Dominion: Duskhelm Gorge. (five)

 

They came up to the western rim of Duskhelm Gorge pausing in the shadows of large jutting rocks by pools of cool running water, they let the horse drink and filled their canteens. Elias walked to the rim and, with spyglass in hand, went to survey the scene below them. There looked to be fresh horse tracks along the riding trail, although they wouldn't know how fresh the tracks were until they rode down to check first hand. He walked back to where the horses were tied, he sat down next to Butler, he nodded in the direction of the gorge.  

"There's tracks headed east along the open trail down there but we won't know how fresh they are til we get down there, and it looks like somebody may be following him." Elias said.

They rode down along the winding trail until they reached the bottom of the gorge, the trail that he'd seen earlier was still clearly visible there were four sets of unshoed tracks trailing behind, and one shoed, but with strange markings, all were following behind the tracks of William Stanhope's horse. Someone was indeed following William Stanhope's trail, someone who would in Elias Crowe's eyes undoubtedly turn out to be Indians, but someone else had been following them as well, as he thought about the odd tracks that were following behind the unshoed Indians, a thought had occurred to him, the odd markings on the trailing horseshoe, had somehow triggered a long forgotten memory, and a name finally came to mind, "Billy Two Trees." As they sat beneath the shadows of the large cliffs towering above them, eating jerked beef and drinking cool water, as the air began to take on a noticeable chill.

"Billy Two Trees?" Butler rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Why do I know that name, Elias?"

"Billy Two Trees is a known horse thief and a scalp hunter." He answered.

"Well sir, with a name like Billy Two Trees, I can only suspect that he himself is an Indian, So am I to assume that being a known horse thief that there is a bounty for him as well?" He asked, sounding slightly confused. 

"Nope, the law doesn't want Billy, he only steals horses and scalps from other Indians, I suspect he doesn't even know William Stanhope is ahead of them, it's those four Indians on his rear that Billy is after, or at least their horse's and scalps." Elias answered.

Butler gave him a curious look, cocking his head to one side.

"What kind of an indian steals horses from and scalps other Indians?" 

"He's a Comanche, outcast from his original tribe in Texas, about six years ago."

"Why was he an outcast?" Butler leaned into the conversation even more then, genuinely curious.

"Billy killed his own brother in a knife fight, over a squaw they both wanted, Billy got exiled, his brother just got plain ol dead. it didn't take him long to figure out that round eye law was paying up to twenty-two dollars for an indian scalp, and seeing as how most Indians don't brand their animals, the horses can fetch anywhere from fifty to a hundred dollars apiece if they're in good condition." 

He stood and took one last look around and the terrain, large, tall jutting rocks standing in front of the gorge walls like giant stone fingers reaching up to the heavens, and then slowly up at the sky at the slowly gathering storm clouds. They mounted their horses and headed east.

"They are still a couple of miles ahead of us," Elias Said. " we're going to have to pick up our pace if we are going to gain ground, we have about four hours before dark, and there's a storm brewin to the northeast, rain, maybe even snow, we'd best be getting to it." 

They followed the trail until it began to veer south, telling Elias Crowe, that he wasn't going to Thorneridge anymore, instead he was headed straight for a small settlement named Malford, he probably figured out that someone was following behind him and got spooked. They turned south toward Malford until they saw small tails of smoke drifting up to the sky, they turned toward the rocks where there was a group of ponderosa pines, there they found four horses tied up, twenty feet to the right there lye the bodies of four freshly killed and scalped Indians, and a camp fire another thirty feet from them. The sound of a cocking rifle broke the silence, both Elias and Butler raised their hands slowly.

"Hello Billy." Elias said slowly. "Long time no see."

"Elias? what are you doing here? last I heard, you were in Texas chasing down cattle rustlers, like Dwight Haddock and his boys. what brings you here?" He asked.

"Elgin Gatewood and I ran down a gang of five, robbery, rape, murder, real bad types. We got the Church Brothers, but there are still three accomplices running around. William Stanhope is somewhere ahead of us, and we believe the Forge brothers are in Thorneridge. or somewhere close to it."

He stopped to look down at the four dead Indians, before looking up at Billy Two Trees, who was smiling.

"Business." He said softly.

Then Billy Two Trees gave him a confused look.

"You ridin with Blind Dog these days, Elias? He asked in a surprised tone.

"Yep, four eyes are better than two, I reckon." He answered.

"What's this world comin to? I never knew the great spirit was a trickster." He began putting out his campfire. "I know a man in Malford who will pay good money for my horses and scalps. If you see someone following behind you Elias Crowe, don't kill them without lookin first, it'll probably be me." Billy added.

Elias just smiled as he turned to face Blind Dog Butler. 

"Malford is only three miles from here, and if Stanhope is headed there he's probably waiting for us, somewhere between here and there, and that storm blowin in isn't gonna keep still, so let's not keep him waiting Mr. Butler." 

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