Beneath Red Tail Wings Resolutions

Beneath Red Tail Wings
Table of Content

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Resolutions
by Patricia I. Williams

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Resolutions

Come morning, Matt found Mr. Bethancourt awake. He nodded at the young man so Matt went over to check his wounds. He helped him sit up in the bunk and drink some water.

“I intend to pack us out of here today. No sense waiting on your foreman. Something could have happened to him.”

“Gil’s an experienced hand in these mountains. But you’re right anything is possible. I think it would be better if you rode down and brought the men back. Sarah says the camp was completely outfitted to look for me as long as it took. We could hold up here till I was better if they set up camp. Some of them could go on back and let my wife know we’re okay. That trail is barely passable during wet weather. Gil and the boys might be trying to break a new trail to get here if there’s been a landslide or something. If you can’t get through turn back and we will manage, cause I know they won’t stop till they make it. Try to shoot something other than rabbit and we’ll be set.”

Will tried for a steely eyed glare, but he must have looked the fool because Sarah’s giggle surprised both the men.

Matt scratched his head and frowned.

“I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I but...”

“We may not have a choice.” Sarah chimed in. She was sitting up in her blankets yawning and stretching. “Matt can check his rabbit snares and that should tied us over.”

Will grunted.

“When we get home I’m telling Freida no more Hassenpfeffer. Don’t care what she thinks we’11 get another cook if we have to.”

Sarah laughed. Freida was more likely to toss her father off the ranch than quite her job. Both her sons had worked the ranch and now had their own homesteads and families.

“A man’s got a right to a decent meal. I don’t know what you were thinking girl, but you are going back to the kitchen!”

Sarah’s mouth fell open in outrage.

“No, no Mr. Bethencourt Sarah didn’t cook the stew. That was me!”

“You tryin’ to poison me boy?” Will peered at Matt through narrowed eyes.

In spite of his embarrassment Matt joined Sarah in laughter. Well, more like a big smile for Matt who rarely found reason to laugh out loud. Will’s effort to hang on to his ire made Sarah laugh harder. It was some time before the raucous sounds faded.

Sarah finally strapped on her gun and excused herself. She returned to the cabin washed up and braided her hair. Matt watched her from the corner of his eye during that process. Once she caught his gaze and smiled.

He loved her.

He sat on his bedroll cleaning and reloading their guns, his stomach growling from hunger.

He loved her.

Sarah noticed Matt was working really hard. The rag flew back and forth across his rifle as if it could shine brighter. When he finished he went off to check his snares, disappointed but not surprised to find them empty. The rain would have kept anything in the vicinity under cover.

“Stay close to the cabin. Keep your guns near at hand.”

Will slipped his hand gun beneath his blankets.

“I’m still not sure about this Mr. Bethancourt.”

“Well son, it’s you or Sarah and I think she’s safer here. Trying to get me off this mountain may kill us all. Besides I ain’t eating any more rabbit. So ride out boy and be careful.”

Matt shook Will’s hand before hoisting his saddle to his shoulder. He left the cabin to do battle with Cobby. Sarah watched from the doorway, rifle in hand, while Matt saddled then went through the murderously intent exercise Cobby took to unseat him. When she judged it safe she stepped out to wish him well.

“Stay close Sarah. I’ll be fast as I can.”

“Don’t worry about us. Watch the trail and take care.”

With a nod Matt was gone. Sarah watched until she lost sight of him and returned to the cabin. Will was dozing when she got inside, so she freshened up the coffee, fretted over what she could scrap together for her father. She was sipping on the bitter liquid when shots were clearly heard. She paid no attention to the coffee splashing into the flames as he tossed the cup away in surprise.

She ran to her father’s side as he struggled to push himself upright.

“Sarah, we got to stay together. You can’t go out there after him. They might be waiting for just that.”

“No dad, Matt...”

“I know Sarah, but he may have got them. If he didn’t we still have to wait.”

Sarah couldn’t keep away from the window, however. She slid along the wall and tried to peek out for any sign of Matt. Her heart was beating so quick she was finding it hard to breath.

