The Reinvention Of Rudd Carter. A Western Action Adventure Novel by R.L. Davis Read Free Book Online

following me so far?”
    Len shook his head from side to side. “Rudd, believe me, I’m paying attention, but I don’t get where you’re going with this yet.”
    “When we find the right trestle and draw that suits our purposes, we’re going to mark it on the map as the bridge we are going to blow up next year, the day before the battle. With the trestle out, the troop train carrying the Federales will not be able to continue on to Mexicali. And because they will have strict orders to reach the army garrison there, hopefully they will feel compelled to unload the train right where it has been stopped, into the draw that will lead them to the ravine where we will be lying in wait to ambush them. These draws are natural roads out into the desert. The one we pick will also provide a very convenient path of retreat for the Federales back to the train, which we want left intact.”
    Len thought for a moment. “What if the locomotive engineer doesn’t see the bridge is out and allows the train to crash into the wash, destroying the train and killing a lot of Federales? Wouldn’t that suit your purpose to convince the Mexican government that the rebels mean business?”
    “I’m sure it would, but anybody can blow up a bridge. Two or three people could do that, but that’s not a revolution—that’s just an act of terror. We want the Federales to march into an overwhelmingly humiliating defeat, a complete rout, a rout that the Mexican government will be too embarrassed to report to the general public. The idea is to create the illusion that we are an organized revolutionary army a hundred times stronger than we really are. An army they dare not face without the possibility of losing all of Mexico. In the meantime, we’ll take Baja Del Norte and declare it a new sovereign state.” Rudd paused for a moment and laughed. “Pretty lofty plan, don’t you think?”
    “I think it’s a great plan,” Len answered, nodding his head, “but you haven’t explained how you’re going to make sure the train doesn’t crash into the wash.”
    “Simple. We’re going to stack timbers on the tracks a couple hundred feet before the blown-out bridge and put up some Bridge Out signs. We need that train intact so the defeated troops can go home and report the overwhelming strength of the new revolutionary army.”
    Studying Rudd for a few moments, Len broke into a grin. “You mean to tell me that you, Rudd Carter, thought this whole plan up yourself? You’re a goddamned genius.”
    “No, I didn’t. This is not my plan. Your father, along with some very smart men including some top Mexican military officers, get the credit. They hired me and some friends to make it work.”
    Len cast his gaze around the desert. “How are we gonna find the tallest trestle and the longest draw? Anyway, what’s the purpose of the longest draw or wash?”
    “Well picture this,” Rudd said, gesturing with his hands. “Imagine a train carrying five hundred troops stopping because of a blown-out bridge. It’s one-hundred-fifteen to one-hundred-twenty degrees in the middle of the Mexican desert, and everyone is in a panic. The Federale officers will have orders to take Mexicali back from the rebels, and of course, we both know this is all just a ruse. There is no rebel force in Mexicali—not until we knock this train off, that is. Since they know they can’t continue on the train because the bridge is out, they’re going to order the equipment taken off and attempt a march. The draw I’m looking for is at least two hundred yards across and will run out into the desert for several miles. The easiest way to unload their equipment will be right into the draw. Because the draw has very steep sides that would be impossible to get over with canon and horses, the best choice left would be to follow the draw out a few miles to flat ground where it will be easiest to move their equipment.”
    Len nodded as if he understood. “Of course, you hope you’ll