Then she heard a step, very nearly silent. Raddo sneaking back. An overwhelming panic washed over her, and she couldn’t stay still. She tensed her muscles to leap up and run, when someone slapped a hand over her mouth and held her in his grip.
“Stay still.”
The panic gave way to tears.
Trace. Trace had found her. That was his footstep. Raddo hadn’t come back, or he’d headed directly to help his gang.
Seconds passed. Trace eased his hand from her mouth and then kissed her. She flung her arms around his neck and wept while she held him tight.
He’d come. She was so in love with him, and she’d tell him just as soon as she didn’t have to remain utterly silent.
“Deb, are you here?” Utah whispered.
The tears came faster. They’d all come to save her. And they’d done a fine job of it, too.
Trace ended the kiss and pressed her face against his chest. She felt surrounded and protected and supported in every way.
“I’ve got her, Utah,” Trace said quietly. “There’s a third man.”
“The boss of the gang is still around.” Deb still clung to her precious husband. “When I ran, they went in three directions. Raddo went past me.”
Utah came into view. “I’ll get after him.”
“What was the gunfire?” Trace asked.
“Adam ran into one of ’em. They both came up with a fire iron. There was no choice, and Adam won the fight. But he looked mighty sick.”
Deb thought Utah looked a little sick himself.
“I got one tied up, out cold. I didn’t have to shoot, but it was a near thing,” Utah continued. “He came up on me so quiet, and he didn’t know I was there until it was too late for him.”
Trace slipped off his coat and slung it around Deb’s shoulders before she could protest, and then with the heat of his body warming it, she couldn’t stand to give it back. Still, she tried.
“No, Trace. I was near the campfire with those men. You’ve been out in the cold all day and night.”
“I’ve got a cloak on my horse. I’ll put it on.”
“We’d better find Adam,” Utah said, “and pick up the man I caught. With one man still runnin’ loose, I don’t want Adam bushwhacked.”
They found Adam, who’d rounded up all three of the outlaws’ horses.
“Where’s the other one?” Adam asked as he threw the first outlaw over a saddle.
“He must’ve just kept going. Just abandoned his partners. He couldn’t have known how much trouble they were in.” Deb shook her head and realized the dawn was full upon them now. But the day was gray, and fat flakes began drifting down.
“That heavy snow we’ve been worried about, looks like it’s coming,” Trace said. “Unless we want an outlaw living with us all winter, we’d better head for home, drop Deb off, and get these men to Carson City.”
They set out. Found where Utah left his man tied up and loaded him up, too.
“That one they call Meeks.” Deb pointed to the dead man.
“I saw Meeks when I followed them on foot and had a run-in with that grizzly.”
“And Dalt is what I heard for the other—he’s the one who came to the cabin and kidnapped me, and he’s the one I saw at the massacre. The marshal in Ringo called him Dalton Callow.” Deb looked at the two men in disgust. “The other calls himself Raddo. He’s the boss, the one who abandoned his men.”
“His first reaction was to run like a yellow dog,” Adam said.
“Well, no surprise he’s a coward,” Trace added. “We’ve known that about all of ’em from the first. Now, let’s head back for the ranch. Gwen’ll be scared.”
“What about the wagon train, Trace?” Adam asked.
“He ain’t gonna attack it alone. They’re safe now. I’ll bet they push hard through that trail with this snow coming down. They’ll run through the night if they have to. These varmints would’ve had a hard time attacking twenty-five wagons with everyone wide awake. I’m going to get home, then haul these men to jail. Carson City is closer than Ringo. I’d like to give ’em to the marshal, but I need to turn them in and get back before the winter closes in around us. It’ll be a running trip.”
“I saw Raddo in Carson City,” Deb said. She walked close to Trace. “Remember I said that a man ran into me and was rude? That was him. So I can describe him now. When Dalt brought me to their hideout, I heard all their names and heard them threaten me and you, Trace. And they bragged about their monstrous plans for the wagon train. I can tell the sheriff all about it as a witness.”
“You’d better come along then. We’re leaving as soon as we get home. We’ll ride hard and hopefully get back late tonight.”
Trace went after Black and soon caught back up with them. Then they got to the horses Utah and Adam had left behind.
“How did you find me, Trace? Utah and Adam followed the tracks, but how did you get here?”
“Wolf led me right to this place. He was on a scent.”
“Wolf is here?” Deb hadn’t seen him.
Trace nodded. “Yep. He’ll turn up any minute.”
CHAPTER
29
Wolf turned up about ten minutes after they got home. The wolf-dog was carrying a patch of blood-smeared denim cloth in his mouth.
Trace stared at his dog awhile. “I reckon he caught up with Raddo.”
“He definitely had pants on that looked like that.” Deb gave Wolf a closer look. “If he didn’t kill him, he must’ve scared him into a flat-out run.”
“Probably treed him until Wolf got bored.”
“Maybe that’ll run him off for good. With no men for his gang, and the sheriff in Carson City with a name and description, he’ll have to quit the country.”
“Yep,” Trace said. “It don’t sit right to let him go, but I’ve barely got time to turn his
