Trail Of the Apache and Other Stories (1951) by Leonard Elmore

Author:Leonard, Elmore [Elmore, Leonard,]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-01-21T02:29:32.625000+00:00

He'd been standing in the front doorway, but I hadn't noticed him there before.

He ran over yelling, Hey, that's my rope!

Gosh reached out, laughing, and grabbed one of his braces and snapped it against his faded redn1/4eannel undershirt. Get back, old man, you're interfering with justice. Then he pushed the man hard against the stall partition.

Emmett took hold of his elbow and pulled him out toward the front of the livery. You stay out here, he said. This isn't any of your business.

He turned from the man and nodded his head to the stalls where three horses were.

The stable was large, high-ceilinged, with stalls lining both sides. The open area was wide, but longer than it was wide, with heavy timbers overhead reaching from lofts on both sides that ran the length of the stable above the stalls. The stable was empty but for the three horses toward the back.

Bring those horses up here. Em said it to no one in particular.

When Dobie and Ned and I led the mounts up, I heard Lloyd ask Em if he should go get our horses.

Em shook his head, but didn't say anything.

Lloyd said, Shouldn't we be getting out to the stock, Em?

We got time. Neal's watching the cows, Em reminded him. The man that was with Butzy spread The Rustlers his holler if there were any others out there. They'd be halfway to Santa Fe by now.

He turned on Gosh impatiently. Come on, get 'em mounted.

I picked up one of their saddles from the rack and walked up behind Gosh, who was pushing the three men toward the horses.

Look out, Gosh. Let me get the saddles on before you get in the way. You can't throw 'em on with your arms behind your back.

Gosh twisted his mouth into a smile and looked past me at Emmett. There was a wad of tobacco in his cheek that made his thin face lopsided, like a jagged rock with hair on it. He shifted the wad, still smiling, and then spit over to the side.

You tell him, Em, he said.

Emmett looked at me with his closed-up, leathery face. He stared hard as if afraid his eyes would waver. They don't need the saddles.

Gosh swatted me playfully with the end of rope in his hand. Want me to paint you a picture, Charlie? He laughed and walked out through the wide entrance.

Gosh didn't have to paint a picture. Ben Templin dropped his cigarette. Lloyd and Ned and Dobie just stared at Emmett, but none of them said anything. Em stood there like a rock and stared back like he was defying anybody to object.

The boys looked away and moved about uncomfortably. They weren't about to go against Emmett Ryan. They were used to doing what they were told because Em was always right, and weren't sure that he wasn't right even now. A hanging isn't an uncommon thing where there is little law. Along the Pecos there was less than little. Still, it didn't rub right even if Em was following his conscience, it didn't rub right.

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