Dalton and the River of No Return: The Dalton Series, #4

By Ed Law

When Dalton arrives in Warren's Crossing, the recent heavy rain has made passage across Wilmington Creek impossible. So Dalton works for the brothers who operate the ferry, Jesse and Colbert Thornton, and that forces him to take sides in a festering family feud.

 

After a stint in prison the man who killed the brothers' father, Locke Sharpe, is returning to town to renew his vendetta against them. With Marshal Rutledge Warren siding with Locke and with Jesse becoming trapped on the other side of the creek, the brothers' situation looks desperate.

 

Dalton resolves to end the feud, and so he embarks on the most hazardous mission of his life to rescue Jesse and to defeat the many forces aligned against them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Culbin Press
• Release date: Jun 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223616740

Book preview

Chapter One

I need passage across the river, Dalton said when Colbert Thornton opened the door.

Nobody’s going nowhere today, Colbert said with a weary tone. The ferry’s not available.

Dalton turned to the dock. Beyond, the surface of the swollen Wilmington Creek rippled in the moonlight. The beached ferry was mired in mud and looking as if it’d been there for a while.

When might it be available?

Soon, or then again maybe later. Colbert winked. Even then plenty of people are ahead of you in the line to get across.

Dalton frowned. If you’re hoping I’ll pay to get to the head of the queue, you’ll be disappointed. I barely have enough money to feed myself.

Colbert frowned and then leaned into the building to call for his brother, Jesse, who arrived sporting a bored expression that didn’t change when Colbert relayed Dalton’s problem. Colbert went on to explain the situation in Warren’s Crossing using a matter-of-fact tone that suggested he had provided this explanation often recently.

After several weeks of incessant rain, Wilmington Creek was swollen and fast-flowing and that meant that the crossing point, operated by using a ferry and ropes, was currently unsafe. So the town had filled up with people who had wanted to cross the water.

As a result the hotels were overflowing and the townsfolk were letting travelers sleep on their floors as they sought to profit from the unfortunate situation. While Colbert talked, Jesse turned away in an apparent show of boredom, but when footfalls sounded behind Dalton, he accepted that the newcomers had gathered his attention.

Dalton turned to find that two men were approaching the brothers’ house while several other men stayed in the shadows. As the nearest men lined up to face them, Colbert leaned toward Dalton and identified them as being Barrington Warren and his son Marshal Rutledge Warren.

Passage, Rutledge said gruffly.

I’ve just explained to this man that the river level hasn’t dropped far enough yet, Colbert said. It’s too risky.

Rutledge set his hands on his hips. The risk is ours to take.

Jesse sneered and leaned against the wall. I can live with sending you to your deaths, but afterward, it’d be bad for business.

While Rutledge glowered, Colbert laughed and gave his brother a supportive slap on the shoulder.

Stay here and make sure the Warrens don’t steal anything, Colbert said. I’ll round up enough men to get them across.

Make sure everyone knows they’re making this journey against our advice, Jesse added.

Barrington set his feet wide apart and grunted with approval.

Do that, he said. It’ll let everyone know we’re the right people to listen to.

The marshal and the men loitering in the shadows laughed and, in irritation, Jesse took a long pace forward. Before he could confront them, Colbert moved between him and Barrington.

Jesse barged Colbert aside and stormed away, taking the most direct route through the center of the group. The men peeled aside to let him pass, but mocking snorts of laughter followed him as he headed down to the dock. Colbert turned to Dalton.

While I’m gone, keep an eye on Jesse and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid, he said. "If you can keep him out of trouble, you’ll go to the head of the queue when it is safe to go across."

Dalton nodded, but this conversation made Rutledge and Barrington turn to him, so when Colbert left, he sported a pleasant smile. Then, while the others headed off to stand beside the beached ferry, Dalton joined Jesse on the end of the dock.

Jesse said nothing as he faced the passing water so Dalton didn’t press him to explain what was troubling him. Presently, Colbert led a straggling line of six men out of town, their uncertain progress showing that Colbert had dragged them out of a saloon.

