Ellen gave Jim a cup of hot coffee. He sipped it, then gave her a hug. “Thanks.”
“How long will this last?”
“No tellin’. They won’t give up if that’s what you mean, but they might back off after a time. Try to get us to lower our guard, then catch us unawares.”
“Isn’t there anyone who’ll help us?”
“Once the valley fills up with miners, he’ll have to leave us be.”
“Will he quit then?”
Jim considered the little he knew of Cord Bannen. He’d chased Jim from Bidwell’s Bar, then set his men to watching the roads before stalking them to Onionville and now their very home. “No, I don’t believe he’ll quit, not until he’s dead.”
Chapter 22
Sometime after midnight, David shook Jim awake.
“Anything?” Jim asked.
“Nothing so far. No movement, no sign of them,” David said with a shake of the head. “Only that wolf of yours came up. He started to circle around the barn then stopped and veered off to the east.”
“Sounds like they’re still out there. Better get some sleep,” Jim said.
They’d agreed to take the night watch in shifts. Jim had slept first while David watched; he was sure Bannen would wait until close to dawn before striking.
Jim stood, stretched his arms, then his back. He checked his guns, pistol first, then rifle. Both were ready, chambers loaded. If they came, the last thing he wanted was to pull the trigger on an empty.
Abigail had left coffee on the stove, and Jim helped himself to a cup. Idly, Jim wished for some of Milena’s San Francisco coffee. Still, what they had was black and hot, boiled down strong enough to float a horseshoe.
Strong enough to keep me awake until dawn.
He moved to the window and peered out. A new set of stars were out, the moon hanging just above the far horizon. It was cold. He could feel the barest hint of a draft on his gun hand. High up as they were, even in early summer the night air was cold and sharp. Not even a month had passed since he and Ellen had been snowed in on the mountain.
The cabin held only the barest light. The fireplace coals glowed a dull red, and they’d left a single small candle burning.
Jim cracked the door open, where he could see the barn. He cocked an ear to listen. The horses were quiet, completely unaware of the danger. He suspected the Appaloosa at least would make some sort of noise if they came from that direction. He hoped it would be loud enough for them to notice.
Briefly, he considered going outside.
He didn’t like being cooped up like a badger in its hole. Better to be out there, mobile, and fighting on his own terms. Fighting like this, Cord Bannen would dictate the time of their battle. He could, with the men at his disposal, keep them pinned down indefinitely, and only the arrival of newcomers would lift the siege.
A pair of light footsteps came from behind him. He turned toward the noise and said, “You shouldn’t sneak up on me tonight.”
“I couldn’t sleep,” Walt said sheepishly.
The boy went to the window and peered out.
“Careful,” Jim said. “Good way to get shot at.”
Walt jerked back a little at that, but only a couple of inches.
“Are they out there? The bad men?”
“They are,” Jim said. He took another swig of coffee.
Walt cocked his head to one side and asked, “Why do they want to kill us?”
The question took Jim aback a little. Though the boy had grown since they arrived, he was still very young. Too young to be worried about getting killed.
Instead of answering, Jim looked Walt up and down for a moment.
How young was I when Ma got word Pa had died? Or when we learned Jake had later fallen in the same battle?
Not much older than Walt, Jim decided. He sighed. The boy was growing up fast, and he was sure Ellen wouldn’t like that. But he’d be a man soon enough, and he needed to know how to be a good one.
“Why do you think?” Jim asked.
“The gold?”
“The gold.”
“Why don’t they just go find their own?” Walt said.
Jim laughed under his breath. “A lot of men think it’s easier to take what someone else has instead of working for it themselves.”
“And is it?”
Jim started to answer, then thought about the question. The boy deserved more than a glib response. “It’s wrong. But yes, sometimes it is easier that way.”