Endless minutes passed with no indication of what had happened out there, then suddenly she could see Matt’s pony. Sarah sprang for the door, ignoring Will’s weak sound of protest. If someone shot her now so be it, she could not leave Matt slumped there. Cobby stood just beneath the shadow of the trees at the edge of the clearing. She slowed to a walk and spoke softly as she called to Matt.

“Matt, Matt it’s Sarah. Can you hear me? Matt can you...”

“The old man, oh damn Sarah the old man...,” he gasped. She barely took in his words at the sight of the ragged hole in his coat.

Then he passed out and his pony snorted and shied away from her. She wasn’t a fool to approach a spooked animal especially one as nasty tempered as Matt’s.

“I just want to help him Cobby. Let me get Matt down,” she continued to cajole and took another step. He bared his teeth and she stopped. The old man? No, no Uncle Gil would never! But what other old man could it be. Oh God, what if? The idea rocked Sarah’s world completely off it’s axis.

“Matt, Matt please you have to get off. I can’t get to you. Please Matt wake up!”

A groan heralded Matt’s return to consciousness.

“Matt get down.”

“Sarah I, right. Down.” And he slid from the saddle. Cobby snapped at the air and danced away from the body. She rushed to help him up, but he was dead weight.

“Sa-rah no, Will save Will. The old man after him,” he gasped.

Matt grabbed her roughly with his good arm and shook her though he nearly passed out again. Gritting his teeth against the urge to vomit, he swore.

“Damn girl, your fa...” His face twisted horribly and he couldn’t stop his body shutting down.

Sarah understood, she did. Though she was frantic for Matt she ran back to the cabin wondering why she was still alive if Gil had betrayed them. Did he think Matt was dead? Would he come here? Could her father kill him, could she? Was he watching? Did he think Matt was dead? There was no way he could have got to her father when she was right there.

Even so she was startled to see the door open. Gripping her sidearm, Sarah crept on and peeked in. Gil was holding a gun on her dad.

“Get in here Sarah honey. You won’t be shooting me cause Will will take a bullet before I drop.”

Gil was standing on the other side of the table away from the fireplace, his gun hand steady as always. Her father was propped up in bed as she left him. His face was pale and sweating. Their eyes must be the same, stunned by impossibility of this moment.

“This ain’t no standoff Will. I’ll shoot ya, no doubt.”

“Why Gil? I don’t understand? You and Harlan?”

“Why! You’re sayin’ you don’t know why? I broke my back for you. Helped you make a fortune and what did I git? How many broken bones, freezing nights savin’ your cattle, fightin’ off rustlers. You name it I did it. Worked my tail off for you Will. What did I git?! And then this half breed lookin’ devil comes along and saves your hide. You always had too much damn luck. And then he kills my son!”

Both Will and Sarah shouted in surprised denial.

“No Gil, tell me it ain’t so. Harlan was your son? Why didn’t you tell me? The boy...”

“You think when I found out I wanted him breakin’ his back for a dollar a day? I spent all I had to make sure that woman took him back east to educate him for something better. We would have had it all and no one the wiser. Kevin was to marry her.”

“Gil you know I would have helped you, you know that!”

Will couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Harlan could have grown up on the ranch and gone back east to finish schooling like Sarah. They could have been brought up together, instead.

“Harlan wanted to kill Sarah, Gil. He wanted to kill her!”

Gil fingered the trigger guard back and that snapped Sarah out of her shock. She stepped forward. He ignored the gun in her hands, so sure affection would hamper her intent.

“Uncle Gil. I can’t let you hurt dad.”

He never took his eyes off Will.

“This is between me and your pa, Sarah. I’ll get to you soon enough.”

Surely her heart stopped at the cold resolution in that statement. This man had held her in his arms, rocked her to sleep many a night and taught her how to ranch and survive the rough life they led. How could he have hated them so much?

“I offered you part of my own ranch Gil. You could have made a home for your boy right here.”

