Ambush Range by Burt Kroll

Author:Burt Kroll
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Endeavour Frontier
Published: 2017-08-07T04:00:00+00:00

Seven

On the ride into Portville from the Raynor place, Merrill was a very thoughtful man. The moon shone down from a clear sky, bathing the range in ghostly light, and only the creaking of their saddle harness and the thud of hooves broke the heavy silence that surrounded them. Merrill knew the trail intimately, and he made detours around certain spots to avoid the possibility of further ambush, although he was content in his own mind that there were no more gunmen left. The man who had hired them would expect the last two to succeed where the others had failed, and until he learned that the worst had happened, Merrill fancied that he was fairly safe, although he would take no chances.

He considered every aspect of the business, and came to believe that of the two suspects he had, Frank Maitland was the more likely. He knew that Si Kester was jealous of him and, accepting that the man’s passions were sufficiently forceful to encompass violence, then Kester could be at the back of this trouble. But the town marshal of Portville would not have had the opportunity of contacting his hirelings in Birch Creek, and someone had been giving them fresh orders as the situation changed. There had been the ambush in Birch Creek itself, then the gun trap set at the Raynor place, which could only have been conceived when it was known exactly when Merrill intended heading for Portville with his prisoner. Apart from that, the fact that Merrill had evidence in the shape of that receipt for the exchange of the horses could only have been known to someone actually in Birch Creek at the time, otherwise the gun trap at Raynor’s place would not have been possible. Those two gunmen now draped across their saddles had ridden into Raynor’s spread some four hours ahead of Merrill, knowing that he was going to visit the rancher to check on Wood.

But how did he handle the situation when he reached Portville? That was the question burning in Merrill’s mind. He did not have a shred of evidence against whoever had paid the gunmen, unless he could get Wood to talk, and the gunman was even more sullen since the last attempt upon Merrill’s life had failed.

The miles dropped by and they continued in silence, four horses moving as one, connected by leading reins to Merrill’s horse. He twisted in his saddle repeatedly, watching his back trail, but there were no sharp pangs of suspicion in his mind and he fancied that his instincts would not let him down. He was not in any danger on the trail. His trouble would recommence when he reported to Portville and it became known what had happened. Then the man who was out to kill him would hire fresh gunmen.

The knowledge brought a harsh glitter to his eyes. He would fight anyone he could see or meet on even terms, but how did one face up to a situation where

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