Read Online Ambush at Shadow Valley by Ralph Cotton - Free Book Online Page A

the brush. But no sooner had he made the remarks than his eyes filled with tears. ‘‘Both of you come home this minute! Do you hear me, Bess? Stay away from those men! Clarimonde went with them to protect you! Stay away from them!’’
    He stood silently until the last of his echo had sunk into the rocky hills. Then he sighed and walked dejectedly to a feed bin alongside the butcher shed. There he picked up a bucket of feed and an empty bucket for milking. With the empty shotgun clamped under his arm, he trudged out to the corral and went about his daily tasks.
    An hour later, from the edge of the trail the two escaped convicts had ridden in on, the ranger and Hector Sandoval stopped their horses and warily searched the clearing before venturing in. ‘‘Do you know this man?’’ Sam asked, gazing ahead at the old German who had just stood up and walked out of the corral. He carried the shotgun in one hand along with the empty feed bucket. In his other hand he carried a full bucket of goat milk.
    â€˜â€˜He was not here the last time I came this way,’’ said Hector. ‘‘I do not know him, but I know of him. He is an old German who tends goats with his daughter. These goatherds move about like sparrows.’’
    â€˜â€˜Goatherds don’t usually arm themselves with shotguns to do their milking, do they?’’ Sam asked. Nudging his stallion forward, he warily searched the front yard of the shack and the area around the butcher shed.
    â€˜â€˜No, they do not,’’ said Hector, looking all around the yard and the hillsides. ‘‘They have large German herd dogs protecting their goats. I have heard that they look more like wolves than dogs.’’
    â€˜â€˜Do you worry yourself about wolves, Guardia ?’’ Sam asked, recognizing a sudden tenseness in Hector and hoping to settle him as they rode closer to the old man.
    The two caught a wafting scent of roasted meat in the air. ‘‘Only when there are wolves around,’’ Hector commented, realizing what the ranger was doing. Nudging his horse along a few feet behind the ranger, he added, ‘‘But I think the wolves I speak of have already been here and gone.’’
    â€˜â€˜I think you’re right, Guardia ,’’ said Sam, knowing that whatever tension he’d sensed in the man had passed as suddenly as it had appeared.
    Ahead of them the old man had stopped and squinted toward them. As soon as he made out their blurred images riding slowly into view, he quickly set the bucket of milk at his feet and raised the shotgun to his shoulder. Sam stepped his stallion away from Hector’s horse, putting some distance between them. ‘‘This is your graze. You had better talk to him,’’ he said quietly to Hector. Then he remained silent, watching the old man intently, sensing from his behavior that something bad had happened here.
    â€˜â€˜We come in peace, goatherd,’’ Hector called out, seeing the old man stop and set the bucket of milk on the ground. ‘‘I am the guardia of Valle Hermoso. We are hunting for two very bad men.’’ He paused just long enough to let the old German think; then he added, ‘‘Have you seen them? If not, we will ride clear of you and be on our way.’’
    The shotgun was lowered from the old man’s shoulder. He sighed deeply and said, ‘‘Yes, they were here. They took my daughter, Clarimonde, and left with her. I am going out of my mind with worry and fear for her.’’
    Now Sam spoke. ‘‘Lay the shotgun down, Mister. We’re riding in. I’m also a lawman—Arizona Ranger Sam Burrack.’’
    â€˜â€˜Yes, please, ride in,’’ the old man called out to them. As he spoke he stooped and laid the shotgun down on the dirt. ‘‘I am Herr Siebelz— Adolph Siebelz. I will do whatever you ask to help