The Return of Wildcat Kitty and the Cyclone Kid Page 10

"Think we oughta go down there and get 'em, Red?" Kirby asked. "We could just sneak up on 'em, bust in and shoot 'em before they knew what him them."

  "No, I don't," Red said with irritation. He was lying on the ground in a mess of weeds, holding binoculars to his eyes. His elbows were propped on the ground making a tripod for himself. He didn't bother to look away from his view to answer his brother. "I'll tell you when and what I think. In the meantime, just keep your yap shut."

  They had been staked out on a high ridge for several hours watching the run down ranch house and outbuildings in the valley below. The trees and high weeds gave them adequate cover from being seen and at this distance, if they kept to minimum movement and silence, their presence would not likely be detected. It was getting late in the afternoon and shadows were stretching across the valley. It wouldn't be long before the sun completely dropped below the far horizon on the opposite side of the valley and bring on approaching dusk.

  They had followed The Wildcat Gang since early morning. They had seen the shootout with pursuit riders and had seen them helped out by a mysterious interloper.

  Not daring to get too close just yet, the Beatties followed the gang to this abandoned ranch in the hills. They watched as the outlaw band hid their horses in the old barn and then took refuge in the ranch house itself.

  There had been no further movement nor sight of The Wildcats for the rest of the day.

  Red had been content to wait and watch patiently. Kirby and Jonas paced and thrashed about in the weeds, continually asking Red what was going on, as Red was the only who could see anything since he had benefit of field glasses.

  "Will you boys, settle down?" Red would say occasionally, irritated that the same question would come every few minutes. "And keep an eye on the runt," he would remind them.

  Willis had been sullen these past several days. As much as Red had explained to him, the importance of what they were doing and the importance of being family, the boy was still angry. Red had even promised Willis that he would not hurt Kitty Carlin. Red knew the boy did not believe him. He didn't trust Red and Red still didn't trust the boy to do his part when the time came. If he would at least not interfere and mess things up, that would be sufficient for Red. Family is family, Red thought to himself and he knew what his Ma would think about it if she were still alive, but she wasn't and Willis was just a half-brother. Red supposed that he would only be half wrong if he had to kill Willis. But what the hell, half wrong can't be all bad.

  "Hey! Someone's coming!" Jeremy said excitedly. He had passed by the front room window and had caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. He quickly stepped to the side of the window. There were no curtains.

  The others jumped up quickly from where they were sitting. Rap was stoppering his bottle and stuffing it into his coat pocket.

  "Stay back!" Jeremy ordered almost in a whisper, motioning them to stay away from the window with the palm of his hand.

  They fanned out and approached the window from the far sides, right and left. Kitty drew up close behind Jeremy. Cyclone, Rap and Chief slid up close to the window on the other side.

  "Looks like that fella that horned in on us this morning," Cyclone said. "How do you s'pose he found us?"

  Kip Dalton had just reined his big black stallion into the barnyard and pulled up. He lifted himself up in the saddle and stretched a bit, looking over the ranch and surrounding structures for a moment Then he settled back into the saddle and gigged the big horse to the right and began a slow ride around the area, giving it a good looking over.

  "He must've followed us," Kitty said. There was a bit of hopeful lilt to her voice.

  "Took the durn fool all day, if he did," Cyclone scoffed.

  "Think he's one of them bounty hunters, Cy?" Rap asked.

  "If he was a bounty hunter, why did he help us out this morning?" Kitty said coming to his defense quickly

  "Why else would he follow us, then?" Jeremy asked.

  "That's obvious you durn fool. We got somethin' he wants," Cy snapped.

  "What've we got, Cy?" Arapahoe asked dimly.

  "We got what he ain't gonna git," Cyclone said, looking at his granddaughter. Then to Kitty, he said, "Girl, you get back there and stay outta sight. I'll take care of this." He drew his pistol and stepped toward the door.

  By now Kip Dalton had finished his survey of the ranch grounds and had guided Sabre up to the hitch rail in front of the ranch house.

  He was just dismounting; his left foot still in the stirrup and his right still in the air, lifted high above the saddle, when The Cyclone Kid burst through the ranch house front door, pistol in hand; a menacing look on his face.

  "Don't bother finishin', Mister. Best you just settle back into that saddle and go back where you came from."

  Kip froze in mid motion. Reflex and experience had taught him to see the gun first and the gaping barrel muzzle pointed at him. He caught his breath. Then he saw the man behind the gun. He clearly saw the danger in Cyclone's face, but he forced himself a broad smile and settled back into the saddle. He wrapped the reins around the pommel and leaned against it with both hands.

  "In case you don't recognize me, I'm the fellow that saved your bacon this morning." Kip said.

  "I know who you are," Cyclone said. "And you can still get outta here."

  "I got myself into considerable trouble helping you out," Kip pleaded.

  "That still don't give you no call to follow us out here," Cyclone said. "Now do I have to tell you again to git or do I have to shoot you? I'd rather you just git, 'cause I don't much feel like diggin' a hole to bury you. I'm gettin' too old for that."

