The Man Called Noon Read online

  There was scarcely room for his body, but he knew how little it took to offer concealment. His rifle across his forearms, he crawled forward on his elbows. He could feel the dampness under his shirt, which meant that his wound had started bleeding again, and he knew he had not much tune to get into better shelter.

  The shallow place into which he had dropped was only inches deep, but it ran along in the direction he was going. It deepened slightly, and he wormed along until he was within a few yards of the rocks along the far end. He came up with a lunge, and had made three long strides before they saw him.

  He heard the sound of a shot, but the bullet must have struck far behind him. The next shot was high, and then he was into the rocks.

  He lay down, gasping for breath, but quickly he worked himself up into a position to scan the open valley. It lay empty before him. Apparently they were no more anxious to attempt crossing that open grass than he had been ... and he had been lucky.

  There was no time to do anything about his arm. He now had the desperate task of making his way through the rocks toward the cabin, and the approach was completely exposed. If anyone other than Fan awaited him there, he was a dead man.

  Slowly, painfully, sparing his wounded shoulder as much as he could, he worked his way among the rocks. Occasionally he was exposed, but there were no more shots. Either he was unseen, and they were deliberately allowing him to get to the cabin, or they had moved out to try to cross farther up, away from his line of fire, and so come down behind him.

  The sun was very hot. His throat was parched, and somehow he had hit his leg rather badly in falling among the rocks. Almost unnoticed at first, it was now giving him pain.

  He crawled on, fighting exhaustion and longing for a cool drink to ease his thirst. It seemed as if he had been running forever; he wanted only to get away, to find some cool, quiet place where he could fall asleep on the grass, but it was too late for that now. He had to fight, or die. But first he must do what had to be done.

  Between two fragments of rock, he scanned the valley again for a moment. Heat waves shimmered Ijefore his eyes. He blinked, and saw that they were still out there ... four men, scattered out in a long skirmish line, but coming on.

  He might kill one of them, even two, but they would pin him down then, and kill him in their own time. None of the men out there seemed to be Judge Niland. Nor did he see Ben Janish.

  As he moved ahead he suddenly ran out from cover, but he did not hesitate. They would see him, but they must stop, throw up their rifles, and fire, and in that little time he could, with luck, cross the open space. Once into the brush and rocks, he could reach the cabin.

  He took off in a charging run. He had taken three long strides before the first bullet struck somewhere behind him. Another struck the rock just ahead of his feet with an angry splat; then a pebble rolled under the sole of his boot and he fell heavily, losing his hold on his rifle, which clattered away among the rocks.

  Another bullet sounded, and rock fragments stung his face. He scrambled up, lost his footing for a moment, then half stumbled into the brush and fell down, his breath tearing at his lungs, but there was no time to waste. He had no rifle now, and they would be closing in fast. He got to his feet and went on in a stumbling run.

  When he reached the shelf where the cabin stood he could hear them coming. He hit the shelf running, but slowed to a halt. He put his hand across his face, felt pain, and glanced down at the hand. It was badly lacerated from a fall on the rocks. He opened and closed it-the fingers were all right.

  Suddenly the door of the cabin came open and he heard Fan scream. "No! No!"

  A man with a broad, tough face and straight black brows stood before him. "Noon! I'm Mitt Ford! You killed-"

  Ruble Noon went for his gun. There was no moment to think, and his hand swept down and came up, and the heavy gun bucked with the roar of his first shot. He saw Mitt Ford back up a step, and then come on, his gun blazing. He was fanning his gun, and Ruble Noon thought, He's a damned fool, even as he was shooting.

  Bullets sprayed around Noon, but he took the moment given him and put three bullets into the area around Mitt Ford's navel.

  The gun spilled from Ford's hand. He grabbed for it and fell, tried to rise, and fell again. There was a widening circle of blood on the back of Ford's shirt.

  Ruble Noon moved swiftly to the door. Fan Davidge caught him and pulled him inside. Even as the door slammed, a bullet thudded against the wood.

  "Are you all right?" he asked quickly.

  "Yes, I'm all right. He ... he just got here. He told me he was going to kill you."

  Ruble Noon crossed over to the rifle rack and took down a Winchester. It was fully loaded. He reloaded his six-shooter, took up another gunbelt, and strapped it bn.

  After the sudden glare of the sun outside, the shadowed interior of the cabin had left Fan half-blind. Suddenly she saw the darkening stain around his shoulder.

  "You're hurt!" she exclaimed.

  Driven to desperation by the loss of his rifle and the closeness of those behind him, he had forgotten about everything except getting a rifle in his hands once more. Now, seeing Fan again, he knew how much he wanted to live.

  "I'd better do something about it," he said. He dropped into a chair from which he could look out. "I want a drink, too," he added.

  "There's coffee," she said.

  "Water first."

  Just sitting down, just resting there, relaxing for a minute, felt good. What he wanted most was a chance to lean back, to close his eyes. His lids were hot and his eyes were red-rimmed from the glare and from the wind.

  "We've got to get out of here," he said. "This is a trap."

  "Wait. First I'll see what I can do for your shoulder."

