Ralph Compton Outlaw Town by Ralph Compton

Author:Ralph Compton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-11-18T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 39

Luck favored them. They had no sooner reached the cover of the trees when hooves drummed out by the lake. Krine and Mayor Broom and the rest of the outlaws were hard after the herd and didn’t give the woods a second glance.

“We just made it,” Ollie said.

Ben Rigenaw swung Old Charlie down and lifted his reins. “The rest of you sit tight. I’m going after Lester and Drew.”

“No,” Lucas Stout said. He was slowly dismounting, using only his right arm.

“Les is my pard,” Rigenaw said.

“You stay put,” Stout said, “and that’s an order.”

Chancy could tell that Rigenaw wasn’t happy about it, and Chancy didn’t blame him. He’d feel the same if it were Ollie.

“Lester and Drew won’t let themselves be caught,” Lucas Stout assured the gun hand. Moving to a log, he sank down and winced. “If they don’t show up after a while we’ll all go after them ourselves, but right now I need this slug out. Who’s going to do the digging?”

Chancy would if he was asked but fortunately Old Charlie pulled a clasp knife from his pocket and pried it open with a thumbnail.

“I reckon that would be my job. We need a fire, though, and water to clean the wound.”

“No fire,” Lucas Stout said. “Krine and his friends might spot the smoke and come back.”

Old Charlie went over. “You’re not thinking straight, Lucas. Taking the bullet out ain’t enough. Infection could set in. I have to clean it before and I have to clean it after, with hot water, or you can dig the thing out yourself.”

“Damn it, Charlie.”

“Do we have time to argue?” the cook said.

Lucas Stout was as tough an hombre as ever drew breath, but he was no fool. “Make it a small fire, and be quick. I don’t aim to stay here any longer than we have to.”

“Who wants to start it?” Old Charlie said to the rest of them. “And who has water in their canteen? I need a tin cup too, since all my pots and pans were with my wagon.”

“You can have my canteen and my cup,” Rigenaw said.

“Someone should keep watch,” Lucas Stout said. “In case some of those sons of bitches stray back our way.”

Chancy volunteered. Climbing down, he shucked his Winchester and moved to the edge of the trees. From his vantage he could see the entire lake and a dust cloud to the south, as well as the distant buildings to the east.

“I bet that I know who you’re thinking of,” Ollie said, stopping at a tree near his. “It’s that pretty filly, ain’t it?”

“It’s not fair,” Chancy said. “She and me just met, and we’re broke apart.”

“What are you fixing to do?”

“What can I?” Chancy rejoined.

“It’s a cinch—you can’t go see her,” Ollie said. “Those owl-hoots will shoot you on sight.”

“After dark I could slip in.”

“Stout wouldn’t let you.”

“He doesn’t have to know.”

Ollie puckered his mouth as if he’d taken a bite out of a lemon. “You’d sneak off on your own?

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