Valley of Thunder Read online

  Valley of Thunder

  Josh Ford was the best man the Marshal Service had, so when the Governor of Montana needed someone to look into the disappearance of wagon trains in the Bitterroots, Ford was the man they chose.

  What he found was a brutal autocrat who ruled with such terror, the like of which had never been seen by Ford.

  From Helena, Montana, to the Bitterroot Mountains, then on to Seattle, Ford fights for his life and the lives of others against a maniac and his small army.

  When a final twist puts it all in jeopardy, Ford realizes that the badge he wears may be the difference between law and justice.

  Valley of Thunder

  Sam Clancy

  ROBERT HALE

  © Sam Clancy 2017

  First published in Great Britain 2017

  ISBN 978-0-7198-2232-2

  The Crowood Press

  The Stable Block

  Crowood Lane

  Ramsbury

  Marlborough

  Wiltshire SN8 2HR

  www.bhwesterns.com

  Robert Hale is an imprint of The Crowood Press

  The right of Sam Clancy to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him

  in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  This one is for Sam and Jacob.

  Chapter 1

  Ten white canvas-covered wagons lumbered slowly along the trail, each drawn by teams of four oxen. Like giant beasts in a foreign land, the unwieldy conveyances lurched across the rough ground as they passed through a high country meadow filled with wildflowers.

  Headed deeper into the Bitterroot mountains for a small valley called Parsons, were ten families intent on making their fortune on a new gold and silver strike. The valley was named for the man who’d made the initial discovery.

  A scout and a wagon boss accompanied the group.

  High above the wagon train, an eagle circled and looked down upon the serpent that weaved its way along the trail. To the south, on a low ridge dotted with larch and spruce, a large mountain lion sat atop one of many immense slabs of granite.

  It patiently surveyed the strange beasts that travelled through its domain. It caught the scent of an elk on the slight breeze and with a low growl, abandoned its post and slunk off into the trees to hunt.

  Another hunter, however, had his sights on the same beast. With a slow release of breath, Matt Smith squeezed the trigger of the Marlin lever-action rifle.

  It bucked against his shoulder and the .45-70 round exploded from the octagonal barrel. It crossed the short distance between hunter and elk in the blink of an eye and hit the animal hard.

  Smith watched as the animal buckled and went down. It kicked spasmodically then was still.

  The wagon train scout stood up from his firing position behind the fallen tree and stretched out to his full six foot two height. He was thin and his buckskins hung loosely from his wiry frame. Before he moved, his brown eyes scanned their immediate surroundings but didn’t detect anything unusual.

  With the Marlin held across his body, Smith stepped over the rough-barked tree and moved to the fallen elk. Before he crouched down to butcher the carcase, he took another look about.

  He had a bizarre sense of being watched. He scanned the ridge and the trees on it but saw nothing. With a shrug of his shoulders, Smith drew his knife, knelt down beside the dead animal and commenced work.

  Orange flames licked hungrily at the elk haunch that hung over the fire. Droplets of fat sizzled and caused flares with each drip. The cooking flesh gave off a heavenly aroma and the smell permeated the still evening air.

  Smith walked outside the wagon ring and stared off into the darkness. The silvery glow from the moon cast enough pale light across the landscape for the scout to make out the outline of the Bitterroot’s high peaks that bordered the valley.

  The lonesome howl of a wolf sounded closer than it was, carried on the chill night breeze.

  A tingle ran down Smith’s spine and he dropped his hand to the Colt at his hip. He wore it high, not low as gunfighters preferred, but he was a scout, not a gunman. A nervous scout, he was still unable to shake the uneasy feeling he’d felt this afternoon when he’d shot the elk.

  Smith turned to his right and began to walk the perimeter of the circled wagons. He checked the night pickets and as he walked, long, damp grass gently caressed his legs.

  The muffled snort of a horse caused Smith to pause. He peered into the gloom and saw the animal twenty yards from the encampment.

  He watched for a moment, suspicious of the cause, but relaxed a little when it continued to graze.

