The Return of the Wolf: A Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger Novel by Sweazy Larry D

Author:Sweazy, Larry D.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: WordWise Publishing Services, LLC
Published: 2024-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Josiah stood outside the door of the hospital tent, pacing like an expectant father, worried about the delivery. Only in this case, he was worried whether Scrap Elliot was going to live or die. He wasn’t alone in his worry. McNelly and Dobson had been roused by the news like the rest of the camp. They waited for the status of Scrap’s injuries along with the Ranger that had brought him in, a fella Josiah didn’t know who called himself Miguel Santino. He was a blond-haired, blue-eyed, half-breed Mexican boy about the same height as McNelly, maybe twenty years old, if that. Whatever experience Miguel had, he was keeping to himself. He paced back and forth taking the opposite path of Josiah, the leather of his gun belt and holster rubbing against his leg in a dull clap. His normal sun-browned skin looked pale, and he was muttering to himself under his breath, adding fret to his chorus of concern.

“Miguel, can you stop that incessant rambling,” McNelly said. He stood next to the closed door of the tent. Dobson wasn’t that far away, rolling a cigarette from a pouch of Bull Durham, on the other side of the door. He looked bored, like he didn’t want to be there.

Miguel stopped. “Sorry. I’m just worried about Scrap.”

“We all are,” McNelly said.

Josiah continued walking back and forth, listening for any sign of life from inside the tent. There was the occasional clatter of metal tools and heavy footsteps, but nothing else. Not one scream of pain from Scrap. Not even a moan. That was either a good thing, or a bad thing.

Dobson put the cigarette to his mouth, struck a Lucifer, bringing a quick explosion of light to his face, then drew in, taking a deep breath of smoke. He exhaled, then examined the cigarette as if to judge it in some way, good or bad.

Josiah paced his way over to Miguel who stopped muttering. “What?” he asked.

“Nothing, I just think we all want to know what happened is all?” Josiah said.

The question drew both the captain and Dobson’s attention, but they didn’t object to it. Instead, they lent an ear, waiting for Miguel’s answer.

Miguel looked to McNelly, who gave a slight nod of approval. “We rode up with me and Elliot on the rearguard. We was stopped about three hundred yards from the Langdon house by two armed men. Timmons announced our presence and intention, then one of the men rode up to the house. We waited in line. In hindsight, we should have been more concerned, sittin’ out there like targets, but we was under orders not to engage unless we was shot at.” There wasn’t a hint of Mexican in Miguel’s words. He spoke perfect Anglo.

“So they started shooting then?” Josiah said.

Dobson smoked his cigarette, paying attention to Miguel only because it seemed to be the thing he should be doing. In between draws on the smoke, he yawned, then looked away into the darkness beyond the camp.

“No,” Miguel said.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.