With Jesse not appearing as if he’d do anything untoward, Dalton offered to help, but the workers didn’t need him and they quickly pushed the beached ferry onto the water. While they worked, they didn’t speak with the passengers, although their repeated headshakes showed how foolish they thought this endeavor was.

When the ferry was afloat, Colbert used a lamp to get the attention of men on the other side of the river. This took a while, as presumably whoever had been trapped on the other side when the water rose didn’t expect anyone would need their services tonight. The delay let Dalton watch the swelling water and he soon felt nauseated.

Hopefully this won’t start a rush to attempt this journey, Dalton said, turning away from the water.

I doubt it, Jesse said. These men will either drown or they’ll gather enough sense to come back.

Their journey must be an urgent one.

It must be. Jesse frowned. You wanted to get across, too. So yours must be another important journey.

Dalton sighed, wondering how much he should reveal about his reason for wanting to get across the water. Some months ago he had killed an evil man to save innocent people, but afterward the corrupt lawman Deputy Vaughn had pursued him.

Recently Dalton had become tired of being hunted and he had resolved to end his problems by killing the deputy. Now he was seeking to turn the tables on Vaughn and hunt him down. Dalton shrugged, figuring that keeping quiet about his mission wouldn’t help him.

I’m looking for a man called Deputy Vaughn. I’d heard a rumor that he’d headed here to make the crossing.

Jesse nodded. He went across just before the water rose.

"Did he stay here for long?

He seemed to be in a hurry. He just did what you did of riding into town and asking for passage across the water.

Dalton was minded to ask him for more details, but his questions made Jesse balk so he smiled. With a shrug, Jesse dismissed the matter and walked on down the dock. Although he didn’t welcome being around as a potential disaster unfolded, Dalton turned back to the water.

The ropes were straining and becoming taut as the winching of the ferry across the water started up. With the departure imminent, the newcomers split into two groups. Barrington slapped his son on the shoulder and then moved away to stand on the end of the dock while the marshal led several other men on board.

He and the passengers showed their first sign of nerves when they tentatively slipped past the rail that surrounded the dock and on to the ferry. Dalton couldn’t blame them as the base was bucking so fiercely they all had trouble keeping their footing.

After stumbling several times, the men positioned themselves around the outside rails. Crates stood in each corner of the ferry, presumably to help keep it upright. Aside from the rail, these were the only impediments to stop them from slipping into the water.

Whenever a man moved on to the ferry, he lowered his head, but then a larger than normal swell reached the dock. All but one of the men had moved on to the ferry and this final man stopped with a foot raised as he judged his moment to move over. Dalton jerked forward, a hand raised in warning.

Watch out! he said. His voice was drowned out as the ferry creaked.

Unfortunately, the man kept moving forward and the ferry lurched upward to meet his descending foot. The jarring motion toppled him and he hit the wood on his side. With terrible timing, the swell made a gap open up between the ferry and the dock and, when water surged over the ferry, the flow swept him away in an instant.

Dalton went to his knees while thrusting out a hand and he glimpsed the man’s arms waving in the gap. Then the swell closed the gap and the ferry slammed into the dock with a crunch.

Dalton closed his eyes and when he opened them the ferry had swung away from the dock again. Nobody was visible in the water, but the rest of the men had gained the safety of the ferry and were now standing against the rails.

The marshal was facing the river with his neck craned, showing that he’d noticed what had happened. Then, with a sneer, he shook his head and Dalton could only return a forlorn shrug.

With the ferry creaking as loudly as the ropes, the men began their journey. It took a minute for them to travel ten yards, and even in the poor light it was clear that the current farther out into the water flowed faster than by the side.

This is madness, Dalton said when Colbert joined him.

They’ve already lost one man and I’ll be surprised if he’s the only casualty, Colbert said.

Is there any hope for him?

Colbert winced, conveying that like Dalton he had seen the ferry collide with the dock while the man had been in the water. Then he flinched and a horrified expression overcame him.

Where’s Jesse? he asked, turning around.

When I last saw him he was. . . . Dalton trailed off when he found him, the sight making him wince.

Presumably while the plight of the man in the water had distracted everyone, Jesse had jumped onto the ferry. Now he stood at the far end, clutching the rail and