Mexican silver by Logan Jake

Author:Logan, Jake
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Slocum (Fictitious character)
ISBN: 042511838X
Publisher: New York : Berkley
Published: 1989-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Slocum swung around smoothly, his hand going instinctively to his Colt Navy. He drew the six-shooter and fired. A Yaqui screeched like some evil spirit and tumbled from the cottonwood tree limb where he had been hidden. Slocum followed the indio to the ground, his sights on the fallen man.

“He’s dead,” Slocum said. “Any others around?

“None,” whispered Consuela, barely loud enough to hear. “This is a bad omen. See his painted face? He is curandero.^

“Their witch doctor?” asked Slocum. He didn’t care if the dead man was a saint, as long as he was dead and stayed that way. Rising in his stirrups allowed him to look around the tiny clearing. The single killing shot hadn’t brought down hordes of the Indians. He didn’t like staying in the vicinity too long, though. Someone must have heard the shot. The high, close canyon walls turned the entire area into a funnel for sound. Anything happening along the canyon’s length was instantly transmitted for miles.

102 JAKE LOGAN

“Not a brujo, not exactly,” Consuela said. “He heals as well as puts curses on intruders.”

“My curse is on him,” Slocum said. “Let's find the gold.”

They rode on for another few minutes, the pistolero with them muttering constantly.

“Will you be quiet?” Slocum demanded. “You’ll bring them down on our necks if you keep up that chatter. ”

“I feel a ghost climbing my shoulders,” the bandito said. The man jerked around as if he’d been stuck by a pin. His eyes turned wide and Slocum could smell the fear.

“There’s nothing on your shoulder, be it a bug or a ghost,” Slocum said in disgust. “You’re working yourself up into a conniption fit, that’s all.”

“That is never all,” Consuela said softly to him. “The Yaquis kill with dread. Those about to die can feel the ghost clambering up their bodies. 1 have seen it.” Consuela sounded as if she believed such nonsense.

Slocum wasn’t going to argue with her. He wanted to find the gold, put what he could away for himself, and then get rid of the frightened bodyguard sent by Rodriguez to keep an eye on him. Slocum didn’t like prowling around in the Yaquis’ territory any more than they wanted him here. And he was going to oblige their desire for privacy by hightailing it at the first chance.

He smiled slowly when he saw a tree that had been ripped out of the ground by the roots. Only one thing could have done that and left the area around it untouched. he followed the direction of the destruction and found the core of the armored car fetched up against the far side of the canyon.

“No,” Consuela said, making a tiny retching noise. Slocum saw the reason for her discomfort. An arm poked out from under the steel cage—and it was obvious there was no body attached to it. A Federale had lost it during

MEXICAN SILVER 103

the descent, from the explosion, after the armored car started rolling along the canyon floor. When it had happened didn’t matter to Slocum.

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.