Sunset Pass (1990)

  Sunset Pass

  Zane Grey

  *

  Chapter 1

  The dusty overland train pulled into Wagontongue about noon of a sultry June day.

  Trueman Rock slowly stepped down from the coach, grip in hand, with an eager and curious expression upon his lean dark face. He wore a plain check suit, rather wrinkled, and a big grey sombrero that had seen service. His step, his lithe shape, proclaimed him to be a rider. A sharp eye might have detected the bulge of a gun worn under his coat, high over his left hip and far back.

  He had the look of a man who expected to see someone he knew. There was an easy, careless, yet guarded air about him. He walked down the platform without meeting anyone who took more than a casual glance at him.

  At the end of the flagstone walk Rock hesitated and halted, as if surprised, even startled. Across the wide street stood a block of frame and brick buildings, with high weatherbeaten signs. It was a lazy scene. A group of cowboys occupied the corner; saddled horses were hitched to a rail; buckboards and wagons showed farther down the street; Mexicans in colourful garb sat in front of a saloon.

  Memory stirred to the sight of the familiar corner. He had been in several bad gun fights in this town. The scene of one of them lay before him and a subtle change began to affect his pleasure in returning to Wagontongue. He left the station.

  But he had not walked half a block before he came to another saloon, the familiar look of which and the barely decipherable name--Happy Days--acted like a blow in his face. He quickened his step, then, reacting to his characteristic spirit, he deliberately turned back to enter the saloon. The same place, the same bar, and the faded paintings; the same pool tables. Except for a barkeeper, the room was deserted. Rock asked for a drink.

  "Stranger hereabouts, eh?" inquired the bartender.

  "Yes, but I used to know Wagon-tongue," replied Rock. "You been here long?"

  "Goin' on two years."

  "How's the cattle business?"

  "Good, off an' on. It's slack now, but there's some trade in beef."

  "Beef? You mean on the hoof?"

  "No. Butcherin'. Gage Preston's outfit do a big business."

  "Well, that's new," replied Rock, thoughtfully. "Gage Preston? Heard his name somewhere."

  He went to the Range House, a hotel on another corner. He registered, gave the clerk his baggage checks, and went to the room assigned him, where he further resisted the mood encroaching upon him by shaving and making himself look presentable to his exacting eyes.

  "Sure would like to run into Amy Wund," he said, falling into reminiscence. "Or Polly Ackers. Or Kit Rand. All married long ago, I'll bet."

  He went downstairs to the lobby, where he encountered a ruddy-faced man, Clark, the proprietor, whom he well remembered.

  "Howdy, Rock! Glad to see you," greeted that worthy, cordially if not heartily, extending a hand.

  "Howdy, Bill!" returned Rock, as they gripped hands.

  "Wal, you haven't changed any, if I remember. Fact is you look fit, an' prosperous, I may say. How long since you left Wagontongue?"

  "Six years."

  "Wal, so long as that? Time shore flies. We've growed some, Rock. A good many cattlemen, have come in. All the range pretty well stocked now. We have two lumber mills, some big stores, a school, an' a town hall."

  "Well, you sure are comin' on. I'm right glad, Bill. Always liked Wagontongue."

  "Did yon jest drop in to say hello to old friends, or do you aim to stay?" inquired Clark, his speculative eyes lighting.

  Rock mused over that query, while Clark studied him. After a moment he flipped aside Rock's coat. "Ahuh! Excuse me, Rock, for bein' familiar. I see you're packin' hardware, as usual. But I hope you ain't lookin' for someone."

  "Reckon not, Bill. But there might be someone lookin' for me. How's my old friend, Cass Seward?"

  "Ha! Wal, you needn't be curious aboot Cass lookin' for you. He's been daid these two years. He was a real sheriff, Rock, an' a good friend of yours."

  "Well, I'm not so sure of that last, but Cass was a good fellow all right. Dead! I'm sure sorry. What ailed him, Bill?"

  "Nothin'. He cashed with his boots on."

  "Who killed him?"

  "Wal, that was never cleared up for shore. It happened out here at Sandro. Cass got in a row an' was shot. The talk has always been that Ash Preston killed Seward. But nobody, least of all our new sheriff, ever tried to prove it."

  "Who's Ash Preston?"

