Ralph Compton Hard Ride to Wichita by Marcus Galloway

Author:Marcus Galloway
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2013-11-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Later that night, after Luke and Red had stuffed their bellies with the finest cuts of beef prepared in Stormy’s kitchen, they made their way back to the nameless stable across town. The man who answered the door when Luke knocked had a bit more meat on his bones than the skinny stable man from before, but not much.

“You two ain’t them boys from earlier, are you?” the man asked.

“We are,” Luke told him.

“Then you’ll be on your way. I got a scattergun and I ain’t afraid to put it to work!”

“We don’t want any trouble. We’re just here for Carlo Procci.”

“I was told that’s what started the trouble last time.”

“Just a misunderstanding,” Red said. “It’s been sorted out.”

“In case you people haven’t noticed, this ain’t a hotel me and my brother are runnin’,” the man explained. “It’s a stable. For horses.”

Luke extended a hand with two silver dollars in it. “That’s for your trouble. Go on and take it.”

After taking the money and examining it, the man hooked a thumb toward the stable. “He’s inside. Don’t think you bought yourself any space in there unless you’ve got a horse to put up for the night.”

“I know. Stable, not a hotel.”

“You got that right.”

Both of the young men entered the stable. As soon as the door was shut behind them, Red gave Luke a backhanded swat and said, “What’d you pay him any money for? He wasn’t gonna be any trouble.”

“It’s to keep from making waves. Just take a breath and forget about it.”

Carlo was in his stall, only he wasn’t sleeping under a bunch of hay and a blanket. His horse stood next to its trough with its eyes closed and its head hanging low. “What are you two doing here?” he asked. He wore a fresh set of clothes and was in the process of folding the dirty ones up to put them into his saddlebags. “You got your money for Stormy.”

“She’s all paid up,” Luke said. “And we appreciate the help in getting it.”

“I’ll take any chance to gouge that skinflint Bickle I can find. Still didn’t answer my question, though. What are you doing here?”

“Tell me about Captain Granger.”

Pausing just long enough to look over at them, Carlo said, “I was only fooling about taking you under my wing. Now move along before you get yourselves hurt.”

“I just want to know if he’s any relation to Bose Granger,” Luke said.

Carlo’s eyes narrowed and his gaze focused on Luke as if it had been drawn by a magnet. “Where’d you hear that name?” he asked.

“We’re from a town called Maconville.”

“Never heard of it.”

“A man came through there and killed a bunch of folks,” Luke said in a voice that was cold and unfaltering. “He mentioned someone named Bose Granger was behind it.”

“What was this man’s name?” Carlo asked. “The one that passed through your town.”

“Scott.”

“Emory Scott?”

“All I heard anyone call him was Scott. He came to Maconville looking for something.”

“What was he looking for?”

“I don’t know that either.

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