Blue-grey eyes, in a shade identical to Wade Hart's, stared down from the rim of the canyon, trained on the trail meandering up the base of the mountains. Below him, Wyatt Hart could see the flickering of a campfire. Three figures moved back and forth in front of the flames. He knew who they were, they'd been on his trail since he left El Paso. Jaye Tatum, Colt Macklin, and Donnie Score, the right-hand man of US Marshal Kane Hayes. These men had been there when Melly was killed. Unfortunately, he couldn't prove it based on the hoof prints he'd found in his ranch yard. They thought he lay asleep a quarter mile up the trail from them. His bay gelding and bedroll were there, but he was not. Now he sat in to wait until they went to sleep, then there would be hell to pay.
"Wyatt put the rifle down", the voice of Wyatt's brother Wade came to him through the darkness.
"Hello, Wade."
"Hello, Wyatt. I hate to be the one sent after you, but Decker didn't trust anyone else."
" 'S okay kid. Your boss sent the best."
"I'm sorry about Melly. She didn't deserve this and neither do you. However, I am bound by the law to bring you in. Bob Decker will make sure you get a fair trial."
"That the way it's gonna be?"
"Yep."
Wyatt Hart's face broke into a cold grin, "I hate to tell ya this, but I'm not going to jail just yet. Those three down there were there when Hayes killed her. I am going to bring them to justice."
"No, you are not. This isn't you Wyatt. Melissa wouldn't want this."
Turning to face his brother, the elder Hart's grey-blue eyes turned hard as steel.
"She wouldn't have wanted to be murdered either, yet that's what happened. Her and our unborn child."
"I am truly sorry Wyatt, I am. Now put the gun down."
"I'm sorry to Wade", Wyatt flipped the rifle around, using it as a club.
Wade jumped back just in time to avoid the swing.
When he missed, Wyatt didn't continue to pursue his brother. Instead, he scrambled over the canyon edge, away from Wade. He burst into the clearing where his horse stood tied. Knowing wade would be close behind, he rapidly loaded his gear on the gelding and took off. There would be another chance to get the men behind him.
In the other camp, a horse appeared carrying Alta Hayes.
"Alta, what are ya doin' here?', Donnie Score's heavily accented German voice spoke.
"I came to tell you that Wade and Wyatt Hart are nearby. I came into town with the Marshal after he caught me on the trail east of here."
"We know Wyatt is here, but Wade too! This is a stroke of luck!"
"We need to hurry - Wade won't keep Wyatt around for long if he catches him."
The men began gathering ammunition and saddling horses. Suddenly Colt Macklin's hand came up, gesturing for them all to stop.
"Do you hear that? That damn Marshal must have gotten to Wyatt!"
Quickly they made their way to Wyatt's now empty campsite.
"Damn, damn, damn!", Donnie swore, his infamous German temper coming out as he kicked whatever was in his path.
"Hey, there's only one set of tracks leading West: one horse carrying one rider."
The other three gathered around Tatum's crouched from.
"That's Wyatt, we need to get after him before Marshal Hart makes an appearance."
YOU ARE READING
The Lawman
Historical FictionA short story based off of Billy Walker's song The Lawman They sent me out from Santa Fe to try and find his trail They think that I'm the only one who can bring him back to jail This star says I'm a lawman this gun has seen me through And t...
