Read Online DC03 - Though Mountains Fall by Dale Cramer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dale Cramer
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Without food or water you will be dead in a few days anyway, and then I will have only to burn the bodies.”
Silence. The church door closed, and remained so for a good five minutes.
One of Soto’s lieutenants grew impatient, cocked his rifle and said, “We can storm the church if you wish, my capitán. Anytime.”
Soto calmly rolled a cigarette between his fingers, licked it and stuck it in his mouth. “No,” he said as he struck a match. “No more of my men will die today. Aguilar is no fool, and he has no choice. Be patient. He will try to bargain with us.”
The raspy voice called out from the church door, “ Oiga , Federale!”
Captain Soto stuck his head out and shouted, “Sí, I am still here. Have you reconsidered?”
“If we lay down our guns, will you let my men live?”
Soto smiled. “Of course! I am not a monster, Aguilar.”
But Caleb was beginning to wonder. From where he was standing he could see precious little difference between those who attacked him and those who came to defend him. Before today he could not have imagined feeling a twinge of sympathy for the bandits who killed his son.
Chapter 7
R achel didn’t realize her father was gone until she looked out the door and saw him halfway to the gate with the stride of a man on a mission. She had no idea what angered her dat but she knew that walk, that posture. Nothing could stop him when he got like that. By the time she realized what he was doing he’d reached the gate and thrown the bar.
“Domingo!” she shouted, and pointed out her father. Domingo sprinted after him. They were both outside the gate when she heard shots fired, and the rifles on the walls thundered again. And then silence.
She and Miriam clung to each other in terror. Dat and Domingo were out there somewhere in the middle of all that shooting. The sisters held each other and began to pray.
Afraid to leave the protection of the stable, Rachel and Miriam waited by the door for what seemed like hours, watching, listening. Finally, their father walked calmly through the gate and up the hill as if nothing had happened. Rachel burst from cover and ran halfway down the hill to meet him.
“Dat, what’s happening? Where did you go?”
“I had to speak to the commander of the troops, that’s all. The battle is over. The bandits have surrendered.”
Miriam’s voice came from behind her, high-pitched, quavering. “Where is Domingo?”
“Your husband is unharmed, Miriam. The captain detained him to identify some of the bandits. Captain Soto has never seen El Pantera’s face before.”
“I have, and I don’t care to see him again,” Rachel said. “So it’s done, then?”
“Jah, we can go home now. It’s safe.”
Miriam started toward the gate, but Caleb grabbed her arm. “Domingo will be back shortly,” he said. “You don’t want to see what’s out there right now.”
The whole family loaded onto the wagon and was starting toward the gate when Jake appeared on horseback, trotting along beside them. He reached out to touch hands with Rachel, relief written plainly in his eyes.
“Is everyone all right?” he asked.
“Jah, we are fine,” she said. She wanted to tell him about Miriam but her mother was right there, still distraught.
After they emerged from the gates into the open courtyard Rachel saw why her father had stopped Miriam from going out alone. The scene in the churchyard was horrific, bodies lying about in the dirt, soldiers lining the rooftops with rifles held at the ready. A handful of federales led a line of bandits away in chains, most of them wounded, limping. Mamm buried her face in her hands while Rachel’s sisters averted their eyes.
Halfway across the open ground between the gate and the village someone called out from the church. “You there! Come here!” One of the federales—a small sharp-featured man—beckoned to them from the portico of the church, and now she sawDomingo standing next to him. She also saw the fear
Silence. The church door closed, and remained so for a good five minutes.
One of Soto’s lieutenants grew impatient, cocked his rifle and said, “We can storm the church if you wish, my capitán. Anytime.”
Soto calmly rolled a cigarette between his fingers, licked it and stuck it in his mouth. “No,” he said as he struck a match. “No more of my men will die today. Aguilar is no fool, and he has no choice. Be patient. He will try to bargain with us.”
The raspy voice called out from the church door, “ Oiga , Federale!”
Captain Soto stuck his head out and shouted, “Sí, I am still here. Have you reconsidered?”
“If we lay down our guns, will you let my men live?”
Soto smiled. “Of course! I am not a monster, Aguilar.”
But Caleb was beginning to wonder. From where he was standing he could see precious little difference between those who attacked him and those who came to defend him. Before today he could not have imagined feeling a twinge of sympathy for the bandits who killed his son.
Chapter 7
R achel didn’t realize her father was gone until she looked out the door and saw him halfway to the gate with the stride of a man on a mission. She had no idea what angered her dat but she knew that walk, that posture. Nothing could stop him when he got like that. By the time she realized what he was doing he’d reached the gate and thrown the bar.
“Domingo!” she shouted, and pointed out her father. Domingo sprinted after him. They were both outside the gate when she heard shots fired, and the rifles on the walls thundered again. And then silence.
She and Miriam clung to each other in terror. Dat and Domingo were out there somewhere in the middle of all that shooting. The sisters held each other and began to pray.
Afraid to leave the protection of the stable, Rachel and Miriam waited by the door for what seemed like hours, watching, listening. Finally, their father walked calmly through the gate and up the hill as if nothing had happened. Rachel burst from cover and ran halfway down the hill to meet him.
“Dat, what’s happening? Where did you go?”
“I had to speak to the commander of the troops, that’s all. The battle is over. The bandits have surrendered.”
Miriam’s voice came from behind her, high-pitched, quavering. “Where is Domingo?”
“Your husband is unharmed, Miriam. The captain detained him to identify some of the bandits. Captain Soto has never seen El Pantera’s face before.”
“I have, and I don’t care to see him again,” Rachel said. “So it’s done, then?”
“Jah, we can go home now. It’s safe.”
Miriam started toward the gate, but Caleb grabbed her arm. “Domingo will be back shortly,” he said. “You don’t want to see what’s out there right now.”
The whole family loaded onto the wagon and was starting toward the gate when Jake appeared on horseback, trotting along beside them. He reached out to touch hands with Rachel, relief written plainly in his eyes.
“Is everyone all right?” he asked.
“Jah, we are fine,” she said. She wanted to tell him about Miriam but her mother was right there, still distraught.
After they emerged from the gates into the open courtyard Rachel saw why her father had stopped Miriam from going out alone. The scene in the churchyard was horrific, bodies lying about in the dirt, soldiers lining the rooftops with rifles held at the ready. A handful of federales led a line of bandits away in chains, most of them wounded, limping. Mamm buried her face in her hands while Rachel’s sisters averted their eyes.
Halfway across the open ground between the gate and the village someone called out from the church. “You there! Come here!” One of the federales—a small sharp-featured man—beckoned to them from the portico of the church, and now she sawDomingo standing next to him. She also saw the fear
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