  "Before you go making any decisions," Kip said. "Maybe you ought to take a look at this." With his right hand he started to reach inside his buckskin jacket on the left side.

  "Hold it right there!" Cyclone ordered. "Not another move."

  "I just wanted to show you, sir, the deed I hold to this property. You see I just bought it and I must say, I am very much disappointed in what I see. But, displeasing as it is, this property belongs to me and it is you, not I, sir, who is trespassing. So if anyone is going to 'git'. it's you."

  At that moment Kitty stepped out behind her grandfather. "Let him show us the paper, Grampa," she said.

  Cyclone grimaced and lowered his pistol slightly.

  Kip smiled, pulled out the paper and handed it over to Kitty.

  "You bought this place from Simon Price?" It was more of a statement than a question. "I suppose you didn't see it before you bought it."

  "I saw pictures," Kip said. The valley was lush and the buildings were in good shape."

  "That was a long time ago," Kitty said. "Before Price diverted the river and cut off the water supply. He's sold this land twice before. Neither buyer could make a go of it and it has gone downhill ever since. We knew the last owners. Price had them so far into debt that they finally had to walk away from it."

  "And now he's sold the property again," Kip said resolutely.

  "Sorry," Kitty said. "That's about the size of it." She handed him back the paper.

  "Mind if I get down, now, Miss," Kip said. "I am getting a little tired sitting up here and I think by now I have established this is my home, such as it is."

  "Yes, you have," Kitty apologized. Then to Cyclone. "Grampa," she admonished, “Put that cannon away and let the poor man get down off his horse."

  Cyclone hefted his pistol, looked a bit sheepish and put the weapon away. "Poor man, my foot," he growled to himself under his breath

  "We'll get off your property right away, Mister," Kitty said.

  Kip swung out of the saddle to the ground. "There's no need for that," he said. "At least, not right away. No harm's been done."

  Rap, Chief and Jeremy stepped through the open doorway behind Kitty and Cyclone. They still looked a little apprehensive but they had shown themselves since the situation looked friendly enough.

  Kip saw them over Kitty's shoulder. He smiled slightly,
but a little wary. He tipped this hat and said, "How do, fellows." Then, he removed his hat gallantly and bowed at the waist. "May I introduce myself young lady, and gentlemen. I am Kiplinger Remington Dalton. Formerly Major, United States Cavalry at your service."

  "Well dippity doo da," Cyclone muttered to himself under his breath, puckering up his lips and making a face.

  "You know who we are?" Kitty asked cautiously.

  "I would guess, from what I've heard, you my fair lady, are the so called notorious Wildcat Kitty, though to me you appear to be much more of a cuddly kitten, and these other gentlemen are known as The Wildcat Gang. I would guess," he said, pointing to Jeremy, "He's the legendary Cyclone Kid."

  "He's the legendary pip squeak, that's what he is," Cyclone fumed. "I'm the Cyclone Kid. I ain't legendary nuther. I'm just old, but I'm her granddaddy and don't you go gettin' no notions about her. 'Sides you're way too old for her."

  "Grampa!" Kitty implored him. "Behave yourself. Mister Dalton was just being polite. We could use a little more of that around here." She looked from Cyclone to the others and back to Cyclone. Then to Kip she said, "I'm sorry about my grandfather, Mister Dalton. He just gets a little too overprotective about me."

  "I don't nuther," Cyclone blustered. "'Sides, how do we know he's not one of those bounty hunters?"

  "I assure you I'm not," Kip said. "I didn't even know who you were when I took sides this morning. How about we go inside and talk this out.”

  “Just who is that guy anyways?’ Red Beattie growled, still looking through the field glasses and talking to himself as much as to anyone.

  “Ain’t that the guy that helped them out this morning?” Jonas asked, crawling up beside Red.

  “Yeah,” Red grunted. “Somethin’ mighty fishy about that guy. Cyclone comes rushin’ out wavin’ a gun at him. Next thing you know, that gal is comin’ out gushin’ all over him, just as sweet as you please. Then they all go inside like one big happy family.

  “Gushin’ all over him?” Willis jumped up suddenly coming out of his funk. He rushed up beside his brothers and dropped down in the weeds beside them where he could get a good view of the ranch house.

  There was nothing for him to see. All was quiet below and no one was in sight. He heaved a sigh of disgust, ripped off a handful of weeds and tossed them aside angrily.

  “Not so fond of your young lady, now, are you, kid?” Red said with a tone of ‘I told you so’, as he lowered the glasses and rolled to his side to look at the kid. He grinned with self-satisfaction. “Maybe now you won’t be so much against what we have to do. With the money we get, you can get girls ten times better than her, now that you’ve seen for yourself what kind of girl she is.”

  “Don’t say that, Red,” Willis got up and stomped away angrily.

  “You saw for yourself, Kid,” Red shouted after him. “She likes big, handsome, rich, looking men. Why do you think she never gave you a tumble before? She sure won’t now, with that big galoot around.”

  Willis kept walking, pretending he didn’t hear, but he did and he knew Red was right. Kitty Carlin had only pretended to be nice to him. She probably laughed at him and thought him a fool. She would pay for that. He and his brothers would see to that.