  "He's the oldest son of Gage Preston, a new cattleman to these parts since you rode here. An' Ash is as bad a hombre as ever forked a horse. I ain't sayin' any an' please regard that as confidence."

  "Certainly, Bill," replied, Rock, hastily. After some casual conversation about the range, they parted in the hotel lobby.

  Sitting there, he recalled friends and enemies of the old days. One of his best friends had been Sol Winter. Whenever Rock got into a scrape, provided it was not a shooting one, Sol was the one who helped him out of it. And as for money, Sol had always been his bank. Rock, remembering many things--one of which was that he had left Wagontongue hastily and penniless--thought he recalled a debt still unpaid. With that he sallied out to find Winter's store.

  It should have been a couple if blocks down the street. Some of the buildings were new, however, and Rock could not be sure. Finally he located the corner where Sol's place of business had been. A large and pretentious store now occupied this site. Rock experienced keen pleasure at the evidence of his old friend's prosperity, and he stalked gayly in, only to learn that Sol Winter did not occupy this store.

  Through inquiry, he located Winter's store at the end of the street. It was by no means a small or cheap place, but it was not what it had once been. Rock entered. Sol was waiting upon a woman, looked, older, thinner, greyer, and there were deep lines in his face. Six years was a long time. Rock gazed round him. It was a large store room crowded with merchandise--hardware, groceries, saddles and harness and farm implements.

  "Well, sir, what can I do for you?" inquired Winter.

  "Howdy, Sol, old-timer!" said Rock with a warm leap of his pulse. "Don't you know me?"

  Winter leaned and crouched a little, his eyes piercing. Suddenly the tightness of his face loosened into a convulsive smile.

  "True Rock!" he shouted incredulously. "If it ain't really you! Why, you old ridin', drinkin', shootin', love-makin' son of a gun!"

  "Glad to see me, Sol?" returned Rock, tingling under Winter's grip.

  "Glad? Lordy, there ain't words to tell you. Why, True, you were always like my own boy. An' since I lost him--"

  "Lost him! Who? You never had any boy but Nick."

  "Didn't you ever hear aboot Nick? Nick was shot off his hoss out near Sunset Pass."

  "Aw--no! Sol! That fine sweet lad! My God! I'm sorry," exclaimed Rock, huskily. "But it was an accident?"

  "So they say, but I never believed it. There's still bad blood on the range, True. You must remember. In fact there's some new bad blood come in since you left."

  Here a customer entered, and Rock seated himself on the counter and put aside his sombrero, to find his brow clammy and cold. Nick Winter dead! Shot by rustlers, probably, or perhaps by this new bad element hinted at by Clark and Winter. The last thing Rock would have expected was that anyone could do violence to gentle, kindly, crippled Nick Winter. Here was something to keep Rock around Wagontongue, if nothing else offered.

  "True, it's good to see you sittin' there," said Winter, returning to place a hand on Rock's shoulder. "I never saw you look so well, so clean an' fine. I don't need to be told you've worked hard."

  "Yes, Sol. I've been five years on a cattle job in Texas. Cleaned up ten thousand, all honest and square. I've got a roll that w
ould choke a cow."

  "No! Ten thousand? Why, True, that's a small fortune! It'll make you. If only you don't get drunk an' begin to gamble."

  "Well, Sol, maybe I won't. But I've gone straight so long I'm worried. How much do I owe you?"

  "Owe me? Nothin'."

  "Look over your books before I hand you one," ordered Rock fiercely. Whereupon he helped Winter find the old account, and forced him to accept payment with interest.

  "Say, Rock, to be honest, this little windfall will help a lot," declared Winter. "I got in a cattle deal some time past an' lost out pretty much in debt. Then the new store---Dabb's--ate into my trade. I had to move. Lately, though, my business has picked up. I think I can pull out."

  "That's good. Who'd you go in cattle deals with?" rejoined Rock.

  "Dabb."

  "Dabb? Not John Dabb who ran things here years ago? Sol, you ought to have known better."

  "Sure. But it seemed such a promisin' deal; an' it was for Nick's sake--but I'm out of cattle deals for good."

  "Go on. Tell me some more bad news," said Rock gloomily. "What's become of my old girl, Kit Rand?"

  "Kit. Let me see. I know she married Chess Watkins--"

  "What! That drunken loafer?"

