Iron Hand and Bear by Alexander Frew

Author:Alexander Frew [Alexander_Frew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

‘We go tonight,’ said Bear as they walked downtown together. ‘Rescue her.’

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ said Iron Hand. ‘It’s late, and they’re bound to be on guard against intruders at this time of night. I’d say the chances of getting our brains splattered were quite high.’

‘You know this place?’

‘Sure I do, it’s an old ranch on the far side of town. I’m telling you, if she’s still there then they won’t be moving out at night, it would be too dangerous for them to go outside town in the dark.’

‘This is not our way,’ said Bear. ‘If we go tonight we get White Dove back and all this finished. I will take you back to the mountains and show you where to get the gold you so long for.’

‘And I’m telling you, we’re both dead on our feet. We need to get some shut-eye. You’re a tracker, you say. We can get them now we know where she is.’

‘I do as you ask,’ said Bear. ‘Truth is I am tired and that’s when you make mistakes.’

‘I promise you, we’ll be up real early, refreshed, and do this.’

‘I hold you to promise.’

Together they made their way to the hotel.

‘What’s he doin’ here?’ The night clerk looked askance at the Indian. ‘Manager would’ve never let him stay if he’d known. Them Injuns are trouble.’

‘We’ll be on our way soon,’ said Iron Hand.

‘Make sure you do, I s’pose if there’s any bother we’re near the sheriff’s office,’ said the young man.

‘I’m telling you, there won’t be any trouble, we’re just going to grab us some shuteye and get out of here real early.’

‘This place always seems to have something going on,’ said the clerk as the two men began to climb the stairs, ‘hope you don’t mind sleepin’ in a dead man’s room.’

‘Ghost stories?’ Iron Hand paused at the first landing.

‘Nope, literally just the night before you checked in a fella was found dead. His paw was contacted and came to get him. Real upset he was, the paw that is, the fella was beyond anything.’

‘That’s real bad,’ said Iron Hand, turning away.

‘Luckily his paw was nearby on business, seems he’s going to take him all the way back to Fort Morgan, fer burial that is.’ This information seemed to interest Bear, who widened his eyes and gave a nod to his friend. They both came down to the desk and stood on the frowsty rug. Iron Hand looked at the clerk as if he was now interested too, although in reality he was more puzzled than anything else.

‘How so, who was his father?’

‘Name of Johnson, Lieutenant Johnson, an’ he’s takin the body out to Fort Morgan to bury him.’ Iron Hand saw that his friend was looking at him again.

‘How did he die? Was he murdered?’

‘No, he was an alky, drank hisself to death, drowned on his own vomit. Reckon that’s why the foreigner skedaddled after saying he wanted to visit him.’

‘What foreigner?’

‘Skinny, wild-looking guy with a real nice smile.

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