Overland Stage by Paul Lederer

Author:Paul Lederer
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781480488489
Publisher: Open Road Media

SIX

The heavily armed men escorted Cameron Black up onto the low porch before the adobe structure. Entering the house, Cameron now saw that Frank Bell was attired in black jeans and a pressed white shirt open at the collar. He was an inch or so shorter than Cameron, a little slimmer in the shoulders, but in the ragged state Cameron was now in, he felt that he was like a mongrel dog in the presence of a lean wolf.

Bell continued to survey Cameron, his fists clenching and unclenching. There was a heavy bruise on the side of Bell’s jaw where Cameron had slammed the butt of his rifle into the comanchero’s face. Unbound, still Cameron knew there was no sense in striking back as Frank Bell stepped suddenly toward him and back-handed him violently, causing blood to begin leaking again from Cam’s battered nose.

‘You’ve always been trouble to me,’ Bell said, his voice a low rumble. Then to Dockery he said, ‘Why’d you bring him in here with that slicker on? He’s getting water on my carpet.’

Dockery’s eyes flashed but he said nothing. Using one hand only he stripped the slicker from Cameron’s back.

‘I want to talk to you,’ Frank Bell said.

‘I know you do,’ Cameron answered calmly, using the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the blood from his nose.

Bell tensed as if he would strike his captive again, but then he seemed to change his mind. ‘Come along with us,’ he said, inclining his head toward a short unlighted corridor. Cameron followed Bell to a low, dimly lighted room, prodded ahead by Dockery and the nameless comanchero he had met on the trail.

Bell seated himself in a leather-backed chair behind a rough desk which was bare except for a disassembled pistol. On the wall two lanterns burned low. There were no windows, no other furnishings.

‘Let’s have it!’ Bell demanded, as he leaned back in his chair, his right hand on a holstered Colt.

‘I want to talk to you alone, Frank,’ Cameron answered.

‘I don’t care what you want!’ Bell replied, his wolfish eyes flashing.

‘Alone,’ Cameron said stubbornly. ‘Better let me have it my way. You know you can’t beat what you want out of me.’

Bell considered long and hard; finally he agreed. ‘All right, then. You two can leave us alone.’

‘Are you sure you can handle him, Frank?’ Dockery asked.

‘I’m armed. He isn’t,’ Bell said, as if the question were a challenge. ‘I told you two to leave us alone.’

Sullenly Dockery nodded to his partner and the two exited, closing the heavy door behind them just a little too hard. Bell continued to glare at Cameron with impatient expectation.

‘Funny to run into you again,’ Cameron Black said. Bell did not answer. ‘I never expected to see you again after Cougar Creek.’ Still Bell made no reply. There was no need to. The past was long back down the trail.

Bell acted as if he had forgotten; he hadn’t. Cameron certainly hadn’t. Cougar Creek was where he had gotten started on the outlaw trail.

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.