Blood on the Range by Colin Bainbridge & 9780719823183

Author:Colin Bainbridge & 9780719823183 [Bainbridge, Colin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780719823183
Publisher: Robert Hale Fiction
Published: 2023-01-18T00:00:00+00:00

It was getting late and Brockley Whin realized he needed to find somewhere to set up camp for the night. The branding operation had carried on into the dusk but the fires were now extinguished. The herd was bedded down and the night herders were circling the bedground; he could see the dim glow of their cigarettes in the darkness. The peculiar animal smell of the cattle came to his nostrils but the whole scene was strangely hushed. Suddenly there was a swishing sound. His hand dropped to his gun but then he grinned. It was only an owl; he must be getting jumpy. He became aware that it was growing colder. With a last glance at the scene below, he tugged at the reins and turned the buckskin back in the direction of the notch in the hills through which he had ridden. The horse trod carefully. After a short time they came across a trail leading down through some trees. At the bottom was a narrow wash with some rocks and it seemed to Whin that it offered as good a place as any to settle down for the night. It was a sheltered spot; the rocks would serve to reflect the warmth of his camp-fire and it wasn’t far from where he had watched the herd. Climbing from leather, he gave the horse a rub-down and fed it with some corn he carried behind the saddle. He also carried some basic supplies and when he had built a fire he put a pan of bacon and beans on to heat and filled a battered pot with water from the brook. He unrolled his groundsheet and blankets and then settled down to eat and to drink his coffee. When he had finished he took out the makings and built himself a smoke. All in all, he began to feel quite mellow. It was a type of situation he was well used to. When he had finished his cigarette he sat forward and added a few sticks to the fire. Then he lay back, resting his head on his saddle for a pillow, and dozed off.

He awoke with a start, knowing that something had disturbed him but not sure what it was. He reached for his rifle. Dawn was breaking and the air was clear and cool. He rolled to one side and was just getting to his feet when a shot rang out and a bullet thudded into the blankets where he had been lying. He flung himself into the shelter of a rock and brought the Winchester to his shoulder. Another shot rang out and then another but he had only a vague idea of where they were coming from or how many men were involved. Then he heard the snicker of a horse and, glancing up and along the wash, caught a glimpse of a rider just about to disappear into some trees. Taking instant aim, he squeezed off a shot and heard a splash as someone dropped from the saddle into the water.

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