  He looked at her. Worried as she was, she moved with no waste motion. She brought hot water and cloths and, stripping off his shirt, she began to bathe the wound. The warm water felt good. She had gentle fingers and she worked very quickly.

  His eyes went from her to the window. The open area before them was empty, but he knew the men were out there, scouting around. They had not discovered the place had only one approach. Soon they would know that, and they would begin shooting.

  Ruble Noon knew too much of shooting and too much of the actions of bullets to feel confident. In such a place, one did not need to have a target, did not need to see anyone. They had only to shoot inside, through the windows, and let the bullets ricochet.

  Many of the bullets would miss, but some would be pretty sure to hit. He had seen the wounds made by ricocheting bullets, bouncing from wall to wall, and cutting like jagged knives. A ricochet could rip a man wide open; any ricochet could make a nasty wound. He had seen it done.

  Presently he accepted a cup of coffee. He was well back inside, facing the window, and she was bandaging his wound before they appeared.

  It was Judge Niland who called out. "Ruble Noon, you haven't got a chance! Come on out with your hands up, and we'll make a deal!"

  He made no reply. Let them do the talking if they liked. He had nothing to talk about.

  "We know Fan Davidge is in there, and we know you're wounded - You tell us where it is, and you can have an equal share."

  "Equal to what?" he asked.

  "Share and share alike," Niland said. His voice sounded nearer. If they tried rushing the place, they'd be fools. He could nail two or three of them before they got to the other wall.

  There was silence. Fan had finished bandaging the wound. He was studying the area before him. Everybody was out of sight, but that ricochet business could work two ways. It was mostly open country out there, with some scattered trees and a few boulders. It was only an outside chance that he could score a hit, but he could make them nervous.

  "Fan, put some grub together," he said. "There's some gunny sacks around. Get one of them and fill it with canned goods and whatever isn't too heavy. Put in a side of bacon and some coffee."

  She did not ask questions, but did w
hat he suggested.

  "A canteen," he added, "and some cartridges."

  "Now see here, Ruble," came the voice from outside. "We don't want to kill Miss Davidge. You're endangering her."

  "You don't want to kill her? You mean you're going to rob her and then let her go, to complain about it? I don't think so, Judge."

  He lifted his rifle and fired three quick shots, each one at a boulder or a rock face behind which he believed the men were hidden. He heard the bullets strike, heard their angry whine. Then he got up and put the shutters in place. There were loopholes that he could fire through if they began to advance.

  "You've still got a chance to come out," Niland called "If you don't, we'll burn you out."

  Bum them? There was nothing here that would burn but the wind was toward the front of the house and if they dropped burning material off the edge of the rock above, the smoke would come in through cracks and around the windows. Much of it might be kept out,

  He made no reply, but turned toward the closet and pulled open the door. "We'll go this way," he said.

  He helped Fan through the openings, and stood for an instant looking around. Would he ever see this place again? He was desperately weary. The loss of blood, the hot sun, and his long struggle to escape had sapped his strength. Without Fan, he would have stayed where he was and tried to fight it out, but smoke was one thing against which they had no defense.

  He followed her through the doors, closing them carefully behind him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  She trusted him.

  Ruble Noon squatted by the shaft and considered that. She had placed her faith in him, and he could not fail her.

  From out of nowhere he, a lost man, had found this girl, and from the first moment they had been aware of something in each other that was worth protecting. From the first, their troubles had been theirs together. Somehow, even before his injury, he had felt as if he had been retained to free her from the outlaws who had taken over her ranch.

  He could have escaped all this, but because of her he had remained, and now both their lives were in jeopardy. He stared down into the shaft. It seemed a simple way of escape . . . but was it so easy?

  They knew of the ranch, they had tried to ambush him there. And even if no one waited for him down there, no horses would be available, and it was a long hike to the little station, part of it across open country. They might be able to arrive in time to catch a train; or they might be trapped in the open before they arrived, or while waiting at the station.

  By now the others had probably located the shaft. It was not easy to find, nor under ordinary circumstances would they be likely to recognize it for what it was; but these circumstances were far from ordinary. They would have been trying frantically to find his escape route . . . and there was a good chance they had done so.

  That shaft could be a death trap. They might not have men lying in wait at the bottom of the shaft, concealed in the rocks just outside ... they might not ... but he could not be sure.

  It was then that he remembered the dark hole where the ancient steps disappeared.

  It was no longer possible to climb up those steps. Rockfalls and erosion had destroyed them, but whoever had laboriously carved those steps in the beginning had not done so just to gratify a whim. Those steps had gone to somewhere, and for some reason.

  A secret storage place for gram? It was unlikely. Carrying grain up those small steps in the baskets used by the early people who populated this place would be impossible. However, the place might have been used for certain ceremonies, or as a hiding place in time of danger. Or as an escape route?

  He went to the peg driven into the wall where the lanterns were hung and took one down. He shook it-it was half full. Another was nearly empty.

  The light was dim here, but near the shaft it was sufficient to see by. He peered into the corner under the lanterns and found what he sought - a can of kerosene, almost full, with a potato stuck over the spout.

