Ralph Compton Ride the Hard Trail by Ralph Compton & David Robbins

Author:Ralph Compton & David Robbins [Compton, Ralph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781440634444
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2008-06-03T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Chancy Bryce had been through two of the worst weeks of his life. He was worried near sick over Lin. His brother should have been back from the Bar M days ago. Something had happened. Something terrible.

Chancy could think of only one reason his brother had been gone so long. Lin must be dead.

Chancy’s natural impulse was to ride hell-for-leather to the Bar M and find out. But he couldn’t. Not and keep his word. Lin had made him promise that under no circumstances was he to leave the EJ. “I want you to swear by Ma and Pa,” Lin had insisted.

His brother was smart. It was the one oath Chancy would never break. He had loved his parents—loved them more than anything. He would not dishonor their memory by lying in their name.

Then there was Etta June Cather. She would not stop reminding him that she needed him there, that if he left, she and her children would be at Seth Montfort’s mercy.

So Chancy stayed. But he hated it. He hated twiddling his thumbs when he should be off avenging his brother. He stuck it out as long as he could. He did work around the house and the stable, staying near Etta June and her children as his brother had instructed.

But it was hell.

Pure hell.

Chancy did not understand why Etta June was so dead set against him going. He had a hunch she cared for Lin. Yet she refused to change her mind.

She was another example of why, if Chancy lived to be a hundred, he would never savvy women.

Two weeks went by. Two whole weeks. Chancy came to the end of his tether, marched up to the house and loudly knocked.

Etta June came to the door herself, wiping her hands on her apron. “Goodness gracious. Are you trying to break it down?”

“I can’t wait any longer,” Chancy told her. “I must find out about my brother.”

Etta June came out on the porch. “Listen to me. Go to the Bar M and you will die. I know that as surely as I know anything.”

Chancy patted his Colt. “I am not helpless.”

“I did not say you were. But Montfort has a lot of leather slappers at his beck and call. You cannot kill them all.”

Her logic was a wall Chancy could not break down. He was mad at her for that. He was mad at Lin too, for making him give his word. Hell, he was mad at the world.

Maybe Etta June sensed that. Maybe that was why she said, “What you need is to get away for a bit. Forget your worries and do what you like best.”

“What are you talking about?” Chancy doubted she knew what that was.

“The invite you had to go play poker,” Etta June reminded him.

Chancy had almost forgotten about Efram Pike’s visit. It had surprised him considerably—Pike riding all the way out from Mason just to offer him a seat in a card game. “You want me to go?”

“If it will take your mind off Lin for a while,” Etta June said.

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.