Shawn Starbuck Double Western 5 by Ray Hogan

Author:Ray Hogan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: wyatt earp, dodge city, the old west, colt 45, lawmen and outlaws, western fiction ebook, shawn starbuck westerns, westerns general, ray hogan author, texas cattle drive
Publisher: Piccadilly

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Boot heels were pounding along the street. Voices were shouting back and forth and the audience at the edge of the walk had increased. Shawn turned his attention to the group.

“There a doctor around close?”

“Never mind that,” the first of two men wearing deputy marshal stars said, pushing through the crowd. “We’ll tend to it.”

They halted before Starbuck and Kent. The taller of the pair, a double-barreled shotgun leveled in his hands, glanced from one to the other and waited while his companion pulled Shawn’s weapon from its holster and retrieved Ivory’s from where it lay. Then, “What the hell’s going on here?”

“The big one there,” a voice volunteered from the crowd, “he just up and shot the other’n. They was talking, sort of arguing, when all of a sudden he comes up with his gun and shoots. Didn’t give the little fellow a chance.”

The deputy was staring coldly at Starbuck. “You know the law here in Dodge about wearing a gun—”

Shawn nodded. More people were gathering. A woman near the front said, “You hadn’t ought to leave that boy standing there bleeding—”

“He’ll live,” the lawman cut in drily, and half turned as a man elbowed a path through the tight circle of onlookers and came forward. It was Fargo’s friend, Glover. He squinted at Kent and then at Shawn.

“Got him, I see. Good!”

The deputy frowned. “What d’you know about this, Abe?”

“He killed Joe Fargo,” the rooming-house owner said, pointing at Kent. “Then this other—”

The lawman swung to Kent. “That right?”

“Was an accident—”

The deputy came back to Glover. “You damn sure this Fargo’s dead?”

“Course I am, Tuck! He’s back there on my porch if you want to see for yourself. Died while Starbuck there was holding him.”

Tuck lowered his weapon, fixing his eyes on Shawn. “That what caused the shooting? He gunned your friend and you went after him?”

“About it. Bullet was meant for me. Missed and hit Fargo.”

“He wasn’t packing no iron when it happened,” Glover said. “Seen him get it out of his saddlebags after Joe was killed.”

The tall deputy glanced at his fellow officer and shook his head. “Hell, let’s take them both to the cooler and leave it up to Wyatt to sort it out. Give me their guns, then you best go after Doc Miller, have him meet us there.”

The younger lawman handed over the two weapons and moved off into the night. Abe reached out, catching Tuck by the arm.

“Mind you, tell Earp what I said about Starbuck not carrying a gun. Went and got it only when he had to—”

“All right, Abe, all right,” Tuck said, motioning to Shawn and Kent to step out in front of him. “I hear. If Wyatt’s needing help, he’ll send for you.”

They reached the jail and turned into it. Shawn nodded to the dark-faced lawman with flowing black mustache sitting behind the desk as they entered. Earp gave no sign of recognition, but only stared back, his eyes a cold, ice blue.

“These the ones doing the shooting?”

Tuck nodded and laid the two pistols on the desk.

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