Jack Duane had watched the horsemen as they galloped off into the south. He had arrived only minutes before their departure and had then tied his horse in a clump of mesquite as he approached the rest of the way upon foot, his ankle and heel throbbing painfully with every other step. He himself was now concealed behind a group of out-buildings where he had been able to observe the men without being observed himself. He had counted about twenty-four riders including a blond woman whom he guessed would be Charlene Lancer. Seeing no signs of Maggie, he waited until the horsemen were out of sight, and for the other group who were taking charge of the stolen herd, to get further away from the town. He then returned to his horse, and casually rode into town.

Things were looking up. For the moment, there was little he could do with regard to the other girl. Nevertheless, all the signs pointed to the fact that Maggie was still in town, no doubt, being held against her will. More than likely he reasoned, she'd be in Manuel's Cantina, where apparently, the Esperanza's had made their business transaction with regard to the stolen cattle. There were five horses tied immediately in front of the Cantina. Considerably better odds than he had expected to be up against, nevertheless, he knew he would have to proceed cautiously.

Not for many years, had he feared for his own life. Now however, the stakes were different. Were he to lose here, Maggie's life might be forfeit as well. Not only that, he now felt as if his own life might just have both meaning and purpose--- if Maggie lived. Duane was nervous, and for the first time in a long time, unsure of himself. * * *

Inside Manuel's Cantina, four banditos were playing cards and cursing one another in Spanish. A fifth, their leader, Jaime Cordoba, had already began considering disobeying Emillio Esperanza's orders that Maggie Baldridge should remain unmolested. He downed a beer laced with tequila, and began eyeing the beautiful gringa woman.

Maggie Baldridge was currently bound to a chair, hands tied behind her back, and a gag around her mouth. It had been several months since Jaime had been with a woman, and he had never been with one as lovely as this. Nor had he ever been with a gringa woman to begin with. He wondered what it would be like as beads of perspiration began forming upon his forehead and lustful possibilities began parading themselves before his feverish consciousness. He reasoned that, although he was not allowed to rape or harm the woman, that did not necessarily rule out certain other types of activity which although perhaps distasteful to the woman, would nevertheless leave her unharmed physically.

Cordoba refused the offer of another beer and walked over to the woman. "Ah, senorita, muy bonita! So beautiful! Mebbe joo like to play weeth Jaime for a leetle while. We haf mebbe a long wait unteel Senor Murdoch comes weeth the dinero. Mebbe joo help Jaime to pass the time, no?"

Although becoming more nervous and scared by the moment, her big green eyes glared back at the leering bandit in defiance. Cordoba bent over her and began kissing her forehead as his hand began grasping at her tender breasts. She remained quiet as his hands groped at her although her body was rigid. In her heart, she was filled with disgust at this filthy loathsome specimen of manhood. She could smell the stench of many months of accumulated sweat and various other heavy bodily odors as the man began to remove her gag in order to kiss her mouth. Just then, the door to the cantina opened spilling sunlight into the otherwise, darkened room.

Jaime glanced up in astonishment as a tall, formidable looking character stepped into the cantina. Maggie noticed him too, but astonished as she was, she restrained herself from showing any signs of recognition. However, she was never to forget that moment or the breathtakingly heroic sight of Jack Duane, her one time lover, standing stalwart, fierce and tall, in the doorway. His dauntless expression showing not the least sign of fear, only disdain and contempt as he strode purposefully across the room. He stood tall and straight, two forbidding looking pistols tied low- one on each hip, spurs jingling against the wooden floor, breaking the sudden silence that had overtaken the establishment.

"What ees joor beesnes heer, gringo?" Cordoba asked as Duane stopped, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the cantina, his glance assessing the number of opponents in the place.

Duane stared at the bandit coldly and said, "My business is to send you five pendejos to Hell where you belong."

"Joo are makeeng a beeg meestake, gringo, we work for Emillio Esperanza. Besides, there are five of us an only one of joo!" Cordoba said as the banditos at the table began to rise and he himself, went for his pistol.

The room was suddenly filled with the smell of black powder and the sound of pistols. It happened so quickly Maggie was scarcely able to remember anything except for the sight of two pistols in Duane's hands belching flame out of the barrels and banditos sprawling left and right to the floor--Jaime Cordoba being the first to fall, a bullet between his eyes.

Duane holstered his pistols and began to approach Maggie in order to untie her when another shot shattered the only window in the establishment. Jack Duane sprawled forward, his head slamming into the corner of a table as he then crumpled to the floor and lay motionless. Maggie screamed.

There had been one more bandit assigned to stay and await the arrival of Murdoch and the money. This one however, had a brother who worked for Martinez, and he had ridden out a little ways with him as the Martinez crowd was moving the herd toward the Rio Grande. Unfortunately for Duane, he had arrived just in time to catch the end of the gunfight, and had fired his Colt Navy thirty-six through the window.

The bandit walked into the cantina, a triumphant grin plastered upon his face. Esperanza would reward him handsomely for this. Not only that, but, he reasoned that he could now abuse the woman to his heart's content. After all, he would simply claim that Cordoba had done it, and that this other gringo gunslinger had caught him and the men, quite literally, with their pants down, in the act. That was, after all, how the gringo got the drop on them. Of course, he, Juan Cortina, had saved the day and killed the gringo. Naturally though, he would have to kill Manuel also, lest he tell a different story. No matter. That could wait until he finished with the gringa woman.

He winked at Manuel and said, "Excuse us please for a leetle while. The woman and I weel make love. At that, Maggie could hold on no longer. She let out a loud, piercing scream, as the young bandito began approaching her.

Suddenly, the man's chest seemed to explode outward as the cantina was once again filled with a tremendous boom. Maggie gazed up in shock and amazement at the owner, Manuel, who was holding a double barreled sawed off shotgun, one of the barrels still smoking. He sighed, and placed the weapon back behind the bar, then came around the side and walked over to her.

As he was bending down to untie her bonds, he explained. "I am sorry senorita, that I deed not help joo before. I know, mebbe Manuel ees a coward. But he haf a wife an seex cheeldrens. He no can fight five hombres. But, he no want to see joo hurt no more either."

Attempting to regain her composure, Maggie thanked him and assured him that he was anything but, a coward. Then, unable to restrain herself any longer, rushed over and knelt down beside the prostrate body of the fallen, once fearsome gunman, Jack Duane. Sobbing, she rolled him over on his back and gasped. He was still alive! Maunel, is there a doctor of any kind around here?"

"I am sorry, Senorita but there ees no doctor. But my wife, she has had a leetle experience weeth sush things."

"Do you have a bed?"

"Si, I haf one een back. Let me first geet my wife. She help us to moof heem." Manuel said as he hurried toward the door.

Top of This Page | Front Page | Next Chapter

Copyright © 1999 by John T. Crow
All rights reserved.