The Remittance Kid Part 14

Having looked around on hearing O'Toole's news, Branigan snapped his head to the front in response to the commotion. Giving a furious obscenity, he started to line the Remington Double Deringer in the Kid's direction. Then other sounds diverted his attention to his left. What he saw warned him that he might be facing just as serious a threat from that quarter.

Although hurt and caught unawares, Barber had recovered his wits quickly. His right hand flew to clutch at and jerk the hatpin from his cheek, but the left shot forward. Grabbing his a.s.sailant by the bun of her grey 'hair', he jerked at it. To his amazement, it and the hat came away in his grasp. The effort he had put into the pull, meeting with none of the resistance he had antic.i.p.ated, caused him to stagger back a few steps and trip. Going down, he landed on his rump with enough force to wind him.

The removal of Belle's wig, hat and veil exposed her short cropped black hair and beautiful features to Branigan's astounded gaze. Realising that he was not dealing with an ordinary woman, he found himself uncertain as to whether he should devote his attention to her or to the English spy. Tough and ruthless as he undoubtedly was, he had never been a practising gun fighter. Nor did he comprehend just how swiftly one trained in such techniques could respond.

Belle had had such training and was highly competent.

Grasping the b.u.t.t of the Kid's Webley R.I.C. revolver, the girl jerked free the adhesive tape which had held it attached to her disguised parasol's handle. Instead of wasting time bringing the weapon into view, she swung it and the parasol into alignment. Thumb c.o.c.king the hammer, she squeezed the trigger. Flame lanced through and ignited the bulky umbrella canopy and a bullet tore into Branigan's chest while his Remington was still vacillating between her and the Englishman. Knocked backwards, the little firearm flying from his fingers, he measured his length on the floor.

Springing forward as rapidly as the pain-throbbing s.h.i.+n would permit, the Kid's first victim tried to tackle him. Catching the man's right wrist in both hands, he swivelled and brought off a wrestling throw which reminded Belle of a technique she had seen employed by Dusty Fog.1 Pa.s.sing over the Englishman's shoulder, the 'bucko' descended with all his weight, and rendered his injured companion unconscious. Nor was he in a much better condition, due to the impact of the fall, as the Kid stepped forward and, jerking the revolver from his waistband, covered Barber with it.

Pulling out the Webley, Belle tossed aside her smouldering disguised parasol. She rec.o.c.ked the hammer and, raising it in both hands, aimed at O'Toole as he lumbered towards them. When he continued to advance and began to drag out his revolver, after her second command for him to halt, she sent a bullet which broke his right leg and compelled him to comply.

By the time Ballinger and his men broke open the small door in the main entrance, they found that the couple they had rushed to rescue already had the situation under control. That Belle and the Kid had been able to do so was made possible because their ability at disguise and superb acting had lulled their would-be killers into a sense of false security which allowed them to bring their bare hand fighting skills into use.

' "Devlin", or whatever his real name might be, and the actress have flown the coop,' Ballinger said, rejoining the Rebel Spy and the Englishman in the room they had rented opposite the presbytery shortly after nightfall. 'But the men who were backing them have decided to call off the invasion.'

'So you managed to persuade them, old boy?' the Kid asked, it having been agreed that the detective should handle the remaining aspects of the affair without Belle or himself becoming further involved.

'They saw it my way,' Ballinger corrected. 'When I showed them that letter you sent to "Devlin" and took back, then told what he'd tricked Branigan into doing, they figured it was for the best. None of them would want it known they'd been taken in by an impostor who'd murdered one priest and tried to have another killed. Or that they'd let themselves be cheated out of money that was supposed to buy guns for their army.'

'They didn't get the arms?' Belle inquired.

'No,' Ballinger replied, sounding equally relieved. 'It seems that he said he'd made the deal, but they don't know who with, and he was supposed to tell Branigan where to collect them. As far as the Barber or the other three know, he never pa.s.sed the word. There's only one thing, though. Papa Champlain reckoned they'd be starting the invasion from out in Montana, didn't he?'

'He said Tinville told him it was to be from Stokeley,' Belle verified.

'Fitzgerald told me they were planning to go in across the narrows at Sault Ste. Marie,' Ballinger explained. 'In fact, I went with him to send a telegraph to the man in command up there telling him to disband the army and come back.'

'Then it's not over yet!' Belle warned grimly.

'You mean that they'll start organising again?' asked the Kid.

'Perhaps, but it will take time and before they can, something may happen to change their minds,' Belle replied.2 'I think that their invasion was supposed to coincide with an uprising of the Metis organised by Cavallier and it's they who'll have arms delivered to Stokeley.'

