The Law at Randado by Elmore Leonard

Author:Elmore Leonard [Elmore Leonard]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Published: 1954-06-10T16:00:00+00:00

9

Frye swung down from behind Danaher and went to the jail as Danaher’s posse tied up along both sides of the street. Twelve men. He recognized a few of them: three men who had been with Danaher at Galluro Station. Two others were deputies from Sonoita and Canelo. Danaher had picked them up on the way down from Tucson. All of them were heavily armed; grim-faced men who spoke little and watched Danaher for orders.

There had been fifteen originally. Three were now scouting the Sun-D buildings. To Danaher this was merely going through the motions. He knew Phil Sundeen, and he was moderately certain where to find him.

From the jail doorway Frye glanced back seeing Danaher going toward De Spain’s. He’s not fooling, Frye thought. And neither are the rest of them.

Dandy Jim was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall and he rose as Frye entered the office, seeing the look of surprise on Frye’s face.

“I thought you’d be gone.”

“If you thought that,” Dandy Jim said, “why did you have that man bring food yesterday and today?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure, so I mentioned it to him.” He had told Haig about Dandy Jim when Haig came out to them Tuesday morning.

“He said that he saw you” — the Coyotero spoke in Spanish — “and that you would come back soon.”

Frye asked, “You saw what took place the day before this?”

Dandy Jim nodded. “All of it.”

“Have you seen those men today?”

“They left hurriedly before you came.”

Frye’s eyebrows raised. “Will you wait here?” When the Coyotero nodded he added, “Only a short time,” and went out, crossing the street to De Spain’s.

As he pushed through the doors, De Spain was saying, “Sundeen wanted to fight. He’d been drinking all morning and the idea of a posse on the way seemed to appeal to his sporting blood. I’d never seen a man so eager to fight…until Digo reminded him he didn’t have enough men. Digo kept saying, ‘Man, you lost eleven already — ’ ”

Following De Spain’s glance Frye saw Merl White. He was standing next to Danaher and behind him was Haig Hanasian.

“You see, besides Merl and Ford and Joe Tobin,” De Spain went on, “some more left after the stunt Phil pulled with Kirby. Phil knew they had quit, but it looked as if it didn’t really sink in until that moment. Still, he wasn’t going to budge and he told Digo, ‘Well, go on home and get who’s left!’ But Digo argued there was no way of telling if any of the other men were still about, and if he rode all the way to Sun-D, then came back without anybody, it would be too late to dodge Danaher’s posse. Phil argued back, but you could see it sinking in that suddenly he was almost alone…that Phil Sundeen, who owned the biggest spread in San Rafael, had only Digo and a hired gunman left.”

Danaher broke in, “Jordan’s still with him?”

De Spain nodded. “He was when they left.

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