Cure The Texas Fever by J. T. Edson

Author:J. T. Edson
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Western
Published: 2011-05-25T12:15:59+00:00

10

I RECKON YOU’VE MADE SOME ENEMIES

“We’ll leave it’s you’re Aloysius W. Ramsbottom the Third, for the time being,” the sheriff declared after the undertaker had walked away and he was seated with the Counters and Smith at a table in the center of the barroom. He held his voice to a level that would not reach the ears of anybody in the lobby. “So let’s start by you telling me what happened.”

“And, way things turned out,” Mark claimed at the conclusion of his and Smith’s explanations, “there wasn’t anything else we could do.”

“You won’t get any argument from me on that,” Maskell promised.

“But you will from me,” Dawn stated, eyeing her husband grimly. “You’re getting too old for this sort of thing, Mark Counter.”

“I’ll try to keep it in mind, honey,” the blond giant promised, laying a big hand on and gently shaking his wife’s head a couple of times. ” ‘Cepting I don’t recollect ever being young enough to reckon this sort of thing was a sociable and fun-filled way of spending an evening.”

“I didn’t see any of those three in the lobby about town while I was making the rounds earlier,” the sheriff remarked. “So they must’ve just rode in. Leastwise, there’re three hosses loose tied to the hitching rail outside that’ll likely belong to them. Do you reckon they were the bunch who were hanging around your spread, Mark?”

“Somebody was after you?” Smith inquired of the blond giant.

“They didn’t try anything, if they was,” Mark replied. “A couple of our hands were riding the home range and came in to say they’d seen signs like five or six fellers were watching the trail. I got me some more of the crew and we went to take a look, but they either saw us coming and lit a shuck, or they just happened to be passing through. As luck would have it, we’d a bunch of mares to fetch up and put to stud with Tolly Maxwell’s stallion. So to be on the safe side, Dawn and I came with the boys who’re delivering them. There was some dust rising over a rim behind us ‘bout halfway, but we didn’t see who, or what, was stirring it.”

“Which don’t help us decide who-all this bunch was after,” Maskell complained wryly and looked at the reddish-haired Texan. “Didn’t you say something about this being the second time somebody’d tried to jump you tonight?”

“Why, sure,” Smith confirmed. ” ‘Cepting the first time was earlier today, out along the trail near the New Mexico line.”

“Whereabouts along the trail?” Maskell inquired with what appeared to be a hopeful air. “Was it in Texas or their side of the line?”

“In Texas, I reckon,” Smith supplied.

“It would be,” the sheriff said, realizing that the location must be within the boundaries of Deaf Smith County. Although it did not fool his audience, there seemed to be bitter resignation in his tone as he went on. “Where’d it happen?”

“I’d just crossed a stream when they tried to jump me,” Smith explained.

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