Travelin' Money by Paul Lederer

Author:Paul Lederer
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781480488175
Publisher: Open Road Media

SEVEN

The land rose higher and cooled as Joe made his way toward Flagstaff. Cedar trees and pines, sometimes standing in thick stands along the flanks of the mountains, became more common. To the north the pines grew by the thousands, forming a sea of green moving with the breeze. There were a hundred little rivulets and sheer waterfalls rushing off the granite of the hillside. Joe let the horse walk lazily up the long slope; there was no point in racing madly after Marcie and Trace Banner. They likely would not be hurrying either, certain that their plan had worked and they had outdistanced any possible pursuit.

Distantly Joe could now see the town of Flagstaff set prettily among the tall timber. He had to find the family home of the Eppses – that was where Tess believed they had gone. She was probably right. In the other direction lay the long desert and Yuma, neither of which they would be likely to attempt, especially since, according to Tess, the remnants of the Malloy gang: Frank Singleton, Cornish and Stiles, had apparently ridden out in that direction intending more mischief. There were not many roads across the desert, and the chances of running into the returning gang were too great to be ignored.

Joe kept his black horse to its easy pace, although now as they neared the town, the animal began trying to pull ahead, perhaps sensing other horses or anticipating the opportunity to enjoy decent fodder after its haphazard foraging of the past few days.

They made their way down a long slope, Joe sizing up the town. It was larger than he remembered. A lot of other people were finding it attractive, it seemed. Along the main street and four or five side streets, false-fronted buildings, and a few of yellow brick, had sprouted up. These were the stores, stables, banks, hotels and general stores. Flagstaff had no intention of withering and blowing away like the tiny desert towns on the long flats beyond.

Where first?

Joe hated to start asking around randomly about the Epps family. Perhaps they, too, were an outlaw bunch – he didn’t want to give anyone a hint of his intentions. The black horse had made its own intentions clear as they approached a stable along the bustling main street. It wanted fresh hay and oats and some time from under the saddle. Joe realized that he could also use some food and rest, some time out of the saddle, if he were to do his work efficiently. His head had almost stopped aching, but his leg was getting worse, healed improperly as it was.

He mentally counted the little silver money he had remaining in his jeans – the scant amount Tittle Sparks had not been able to steal as he slept. It should be enough both to board the horse and to feed himself.

It was evening already when Joe walked from the stable. Through the pines he could see a long crimson banner of sheer cloud against the sundown skies.

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