Now Playing:Ultimatum
Episode Ten concluded with:
Nate signaled for Dehner
to follow him. They returned to their horses, mounted and rode down the hill.
When they reached the bottom, the pastor quickly explained what had
happened. “Akando has ordered five of his braves to a nearby house. They
are being led by Sahale.”
“Know anything about Sahale?”
Reverend Nate grimaced. “He was violent and dangerous as a boy. He has become
even worse with manhood.”
“Why are they going to this house?”
“Don’t know. Couldn’t hear that well. But I could tell from the tone of their
voices that it is no social call. I know the direction they are heading. We’d
better follow them.”
The two men began to trail the Indians, wondering about the strange visitor
whose demands Akando seemed willing to appease.
Episode Eleven
***
Dehner and Reverend Nate stood at
the top of a small hill that formed a horseshoe around a cabin. Both men were
carrying Winchesters and looked down on the front of the cabin. The detective
and the pastor watched as the five Indians rode up to the dilapidated wooden
structure. Dehner peered through his field glasses. “The folks who live down
there are operating a still. Could Sahale and four other braves have come out
here just to buy a jug of tanglefoot?”
The pastor shrugged his shoulders
and looked confused. “Nothing here makes any sense to me.”
“This much we know,” Dehner spoke
quickly. “We’ve got five of the people who are threatening to destroy Hardin
and kill everyone who lives in it, bunched up together. I’m going to the other
side of the hill. We’ll try to arrest them. If that doesn’t work…”
Nate nodded his head. He understood.
Dehner moved quickly as he watched
the brave whom Reverend Nate had pointed out as Sahale walked toward the cabin
door. Sahale knocked and the door immediately opened. The approaching horses
had awakened whoever was inside. There was a brief conversation, then Sahale
began to walk back to his horse. He was carrying a jug. Dehner had seen no sign
of money being exchanged. No surprise. Being awakened in the middle of the
night by five Indians just might make a moonshiner inclined to hand out free
samples.
Sahale mounted his horse and began
to drink from the jug. He nodded toward two of the other braves. A spark
suddenly glowed in the hand of one of those two braves.
Dehner laughed inwardly. “Talk about
white man’s ways,” he whispered to himself. “Those guys are using match
sticks.”
The detective’s amusement was short
lived. The brave next to the one with the lighted match was preparing his
weaponry. He was going to send a flaming arrow into the cabin.
Tomorrow: Episode Twelve of Ultimatum