'It's possible,' the Remittance Kid conceded. 'Anyway, I think we should go up there and see whether you're right or not, dear girl.'

'Actually, dear boy,' the Rebel Spy replied. 'I was just going to suggest that myself.'

1 Captain Patrick Reeder had not visited j.a.pan at the period of this narrative. The unarmed combat techniques he employed were based upon a pentjak-silat system he had been taught while living in the East Indies. J.T.E.

2 The invasion never took place. On being informed of Father Matthew Devlin's' letter of betrayal to the Governor of Canada, Colonel George W. French, q.v. notified General Philo Handiman, with whom he maintained a good relations.h.i.+p. Visiting several prominent politicians who were involved, the General used the letter to show them that they were being manipulated by the anarchists. In turn, they persuaded their followers that the scheme was ill-advised and it was abandoned. J.T.E.

APPENDIX ONE.

Wanting a son and learning that his wife, Electra, could not have any more children, Vincent Charles Boyd had given his only daughter, Belle,1 a thorough training in several subjects not normally regarded as being necessary for a wealthy Southron girl's upbringing. At seventeen, she could ride - astride or side-saddle - as well as any of her male neighbours, men who were to help provide the Confederate States with its superlative cavalry. In addition, she was a skilled performer with an epee de combat or saber, an excellent shot with any kind of firearm and an expert at savate, the French foot and fist boxing. All of which were soon to be very useful for her.

Shortly before the commencement of the War Between the States, a mob of pro-Union supporters had stormed the Boyd plantation. Before they were driven off by the family's Negro servants, they had murdered Belle's parents and set fire to her home. She was wounded in the fighting and, on recovering, joined her cousin, Rose Greenhow,3 who was operating a successful spy ring. Wanting to find the leaders of the mob, Belle had not been content to remain in one place. Instead, she had taken the dangerous task of delivering other agents' information to the Confederate authorities. Adding an ability at disguise and dialects to her accomplishments, she had gained such proficiency that she won the sobriquet, the Rebel Spy. She also graduated to handling more important and risky a.s.signments. On two she had worked with Captain Dustine Edward Marsden 'Dusty' Fog4 and a third brought her first contact with the Ysabel Kid.5 However she had not concluded her quest for the murderers of her parents until shortly after the War ended.6 While the 'Yankees' might have had reason to hate the Rebel Spy when she was engaged in her duties against them, she had not given them cause to feel other than grat.i.tude when peace returned. On signing the oath of allegiance to the Union, she had been enrolled in the United States Secret Service. Despite all the trouble she had given that organisation during the War, she served it loyally and with efficiency. Her partic.i.p.ation in thwarting a plot to a.s.sa.s.sinate President Ulysses S. Grant had prevented friction, possibly another war, between the Northern and Southern States.7 a.s.sisted by Martha 'Calamity Jane' Canary, q. v., and the lady outlaw, Belle Starr, she had brought to an end the reign of terror created by a murderous gang of female outlaws. 8With the aid of General Jackson Baines 'Ole Devil' Hardin's floating outfit, she had broken up the Brotherhood For Southron Freedom.9 After having helped to avert diplomatic difficulties with the Republic of Haiti in the same company,10 she had once more joined forces with Belle Starr when involved in the efforts of the European master criminal, Octavius Xavier, 'the Ox' Guillemot to gain possession of James Bowie's knife. 11 1 According to the researches of fictionist genealogist Philip Jose' Farmer, Belle Boyd was the grand-aunt of Jane, Lady Greystoke, nee Porter, whose biography is recorded in the TARZAN OF THE APES series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. J.T.E.

2 An epee de combat is used mainly for thrusting when on foot and a sabre for Jos.h.i.+ng generally from the back of a horse. J.T.E.

3 Some details of Rose Greenhow's career are given in: KILL DUSTY FOG. J.T.E.

4 Told in: THE COLT AND THE SABRE and THE REBEL SPY. J.T.E 5 Told in: THE b.l.o.o.d.y BORDER. J.T.E.

6 Told in: BACK TO THE b.l.o.o.d.y BORDER. Details of the Ysabel Kid's and Captain Dustine Edward Marsden 'Dusty' Fog's careers are given in the author's CIVIL WAR and FLOATING OUTFIT series. J.T.E.

7 Told in: THE HOODED RIDERS. J.T.E.

8 Told in: THE BAD BUNCH. J.T.E.

9 Told in: TO ARMS! TO ARMS! IN DIXIE, and THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN. J.T.E.

10 Told in: SET AFOOT. J.T.E.

11 Told in: THE QUEST for BOWIE'S BLADE. J.T.E.

end.