The Floating Outfit 57: The Man From Texas by J. T. Edson

Author:J. T. Edson
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Piccadilly Publishing
Published: 2021-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine—Start Shooting as Soon as You Like

THE NIGHT HAWK’S prediction proved to be correct. Around two o’clock in the morning a disgruntled, sober and silent quartet of cowboys hobbled into camp. Cowhand boots had never been designed for long-distance walking and all four young men’s feet ached as they reached the camp. Not one of the quartet had any idea how they came to lose their horses and all swore they would never touch another drink as long as they lived.

At the first light of day the cooks roused out the camp. Rocky and his three friends, all showing signs of being hung-over, crawled out of their blankets to join the rest of the roundup crew in collecting breakfast.

‘Reckon they’re cured,’ drawled Dusty, watching the Flying M quartet limp by where he stood with his three amigos and ate his breakfast. ‘I bet you couldn’t get them to go to town again after last night—not for a few days anyway.’

‘There’s something about what happened last night that I don’t like, Dusty,’ Mark said.

‘And me,’ agreed Waco. ‘Why should that drummer let Rocky and the others win money off him?’

‘Maybe he wanted company,’ Dusty suggested.

‘Didn’t look to, way he pulled out so early,’ remarked the Kid. ‘And that don’t tell us how he come to town in the first place.’

‘Man’d think the drummer wanted those boys to get drunk and come back here waking folks up,’ Waco drawled. ‘That could have started trouble if it happened. Walking W and Flying M aren’t any too friendly, Rocky and his boys might have stirred trouble between the two outfits happen they’d come in whooping and yelling.’

For a few seconds the four Texans ate in silence. All thought of what might have happened had the drunken quartet come in whooping and yelling. A feud in the middle of a roundup did not make for smooth working conditions; and shooting wars had started over less cause than a bunch of irresponsible cowhands scattering the gather and disturbing the camp’s sleep.

‘There was that business with the bull yesterday, too,’ Waco went on, swallowing a mouthful of beef. ‘Happen Gordon’d’ve even grazed you, you’d’ve let the bull go, Mark. Then you’d’ve got hurt bad.’

‘Gordon might only have been trying to help,’ Mark answered. ‘I got talking with Jesse Evans last night, Dusty. He allows that Chisum bought this land up here with the intention of getting control of all the range south until it ties on to his Long Rail in New Mexico.’

‘Bunyon’s spread’s north of Chisum’s though,’ Dusty pointed out.

‘Maybe Chisum’s getting land hungry,’ drawled the Kid.

‘Which same doesn’t explain how Chisum got word to the drummer in town and set up that business with Rocky and the others,’ Dusty pointed out. ‘Come on, we’re going to have to make a start. Keep your eyes peeled, all of you, I don’t like the way things are going on this chore. Lon, first chance you get head into town and ask Candy to learn all she can about that drummer.

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