Read Online Novel 1974 - The Californios (v5.0) by Louis L’Amour - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Louis L’Amour
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add wood, and leave it burning. They will believe that we are here. They will get down, creep up, and find nothing. Nothing at all.”
“And so?”
“We shall have gained a few miles, perhaps a whole night. It is a difference, amigo.”
Wearily they mounted, and wearily Juan led them into the night, into the darkness.
Chapter 8
----
I T WAS DAYLIGHT before they again stopped. The place was a canyon with towering walls that went steeply up, then sloped back. There were junipers there, and piñon pine.
“We will rest,” Juan said.
He squatted against a boulder. “We cannot go on. They are too close.”
“Close? How do you know? We have seen nothing!”
“I know.”
“We must have the gold, Juan. We will lose the ranch.”
“Is it so important? It is land, but there is much land. If you lose that, go elsewhere and take more. I can show you more land, finer land.”
“It is our home. The mountains are there, and the sea. Our schooner is there. The grave of my father is there.”
“Ah, yes. I had forgotten that.” He paused, then said. “They are too close. They will find us and they will take it all.”
“They will take nothing.” Eileen Mulkerin said flatly. “They will take nothing, Juan. They will get nothing but trouble. I will not lose the place, Juan. I will not lose it, do you hear?”
“Those men who follow? They are bad men?”
“The worst.”
Eileen Mulkerin spoke. “There is the one called Wooston, and there is King-Pin Russell, Tomas Alexander, and Jorge Fernandez.”
“Fernandez? A thin, hard man?”
“Sí…and there is Andres Machado.”
Juan stirred the sand with a stick. “This Fernandez…I know of him. He killed a girl, I think. An Indian girl?”
“He is the one.”
“She was known to me. Sometimes she brought me
frijoles
…she was a good girl.”
He sat silent, then shook his head. “No. I cannot. You are my friends. I know that. But this is not what you think. It is no great treasure, but only a little gold, not easily had. For you there might be enough…but I cannot risk it.”
Sean squatted, too. “Old One? Take them. I will stay here. I will be sure that no one follows you.”
“They will kill you.”
“Not until I have killed them. You take the Señora and Mariana…go. I will stay.”
“If you stay,” Montero said, “I will stay with you.”
The Old One looked from one to the other, slowly shaking his head. “You are brave men, good men.” He paused again, then sighed and shook his head. “Rest a little then. Let the horses roll, take them to drink in the hole beyond the bushes. We must go soon.”
He moved away from them and, curling up in a shadow, went to sleep.
Eileen Mulkerin looked at her son. “We should not do this, Sean. I think the place he is taking us to is very special. Possibly a sacred place.”
“You are probably right, and I am worried for him, but what I have said, I will do. You ride on with him. I shall stay.”
“We all go…or none.”
“Señora, I—”
“No. I have spoken. That is how it will be. I love the ranch, but the ranch is not worth my son’s blood. I say no…all go, or none.”
He knew better than to argue. “What about the gold?” he asked. “Was it melted down or was it ore?”
“I never saw it.”
Montero led the horses away and Sean leaned back against a rock. He was tired, very tired. The long voyage, the worry, and now this. His eyes closed. He opened and shut his fingers, closing them into fists.
Somehow, somehow he must save them all. Juan, his mother, Mariana.
Montero? He was a good man, and together they would do what must be done. They were men, and they would stand together. What happened remained in the hands of God…or destiny.
Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes. The sun was high in the sky, and the hand was Juan’s. “You sleep well, my son. It is time to ride.”
“Could you not tell us where to go? You could hide nearby and
“And so?”
“We shall have gained a few miles, perhaps a whole night. It is a difference, amigo.”
Wearily they mounted, and wearily Juan led them into the night, into the darkness.
Chapter 8
----
I T WAS DAYLIGHT before they again stopped. The place was a canyon with towering walls that went steeply up, then sloped back. There were junipers there, and piñon pine.
“We will rest,” Juan said.
He squatted against a boulder. “We cannot go on. They are too close.”
“Close? How do you know? We have seen nothing!”
“I know.”
“We must have the gold, Juan. We will lose the ranch.”
“Is it so important? It is land, but there is much land. If you lose that, go elsewhere and take more. I can show you more land, finer land.”
“It is our home. The mountains are there, and the sea. Our schooner is there. The grave of my father is there.”
“Ah, yes. I had forgotten that.” He paused, then said. “They are too close. They will find us and they will take it all.”
“They will take nothing.” Eileen Mulkerin said flatly. “They will take nothing, Juan. They will get nothing but trouble. I will not lose the place, Juan. I will not lose it, do you hear?”
“Those men who follow? They are bad men?”
“The worst.”
Eileen Mulkerin spoke. “There is the one called Wooston, and there is King-Pin Russell, Tomas Alexander, and Jorge Fernandez.”
“Fernandez? A thin, hard man?”
“Sí…and there is Andres Machado.”
Juan stirred the sand with a stick. “This Fernandez…I know of him. He killed a girl, I think. An Indian girl?”
“He is the one.”
“She was known to me. Sometimes she brought me
frijoles
…she was a good girl.”
He sat silent, then shook his head. “No. I cannot. You are my friends. I know that. But this is not what you think. It is no great treasure, but only a little gold, not easily had. For you there might be enough…but I cannot risk it.”
Sean squatted, too. “Old One? Take them. I will stay here. I will be sure that no one follows you.”
“They will kill you.”
“Not until I have killed them. You take the Señora and Mariana…go. I will stay.”
“If you stay,” Montero said, “I will stay with you.”
The Old One looked from one to the other, slowly shaking his head. “You are brave men, good men.” He paused again, then sighed and shook his head. “Rest a little then. Let the horses roll, take them to drink in the hole beyond the bushes. We must go soon.”
He moved away from them and, curling up in a shadow, went to sleep.
Eileen Mulkerin looked at her son. “We should not do this, Sean. I think the place he is taking us to is very special. Possibly a sacred place.”
“You are probably right, and I am worried for him, but what I have said, I will do. You ride on with him. I shall stay.”
“We all go…or none.”
“Señora, I—”
“No. I have spoken. That is how it will be. I love the ranch, but the ranch is not worth my son’s blood. I say no…all go, or none.”
He knew better than to argue. “What about the gold?” he asked. “Was it melted down or was it ore?”
“I never saw it.”
Montero led the horses away and Sean leaned back against a rock. He was tired, very tired. The long voyage, the worry, and now this. His eyes closed. He opened and shut his fingers, closing them into fists.
Somehow, somehow he must save them all. Juan, his mother, Mariana.
Montero? He was a good man, and together they would do what must be done. They were men, and they would stand together. What happened remained in the hands of God…or destiny.
Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes. The sun was high in the sky, and the hand was Juan’s. “You sleep well, my son. It is time to ride.”
“Could you not tell us where to go? You could hide nearby and
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