Reign of Terror (Black Horse Western) by Paul Bedford & Paul Bedford

Author:Paul Bedford & Paul Bedford [Bedford, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 2019-07-28T00:00:00+00:00

‘You did good this morning, Mister Clayton,’ Captain Beaumont remarked. ‘Real good! The colonel’s quite taken by your skill with that rifle.’

The buffalo hunter glanced at him in the fading light and smiled. ‘That’s mighty kind of you, captain, but do me a favour, huh? Mister Clayton has me looking for the warrant in your hand. My friends call me Woody.’

‘Fair enough, Woody.’

The column, free of any impediments, had been pushed hard all day by its impatient commander. After consulting briefly with his senior officers, Mackenzie had decided to leave the supply wagons in Blanco Canyon, along with one company as protection. The freighter, Josiah Giddings, had gleefully wished the two civilians well. Now getting paid to just sit in a canyon, he was quite obviously very content at not having to continue the tiring and dangerous pursuit.

Under the relentless burning sunlight, the Fourth Cavalry had moved up over the Caprock Escarpment that marked the limit of the plains country, and on to the thoroughly inhospitable Llano Estacado. Mile after mile of bone-hard ground stretched ahead of them, totally devoid of any trees or vegetation. Without prior knowledge of the available water sources, the troopers’ survival would last only as long as the liquid in their canteens. Fortunately, Colonel Mackenzie had travelled this land before, hunting the same hostiles that he sought now. He had made his mistakes and lived to tell the tale. Now he was back to impose his iron will upon the terrain and everything in it.

Beaumont spotted Jared Tucker a few yards away, apparently deep in thought, and so lowered his voice for his next remark. ‘Does your friend realize that even if, by some miracle, he gets his daughter back, she sure as hell won’t be the girl she once was?’

Clayton was taken aback. For sure he’d heard stories of children being carried off by Indians, but he was a hunter, not a soldier or Texas Ranger. Until very recently, his job had purely involved the killing of dumb creatures for cash money. ‘Well, we’re not really friends as such,’ he responded quietly. ‘I just sort of came across him and stuck around. Helping him find his girl seemed like the right thing to do.’

The officer nodded understandingly. ‘Very admirable I’m sure, but think on this. Those God-damned Comanches don’t have any notion of civilized life. The horrors they inflict on prisoners ain’t fit to be spoken about to anyone with tender sensibilities. She’ll likely be broken in spirit and ruined for life. Someone that no white man would ever contemplate taking as a wife.’

‘You don’t paint a very pretty picture, captain. If it’s as bad as you say, why do families even live out on the frontier?’

‘Because there’s some mighty fine land out in West Texas, and it’s free for the taking . . . if you can defend it. A lot of poor folks came out here after the war to make a new start, but all that many have found is a cold hole in the ground .

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