Read Online Lando (1962) by Louis - Sackett's 08 L'amour - Free Book Online
Authors: Louis - Sackett's 08 L'amour
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Kurbishaw had shot the commandant, and again and again he saw Kurbishaw's ruthless way, and he began to regret telling him what he had, and that gave him the idea of deserting. But first he meant to kill Captain Kurbishaw, to let what Elam knew die with him."
After all, why did he need Kurbishaw?
Eric Stouten was a good hand with a boat, a fine swimmer and diver, and the vessel lay in relatively shallow water.
The night before Chapultepec he took his knife and slipped into Kurbishaw's tent. He was lifting the knife when a voice stopped him.
He turned his head, to see two Kurbishaws staring at him ... another lay on the bed.
He cried out, lost his grip on his knife, and started to turn for the door, and the two men shot him.
"How do you know they didn't find the gold themselves?" I asked Locklear.
"They didn't know where to look. The Laguna de Barril is only one of many coves and inlets along that coast.
"The difficulty was, that young trooper had talked far too much. He had, among other things, told of the other man who was still around, the other pirate who had escaped ... and who, he was sure, was now on one of the river boats on the Rio Grande.
"If they could not immediately find the gold, they would fix it so nobody else would, and they tried to murder old Duval. That brought your father into the fight, and his first run-in with the Kurbishaws. I don't know the circumstances, but when they tried to kill Duval, Falcon Sackett put a bullet into one of them, and then Duval told Falcon his story."
Bit by bit the story emerged, and bit by bit our own plans came into being. After that hot night in Jonas' cabin none of them ever gave up going back, and after my father disappeared, the Tinker hunted for him, and Jonas, too. Neither had any luck until Will Caffrey began to spend pa's gold, and Tinker followed the trail of that Spanish gold from Charleston to the mountains.
The Kurbishaws also traced the gold, and decided to kill me for fear I might go after it.
"Cortina has controlled that area off and on for years," Jonas said, "and many of his subordinates have been thieves or worse; however, nobody wants to see that much gold slipping through their fingers.
"After that talk in the cabin of my steamboat," he continued, "we waited until the time was right, and then slipped down there to look.
"The water in many places was shallow, there were many sand bars, and their location changed with each heavy blow. Twice we went aground, several times we were fired upon. Then the war ended and we had no further excuse to be in the vicinity; and the local authorities, knowing something was hidden there, suspected everybody.
"Your father actually found the wreck and got away with some of the gold--got away, I might add, because he was uncommonly agile and gifted with nerve. And he tried to find us."
The Tinker glanced at me. "Had it been me I doubt I should have tried to find anybody, but it was Falcon Sackett, and he is a different man in every way."
Out of our talking a plan emerged. Jonas Locklear must, in any event, go to the ranch he owned on the Gulf coast. We would go with him, and then we would go to Mexico to buy cattle for a drive to Kansas, and to restock the ranch. This might call for several trips.
In this cattle-buying I should have to take first place, for either Jonas or the Tinker might be recognized, and to stay over a few hours south of the border would invite disaster.
Arrangements could be made by letter for me to pick up the herd, and then I would start north, holding them near the coast. Jonas and the Tinker would join me as cowhands, riding with other cowhands. When we had the herd close by where the treasure was believed to be, we would camp ... and find our gold.
It was simple as that. Nobody, we believed, would suspect a cattleman of hunting for gold.
It was a good cover, and we could find no flaws in it. There was water for cattle in brackish pools, there was good grass, so the route was
After all, why did he need Kurbishaw?
Eric Stouten was a good hand with a boat, a fine swimmer and diver, and the vessel lay in relatively shallow water.
The night before Chapultepec he took his knife and slipped into Kurbishaw's tent. He was lifting the knife when a voice stopped him.
He turned his head, to see two Kurbishaws staring at him ... another lay on the bed.
He cried out, lost his grip on his knife, and started to turn for the door, and the two men shot him.
"How do you know they didn't find the gold themselves?" I asked Locklear.
"They didn't know where to look. The Laguna de Barril is only one of many coves and inlets along that coast.
"The difficulty was, that young trooper had talked far too much. He had, among other things, told of the other man who was still around, the other pirate who had escaped ... and who, he was sure, was now on one of the river boats on the Rio Grande.
"If they could not immediately find the gold, they would fix it so nobody else would, and they tried to murder old Duval. That brought your father into the fight, and his first run-in with the Kurbishaws. I don't know the circumstances, but when they tried to kill Duval, Falcon Sackett put a bullet into one of them, and then Duval told Falcon his story."
Bit by bit the story emerged, and bit by bit our own plans came into being. After that hot night in Jonas' cabin none of them ever gave up going back, and after my father disappeared, the Tinker hunted for him, and Jonas, too. Neither had any luck until Will Caffrey began to spend pa's gold, and Tinker followed the trail of that Spanish gold from Charleston to the mountains.
The Kurbishaws also traced the gold, and decided to kill me for fear I might go after it.
"Cortina has controlled that area off and on for years," Jonas said, "and many of his subordinates have been thieves or worse; however, nobody wants to see that much gold slipping through their fingers.
"After that talk in the cabin of my steamboat," he continued, "we waited until the time was right, and then slipped down there to look.
"The water in many places was shallow, there were many sand bars, and their location changed with each heavy blow. Twice we went aground, several times we were fired upon. Then the war ended and we had no further excuse to be in the vicinity; and the local authorities, knowing something was hidden there, suspected everybody.
"Your father actually found the wreck and got away with some of the gold--got away, I might add, because he was uncommonly agile and gifted with nerve. And he tried to find us."
The Tinker glanced at me. "Had it been me I doubt I should have tried to find anybody, but it was Falcon Sackett, and he is a different man in every way."
Out of our talking a plan emerged. Jonas Locklear must, in any event, go to the ranch he owned on the Gulf coast. We would go with him, and then we would go to Mexico to buy cattle for a drive to Kansas, and to restock the ranch. This might call for several trips.
In this cattle-buying I should have to take first place, for either Jonas or the Tinker might be recognized, and to stay over a few hours south of the border would invite disaster.
Arrangements could be made by letter for me to pick up the herd, and then I would start north, holding them near the coast. Jonas and the Tinker would join me as cowhands, riding with other cowhands. When we had the herd close by where the treasure was believed to be, we would camp ... and find our gold.
It was simple as that. Nobody, we believed, would suspect a cattleman of hunting for gold.
It was a good cover, and we could find no flaws in it. There was water for cattle in brackish pools, there was good grass, so the route was
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