  Smith shook his head and silently cursed its owner for not securing it better. As he approached, the animal lifted its head and looked in Smith’s direction.

  It tossed its head and stepped closer to a clump of shrubs and once again began to crop grass.

  The scout spoke in soft tones to the horse and closed the gap between them as he aimed to get close enough to grab its halter rope.

  He heard the wolf again and the horse tossed its head around once more. Smith continued to speak gently and kept his approach smooth and steady.

  When he got close, he reached out carefully to take hold of the rope.

  Smith sensed a movement behind him. He dropped his hand to the Colt and began to turn.

  Before he could draw, a thorny hand clamped firmly over his mouth, which prevented the escape of any sound from his throat.

  The next sensation he experienced was a searing pain as a knife slid between his ribs and pierced his heart.

  ‘Damn it, where is that man?’ wagon master Earl Morgan blustered as he roamed the bevy of activity as camp broke.

  He’d made three circuits but still couldn’t find the scout, Smith.

  He was about to ask one of the settlers when he heard a cry of, ‘Riders approaching’.

  Morgan spun his six foot frame around to gaze in the direction of the riders. The 41-year-old frowned, and wondered who had ridden up to them. His first thought was Smith so he hurried to a better vantage point. Morgan’s hope died when he saw two riders and realized that neither was the missing scout.

  His weathered face fell further when he saw a body draped over a horse.

  The wagon master moved to meet them and was joined by two others. Both were family men who’d uprooted their wives and children to drag them halfway across the country at the prospect of a rich strike. Their names were Otis and Cohen.

  The strangers drew up in front of the three men.

  ‘Howdy, gents,’ greeted a man in trail-stained buckskins. ‘You wouldn’t be missin’ someone by any chance?’

  Morgan eyed the strangers cautiously. He guessed the man in the buckskins to be mid-thirties. His face was lined and had a scar on one cheek. His partner was late twenties, slim built and wore britches and a faded red shirt under a buckskin coat. Both men rode bay horses.

  ‘Maybe,’ Morgan said. ‘Who are you?’

  ‘I’m Roy,’ the man answered. ‘This is Hitch.’

  ‘We found this here feller out aways. Looks like Indians have been at him. Took his scalp, they did.’ Roy pointed to the body on the chestnut horse they’d lead in.

  Morgan moved closer and tentatively lifted the dead man’s head. His stomach churned when he saw that it was indeed their scout and the ghastly deeds which had been done to him. Apart from being scalped, his eyes were gone and there was an ugly slash across his face.

  Morgan let the head down and turned away from the grisly sight.

  ‘Who is it?’ Otis asked.

  ‘It’s Smith,’ Morgan said, his voice tinged with sadness.

  ‘Damn it,’ Cohen cursed softly.

  ‘Yep,’ Hitch cackled. ‘Damn Nez P
erce sure did make a mess of him. Peeled his hair off, as neat as you like.’

  Hitch!’ Roy snapped. ‘Show a little respect. These here gents have just lost a friend of theirs.’ The young stranger smiled but remained silent.

  Morgan shook his head. ‘This is the first we’ve seen of Indians.’

  ‘The Nez Perce have been actin’ up a bit around here lately,’ Roy explained. ‘With all the whites comin’ into the territory, they were bound to get upset.’

  ‘What are we goin’ to do without a guide?’ said Otis, concern evident in his voice.

  ‘Well now, if it’s a guide you all need, we can do that for you,’ Roy offered. ‘We know the country around here like the backs of our hands. Where you all headin’ anyways?’

  ‘We’re headin’ to Parsons,’ Morgan said.

  Roy smiled. ‘Hell, we know that place. Are you all out to strike it rich?’

  ‘Hopefully.’ Otis nodded.

  ‘We know a way that’ll get you there a week shy of when you was expectin’ to get there yourselves.’ Roy smiled. ‘If you want the help, we’ll guide you. The cut-off will keep you clear of the Nez Perce, too.’

  Morgan shifted uneasily. ‘I ain’t so sure. . . .’

  ‘I think we should do it,’ Cohen said eagerly.

