Bigger Than Texas (A William R. Cox Classic Western) by William R. Cox

Author:William R. Cox
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: piccadilly publishing, william r cox, westerns fiction ebook, fiction stories of the old west
Publisher: Piccadilly

Nine

Mary Jones stood with Amsy Buchanan in a shadow thrown by the night lamp of the livery stable. She said, “I must be getting home. It’s late. But I did want to talk with you about the election.”

“We’ve got ’em lined up,” said Amsy. “If we can vote the Mexican-Americans, I believe we’ll make a showing.”

“They will vote if we can show strength.”

“It’s up to Johnny and Sime Jarret. Johnny can handle the gunmen. If Jarret holds true, we can beat Morg.”

There was a clatter of hoofs. Four riders came into the stable yard too fast, skidded to a stop. She heard Morg’s heavy voice and moved deeper into the shadow. Amsy went forward into the light.

Shade and the other two riders were already unsaddling, turning their mounts into the public corral. Morg led his stallion toward the barn. Amsy intercepted him, offering to take over.

“I hear you don’t like the way I’m runnin’ this town,” she heard Morg say in an ugly voice she had never heard him use before.

“Politics is politics,” Amsy answered reasonably.

“And you’re messin’ with the damn greasers to get votes, too. I’m warnin’ you, Amsy, they’ll never get to the polls. We almost had it last year. This time it’ll be curtains.”

“For them and me, too? Is that what you mean?”

“For anybody that tries to vote ’em,” said Morg.

“That’s somethin’ I got to see,” Amsy told him.

She saw Shade and the other pair come toward the stable. She saw Amsy face them. Morg looked as though he was ready to kill someone on the spot.

“You may not live to see it, stableman,” Shade said.

Amsy stepped back from horse and men. He was patently unarmed. He showed no fear. He said, “No jackleg hired gun is going to do anything about it, Shade.”

Shade stepped forward, feinted with a left and hit Amsy in the jaw. The aging liveryman staggered back against the wall. Shade went in on him, punching.

Mary came running. She went past Morg, grabbed Shade by the elbow, screaming.

Shade fell back, ready to throw a punch, then staring in disbelief as Mary slapped hard at his face. He looked at Morg, hands at his sides, lifting a shoulder.

Field said, “You too, Mary. You’re with them.”

“One hundred and ten per cent,” she said. “One thousand per cent. You and your dirty bullies! Shame on you! I hope you rot, you lowdown, miserable cowards!”

For a moment it seemed Field would attack her. Then he dropped a heavy arm and said, “Come on, boys, the drinks are on me.”

She held Amsy’s head on her knee as they swaggered out of the yard. She raised him, supported him to the house next door to the stable where he lived alone. There were cuts on his face and one eye was badly bruised.

She lit the lamp and Amsy sat at a table, getting his breath. She put a kettle on the fire, but he recovered quickly and went to the sink, pumping water, washing his face with a cloth, laughing a little.

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.