Falconer's Law by Jason Manning

Author:Jason Manning [Manning, Jason]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-10-05T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

They were still within sight of the hacienda when Eben Nall urged the Appaloosa to a slightly faster gait, which brought him alongside Falconer's shaggy, half-wild mountain mustang.

"Mr. Falconer, I need to talk to you."

"Later."

"But I've got something real important to tell you."

Falconer's eyes stabbed at him like a pair of daggers. "I know you're up to your eyebrows in something, Eben. We'll talk it over—later."

There was a definite note of finality in Falconer's voice that made it clear to Eben that this was the booshway's last word on the subject. Dejected, Eben climbed rein leather to slow the Appaloosa, allowing Falconer to go on ahead, while Rube Holly came alongside.

"Rube, I . . ."

The old-timer held up a gnarled hand. "Don't go tellin' me yore troubles, boy."

"But Rube . . ." Thoroughly frustrated, Eben stopped the mare in her tracks.

Trying hard to suppress a smile, Rube Holly shook his head and rode on after Falconer.

Sixkiller came alongside, stopped his horse, and looked with impeccable stoicism at Eben.

"Just forget it," muttered Eben and angrily heeled the Appaloosa into a canter.

They rode most of the day, stopping briefly twice to loosen their saddle cinches so the horses could blow, always at a stream running clear and sweet like wine over tree-shaded, smooth gray stones, from which men and mounts could drink their fill. Both times Eben teetered on the brink of confronting Falconer and demanding that the man listen to him. But Falconer seemed to be wrapped up in deep thoughts and never gave Eben an opening.

As they were remounting after the second stop, Rube Holly swung by and gave Eben a word of advice.

"I kin tell sumpin's got yore insides tied up in a knot, boy. But whatever you do, don't go and rile Hugh Falconer, hear?"

They reached the brigade about sundown. All the men gathered round to welcome Eben back and to tell him how glad they were he was still among the living. They wanted to hear about his adventures, but Eben wasn't in the mood. Rube Holly took up the slack for him. He knew most of it anyway. What he had not seen with his own eye, the ground—which he could read like other men read a book—had told him all he needed to know to make the picture complete.

Eben managed to slip away as night fell and found a spot near a creek where he could sit in lush grass and listen to the music of the stream tripping past, with his back to the trunk of a stately old oak tree. Crickets chorused in the tule, and unseen night birds chirruped in the boughs above his head. The stars twinkled in a lambent purple sky. Eben was heartsick. He was so far removed from Sombra Chagres! And she—she was still a prisoner in Hacienda Gavilan, subject to the sick whims of her father. Eben was of half a mind to slip away from camp in the middle of the night and ride back to save her—or at least die trying .

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