  "Yes, an' she couldn't change him either. Kitty had to go to work in a restaurant here, an' finally they left Wagontongue."

  "Kitty-Rand? That dainty, clever little girl a waitress! Good Lord! How about Polly Ackers?"

  "Polly went to the bad," returned Sol, gravely. "Some flash gambler got around her. She's been gone for years."

  Rock groaned. "I'm Sorry I ever came back to this darned Wagontongue. One more question. How about my best girl, Amy Wund?"

  "Worse an' more of it, True," rejoined Winter. "After you left, Amy played fast an' loose with many a puncher, There are some who say she never got over your runnin' away."

  "Thunder! They're crazy!" burst out Rock. "She played fast an' loose with me. She never cared two snaps for me."

  "Yes, she did, if there's anythin' in gossip. Mebbe she never found it out till you were gone. Amy was a highstrung lass. An' yon know, Rock, you were sweet on Polly at the same time."

  "Lord forgive me, I was."

  Trueman dropped his head.

  "Son, it's the way of life," went on Winter.

  "Sol, will you keep my money till I come askin' for it?" queried Rock, with his hand inside his waistcoat.

  "Now what're you up to?"

  "I'm' goin' out and get awful, terrible drunk," declared Rock.

  Winter laughed, though he looked serious enough. "Don't do it, True. It'll only fetch back the old habit. You look so fine, I'd hate to see you, do it."

  "I'm goin' to drown my grief, Sol," declared Rock, solemnly.

  "Well, wait till I come back," returned Winter. "I've got to go to the station. My clerk is off today. Keep store for me--like you used to."

  "All right. I'll keep store. But you rustle back here pronto."

  Winter hurried out, leaving Rock sitting on the counter, a prey to symptoms he well knew. If Sol did not hurry back--

  A light quick step arrested the current of Trueman's thoughts. He looked up. A girl had entered the store. His first swift sight of her caused him to slip off the counter. She looked around expectantly, and seeing Rock she hesitated, then came forward. Rock suddenly realised that to get terribly drunk was the very remotest thing that he wanted or intended to do.

  "Is Mr. Winter in?" asked the girt, pausing before the counter.

  "No. He had to go to the station. Reckon he'll be there quite some time. Can I do anythin' for you?" Rock was cool, easy; respectful.

  "Are you the new clerk, Mr. Winter was expecting?" she queried.

  "Yes, miss, at your service."

  "I've quite a list of things to get," she said, opening a handbag.

  "I'll do my best, miss. But I'm a little new to the business."

  "That's all right. I'll help you," she returned, graciously. "Now where is that paper?"

  The delay, gave Trueman opportunity to look at her covertly. She was thoroughbred Western, about 21 or 22, blonde, with fair hair more silver than gold. She was not robust of build, yet scarcely slender. She wore a faded little blue bonnet not of the latest style, and her plain white dress, though clean and neat, had seen long service.

  "Here it is," she said, producing a slip of paper and looking up somewhat flushed. Her eyes were large, wide apart, grey in colour. Rock looked into them. Something happened to him then that had never happened before and which could never happen again.

  "Now, shall I read the list off one at a time or altogether?"

  "Well, miss, it really doesn't--make any difference," replied Trueman, vaguely, gazing at her lips. They were sweet and full and red, and just now curved into a little questioning smile. But, as he watched, it fled and then they seemed sad. Indeed her whole face seemed sad, particularly the deep grey eyes that had begun to regard him somewhat doubtfully.

  "Very well--the groceries first," she said, consulting her list. "Five of sugar, five of rice, five--"

  "Five what?" interrupted Trueman, with alacrity. Everything was in plain sight. It ought to be easy, if he could keep his eyes off her.

  "Five what!" she echoed, in surprise. "Did you think I meant barrels? Five pounds."

  "Sure. That's what I thought," replied Trueman, hastily. "But some people buy this stuff in bulk."

  Rock began to grasp that he was bungling the greatest opportunity of his life. He found the sugar and had almost filled a large sack when she checked him: "Not brown sugar. White, please."

  There was something in her tone that made Rock wonder if she were laughing at him. It stirred him to dexterity rather than clumsiness. He filled a large paper bag with white sugar.

  "But you didn't weigh it," she said.