  Morgan hit him with a hard stare. ‘Who’s bossin’ this here train?’

  ‘Don’t you think we should take ’em up on their offer?’ Otis said. ‘We need a guide to get us there. And if they can save us a week of travellin’ time, it’ll be worth it.’

  Morgan knew he was right. He looked up at Roy. ‘How much do you want for guidin’ us?’

  ‘Fifty dollars, each,’ Roy said. ‘I’ll do the guidin’ and Hitch here will keep us in fresh meat.’

  The wagon master thought for a moment then asked, ‘Where is this cut-off you was talkin’ about?’

  ‘You follow the trail for half a day then you come to a ridge line with an opening on the right,’ Roy said. ‘It looks to be all choked up with some big old fir trees. But the trail cuts right on through and opens out the other side. Indians don’t go in there because they think it’s haunted or somethin’.’

  Satisfied, Morgan nodded. ‘All right then, you’ve got yourselves a job. You’ll be paid once we get to the diggin’s.’

  ‘Right you are,’ said Roy in acceptance of the terms. ‘Let’s get these wagons rollin’.’

  Twenty minutes later, the wagon train was back on the trail. Smith had been buried in an unmarked grave off to the side. Within a year, no sign would remain, and the probability was that his existence would not be remembered. Not long after noon, the wagon train reached the tree-choked pass. It turned right and disappeared amongst tall, rough-barked firs.

  Unseen by the travellers were two Nez Perce warriors seated upon fine dappled mounts. They observed from the shelter of a large stand of trees, obscured by the shadows the giants cast.

  They’d seen wagons enter the valley beyond many times before, but none had ever re-emerged.

  The Nez Perce had a name for it. They called it the ‘Valley of Thunder’.

  Chapter 2

  Every step promised the wet slop and squelch of mud. An afternoon storm had dumped sheets of rain upon the town of Spencer’s Gulch, Montana. It had ceased an hour before but the far off rumble of thunder was still audible. Overhead, leaden clouds blocked the sun and cast a gloom over the main street.

  Townsfolk lined the plank boardwalks to watch the spectacle. One man against three. Near impossible odds but they stood with baited breath in the hope that the one would carry the day.

  Josh Ford let his hand drop to the walnut grips of the single-action Colt Peacemaker nestled in a black leather holster.

  He kept up a steady pace and the citizens watched the passive face of the man in black.

  Up ahead, Ford’s steely gaze settled on the three men who blocked his path. Their names were Buford Welsh, Dwight Williams, and Jesse O’Rorke.

  Sheriff Buford Welsh was forty-one and mean. He was tall and wore a full suit, similar to a dandy. About his hips was a gun belt which housed a new Smith & Wesson model.

  Deputies Dwight Williams and Jesse O’Rorke were dressed in jeans, shirt and a leather vest. Both men had Remington six-guns in their holsters. The ambidextrous O’Rorke favoured two.

  The town of Spencer’s Gulch had experienced a reign of tyranny and fear from the three since last fall. The previous long-standing sheriff had fallen to their guns and they’d taken his badge.

  After months of brutality against the townsfolk, the men were about to learn the error of their ways.

  The distant rumble of thunder rolled across the heavily wooded mountains, a death knell for those about to die.

  Ford squelched to a stop twenty feet from the men. Close enough for them to see the nickel plated marshal’s badge pinned to his chest.

  ‘Time for you three to throw down them guns of yours and take off them badges you’re tarnishing,’ Ford said evenly.

  ‘Do you really expect us to do that, Ford?’ Welsh sneered.

  ‘It’s either that or they’ll be carryin’ you off the street feet first.’

  Welsh smiled coldly. ‘Big talk for a man who’s facin’ three guns. What chance do you think you’ve got?’

  ‘You know, you may be right,’ Ford allowed. ‘Just to get things straight. Do you intend to disarm?’

  ‘No,’ Welsh confirmed. ‘Can’t kill you if we do that.’

  Ford nodded. ‘OK.’

  His hand blurred as it brought up the Peacemaker. Flame spewed from the gun barrel as he fanned the hammer. The thunder of the shots rang out across the main street of Spencer’s Gulch.

