Crossed Arrows (A Long-Knives Western Book 1) by Patrick E. Andrews

Author:Patrick E. Andrews
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: us cavalry, us frontier fiction, western online, ebook western, longknives, patrick andrews
Publisher: Piccadilly Publishing

Chapter Fifteen

Arlo Capman’s reunion with his old pal Jim Pate was not a happy occasion for either outlaw. When Capman arrived at the scout detachment’s bivouac, his initial reaction at the sight of five fully-armed Indian warriors wearing army uniforms was one of fearful surprise.

“Just what the hell’s going on here?” he demanded to know.

“Maybe you should ask your pard,” Mack Hawkins suggested.

“You ain’t gonna be happy when you find out,” Pate said.

Capman momentarily forgot his nervousness. “That big feller over there said you told on me and Tim.”

“I sure as hell did,” Pate said. “And you woulda told too, if’n you’d been tortured by them Injuns.”

Capman scoffed, “You don’t look much the worse for it all.”

“Oh, yeah?” Pete snapped. “I got five wild Injuns waiting to scalp me if I so much as look cross-eyed at ’em.”

“Well, you ain’t been scalped yet, have you?” Capman remarked with a sneer.

Pete yelled, “You shoulda seen me when I was buck naked, hanging down over a fire and my dang skull about to pop open. That cap’n was gonna let them Injuns cook me proper ‘less I told ’em where to find you and Tim.” He looked around. “Where the hell is he?”

“He’s laying dead with a broke neck and a bullet in him behind the hotel unless they toted him off to the undertaker’s by now,” Capman sand. “That big feller shot him. Ol’ Tim fell right through the window on the second floor and hit the ground outside.”

“I wish I hadn’t joined up for that job,” Pate said in his misery. “I was getting along fine rustling cattle down to Delano ‘til you and Tim come along and talked me into going with you.”

“You ain’t got any room to complain. Anyhow, the last I knowed of you was when your horse throwed that shoe. It seems things has got worser.”

“Ever’thing has really gone to hell,” Pate agreed mournfully.

Hawkins stepped into the conversation. “You two have had enough time to renew your friendship.” He grabbed Capman by the shirt and slapped him hard across the face.

“Ow!” the outlaw yelled. “You didn’t have no call to do that.”

“That’s right,” Hawkins said with a smile. “Now how do you think I’m gonna act if I really get riled at you.”

“You’re crazy!” Capman exclaimed.

Pate instantly agreed. “He sure as hell is, Arlo! You’d best be careful. He not only ain’t right in the noggin, he’s got a mean streak to go with it!”

Hawkins interrupted, “Now let me tell you how things are. Ol’ Pate has told me about all he knows. I’m convinced of that. After damn near getting cooked alive, he didn’t want to upset me by carrying on with a pack of lies.”

“I could prob’ly talk better if’n I wasn’t all cuffed up like this,” Capman said.

Hawkins hit him so hard that it knocked him over. “Don’t interrupt no more or you’re gonna rile me for sure.”

Capman rolled over and spat blood. He wisely kept his mouth shut.

“Here’s what you have to do,” Hawkins said, pulling him up to his feet by the hair.

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