The Floating Outfit 23 by J.T. Edson

Author:J.T. Edson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: colt 45, dusty fog, jt edson western, the floating outfit series, sam colt
Publisher: Piccadilly

Nine – Here’s Your Tough Ranger

While riding along Moondog’s Main Street towards the livery barn, Danny saw Kimble peering through the post office’s window. Ignoring the man, Danny turned the sabino’s head towards the barn’s door and continued into the building without a backward glance. Bescaby came from his office, walking forward with an expression of relief on his face. However before the man could start to tell Danny how he delayed. Tuttle’s arrival at the Lazy H, they heard hurrying footsteps and Kimble entered the barn.

“Howdy, Ranger,” the post office’s owner greeted. “Did you find them two fellers you was asking about?”

“Not yet,” Danny admitted.

“Maybe they’re fixing to hit another town,” Kimble suggested, watching Danny lead the sabino into its stall.

“Maybe I just didn’t look in the right places.”

“That could be.”

“Where’d you suggest I look?”

“North range’s no good, they’d not be up there.”

“Those boys always go where they oughtn’t be,” Danny commented. “Maybe I’d best take a pasear up that ways.”

“They wouldn’t be up there,” Kimble insisted a shade too quickly. “I’d say they’d be most likely to camp near to the Kiowa reservation, so they could slip over the line if they saw anybody after them. Or be over on the east ranges. But they’d not go on the north range.”

Listening to Kimble, Danny found himself wondering how Stella Howkins would react if she heard the obvious way her man tried to steer him from searching the northern ranges of the ranch. Kimble’s very insistence that the men could not hide on the northern area was enough to make Danny decide that he would concentrate his efforts in that direction in future. If there had been any prospective bank robbers in the county, they would know crossing on to an Indian reservation gave them no protection against the state-wide powers of a Texas Ranger. From what he saw when surveying the country from high points, the eastern ranges offered too little cover for men wishing to hide their presence to use and hope to remain undetected.

“Reckon you know the range better than I do,” Danny remarked, stripping the saddle from his sabino. “I’ll give the east range a whirl next time I’m out.”

Relief flickered on to Kimble’s face. “When’ll that be?” he asked, then continued hurriedly, “There might be some urgent message come for you, and I’ll know where to send it.”

“I sure do admire a helpful town,” Danny said.

“Then you’ll let me know when you’re going out. again?” asked Kimble eagerly, seeing a chance to put one over on Tuttle.

“Why sure,” promised Danny. “And let you know which way I’m going.”

Kimble stayed in the barn, making small talk with Danny while the Ranger attended to his horse. At last Danny finished and, swinging his saddle on to his shoulder, he walked away from the stall. On reaching the door of the barn he turned to Kimble, who followed on his heels.

“Say, didn’t you forget what you came to see Mr. Bescaby about?”

A look of surprise crossed Kimble’s face and he did not reply for a long moment.

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