Bannerman the Enforcer 16 by Kirk Hamilton

Author:Kirk Hamilton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: winchester rifle, colt 45, piccadilly publishing, keith hetherington, the wild west, kirk hamilton, yancey bannerman, johnny cato, the old west in fiction, outlaws and gunslingers
Publisher: Piccadilly

Six – Broken-T

Cato was living the good life, but he knew he was a prisoner just the same, here at Broken-T.

They had arrived three days ago and, still having no idea of what kind of reception to expect at that time, Cato had watched the tall man in corduroy trousers and white shirt step down from the porch of the long building that had a plank with the Broken-T burned into it nailed above the steps. They had passed through a heavy timber gate earlier and the plank above it, slung by rusted chains from a lodgepole arch, was inscribed ‘Early’s Kingdom’. Another sign, lower down, painted on shingles said, briefly: ‘Come In And Be Shot’. A man as direct as that just had to be an egomaniac, Cato figured, and when he was introduced to Early by Storm he knew he was right. The man grinned, not even glancing at the woman who was his wife, and thrust out his hand to Cato as Storm freed his wrists from the rawhide bonds.

“Welcome to my kingdom, Cato. You’ll be here for a spell. You call me ‘Duke’. Anything you need, ask my servants. Don’t try to look around unless you’re escorted. I’ll talk with you again at supper. Or sometime over the next day or two.” He flicked his eyes towards Storm. “Put him with the others.”

As Storm nudged Cato in the back with his six-gun and marched him across the yard towards the side of the main house, Cato heard Jeannie say:

“I think you’ll find him suitable, Duke.”

“He better be or you’ll know it,” Early snapped. “You can go to your quarters. Your part’s finished.”

“Is that all you’ve got to say?”

Just before he rounded the corner of the building, Cato looked back and saw Jeannie’s white face, her hands clenched at her sides. Early gave her a cold look and turned back towards the house.

“Go to your quarters!” he snapped over his shoulder and moved on into the house.

Cato had been taken to a building behind the main house. It was adobe, square-built and painted white. There was a man with two guns hung on his hips leaning beside the doorway and four men sat on the porch, playing poker on an upturned rain butt. None of them were wearing guns and they all stared curiously as Cato came up with Storm.

“This is John Cato,” Storm told the group. “He’s joinin’ us.”

He nodded to the gun hung man by the door and turned and went back towards the main house. Cato scratched his jaw, looking at the four men. He hoped his face was blank and didn’t reflect the surprise he was feeling. He knew all of these men, mainly by reputation, though he had seen one or two in the flesh in the past. There was Red Sloane, big, thick-chested, freckled, his flaming red hair showing under his leather hat; beside him was George Rainey, dapper, mustached, small, with a woman’s hands and black, glittering eyes; next came Brad Hannis, thick in chest and shoulders and, according to some, in the head, too.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.