Brennan nodded, without answering.
Frank Usher studied him in silence. Then, 'Are you scared?'
Brennan nodded again. 'Sure I am.'
'You're honest about it. I'll say that for you.'
'I don't know of a better time to be honest,' Brennan said.
Chink said, 'That damn well's going to be chock full.'
Willard Mims had listened with disbelief, his eyes wide. Now he said hurriedly, 'Wait a minute! What're you listening to him for? I told you, I swear to God I won't say one word about this. If you don't trust him, then keep him here! I don't know this man. I'm not speaking for him, anyway.'
'I'd be inclined to trust him before I would you,' Frank Usher said.
'He's got nothing to do with it! We picked him up out on the desert!'
Chink raised his .44 waist high, looking at Willard Mims, and said, 'Start running for that well and see if you can make it.'
'Man, be reasonable!'
Frank Usher shook his head. 'You aren't leaving, and you're not going to be standing here when that stage pulls in. You can scream and carry on, but that's the way it is.'
'What about my wife?'
'I can't help her being a woman.'
Willard Mims was about to say something, but stopped. His eyes went to the adobe, then back to Usher. He lowered his voice and all the excitement was gone from it. 'You know who she is?' He moved closer to Usher. 'She's the daughter of old man Gateway, who happens to own part of the third richest copper mine in Arizona. You know what that amounts to? To date, three quarters of a million dollars.' He said this slowly, looking straight at Frank Usher.
'Make a point out of it,' Usher said.
'Man, it's practically staring you right in the face! You got the daughter of a man who's practically a millionaire. His only daughter! What do you think he'll pay to get her back?'
Frank Usher said, 'I don't know. What?'
'Whatever you ask! You sit here waiting for a two-bit holdup and you got a gold mine right in your hands!'
'How do I know she's his daughter?'
Willard Mims looked at Brennan. 'You were talking to that driver. Didn't he tell you?'
Brennan hesitated. If the man wanted to bargain with his wife, that was his business. It would give them time; that was the main thing. Brennan nodded. 'That's right. His wife is Doretta Gateway.'
'Where do you come in?' Usher asked Willard Mims.
'I'm Mr. Gateway's general manager on the Montezuma operation.'
Frank Usher was silent now, staring at Mims. Finally he said, 'I suppose you'd be willing to ride in with a note.'
'Certainly,' Mims quickly replied.
'And we'd never see you again.'
'Would I save my own skin and leave my wife here?'
Usher nodded. 'I believe you would.'
'Then there's no use talking about it.' Mims shrugged and, watching him, Brennan knew he was acting, taking a long chance.
'We can talk about it,' Frank Usher said, 'because if we do it, we do it my way.' He glanced at the house. 'Billy-Jack!' Then to Brennan, 'You and him go sit over against the wall.'
Billy-Jack came out, and from the wall of the adobe Brennan and Willard watched the three outlaws. They stood in close, and Frank Usher was doing the talking. After a few minutes Billy-Jack went into the adobe again and came out with the yellow stage schedule and an envelope. Usher took them and, against the door of the Concord, wrote something on the back of the schedule.
He came toward them folding the paper into the envelope. He sealed the envelope and handed it with the pencil to Willard Mims. 'You put Gateway's name on it and where to find him. Mark it personal and urgent.'
Willard Mims said, 'I can see him myself and tell him.'
'You will,' Frank Usher said, 'but not how you think. You're going to stop on the main road one mile before you get to Bisbee and give that envelope to somebody passing in. The note tells Gateway you have something to tell him about his daughter and to come alone. When he goes out, you'll tell him the story. If he says no, then he never sees his daughter again. If he says yes, he's to bring fifty thousand in U.S. scrip divided in three saddlebags, to a place up back of the Sasabe. And he brings it alone.'
Mims said, 'What if there isn't that much cash on hand?'
'That's his problem.'
'Well, why can't I go right to his house and tell him?'
'Because Billy-Jack's going to be along to bring you back after you tell him. And I don't want him someplace he can get cornered.'
'Oh....'
'That's whether he says yes or no,' Frank Usher added.
Mims was silent for a moment. 'But how'll Mr. Gateway know where to come?'
'If he agrees, Billy-Jack'll give him directions.'
Mims said, 'Then when he comes out you'll let us go? Is that it?'
'That's it.'
'When do we leave?'
'Right this minute.'
'Can I say good-bye to my wife?'
'We'll do it for you.'
Brennan watched Billy-Jack come around from the corral, leading two horses. Willard Mims moved toward one of them and they both mounted. Billy-Jack reined his horse suddenly, crowding Mims to turn with him, then slapped Mims's horse on the rump and spurred after it as the horse broke to a run.
Watching them, his eyes half closed, Frank Usher said, 'That boy puts his wife up on the stake and then he wants to kiss her good-bye.' He glanced at Brennan. 'You figure that one for me.'
Brennan shook his head. 'What I'd like to know is why you only asked for fifty thousand.'
Frank Usher shrugged. 'I'm not greedy.'
Chapter Three
Chink turned as the two horses splashed over the creek and grew gradually smaller down the road. He looked at Brennan and then his eyes went to Frank Usher. 'We don't have a need for this one, Frank.'
Usher's dull eyes flicked toward him. 'You bring around the horses and I'll worry about him.'
'We might as well do it now as later,' Chink said.
'We're taking him with us.'
'What for?'
'Because I say so. That reason enough?'
'Frank, we could run him for the well and both take a crack at him.'
'Get the horses,' Frank Usher said flatly, and stared at Chink until the gunman turned and walked away.
Brennan said, 'I'd like to bury this man before we go.'
Usher shook his head. 'Put him in the well.'
'That's no fit place!'
Usher stared at Brennan for a long moment. 'Don't push your luck. He goes in the well, whether you do it or Chink does.'
