Medicine Feather by Will DuRey

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

CHAPTER EIGHT

Released from his bindings, Wes inspected the bullet wound in Gil’s shoulder. It was ugly but, if properly treated to prevent poisoning of his system, not life- threatening. Wes suspected that the bone had been broken or chipped and would be causing immense pain but Caleb Dodge’s right-hand man was gritting his teeth and trying not to show it. While Wes examined the wound Anne Cowell, who had been at Gil’s side from the moment he hit the ground, related the brief details of their capture.

‘They didn’t show themselves until it was clear that you had the upper hand in the fight,’ she told Wes. ‘When they emerged from their hiding-places they had their guns in their hands. Gil shouted a warning and went for his gun because he thought they were going to kill you. The man in black shot Gil before clubbing you.’

‘I don’t think killing me is part of their plan at the moment. They need me to take them to your father.’ He cast a quick glance over his shoulder to where the four robbers were in a huddle, seemingly uncaring about the behaviour of their captives but Wes knew that they would be watchful of his every move. ‘You mustn’t let them know you have the deeds to the mine with you,’ he whispered. ‘If they get their hands on those they’ll no longer need to search for your father.’

Anne nodded, acutely aware that the discovery of her father’s papers would almost certainly result in death for herself, Wes and Gil. She looked to her left where Alice sat alone, pale and bemused. ‘Who is she?’ asked Anne Cowell.

‘Fooled me into thinking she was you. Reckon she’s part of the gang hoping to get your father’s gold.’

‘She hasn’t spoken a word,’ Anne told him, ‘and they’ve ignored her.’

Wes decided it was time to find out more about the girl who’d claimed to be Joby Patton’s daughter. He collected some bandages from one of the packs they’d brought from Council Bluffs and asked Alice to assist while they tended to Gil’s wound. Her presence was superfluous but he questioned her in a low voice while they worked on Gil’s shoulder.

Her name wasn’t Morphy and she wasn’t Frank’s wife. Her name was Alice Spencer and she’d arrived in town with her husband, Henry, during the period that Wes had been scouring the rooming houses for Joby’s daughter. They were Mike Riordan’s missing artists, not a song-and-dance routine but actors who performed popular scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. They had been kidnapped and taken to a farmhouse where Henry Spencer was still held. Alice had been coerced into the role of Anne Patton to safeguard her husband’s life and with the promise that they would be reunited when she returned to Council Bluffs.

Wes knew that that promise was worthless. When Frank Morphy found Joby Patton he would kill him and Alice would be a witness to the slaying. She would never be allowed to return to Council Bluffs and it was possible that her husband was already dead.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.