The Curse of Iron Eyes Read Free Page B

stood in his stirrups to give him a
better view of the land that surrounded him. It was hotter than
Hell itself on the crest of the sandy rise but the grim-faced rider
knew that it could and probably would get even hotter in only a few
minutes if he did not act swiftly.
    Whatever had riled up
the Indians, it must have been bad, he concluded. They rode their
painted ponies straight at him and screamed their haunting war
cries.
    He could see the sun
glinting off their rifles and war lances as the Apache hunting
party galloped closer and closer. Yet Iron Eyes held his mount in
check.
    There was still not one
ounce of fear in any part of him.
    For however much paint
the Apache warriors had covering their faces and bodies, they were
still only men. And there had never been a man born that frightened
Iron Eyes.
    His long thin arm
reached behind him and slid out his seldom-used Winchester from the
long scabbard beneath his saddle. He tried to crank its mechanism
but it was stiff and unyielding.
    Iron Eyes knew that it
was quite easy to kill riders, any riders with the aid of a
fourteen-shot repeating rifle, but not this one. He snarled and
rammed the barrel of the Winchester back into the scabbard. He knew
that it would take at least an hour to clean and oil the carbine
before it was possible to use it on the charging Indians.
    At the speed that they
were approaching, he had less than two minutes. He ran the fingers
of both hands through his long limp hair and glared at them. He was
going to have to do this the hard way.
    Up
close with his Navy Colts and long Bowie knife, it was going to be
yet another blood bath. But this time, it was not one of his own
making. He had no wish to kill anyone who did not have a price on
his head. Yet Iron Eyes knew that this bunch of furious Indians did
not look as though they wanted to do anything except kill
him.
    There was another
choice available to the bounty hunter and yet it was one that he
refused even to acknowledge. It meant turning his already exhausted
mount and riding away.
    For Iron Eyes, there
was no retreat.
    There never had been
and there never would be.
    He spun his mount full
circle and studied the terrain which seemed little different
whatever direction he looked in. There was little or no cover to be
had anywhere. That meant that he had to remain right where he was,
and fight.
    When you fought Apaches
you had to kill them or they would most certainly kill you. Like
Iron Eyes, they never took prisoners.
    His mount was nervous
as it sensed the approaching riders bearing down on them. It
gnashed at its bit and tried to turn away from the yelling warriors
who were thundering ever closer.
    Suddenly, over his
shoulder, something caught his attention far behind him. Iron Eyes
swung his pony around again and stared hard off into the distance
along the trail that he had just ridden along.
    He could see the dust
rising into the dry air from the hoofs of a rider who was following
him.
    A rider who was at
least an hour or so behind him.
    ‘ Somebody’s
following us, horse!’ the bounty hunter growled curiously. ‘But
who? Don’t that idiot know that only death rides on my
trail?’
    The sound of rifle
shots came from the approaching Apaches behind him. Iron Eyes
snarled and spun his pony around once more, then he felt the sudden
impact beneath his saddle. The pony shuddered. Blood spurted out
from two wounds in its chest.
    Then the mount gave out
a deafening whine.
    More shots burned
through the dry hot air.
    Iron
Eyes glanced up and saw the plumes of gun smoke coming from a few
of the leading Apaches’ rifles. A bullet passed through his hair
and nicked the lobe of his left ear.
    Then more shots tore
into the animal as its startled master fought with the reins in a
vain attempt to keep the creature on its feet.
    His mount staggered and
then toppled forward on to its head and neck.
    Iron Eyes hit the
ground hard.

CHAPTER FOUR
    The man who had long
been thought of as a living ghost had