Traveling at night was slow going, even when traveling a known trail. To ride at any speed at all meant taking the risk of a horse stepping into a chuck hole and laming himself.
A short distance out of town, Matt had reined up sharply. He held the mount still and turned in the saddle. He thought he had heard something behind him. He strained his eyes peering into the darkness and listened as closely as possible. Nothing. The night was still, save for crickets and other night life sounds. Deciding he was imagining things, he lifted the reins and kneed the sorrel on along the trail
Matt rode for another half an hour. He had stopped twice to check his back trail. Both times he almost satisfied himself that there was no one behind him. Besides who would be following him? No one knew he was out here.. Who would even care?
He rode on but he failed to shake the chill that ran up and down his spine.
He was close to his destination now. The Madden ranch would be over the rise, Matt had figured that if Jeremy were to seek out help, the only people he knew would be the Maddens. He worried though, that if Frankie the Kid and his companions were with Jeremy, the Maddens may not be safe. He knew that if Jeremy was able to control the young outlaws, everything would be all right. Matt didn’t want to think about what might happen if he couldn’t control them.
Then again, the young outlaws may not have gone to the Maddens at all. If so, Matt’s trip out here would be for naught. But, there wasn’t anything else he could have done.
“I’m sorry about this, Larry,” Jeremy said. “But I didn’t know where else to turn. The law’s after us and we need food. If you can help us out some, I’d be obliged.”
Larry Madden glanced from Jeremy to the other four boys and the girl.
“And who are….?
They were standing in the living area of the cabin. Eva was standing in the doorway to the bedroom. She was holding her baby close to her bosom. Her eyes were wide with fear.
“These are frien…..… No. I mean acquaintances of mine,” Jeremy said. “They won’t hurt you.” He glared hard at Frankie. Frankie shrugged with a wry half grin.
“These aren’t the ones that were with you before,” Larry said
“No I got separated from Kitty and my grampa.”
“What happened?” Larry queried. “Are they all right?”
“I‘m sure they are,” Jeremy assured them “So. How about it? Can you help us out?”
“I…I guess so,” Larry stammered, still a little confused and unsure of the situation. “I can give you some canned goods and I have a slab of bacon.”
“Make sure you can spare it, Larry. I don‘t want to put you to hardship.”
“No. That‘s all right,” Madden said. “We can. It‘s just that I‘m more concerned about the law finding you here. I don’t want to get into trouble for having helped you.”
“I understand Larry,” Jeremy said. “We’ll just get on our way as soon as we can.”
Larry went to the cupboards and retrieved several cans of fruits and vegetables. He piled them into a gunny sack and tied it shut. He picked up another sack and started loading loaves of bread into it. He had a second thought about the bacon and decided to keep it. “I thought I had some bacon, but I must have used it up. I’m afraid this is all I can give you,” He tied the opening of this sack as well.
“That’s just fine,” Jeremy said, reaching for the sack of bread.
“I was hoping we coulda got some beef or pork,” Frankie griped.
Jeremy slammed the gunny sack into Frankie’s hands. “Be glad for what you got.”
An instant later, Jeremy was slamming the bag of canned goods into Bud’s arms.
“Hey. Why we gotta carry all this stuff?” Bud complained.
“Yeah,” Frankie piped up. “I’m the boss around here. You don’t tell me what to do.”
Larry Madden saw the movement behind the young outlaws as the door opened slightly. The movement of his eyes drew Jeremy’s attention and he saw it too.
“Wrong?? A voice from behind them sounded. “I’m the boss now.”
Frankie and the others half turned quickly; their hands reaching for their pistols, but freezing in their tracks as they saw Matt Starr standing in the open doorway. Both hands were filled with pistols. Eva Madden gasped and hugged her baby tight. The little tyke began to cry.
“Don’t anybody move!” Starr ordered as he stepped inside, leaving the door still partly open. Now, everybody. Slowly relieve yourselves of your weapons and toss them to the other side of the room.”
One by one, each of the outlaws did as he was instructed.
“I should have known,” Jeremy said bitterly as he tossed his Colt away. “You figured I would come here, didn‘t you?”
“Well, I had hoped so, kid. If you hadn’t I didn’t know what else to do.”
“I guess once a law dog, always a law dog,” Jeremy said. “I guess I’ll never know what my sister sees in you. But she’s just fooling herself . You’ll put her behind bars or at the end of a rope, just the same as anyone else.”
“I only want to see justice done,” Matt said.
“Sounds very noble,” Jeremy scoffed. “But, what is waiting for me in Thimble Creek is not justice. It’ll be out and out murder with me swinging at the end of a rope, if Simon Price is to have his way.”
“I assure you, Jeremy,” Matt said. “I want to help you, if I can.”
“This is the way you help? Holding a gun on me?”
“I’m holding a gun on your pals here too, Jeremy. Now I don’t think I want to help them and if you continue to string along with them, I may not be able to help you either.” He had no sooner gotten the words out when the door behind him crashed into his back. He stumbled forward, his gun muzzles dropping toward the floor.
Jeremy stepped forward and with a downward chopping motion he slammed the insides of both of Matt’s forearms. The marshal’s fingers opened and the pistols slipped free, sliding to the floor.
The figure coming in the door was almost as surprised when the door slammed into Matt’s back. Andrew Wharton had merely barged in, not knowing what he was walking into. His only thought was that the outlaws were there and they held Sarah Price hostage. The sudden jolt of slamming into Matt Starr made him drop the rifle he was carrying.
He had left his carriage behind in town. He had found Arapahoe Brown’s big grey stallion at the livery. The hostler had saddled the horse and loaned him a Winchester rifle. Blinded by rage, Andrew hadn’t thought about how he would fend off the outlaws with this rifle that he knew not how to fire.
As he stumbled in behind the marshal, the other outlaws made a mad scramble for their weapons. Jeremy yanked the rifle off the floor where Andrew had dropped it.
In a matter of seconds, it was all over. Both Wharton and Starr were on their knees on the floor and the outlaws all had guns trained on them.
Chapter Twenty Three