Red River Ruse by James Reasoner

Author:James Reasoner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: louis lamour, comanchero, classic western, william w johnstone, traditional western
Publisher: James Reasoner

Chapter Nine

The hard riding, the running and jumping of the day before, had taken their toll on Nacho Graves. The wound on his side hadn't opened up again, but when he got out of bed the next morning he was extremely sore. Billy Cambridge saw the way he was moving as he came into the main room of the stagecoach station, and immediately a look of concern appeared on the lawyer's face.

"Looks like we won't be doing any more tracking today," Cambridge said from the table as he picked up his coffee.

"Because of me?" Nacho asked, a stricken look on his features. "But I'm fine, Billy. I feel healthy as a horse."

"A spavined old nag ready to be put out to pasture, maybe." Cambridge shook his head. "Sorry, Nacho. I won't risk your health like that."

"But, Billy, every day that goes by, the trail gets a little colder. It's going to rain, or the wind will blow hard, or both, and then those tracks will be gone forever. You don't realize how lucky we were, just being able to follow them yesterday."

"Yes, I do." Cambridge pointed at the bench on the other side of the table. "Now sit down and eat. Jake's got flapjacks and bacon on the stove. I'll bring you some."

Nacho sighed, shook his head in disgust, and sank onto the bench. There was never any point in arguing with a lawyer, he thought. Billy had been pretty reasonable so far, but Nacho knew how easily he could get worked up and start flinging around two-bit words and acting like he was in a courtroom. Nacho could do without that.

He had to admit that he felt stronger after he ate. Jake Maxwell came in from outside just as Nacho was ruminating over the last of his coffee. The stationkeeper's face seemed more gaunt and hollow-eyed than usual this morning, and Nacho said, "You look like the night was not kind to you, Jake."

"Didn't sleep much," Maxwell said with a shake of his head. As if to change the subject, he asked quickly, "You boys goin' outlaw huntin' again today?"

"Nacho's in no shape for it," Cambridge declared, not giving his companion a chance to answer the question. "We'll have to postpone it again."

'That's a shame. I know you're anxious to find those outlaws and get as much of that money back as you can. But if you're goin' to be around here today, maybe you can give me a hand with a little chore."

"Sure. We'd be glad for the chance to pay you back some for your hospitality. Wouldn't we, Nacho?"

The vaquero looked up. "What? Oh. Right. Anything we can do, just ask, Jake."

"I just need somebody to sort of keep an eye on the place," Maxwell said. "I'm runnin' a mite low on grain for the horses, and I need to get some. Nearest granary's about ten miles east of here at a little settlement called Antioch. There're no coaches due until late this afternoon, so there wouldn't be any chores you boys would have to do.

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