  "I never weigh out small amounts," he returned blandly. "I can guess very accurately."

  "There's more than five pounds of sugar in that bag," she protested.

  "Probably, a little. Sure I never guess underweight. What next? Oh, the rice."

  "Can you guess the weight of rice, too?"

  "Sure can. Even better. It's not near so heavy as sugar." And he filled a larger bag. In attempting to pass this to her he accidentally touched her bare hand with his. The soft contact shot a thrilling current through him. He dropped the bag. It burst, and the rice poured all over her, and like a white stream to the floor.

  "There--you've done' it," she said, aghast.

  "Excuse me, miss. I'm sure awkward this day. But rice is lucky. That might be a good omen. I'm superstitious. Spillin' rice might mean a wedding."

  She blushed, but spoke up with spirit. "It couldn't, so far as I'm concerned," she said. "Of course I don't know your affairs. But you are wasting my time. I must hurry. They'll be waiting."

  Rock humbly apologized and proceeded to fill another bag with rice. Then he went on with the order, and for several moments, in which he kept his eyes averted, he performed very well as a clerk. He certainly prayed that Sol would not come back soon.

  "That's all the groceries," she said. "Now I want buttons, thread, calico, dress goods, linen and--"

  At the dry-goods counter Rock could not find anything.

  The young lady calmly walked behind the counter. "Can't you read?" she inquired, pointing at some boxes.

  "Read!" exclaimed Trueman, in an injured tone. "Sure I can read. I went to school for eight years. That's about four more than any cowpuncher I ever met."

  "Indeed! No one would suspect it," she returned demurely. "If you're a cowboy--what're you doing in here?"

  "I just lately went to clerking."

  "Show me the buttons. There--in the white boxes. Thank you."

  While she bent over them, looking and assorting, Trueman feasted his eyes on the little stray locks of fair hair that peeped from under her bonnet, on the small well-shaped ear, on the nape of her neck; beautiful and white, and upon the contour of cheek.

&
nbsp; "It isn't pearl?" she inquired holding a button in her palm.

  "Sure is," he replied dreamily, meaning her cheek, suddenly terribly aware of its nearness and sweetness.

  "That pearl! Don't you know bone when you see it?"

  "I'm sorry," spoke up Rock, contritely. "I'm not usually so dumb. But you see I never before waited on such a--a girl as you."

  She shot him a grey glance not wholly doubtful or unforgiving. And meeting his eyes caused her to look down again with a tinge of colour staining her cheeks.

  "I'm not a clerk. Good heavens! If the gangs I've ridden with would drop in here to see me--doin' this. Whew! My name is Trueman Rock. I'm an old friend of Sol Winter's."

  "Trueman Rock?" she repeated, almost with a start, as she swiftly lifted big, surprised eyes.

  "Yes. I used to ride this range years ago. I've been gone six years--five of which I've spent in Texas, workin' hard and--well,' I'd like you to know, because maybe you've heard talk here. Workin' hard and goin' straight. I sold out. Somethin' drew me back to Wagontongue. Got here today, and when I ran in to see Sol he left me here in charge of the store. I'm sorry I've annoyed you--kept you waitin'. But it was Sol's fault. Only, I should have told you first off."

  "You needn't apologize, Mr. Rock," she replied shyly. "Please wrap these for me. Charge to Thiry Preston."

  He found a pencil near at hand, and bending over a piece of wrapping paper, very business-like, he inquired, "Miss Thiry Preston?"

  "Yes, Miss," she replied.

  "What place?" he went on.

  "Sunset Pass."

  "Way out there?" He glanced up in surprise. "Sixty miles. I know that country--every water-hole, stone, and jack-rabbit."

  She smiled fully for the first time, and that further fascinated Rock. "You were well acquainted, weren't you?"

  "I expect to renew old acquaintances out there. And I may be lucky enough to make new ones."

  Miss Preston did not meet his glance.

  "What instructions about these parcels?"

  "None. I'll carry them."

  "Carry them! All this heavy load? Thirty pounds or more!"

  "Surely. I'm quite strong. I've carried far more."

  "Where to?"

  "Out to the corral. Our buckboard is there. They'll be waiting and I'm late. I must hurry." In rather nervous haste she took up the several light packages and moved toward the other counter.