Benedict and Brazos 36 by E. Jefferson Clay

Author:E. Jefferson Clay [Clay, E. Jefferson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: action hero, American Frontier, Colt.45, Western ebook, frontier fiction, Gunfighters, Piccadilly cowboys, Pulp fiction writing, p fiction writing, the Old West, Western frontier Fiction
Publisher: Piccadilly
Published: 2022-08-31T23:00:00+00:00

That was the day they shipped five thousand head of cattle east from the Abilene marshalling yards. It was the day when J. P. Muldoon sold more town lots than ever before and the day the news came through that herds would be arriving at the rate of one a day over the next week.

It was also the day that saw the first man killed in Abilene that year.

And the day of the first lynching in the town’s history.

The news reached the Trinity herd thirty miles south of Abilene the following night when the party of homegoing Texans stopped off at the camp on the plains.

“Hung him off the tallest tree in Hell Street,” supplied cattleman Rick Packer with an air of satisfaction. “Died kickin’ and squawkin’ like a chicken.” The cattleman sipped his coffee, then added. “A real yeller Kansan right enough.”

“Did it bring the kid back to life, Packer?” asked the Trinity boss, Randal Slade.

Packer glanced at him sharply.

“Course it never, Slade. What sort of question’s that anyway? Ain’t you pleased to hear that an innocent young Texican was avenged right?”

“You said yourself they were takin’ the saloon apart,” Slade said. “How innocent’s that?”

Rick Packer got to his feet, muscles working along his jawline.

“Seems we made a mistake, boys,” he said to his men. “Seems we mistook this for a Texas crew.”

“A man can be a Texan without supportin’ lynch law, Packer,” pointed out Slade, a plain, blunt man well-liked by all who rode for him.

“Yeah?” Packer shot back. “Well lynch law and the law of the Colt is about all you’re goin’ to find when you hit Abilene, Slade, on account the yeller-belly Kansas sheriff handed in his resignation this mornin’.”

“They got no law in Abilene at all now?’ asked big Hank Brazos.

“Sure they have,” Packer said sourly, starting towards the horses. “One for the Kansans and one for us Texans. Only time’ll tell who comes out on top but I’m backin’ the Lone Star.” He paused then added: “Lucky all the boys comin up don’t feel like you jaspers. There’s plenty who still hold Texas pride high.”

It was written plain in their faces.

Texas pride, Texas rage.

Texas vengeance.

This show of Texas partisanship didn’t stir Hank Brazos at all. If anything, the converse was true. He’d seen what pride could do through the four years of insanity and blood they called the ‘War Between the States.’ He doubted whether Rick Packer or his youthful crew had seen much action. For few men who’d been through the war could emerge from its battlefields with such a sharp taste for further conflict. He knew this was behind the lack of enthusiasm for Packer’s news shown by Slade and the majority of the Trinity crew. Most of them were veterans. They were looking forward to rest and good times in Abilene, not war.

Packer glanced over his shoulder as Brazos approached his horse.

“You’re welcome to spend the night, Packer,” he said. “The boss never meant to rile you. He was just sayin’ how he feels.

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.