More adventures of Ace Lone Wolf, the half-Apache gunslinger with the quick draw and the penchant for trouble. When gunmen hired by the wealthy owner of the Hashknife Outfit set out to run the good people of Lily Creek off their land, Ace is the onl...
The last time I saw Ike Clanton was after the gunfight at the OK corral. He was studded with cactus thorns and headed to jail. I figured he'd be hanged by now. Did he escape?
And what is he doing here?
Instead of shooting Ike on the spot, or maybe running out and stabbing him, the four Yaqui braves come out of hiding, lowering their guns. Which means they've been expecting him.
Ike climbs down out of the saddle and stretches. "Thought I'd never make it," he says. "It's a few more miles than you let on, and your directions were damned hard to follow."
He looks like he's recovered all right. Except for the ear that Morgan Earp shot off. That thing's not looking too good. It looks kind of like someone chewed up a potato and then stuck it to the side of his head. I wonder if he can still hear out of it.
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"You bring guns?" the Yaqui leader says.
That's interesting, I think. Ike Clanton is running guns to the Indians. Not that I'm opposed to such a thing on general principles—with proper weapons maybe my people could have held onto our land—but both the American and Mexican governments have pretty dim views of the practice. Ike better hope that Colonel Kosterlitzky and his Rurales don't get wind of him. If they catch him, he'll wish he was back in jail in Tombstone.
"Yeah, I brought 'em," Ike says, jerking his thumb at the mule he's leading. He takes off his hat and smacks it against his leg a couple of times to knock some of the dust off. I can see the bullet hole in the crown, so it's the same one he was wearing during the gunfight, the one I shot a hole in. "I got the whiskey you wanted, too. You got the gold, Yooko?"
Yooko nods. Ike goes over to the mule and unties a burlap-wrapped bundle, brings it over and drops it beside the fire. Yooko peels back the burlap and reveals about a dozen rifles. Yooko picks up one of the guns. The stock is in pieces and the metal is rusted. "This black powder," he growls.
"Only two of them are," Ike replies. "I told you it might happen. It's not as easy to buy a passel of rifles as you might think. Too many, too fast, and the authorities get suspicious. Things get hot quick."
Yooko paws through the rest of the rifles and grunts. I can't tell if it's a satisfied grunt or not, but at least he doesn't shoot Ike on the spot, so that's something.
Next Ike unties a wooden crate from the mule's back. He brings it over and sets it by the fire. Pulling his knife from its sheath, he pries off the lid. Inside are a dozen bottles of whiskey packed in straw. He takes one out and hands it to Yooko. Yooko's grunt this time is decidedly more enthusiastic.
Yooko pulls the cork with his teeth and takes a long drink. He lowers the bottle in a fit of coughing and choking and I tense up. It's probably the worst kind of rotgut. Maybe Ike's going to get shot after all.
