Free Iron Eyes, no. 1 by Rory Black Page A

to the campsite to see what the men had discarded in
their hasty departure.
    For Whit and
Tom Hardy it would be another few miles before they figured that
their pursuers were no longer behind them. Then another mile or so
before they felt confident enough to slow up and eventually
stop.
    Then another
hour or so before they realized that they were looking at the
tracks of Iron Eyes’ unshod pony, plus a wagon.
    The two men
drank their fill of the river before setting off after the man who
had killed their brother Dan. The wagon tracks were a confusion to
the two men, but neither bothered themselves about it.
    They were just
thankful that they had saved their scalps and one full bottle of
tequila.

Chapter Seventeen
    Dwan José Valdez looked at his prized watch, which bore a
small photograph of his beloved daughter Maria inside its golden
case-lid. It was almost eight, and the morning sunshine was
beginning to find its way into the hacienda courtyard.
    Iron Eyes had exchanged his small pony for one of the rancho thoroughbreds. It
was a large, black animal with a strong back and even stronger
legs.
    The
bounty-hunter stood in his freshly washed and dried clothes. The
long coat had defied all attempts to clean off the years of dried
bloodstains.
    The master of the hacienda watched as the man with the limp, shoulder-length
hair filled his deep pockets with cartridges for his Navy Colts and
his Winchester.
    Iron Eyes
tucked his pistols into his belt with the handles facing
outward.
    Valdez moved
toward the man who had been given the job of hunting down the
bandits who had kidnapped his daughter.
    ‘ You are a very brave man, my tall friend,’ Valdez said in a
humble voice.
    ‘ I ain’t brave, Dwan José,’ Iron Eyes said. ‘I’m
edgy’
    ‘ What is this edgy?’ The mature man looked
surprised.
    ‘ I ain’t killed anyone in a few days.’ Iron Eyes tried to force
a grin but failed. ‘l get edgy when I ain’t killed anyone for a few
days.’
    Valdez watched
as the tall, painfully thin man stepped into his stirrup and
hoisted himself on to the large, black stallion.
    ‘ You have my prayers travelling with you.’
    ‘ Hell, don’t tell God what I’m up to, he might not like it.’
Iron Eyes gathered up the long, beaded reins, turned the animal
toward the archway of the hacienda , and for a moment
paused.
    ‘ What is wrong?’ Valdez asked with concern in his voice as he
walked to the rider.
    Iron Eyes gave
the beautiful building a long look before gazing down at the
elderly man. He said nothing as he tapped his spurs into the horse
and rode out of the courtyard.
    Dwan José watched with a few of his trusted vaqueros at his side as
the strange man disappeared down the long trail. He was headed
south, to the far-off mountains that were the boundary of his vast
ranch. The mountains where the bandits hid from the federal
soldiers. The mountains where until now, they had been
safe.
    Iron Eyes felt
strange to be astride such a proud beast, and rode with more
consideration than he normally gave his usual horses.
    The mountains
were getting ever closer as he increased the pace of the animal.
This was no ordinary horse between his thin legs. He could feel the
strength and power as the black creature thundered through the
prairie desolation.
    Iron Eyes knew
that this was not like any job he had ever undertaken before. This
job required him to try and bring back a person alive.
    Normally he
would just go in with his guns blazing, and to hell with any fool
that didn’t have the sense to duck. Maria Valdez might already be
lying somewhere, being ripped apart by the buzzards, but if she was
still alive he had to try and make sure she stayed that way.
    He had seen the
wanted posters that told him little about his prey except that they
were scum.
    Iron Eyes knew
that the leader was a strange creature, with a distinctive gold
tooth that dominated his face. He was nicknamed ‘The Snake’.
    The image from
the wanted poster was