“Were there men with him?” Bannen said.
“Didn’t see anyone. Neither did Jasper. He was all alone.”
“You saw the gold, though?” Bannen asked.
“Two big crates of it, loaded on a packhorse. There was mud on the ground and that horse stepped mighty deep. He could barely handle the weight.”
Several of the outlaws hooted at that. A few slapped each other on the back.
“Good,” Bannen said. “I can be patient. If Heston wants to play a little game, then we’ll play right along. It won’t come to much in the end. In the morning, we’ll ride up to this abandoned farm. And by tomorrow evening, we’ll all be rich.”
The outlaws cheered at that.
Neill made several hand gestures, and Jim nodded. They crawled off, away from the ravine and into the dark. When they crested the hill and Bannen’s camp lay far behind, Neill came to a stop.
“What’s your plan?” Neill said.
“We’ve got to get Walt and Alma out of there,” Jim said. “Did you see a way it could be done?”
“Maybe. That ravine’s got a sandy bottom. I didn’t see any gravel. A man could sneak in from the south and work his way back up. With all those sharp corners, he might get close and still be out of sight.”
“Did you see their horses?” Colton asked.
“No, but I bet they’ve got them farther down in that ravine. Must be a pool of water nearby,” Neill said.
Jim turned to Colton. “What are you thinking?”
“After we grab Walt and Alma, we steal their horses. They won’t be able to follow without them.”
“Good idea,” Neill said. “But we’ve got to figure how to sneak by them on the way in. They might have a man posted down there on watch. It’ll be tough for one man to pull all that off.”
“Not tough for two,” Jim said.
“I don’t want to be left behind,” Colton said.
“You won’t be. You and Neill will go up the ravine.”
“And where will you be?” Neill asked.
“Back where we were. If anything goes wrong, you’ll need someone to hold their attention while you slip away.”
“We won’t get away without them noticing,” Neill said.
“No, but if I’m up there with a rifle, I can pin them down and hold them.”
“When are we doing all of this?” Neill said.
“Dawn, right when the first hint of gray comes to the sky,” Jim said. “You can get into position before then.”
“It’s risky,” Neill said.
“Less risky than any other way I can think of,” Jim said.
“Colton, go fetch the horses,” Neill said. “We’ll move ours down near the bottom of this hill where the ravine peters out.”
When Colton was out of earshot, Neill faced him. “You aren’t planning on something foolish here, are you?”
Jim hesitated before speaking. “I’m keeping the packhorse with me. The minute you’re clear, I’ll empty the rifle and ride like hell back the way we came.”
“With the gold? They’ll be all over you like flies on dung.”
“I’ll keep them busy,” Jim said. “Then I’ll cut the packhorse loose. While they’re counting their loot, I’ll ride for Onionville.”
“Uh-huh,” Neill said.
The captain wasn’t fooled. But he didn’t voice his opinion. He knew, just as Jim did, that this was their best chance to get Walt and Alma back. He also knew that scattering those horses wouldn’t delay Bannen long. And he knew the gang would ride considerably faster than three men with a pair of children.
“I should be the one to do it,” Neill said.
“My plan, my responsibility,” Jim said. “I’ll be home before you are.”
“Right,” Neill said. He offered Jim a hand, and they shook on it. “Be careful out there.”
“Explain it to Ellen when you see her.”
“Explain what to her?” Colton said. The horses were strung out behind him.
“Don’t worry about it,” Neill said. “I’ll tell you later. Leave the packhorse here. We’ll catch up one of theirs for Walt. Alma can ride behind him.”
