Showdown at Gun Hill by Ralph Cotton

Author:Ralph Cotton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-05-20T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

An hour later, the colonel saw Bo Anson and the newly hired riders moving along the trail toward him, and he hurried his detectives and rail guards forward the last quarter of a mile. As Colonel Hinler and his men drew closer to Anson and the new riders, Anson saw one of the detectives riding beside the colonel leading Foley’s horse by its reins.

“Everybody stay cool and calm,” Anson said to the riders bunching up behind him. “This might get touchy right off.”

Ape hefted his rifle in his hand and said, “Want me to—”

“No, Ape,” Bo said, cutting the big man off before he could even ask. “I said stay cool and calm. Just keep doing what I told you to do.” He gestured a nod at the Cadys. “Keep them quiet.”

Ape settled, and stared hard at the two brothers as they swayed in their saddles. They looked just as Anson had wanted them to. Each of them now had a large purple gun barrel welt across their foreheads, their bandannas tied tightly to cover their mouths. Their hands had been tied in front of them. Ape led their horses on a short rope.

“Here we go, men,” Anson said quietly to Ape and the others. “You all know what to do.” He watched the colonel stop his horse ten feet in front of him, his detectives behind him. A wide, harsh grin came to Hinler’s face as he looked at the battered faces and tied hands of the Cady brothers.

“By Godfrey!” he said to Anson. “I see you’ve snared a couple of the scoundrels.”

Oh yeah, we’re good, Anson assured himself.

“That’s right, Colonel,” he said. “We don’t miss a thing. This desert is ours.”

At the sight of the colonel and his men, Lyle Cady grew hopeful. He struggled to speak, but the bandanna muffled his voice to a series of grunts.

“No more out of you,” Ape said, swiping the barrel of his Starr sidelong across Lyle’s jaw. Lyle’s head bounced backward as if on hinges. He slumped back down in his saddle.

“What was that man saying?” the colonel asked.

“It makes no never mind,” Anson said. “Probably cussing you and your whole family. They’re some real heathens, this Bard Gang.”

“Indeed,” said the colonel. “Well, we’ll see how much cussing he does hanging from a limb.” He looked all around the barren terrain as if searching for a hanging tree. Seeing none, he grumbled to himself and then looked back at Anson. “Good work, Bo,” he said. He looked around at the new faces. “I take it these are the men from across the border you spoke of?”

“They are,” said Anson. “Men,” he called out over his shoulder, “meet Colonel Hinler, the man I’ve been boasting about these past days.”

The colonel gave a nod to the men. The men touched their hat brims in return.

“You’ll learn everybody’s name in time, Colonel,” Anson said. “I figured you’ll want all the men to get to know each other straightaway.” He waved the new men forward.

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