Skeleton Lode by Ralph Compton

bedrolls, and their packs, the thirteen men left the cavern, wading the stream that ran through the passage to the outside. Beneath the overhang, Gary Davis threw off his blankets and sat up, wonderingat the exodus after dark. With the storm past, starlight and a quarter moon bathed the canyon in an eerie light. Yavapai and Sanchez were the last to leave the cavern. Davis got to his feet and approached them.
     
    “Since your bunch is movin’ out, you got any objection if we move in?”
     
    “None, Señor,” said Yavapai.
     
    Uncertainly, Davis watched the two Mexicans follow their companions down the canyon, where the lot of them made camp for the night.
     
    “Come on,” Davis told his outfit. “We’re gettin’ a roof over our heads.”
     
    “There must be some reason for that bunch moving out of such a shelter,” said Rust. “You think it’s wise, us going in without knowing why they didn’t stay?”
     
    “Who cares?” Davis said. “Maybe they only wanted shelter from the storm.”
     
    Davis went in first and stirred up the fire so they had some light. Once Paulette, Kelly, and Kelsey were inside, Davis turned to Bollinger and Rust.
     
    “Now we’ll go get our bedrolls, packs, and saddles.”
     
    While the three men were outside, Paulette, Kelly, and Kelsey looked around. Light from the fire barely reached the dark maw of the passage at the back of the cavern.
     
    “It’s spooky in here,” Kelly said. “I don’t blame those men for leaving.”
     
    As though in response to her words, there came a moaning from somewhere within the mountain.
     
    “The Thunder God,” whispered Kelsey. “Uncle Henry told us about him.”
     
    “Nonsense,” Paulette said. “Henry Logan was a superstitious old fool. What you’re hearing is only the wind blowing through the tunnel.”
     
    But from within the dark passage, eyes looked out into the cavern. Eyes that ignored Paulette Davis and focused on Kelly and Kelsey Logan as they moved about in the dim light from the flickering fire.
     
    * * *
     
    Arlo and Dallas arose early, thinking it unusual that Paiute still slept.
     
    “No graze for the horses and mules last night,” Arlo said, “so we’ll for sure have to take them tonight.”
     
    “What a shame we can’t do that in the daytime,” said Dallas. “We got the whole day ahead of us and not a blessed thing to do until sundown, when we show Paiute the death’s head on the side of that mountain.”
     
    “Until then,” Arlo said, “we’re going to stay out of sight. Without knowing where we are, the Davis outfit and that bunch from town will be on their own. They’re going to be frustrated as hell, not knowing where to even start looking for the mine.”
     
    Just before dawn the Davis contingent was awakened by gunfire. Davis flung aside his blankets, grabbed his gun rig, and left the cavern on the run. Bollinger was right behind him. Rust followed less enthusiastically. As Davis dashed into the open, arrows began whipping past him. He turned and ran back to the safety of the cavern, colliding with Bollinger. The two men stumbled back along the passage, where they encountered Rust.
    “What’s going on out there?” Rust asked.
     
    “Indians,” Davis gasped. “The whole damn canyon’s full of ’em. There’s one bunch comin’ up canyon and more of ’em along the walls. Them claim jumpers from town is all catchin’ hell.”
     
    “You ought to be out there helping those men,” said Paulette, “instead of cowering in here. What’s going to stop those savages from coming after us?”
     
    “We don’t owe that bunch from town a damn thing,” Davis said angrily. “By God, it’s their fight. We’re safe in here.”
     
    “But our horses and pack mules are out there,” said Rust. “You call that safe, being stranded in these mountains on foot?”
     
    “You wanna get yourself shot full of Apache arrows over some horses and mules,” Davis snarled, “go