Rafe waited with his mouth hard shut until Bunny, wheeling past with his father, fell in behind Bill. Then Rafe turned Bathsheba into their tracks, so hungry he was dizzy, so dry in his throat he couldn't have said anything that would have half done him justice even could he have shoved it through the things that were choking him. He had all he could do to keep himself in the saddle.
An indefinable while later Brownwater spoke out of the black at his elbow. "Lucy figgered mebbe you might want somethin' in your belly."
It wasn't quite a question, not even noticeably apologetic; it was, however, an overture and, after staring hard at the blobs of their faces, Rafe, still silent, pushed out a hand. The girl put a leathery something into it. "I—I'm sorry about what I said," she mentioned, leaning out from her perch behind fat Bill to slip a weighted strap over his wrist.
The strap was attached to a near-empty water bag. After he'd squeezed the last drop out of it Rafe peered at the chunk of dried meat she'd put into his fist. He got it all down and perked up enough to take a harder look at the things on his mind, the more urgent ones at any rate. Likely, as Luce had pointed out, town was the first place Spangler would head for. Whether he got caught or not, Rafe had to go there. It was the only chance he could see to put a crack in their plans, and he wasn't naive enough to underestimate his peril. Spangler or Duke would shoot him on sight—he had no doubt of that. Even Chilton's sheriff.
But the only alternative was to let these buggers get away with it, and he sure couldn't see himself doing that. He wondered what price Jack Dahl had for his part. It must have been a pretty because at least the start of this deal had been set up with his connivance.
The night began to grow a little gray about the edges. Most of the stars had gone. A smell of rain was in the air; the smell of death was in it, too. Unconsciously Rafe shivered.
When first light finally came, they weren't more than a mile and a half from town. The sky was overhung with clouds but the land behind looked grayly empty. Rafe peered hard without discovering movement, but wasn't building no hopes on that. Spangler, if they'd got hold of fresh horses, could have sent some of his gunnies on ahead while Duke and the rest started hunting for tracks. One thing sure—they'd have horses by now. And if they'd followed his tracks to where he'd left Bunny's Roanie they would have the whole story. Duke might of run, but not that guy Spangler!
Chilton wouldn't be at his bank this early; yet this was where Rafe was determined to see him. He pushed it around for a while in his head. They could see the town's roofs across the tops of the trees growing out of the bosque into which Rafe had fled when Spangler's gunhand took after him. He thought some more, scowling, then abruptly called, "Bill! You got any lawyers around here?"
"Only lawyer closer than Tucson," Bunny said, "is Alph Chilton."
Rafe swore.
"If it's legal advice you're in need of," said Brownwater, "you could ride to Camp Grant an' put it up to the military—"
"I've got to get this done before Spangler—"
"Daddy's a notary," Bunny said, watching him.
Rafe, even yet, wasn't sure he trusted Pike, but he didn't have much choice—not if he was to make his father safe. What he had in mind held some risk for Luce, but he couldn't help that. He had to act while he could. He got them into the trees where the limbs and leaves hid them, hauled Bunny off the old man's horse, helped Bender down; then, ignoring her spluttering, thrust the reins in her hands. "Go get him. We'll wait right here."
Choking back whatever she'd been going to say, she got into the saddle and rode off through the brush. Some things about her you simply had to admire.
The others got down; Luce, female fashion, putting store on appearance, trying to cuff some of the dust and wrinkles from her clothes. "Whatever you two have got up your sleeves, I hope—"
Rafe said, cutting in, "All we got to do is cinch our hulls on this critter," and tossed Brownwater the chunk of rock he'd picked up. The fat puncher took one look and whistled. It was hard to keep still after that but he done it. Luce, all agog, kept reaming him with her stares and, when this failed to unlock his lips, stuck her nose in the air and gave him her back. Rafe watched the town through their lattice of branches.
He'd about given Bunny up and, in a lather of impatience, was getting ready to move when she came up through the brush without her pa, and afoot. "You don't need to swear," she said, eying Rafe's scowl. "Daddy's coming. In the buggy. He's gone around by the road."
Rafe helped his father into the skewbald's saddle, grabbed hold of her cheekstrap and set off, the rest following. He could hear Luce back of him dinging at Bill, and the snapping of the brush and the hoofs of the horses coming through the leafy mold. "We're making enough racket," Bunny said, "for a herd of elephants." Things quieted down after that and Luce quit talking.
Rafe stood listening at the edge of the growth. All of them stopped when they saw him put a hand up, and the skreak and rattle of an approaching vehicle rumbled plainly off the planks bridging the gully at the edge of town. Rafe got Bender off Bathsheba. "You an' Pa," he said to Bunny, "will ride in the buggy. Soon as you're aboard have Pike turn it round an' head for the bank. Luce—"
"Don't you think," his father said a bit testily, "I'm old enough to be told what you're up to? Seems like I ought to have some say—"
"You'll have plenty of say when we get to it. Right now we've got to have a talk with that banker. We've got to get to him 'fore Spangler shows up." Rafe turned to his sister. "Luce, you get on Bill's horse and go after Chilton. He's prob'ly still in bed—you know where he lives?"
Big-eyed, she nodded.
"Get goin', then." He shoved her toward Bill's horse.
"But what will I tell him?"
"Tell him anythin'. Tell him the Old Man's waitin' with the money to pay off that mortgage. I don't care what you tell him, long as you fetch 'im. An' don't lallygag around pickin' no posies!"
Brownwater said, eying Rafe uneasily, "I'm not sure I like this. Somebody could get bad hurt—"
"You got a better idea?"
"What's the matter with me goin' after him?" Bill said, reaching a hand out to Luce.
"If Spangler shows, I'm going to need your gun."
They stared at each other. "You're leanin' on a mighty weak reed," the fat man said, but he dropped the hand. Luce climbed into the saddle. She put her horse through the trees.
Rafe stepped out and Pike pulled up, Bunny and Rafe helping Bender aboard, Pike wanting to know what this was all about. "Drive 'em back to the bank and stay in the buggy—all of you—till Chilton shows up," Rafe told him shortly. "An', if lead gets to flyin', keep your heads down, but get into that bank no matter what."
He slapped the horse on the rump and, as Pike wheeled for the turn, moved back into the brush. Gathering the skewbald's reins he lifted a foot to the stirrup. "Let's go," he growled, and swung into the saddle.
Brownwater, still looking kind of huffy, stood with his fat holding him anchored in his tracks. "I'm beginnin' to feel like your ol' man—"
"Beginnin' to look like him, too. C'mon, let's get outa here," Rafe said impatiently. "We ain't got all day."