It was approaching noon and the Murdoch riders were nearing their destination, the rendezvous point where they would meet up with an Esperanza emissary and hopefully, receive the final instructions for exchanging the money for Charlene and Jesse. The men were quietly enduring the midday heat, as the sun beat down fiercely upon them and their mounts. Nevertheless, even in the heat, the desert possessed a stark beauty all its own. The ground was dry, covered with prickly-pair, cholla, and spanish daggers, amidst creosote and mesquite bushes. It was a land that was harsh to both men and animals. Nevertheless, the riders were accustomed to it, as were their mounts. They trudged on in silence. Even the usually loquacious duo of Lancer and Ballard rarely spoke, both quietly absorbed in their own thoughts.

Suddenly, Brazos raised his hand and signaled the group to an abrupt halt. As he strained his ears to the wind, Ballard and Lancer too noticed the sounds. It sounded like shooting, several miles to the northwest, toward the Chinati mountains. "Wonder what the hell that could mean?" mused Ballard aloud.

"Don't know, but it don't sound good to me. I would reckon that them Esperanzas are back that direction, if they ain't already waitin' fer us at Diablo Canyon. Johnny, you got that spyglass with ya?" Brazos asked.

Lancer slid it out of the saddle bags. "Let's get up to the top of that hill yonder. I reckon we might be able ta make out what's goin' on from there." Brazos said, indicating a small hill, that was higher than most of them around the surrounding area, which would afford them a good view of their back-trail for many miles. What they saw surprised them all. A large group of horsemen, were under attack by a much larger group of Comanches.

"Comanches, down here?" Lancer asked incredulously.

"Yep, shore looks like it, and them folks they're after sure as hell don't look like soldiers neither." Ballard remarked dryly.

"Hell boys, if that's the Esperanza gang they're after, Charley and Jesse are apt to be killed. We'd best get out there as fast as we can." Brazos exclaimed seriously. * * *

Somewhat earlier, the Esperanza gang had been trailing the Murdochs. Emillio's intention was, rather than to wait for them at Diablo Canyon, to allow the Murdoch's to arrive there first. That way, he could be certain of what was happening, and there would be less chance of any tricks being pulled upon them. He could thusly, keep the situation firmly under his own control. However, while searching for any signs of the Murdoch crew with his own spyglass, Emillio spotted a group of Comanche approaching that in his estimation, numbered approximately two-hundred warriors.

Thinking quickly, he ordered Muerte, and two of his other men, to take Jesse and Charley back up into the Chinati Mountains. It was a gamble, but he intended to face the Comanches. He'd had numerous dealings with them, as well as with Apaches in the past. He didn't wish to take the whole gang back up into the mountains, since that would likely alert the Comanche to the possibility that he had something of value to them. He did. He was all too aware of their propensity for blond women, and wanted the prisoner well away by the time the Comanches arrived.

He couldn't afford to take any chances where the Lancer girl was concerned. For one thing, were she harmed or taken captive by Indians, he would not receive the rest of the ransom money. For another, he had no doubt that Brazos Murdoch would be true to his word, and hunt them down no matter where they went. But the main reason, perhaps even more important than the money, he wanted a chance to kill Brazos Murdoch, for the slaying of his brother-in-law. Not that he'd had any great love for his brother-in-law, but rather because it was necessary to avenge what Grizzly had done. The effrontery of Brazos' actions could only be repaid with his death. Emillio, had lost a great deal of credibility as a leader, for never having avenged that matter.

Thus, he ordered Muerte to take Jesse and Charlene, to a safe spot in the Chinati Mountains. A place that the Indians would never follow, then to watch with his spyglass and ascertain when it was safe to move on. Muerte would rejoin him later at the entrance of Diablo canyon. From there, they would send an emissary to Brazos Murdoch, who would be waiting some three miles up the canyon at a natural spring.

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