafe Caradec led his own horse down the street and tied it to the hitching rail. Then he glanced up and down the street, looking for Shute. Within a matter of minutes Dan would know he was back, and once he was aware of it, there would be trouble.
Pat Higley was inside the store when Rafe entered. He nodded at Rafe’s story of what had taken place.
“Shute’s been back in town,” Higley said.
was I reckon after he lost Ann in the snowstorm he figgered she would circle around and come back here.” “Where’s Pod Gomer?” Rafe inquired.
“If you mean has he taken out, why I can tell you he hasn’t,” Baker said. “He’s been around with Shute, and he’s wearin’ double hardware right now.” Higley nodded. “They ain’t goin’ to give up without a fight,” he warned. “They’re keepin’ some men in town, quite a bunch of “em.” Rafe also nodded. “That will end as soon as Shute’s out of the way.” He looked up as the door pushed open, and started to his feet when Johnny Gill walked in with Rock Mullaney.
“The soldiers rigged a sled,” Gill announced at once. “They’re takin” Bo back to the fort, so we reckoned it might be a good idea to come down here and stand by in case of trouble. his Ann came to the door and stood there by the curtain, watching them. Her eyes continually strayed to Rafe, and he looked up, meeting their glance. Ann flushed and looked away and then invited him to join her for coffee. Excusing himself, he got up and went inside. Gravely, Ann showed him to a chair, brought him a napkin, and then poured coffee for him and put sugar and cream beside his cup. He took the sugar and then looked ap at her. “Can you ever forgive me?” she asked.
“There’s nothin’ to forgive,” he said. was I couldn’t blame you. You were sure your father was dead.” “I didn’t know why the property should cause all that trouble until I heard of the oil. Is it really worth so much?” “Quite a lot. Shippin’ is the problem now, but that will be taken care of soon, so it could be worth a great deal of money. I expect they knew more about that end of it than we did.” Rafe looked up at her.
“I never aimed to claim my half of the ranch,” he said, “and I don’t now. I accepted it just to give me some kind of a legal basis for workin’ with you, but now that the trouble is over, I’ll give you the deed, the will your father made out, and the other papers.” “Oh, no!” she exclaimed quickly. “You mustn’t! I’ll need your help to handle things, and you must accept your part of the ranch and stay on. That is,” she added, “if you don’t think I’m too awful for the way I acted.” He flushed. “I don’t think you’re awful, Ann,” he said clumsily, getting to his feet. was I think you’re wonderful.
I guess I always have, ever since that first day when I came into the store and saw you.” His eves strayed, and carried their glance out the window. He came to with a start and got to his feet.
“There’s Dan Shute,” he said. “I’ve got to go.” Ann arose with him, white to the lips. He avoided her glance and then turned abruptly toward the door. The girl made no protest, but as he started through the curtain, she said: “Come back, Rafe. I’ll be waiting!” He walked to the street door, and the others saw him go. Then something in his manner apprised them of what was about to happen. Mullaney caught up his rifle and started for the door also, and Baker reached for a scattergun.
Rafe Caradec glanced quickly up the snow-covered street. One wagon had been down the center of the street about daybreak, and there had been no other traffic except for a few passing riders.
Horses stood in front of the National and the Emporium and had kicked up the snow, but otherwise it was an even, unbroken expanse of purest white.
Rafe stepped out on the porch of the Emporium. Dan Shute’s gray was tied at the National’s hitching rail, but Shute was nowhere in sight. Rafe walked to the corner of the store, his feet crunching on the snow. The sun was coming out, and the snow might soon be gone. As he thought of that, a drop fell from the roof overhead and touched him on the neck. Dan Shute would be in the National. Rafe walked slowly down the walk to the saloon and pushed open the door. Joe Benson looked up from behind his bar, and hastily moved down toward the other end.
Pod Gomer, slumped in a chair at a table across the room, sat up abruptly, his eyes shifting to the big man at the bar.
Dan Shute’s back was to the room. In his short, thick coat lie looked enormous. His hat was off, and his shock of blond hair, coarse and uncombed, glinted in the sunlight.
Rafe stopped inside the door, his gaze sweeping the room in one all-encompassing glance.
Then his eves riveted on the big man at the bar.
“All right, Shute,” he said calmly. “Turn around and take: it. Dan Shute turned, and he was grinning. He was grinning widely, but there was a wicked light dancing in his eyes. He stared disat Caradec, letting his slow, insolent gaze go over him from head to foot. “Killin’ you would be too easy,” he said. “I promised myself that when the time came I would take you apart with inv hands and then if there was anything left, disshoot it full of holes. I’m goin’ to kill you Caradec!” Out of the tail of his eye, Rafe saw that Johnny Gill was leaning against the jamb of the back door and that Rock Mullaney was just inside of that same door.
“Take off your guns, Caradec, and I’ll kill you!” Shute said softly. “It’s their fight,” Gill said suddenly. “Let “em have it the way they want it!” The voice startled Gomer so that he jerked, and he glanced over his shoulder, his face white. Then the front door pushed open, and Higley came in with Baker. Pod Gomer touched his lips with his tongue and shot a sidelong glance at Benson. The saloonkeeper looked unhappy. Carefully, Dan Shute reached for his belt buckle and unbuckled the twin belts, laying the big guns on the bar, butts toward him. At the opposite end of the bar, Rafe Caradec did the same. Then, as one man, they shed their coats.