He really doesn't care what may or may not have befallen Humby. He wonders about Emily, but she was quite certain that she didn't want to have anything to do with him any more so he tells himself that there's little point in caring about her wellbeing.
'She escaped?' Logan pauses as he overhears a voice. His horse is between him and the speaker.
'She didn't just escape. She made me look a fool.'
That second voice is unmistakably McLaren.
Wilson steps forward to untie the horses but Logan nudges him and signals to be quiet and listen.
'I'm going to get a posse together,' McLaren says, 'we can teach her a lesson.'
'Won't Humby have something to say about that? I mean, it's his girl we're talking about here.'
'He tied her up and threw her in his office and locked the door. He's not going to have much to say about what I do to her.'
Logan is startled by this revelation. Judging by the look on his face, so is Wilson.
'Come on,' says McLaren, 'we can get some more guns from the saloon.'
Their spurs click as they walk away toward the saloon.
'What do you think they're planning?' Logan asks Wilson.
'I don't know, but I don't like it. We need to get to the ranch before them.'
'You think Humby is in trouble there?'
Wilson shakes his head. 'I doubt Mr Humby is there. Maybe nobody is there. You're too full of questions,' he says exasperated, 'Just do as I tell you. Get on your horse and let's get out of here before McLaren comes back out.'
Logan wriggles up into his saddle with the help of his good arm and gritting his teeth against the discomfort in his arm he kicks his horse back towards the ranch.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
She pats the nose of Mannion's horse as it stands tied up outside the deserted ranch house. Laura and Billy are still cowering in his room, but everyone else has gone. Someone has opened the gate to the corral and the horses are gone too. Mannion's horse that carried her from the town is the only creature to be seen.
She blinks back a tear as she thinks about how things have turned out. She strived so hard to keep the ranch as the prosperous, thriving success that she inherited, and yet it refused to do what she willed for it. Her men seem not to have respected her. After all, maybe Frank Lake is no worse than any of them. She resolves to do something to help him, if only to spite the others who mutinied against her so completely.
Humby will come again, of that she can be sure. It unsettles her, but she knows of nowhere that feels safer than the home she was born in.
The loneliness brings to mind the feeling she had that night when she sat on this porch waiting for her father to come home. Sanchez pleaded with her to come inside, to go to bed, that he'd be back in the morning, but she knew, somehow she knew, that he wasn't ever coming back again. That emptiness inside. This emptiness inside. Back then she stayed out waiting, not wanting to admit that it was over, not wanting to give up hope. But there is no hope. The ranch is empty and all that made it feel safe and homely has gone. She knows she should saddle up her horse and run away. Run away from Humby and his threats, from McLaren and his inevitable revenge. She should run, but where to? She has nowhere to go. She wishes Sanchez were here, she would take his advice, he would make everything alright.
There is a noise inside the house, but it is just Laura and Billy. She finds herself thinking of them like children, disregarding them. They have no solution to offer for her plight.
She watches the road, not really knowing what she is watching for. Her father returning? Sanchez? Humby? She aches to see something coming up the road. Anything. Anyone. Just something that will break the spell, the feeling of emptiness.
The cloud of dust makes her heart leap. Someone is coming. Who it is suddenly matters. The spell is broken and her instinct for self-defense takes over. She snatches up the rifle and steps out to meet whoever is coming. She cannot make out who they are or even how many, but she already has the safety catch off and a cartridge in the breech.
As it gets closer the dust cloud becomes two and she sees two horses and their riders. The first looks to be dressed in black. It's that deputy who has been following her. She raises the rifle.
He's too far away to shoot, but he's riding quickly. Why has he come back? Is that Humby behind him? She screws up her eyes trying to make him out but she cannot see who the second rider is. He seems to be riding awkwardly. Is it Humby, trying to hide his identity from her? He would be too proud to do that. If Humby was riding up to the ranch he'd have his stupid arrogant head held high. No, whoever it might be, it won't be Humby. She lowers the rifle a little and waits.
Now they are in range. Shouting distance. They make no attempt to hail her though and just keep riding. Impatient, she raises the rifle again and squeezes the trigger.
Dirt kicks up in front of Wilson's horse and it rears in surprise. The riders stop.
'Miss Nixon,' Wilson yells, 'please don't shoot.'
'Why the hell not?' she yells back, readying herself for a second shot.
'We've come to help,' he calls, and then the wind takes the rest of his words.
'I don't need your help.'
'I can't hear you,' he calls back.
'Okay. Come slowly.' The rifle is still at her shoulder.
Wilson and the other rider come steadily closer and she watches them intently over the sights of the rifle. The second rider is clearer now. He has a white hat. A white hat? Can it be Logan? Why is he riding so awkwardly? Has he been injured?
Why should she care if Logan has been injured? He lied to her, he brought Humby here to kidnap her. She has no reason to be interested in his wellbeing. She still hopes he is alright. After all, he got that injury running away from her house rather than getting involved in Humby's tricks. She wants him to be okay. Did Wilson say they were coming to offer help or because they needed help? She feels again how frightened she was bringing Billy back to the ranch with his wounds and how it felt to be desperate for someone to help.
'Laura! Come quickly.' She shouts. Laura will know what to do.
Logan tries to brush her away as he struggles down from the saddle insisting that it is only a scratch and is already taken care of, but his eyes look a little unfocussed and he wobbles a little as she helps him to the porch.
'What happened?' She asks quietly. 'Who did this?'
Logan shakes his head. He doesn't seem to want to say.
'Was it him?' she asks, pointing at Wilson. 'Did he do this to you?'
Logan shakes his head.
Laura takes a cursory glance at his arm. 'He's been well bandaged already. You don't need my help. I'll fetch him something to drink.
'What happened with Humby?' he asks.
It's her turn to shake her head. She doesn't want to tell that tale just yet. It wasn't very pleasant to live through and she doesn't want to go over it again.
'I thought he took you to town?' Wilson asks. He has been standing a little way off, watching the distance as usual, but he has been listening.
'I came back,' she says. Please don't ask for more detail than that. Don't make me relive it.
'Just like that. You came back.' Wilson says quietly, still watching the road and the hill tops. 'Isn't that Mannion's horse over there?' He still isn't making eye contact.
He isn't going to leave it alone is he? Does she tell them that she escaped? That she duped McLaren? Maybe she should lie and say that he let her go, that he sent her home.
'I'm thinking Miss Nixon,' Wilson goes on, 'that you're a very clever and resourceful woman and you've picked your moment and slipped away and that Mr. Humby isn't going to be right pleased about that. And when he finds out you ain't there he's going to come right out here looking for you.' He turns to look at her. 'Am I right?'