El Dorado Sojourn by Paxton Johns

Author:Paxton Johns [Johns, Paxton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

They emerged from the saloon early in the afternoon, crossed the street to El Dorado’s only café. It was a single-storey shack next door to the livery barn, outside which the town’s windmill creaked wearily in the light breeze. Water dribbled into the communal horse trough, where a lean ranch hand was holding his cow pony’s reins as it dipped its head to drink.

As they ate surprisingly good steak, eggs and potatoes, the ripe ambience amused Gallant. The sweating, aproned cook had wiped his glistening brow, then opened both the café’s front windows to let out the smoke and greasy fumes from an iron stove that glowed cherry red. But he’d succeeded only in letting in the rich smell of straw and horses, which ripened as it warmed.

‘Compared to that,’ Gallant said, sniffing appreciatively, ‘the hottest of English mustards is as nothing.’

‘Yeah, well, that’s as maybe, but one thing you said puzzled me, led me to do some thinking,’ McCrae said, as he pushed away his empty plate and wiped his mouth on his bandanna. ‘It’s this: you said grandpappy Lake has Melody’s best interests at heart. But the plan he got changed to save her life still hogties the young lady lawyer. With the only willing lawyer in chains, Judd is still on track for high office in Washington.’

‘Contradictions whichever way you look at it,’ Gallant said, eyes thoughtful as he watched the cowboy mount, and ride away. ‘Frank Lake must be backing Emerson Judd – God knows why – but he draws the line at seeing his granddaughter harmed. He arranges for her to be kept safe, but a long way from that courtroom. Straightforward so far: Lake’s a tender-hearted family man, but for some damned reason he’s rooting for a corrupt politician. But then we ask ourselves that question: why? What’s Judd done for Lake to gain his support?’

‘Done to Lake,’ McCrae said, rolling a cigarette. ‘He’s threatened him.’

‘In what way? And why has Lake now changed his mind, decided that he can no longer support Judd? Which he must have done. If we snatch Melody from the Eagans’ clutches and get her back to Kansas City, she’ll trot into that courtroom with her dark hair flying, carrying a smart leather briefcase stuffed with incriminating documents. Judd’s ambitions will be in shreds, and who’s he going to blame?’

‘Frank Lake.’

Gallant shook his head. ‘The Lakes, plural.’

McCrae was relaxed in his chair. His back was to the windows.

‘That straw boss you socked, Kenny,’ Gallant said. ‘He’s tall, lean, dark hair a mite grey at the temples?’

‘And a swelling to the jaw,’ McCrae added, grinning. ‘He may also be favouring one leg, because he went down hard.’

‘I watched him water his horse. He’s ridden out of town. Unless he’s blind, he’ll have seen me follow you and Winfield into the jail. He’ll surely have recognized me from a description.’

‘Recognized you, and received a warning. There’s a railroad, and railroad means telegraph. Kenny’s boss likes to keep in touch with Kansas City.

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