Payback at Big Silver by Ralph Cotton

Author:Ralph Cotton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-09-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Oscar White stepped off the boardwalk out in front of his barred office when he saw the Ranger ride out of the wavering desert heat onto the street. Townsfolk began to gather. They stood watching as the Ranger and his copper dun followed Coco Bour on the bay. Both horses were sweaty and white-frothed from their trek across the last stretch of sand flats leading to Fort Hamlin.

“I’ll be skint, Ranger,” White murmured to himself. “You sure draw a crowd.”

As the Ranger and his prisoner drew closer, White stepped forward into the street as if to direct both horses to the hitch rail.

“I see you managed to bring one who is sitting straight up,” he said. He looked up at Coco Bour and said, “Howdy, Coco. I figured you’d show up here soon enough.”

“Howdy, White, you old curd,” Bour said sourly. He looked at the barred adobe. “This rat trap won’t hold me for long,” he added in a tough tone.

“It’s not supposed to, Coco,” said White. “This is only a temporary jail.” He grinned through his beard. “Consider it just a stop on your long road to rehabilitation.” He took the bay’s reins and spun them around the hitch rail. He turned to the Ranger as the dun stepped over to the rail. “What’s the news on our jail wagon, Ranger?” he asked.

“Bad news, Oscar,” Sam said. “The wagon was ambushed. Shule and Townsend are dead. The prisoners are gone. I tracked them a ways but had to break off and bring Coco in. I know where they’re headed, though.”

White lowered his head and shook it slowly.

“I figured something bad happened when it started taking so long for you get back here,” he said. He jerked a nod toward Bour. “Did this one have anything to do with it?”

“Him and Jake Testa were both in on it,” Sam said. “They even brought horses for Harper and some of his jail pals.”

White just stared coldly at Bour for a moment. Bour got nervous; he fidgeted in his saddle.

“Step down, Coco,” Sam said, his rifle standing on his thigh.

“I never shot those guards, though, and that’s the truth,” Bour said to White. He swung down from atop the bay.

Oscar glanced around at the gathering townsfolk, then looked back at Bour.

“You can tell me all about it, Coco,” he said in a low menacing tone, “tonight, when there’s nobody watching.” He shoved Bour toward the boardwalk as Sam swung down from his saddle and followed. “You can tell me about the ambush, and I’ll tell you how good a pal I was with Shule and Townsend. Fair enough?” He shoved Bour across the boardwalk to the open door of the barred adobe building. Once inside, the Ranger touched the brim of his sombrero to the townsfolk and closed the door behind them.

“I found the horses,” Sam said. “I lent them to the old hostler at the Mexican relay station. He got hit by the same bunch. They took his horses. He

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