Rough Justice by Lauran Paine

Author:Lauran Paine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 2016-08-15T18:01:48+00:00

Chapter Ten

Bannion lit a lamp, removed his hat and windbreaker, and went over where Ray King sat in a half-dead posture, still holding Judith Rockland. He took the girl in both arms to a strap-steel cell and put her tenderly upon a bunk there.

He next got water and washed her face, forced a trickle down her throat, and unbuttoned her jacket. He then left a soaked rag over her forehead and went after a long, cold drink of water for himself.

Austin King sat up from where he’d dropped, along with his brothers, upon the jailhouse floor. He probed his eyes very gingerly, rose up, and groped to the water bucket to begin that gentle bathing that eased the pure agony almost at once.

When he looked around and saw Bannion loosening the coats of his brothers, he said: “Damned if you aren’t the toughest little man I ever saw, Sheriff.”

Bannion twisted from the waist. “Size only means you make a good target and it takes more food to fill you up.” He resumed his work and rose when Hank and Al and Ray were divested of hats, masks, and coats. “Give them each a dipper of water,” he ordered.

Time ran on. In the near silence of the jailhouse the outside raging storm continued to tear at Perdition Wells and its furious howl sounded very distant, very muted.

Hank coughed and retched and jack-knifed his legs. There was red froth at his lips.

Ray was nearly an hour before moving. Meanwhile young Austin and Doyle Bannion worked over Judith and the others. Austin, possessing the resiliency of youth, shook off the terror and suffering of that ordeal much sooner than did his older brothers.

Once, watching Bannion as he gently worked over the girl, he said: “One thing I’d like to know. Why do they call this kind of a storm a Santa Ana?”

“Santa Anna,” explained Bannion, “was a great Mexican general. He was the fellow who led the attack on our Alamo. He was also the president and dictator of Mexico. But that’s not why this kind of a wind was named after him. In the early days, when Texans revolted against Mexico, Santa Anna came marching north up out of Mexico with an enormous army. Folks said you could see the dust that army raised for fifty miles. Ever since then these terrific dust storms have been called Santa Anas.”

“How long do they last?”

“¿Quién sabe?” muttered Bannion, watching dark color come into Judith’s cheeks. “Who knows? Usually about a day...sometimes maybe two days. I wouldn’t make any guesses about this one. It’s not following the usual pattern, at all. Fetch me a dipper of water, would you?”

Austin got the water, watched Bannion hold the girl’s head up while she drank, then he turned when Al groaned, and went over to his brother. A moment later Bannion appeared, putting on his windbreaker. Austin looked up quickly.

“Now what?” he asked.

“We need a doctor here. I’m going for him.” Bannion nodded toward Al King. “His eyes are in damned poor shape.

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