Will was praying Sarah would survive this. Gil didn’t know about his gun, but the man was a good shot and he had Will dead to rights. They might both eat lead today.

“What the hell would I want with the ridge line. The grazing over there ain’t half as good as you got. You think I would a been satisfied with your leavings? Stake me with cattle you don’t want? When ya went into business with them miners, ya didn’t offer any of that!”

“You know I loaned them money when they had none. No one knew they would make a big strike. You told me yourself you thought I was throwing money away after dreamers. Remember it how it was Gil. You had your chances just like everyone else out here. If you were too scared to take the risks it ain’t my fault!”

Gil flushed, enraged at the accusations. He glared at Sarah, daring her to shoot.

“Kevin wasn’t much, but he was my flesh and blood. I seen you coolin’ to him the last few weeks. I knew you was gonna change your mind. We decided to go for the money, only Kevin hired on those two lay abouts to do the deed and botch the damn job! But it’s my time now.”

Sarah’s chin lifted. Nobody was hurting her dad today.

“No Sarah!”

Distracted by Will’s shout, Gil’s shot went wide and smashed into the wall.

Will’s gun discharged at the same time, burned through the blankets and struck Gil in the lower abdomen. Sarah’s bullet smacked into his body just below his sternum. Desperate to stop him, she pulled the trigger again. Her father’s shouting stopped her before she emptied her gun.

The air was thick with gun powder. Gil lay face up in the lamp light. Red stains spread across his shirt front. Sarah walked over to the body and stared for a moment. She bent on shaky knees, removed the gun from Gil’s hand and backed away. She managed to look at her father and realized he was still alive. She just walked over and sat on the bunk taking his trembling hand in hers.

Sarah looked around the room. Matt’s book lay on the table top where he left it before riding out. Her father’s shout of surprise went unheeded as she rushed outside with a canteen, burning with fear that Matt had died because she was in shock. Cobby stood nearby suspicious eyes locked on his downed master. His ears pricked forward at her approach, but he didn’t charge or snap. Quickly Sarah checked Matt over. His heart was still beating. She wiped his face and begged him to wake up, so she could get him inside.

Still she was frightened when his eyelids fluttered open and there was a moment when he didn’t recognized her or remember what had happened. She could see the confusion.

“It’s alright now Matt. We stopped him. Gil’s dead. It’s alright.”

He attempted to speak but didn’t have the energy. She got him to take a few sips of water before she struggle to get him standing. It was a long difficult journey back to the cabin. He passed out once again, so she ran inside to get bandages to stop the bleeding as best she could. Maybe another hour went by before she managed to get him inside, then lowered him to his blankets she had laid out.

Her father lay quiet while she tended Matt. The bullet was still in his shoulder. It needed out but her hands were just too unsteady to do the deed at the moment.

“Sa-rah, thought he killed you, Sarah. Thought...glad glad you’re not...”

“No Matt, father and I are both fine. Gil’s dead. We...we both.” She didn’t try to hold back her tears. She still had to get Gil’s body out of the cabin. None of them could sleep with his body there.

“Medicine, in my bag. Just a drop or two please, hurts Sarah.” Matt choked back the urge to throw up. The pain was bringing back the memories of war and the ship.

“Yes, I remember. Just hold on Matt I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry.”

It didn’t take long to find the little bag with the tiny bottle in it. He was grateful for the dulling of his senses.

“Sarah, no more. No more even if I ask, promise,” he whispered.

She frowned, but nodded agreement and Matt finally relaxed on the blankets.

“Sorry can’t help, sorry.”

She waited until he appeared to sleep, although there was a grimace now and then. First light she had to get that bullet out. This was all too much, but she wasn’t done.

Despite her father’s protest, Sarah managed to move Gil’s body out of cabin. There was no way she could do anything else, so she left him there. She went back inside, barred the door and went to her blankets. Completely spent, Sarah laid down and slept. Her father lay much longer watching the two young people sleep. He would probably never be able to tell how proud of her he was. Sarah was one to ride the river with, no doubt about it.

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