  The move was unexpected and Welsh didn’t even register surprise on his face before the first bullet tore through his chest. The second one hit him in the throat and as it exited, took a fine spray of warm blood.

  Ford shifted his aim and the slug he fired at O’Rorke smashed into the outlaw’s forehead. A third eye appeared and stopped his draw cold. The six-gun, half drawn from its holster, dropped back as nerveless fingers lost their grip.

  As Ford’s Peacemaker settled on Williams, the hammer on the outlaw’s Remington fell. The .44 calibre slug burned through the air and fanned Ford’s cheek.

  The marshal fired again, his shot more accurate than the outlaw’s, and the bullet punched into Williams’s chest high and left. The impact spun him around and sent him to his knees. The wound made Williams cry out with pain.

  Ford eared back the hammer on the Peacemaker. The triple-click of its action was reminiscent of the snap of a dry twig.

  Williams struggled around to bring his Remington to bear.

  ‘Don’t!’ Ford snapped as the wounded outlaw started to raise his gun.

  ‘Go to hell!’ Williams snarled, his voice thick with pain and hate.

  ‘I’ll have to meet you there,’ Ford told him and squeezed the trigger.

  Once again, the Colt roared and Williams flopped back into the mud, dead.

  Ford let the Colt drop to his side. Small wisps of grey-blue gun smoke drifted from the barrel. He studied the downed men. He looked for signs of life but all remained still. Satisfied, Ford reloaded his six-gun with fresh rounds.

  As he stood in the mud of the main street, the eyes that beheld him would have had him distinctly pegged as much taller than his six foot one. He was solidly built and dressed in black, and resembled a mortician more than a United States Marshal.

  The relief exuded by the onlookers on the crowded boardwalks was palpable.

  Ford glanced one last time at the bodies and turned away. He began his walk back along the street when a horse and rider caught his attention.

  An older man with greying hair and a salt and pepper moustache and lined face sat ramrod erect in his saddle. He rode a large buckskin gelding with a high step.

  When he drew the horse to a halt in front of Ford, he glared at the marshal.

  ‘Damn it, Ford!’ he cuss
ed. ‘You were told to damn well wait.’

  An hour later, both men sat in the Jack of Spades saloon at a dark timber table with a polished but scarred top. The place was abuzz with excitement after the events witnessed that very day.

  Cigarette smoke hung thick in the air. Glasses clinked together and raised voices grew louder as every man in the saloon related their own personal version of what they’d seen.

  Outside, the daylight was almost gone, while inside, lamps mounted on wood-panelled walls cast a dull light around the bar room.

  Out of the crowd, a loud rebel yell echoed throughout the saloon.

  United States Marshal Bass Reeves screwed his face up in contempt. ‘Anyone would think you were a blamed hero the way they’re carryin’ on. Instead, you disobeyed orders to wait for help to arrive. I’m startin’ to get fed up with this lone wolf attitude of yours, Josh.’

  Josh Ford had heard it all before and was only half tuned into his boss’s berating.

  ‘. . . and then it’ll be too late and you’ll already be dead.’

  Reeves paused, then, ‘Are you listening to me?’

  ‘Nope,’ Ford said truthfully.

  Reeves snorted. ‘You’ll never learn, will you?’

  ‘I work alone, Bass. You know that.’

  ‘Yeah, but it may very well get you killed one day, too.’

  ‘When it does, don’t bother comin’ to my funeral,’ said Ford. ‘The last thing I need to hear when they’re plantin’ me is you sayin’ “I told you so”.’

  ‘Damn stubborn boy,’ Reeves said. ‘Just like your old man.’

  ‘Yeah, well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it, Bass?’

  ‘And maybe one day you’ll call me Pa instead of by my first name,’ Reeves said and tossed back a shot of red-eye.

  ‘Not likely.’

  Ford’s father had left when Josh was still a young boy. He’d gone to fight in the War Between the States and never come home. Over the years, there had been letters to his mother, which he hadn’t known about until after her death.