  He filled both lanterns, then, taking the can and a coil of rope from the wall, he went to the shaft. He handed Fan one of the lanterns. A moment longer he hesitated. He was committing them to a course from which there might be no escape; but without it there would certainly be none.

  He motioned to the small platform. "Get on, Fan. It will be crowded, but we can make it."

  She peered down. "Won't they be waiting for us?" she asked. "I mean ... suppose they know of this place?"

  "We aren't going all the way," he said quietly. "Fan, we're taking a long gamble. If you want to stay and chance it here, I'll stay with you."

  "No. I want to be with you . . . wherever you go."

  He lowered them down carefully. The platform was so crowded they could hardly move. When they reached the dark opening of the cave, he stopped and tied the rope. After helping Fan to the ledge at the cave entrance, he lifted off the lanterns and the can of kerosene. Then hoisting himself aloft once more, he loaded the sacks of food and the ammunition onto the platform and went back down. By that time even the cave was filling with smoke.

  "Will they find us?" Fan asked.

  "I doubt it." He looked down the shaft once more. He thought he could see a boot track down there he had not seen before, but in the dimness and at that distance he might be mistaken. He turned toward her. "Do you trust me?"

  "Yes," she said quietly.

  Drawing his bowie knife, he slashed through the ropes. The platform hit the bottom with a crash, and dust lifted. The free end of the rope rattled through the block and fell to the bottom of the shaft.

  Fan gasped, and clutched his arm. Far below, in the light that came into the lower part of the shaft, lay the platform and the rope. They were cut off now, completely isolated.

  Two men rushed into the space below, looking quickly around, and then looking up. From where they stood they could see nothing but the darkness and the empty wheel. He could hear their voices, in astonished argument, but could not distinguish any words.

  The lanterns had been set well back away from the shaft, and now they recovered them. Fan took both rifles, and he shouldered the sacks of food, and they went deeper into the cave.

  Under their feet lay the dust of centuries. The light of the lanterns threw their grotesque shadows on the walls. The cave was a natural one, but there were no visible signs of habitation.

  When they had gone perhaps fifty feet from the shaft they came suddenly into a fairly large room, partially lighted by a crack in the roof high above their heads. Here fires had once been built in a circle of stones.

  "A temporary camp," Ruble Noon said. "I don't believe these people lived in caves. There's got to be a way out."

  "Why?"

  "I've seen villages, probably of these same people, built up on the mesas. I think they liked to live under the open sky. I mean, they built their houses in the open. Back yonder" - he pointed toward the east - "I've seen remains of houses, a double line of rooms, not quite square, often definitely rectangular, and always on mesa tops."

  Here it was absolutely still. Fan Davidge looked around the half-lit cave, trying to picture the kind of men they must have been, how they had camped briefly here ... or perhaps this had been a ceremonial cave, only visited for some special occasion.

  Ruble Noon nudged an ancient ear of corn from the dust with his toe, and picked it up. It had been shelled at some far distant time, but the rows from which the kernels had come were still visible. He counted them ... ten rows.

  "Do you think we can find where they lived if we keep on through the cave?"

  He shrugged. "There's no village near the cabin, and none down in the canyon, either, although I wouldn't expect it there. These people didn't care for canyons. That came later."

  He listened, but there was no sound.

  "I've been all over this country, and several times I've found smashed-in skulls in the rows of ancient ruined houses. I think they were attacked and driven out. Over west of here there are some great houses built in hollows
under the overhanging cliffs. I think they moved there and built them to defend themselves."

  He shouldered the sacks, took up his lantern, and ducked into the tunnel beyond. There was little room to spare, and often the sacks on his shoulder brushed the roof. He counted his steps, and when he reached a hundred, with no widening of the tunnel or change in direction, he paused.

  It was hot and close in here. The air was difficult to breathe. He mopped perspiration from his forehead, and started on. The lanterns had grown dimmer ... there was less oxygen.

  Another hundred paces, but this time he did not stop. Still another hundred. How far had they come? He had been keeping track, and judged that they must now be about eight or nine hundred yards into the mountain. He was not sure of their direction, but the tunnel seemed to be going east, away from the ranch.

  When he had gone another hundred steps he stopped. The lights were very low, and his breath was coming in gasps. Fan's cheeks were streaked with perspiration and dust.

  "We've got to keep on," he said. "There's no point in turning back."

  He shouldered the sacks again and went on. The tunnel suddenly took a sharp turn and opened out into a large chamber.

  "Ruble . .. look! The lanterns!" Fan exclaimed.

  The flames had flared up, as if the rounding of the corner had brought them into better air. And even as they flared, the flames seemed to bend a little. At the same time he felt a faint, fresher coolness on his cheek.

  Hurrying on, they came suddenly to a ledge at the cave mouth. The ledge overhung a valley several hundred feet below, a valley Ruble Noon had never seen before. It was narrow, and the ledge itself was no more than fifteen feet across. The cave mouth was merely a gouge in the side of the cliff.

  At the side there was a crack that provided a steep, hair-raising climb to the top of the mesa, more than a hundred feet above. Here on the ledge was a small spring, and they saw that there had been fires here, too. Scattered about were shards of broken pottery, most of them having a red and black design.