Last Confession of Rick O'Shea by Clyde Barker

Author:Clyde Barker [Barker, Clyde]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

The main point under consideration, at least as far as Rick O’Shea was concerned, was whether or not a large band of Mexicans would cross the river that very night in search of both him and the child whom he and Jemima had taken. If so, he could hardly expect any help or support from anybody in Archangel. The inhabitants all had fish of their own to fry, and wouldn’t thank him for bringing trouble down upon the town. For all he knew to the contrary, some of those here might even be friends of Yanez and his boys, inclined to take his part in any sort of dispute. At the very least nobody hereabouts would want trouble that might bring the law – or, God forbid, the military down on them.

All this necessitated coming to a decision as to whether O’Shea and the girls should try and find a room for the night there in town, or press on, making a run for San Angelo at once. The simple fact that he had only one horse, or just possibly two, made O’Shea decide that they would be well advised to stay in Archangel, at least until morning. He had his own mount, and according to Jemima Covenay she too had one, stabled in the same establishment as O’Shea’s.

It might prove possible to persuade the fellow running the livery stable to part with Sheriff Jackson’s mount as well but, when all was said and done, there were three of them to transport through the Reds. If it had been only himself and Jemima Covenay to consider it might have been possible to make a run for it, but he suspected that the little sister would not be up to galloping hell for leather through the Gap with a body of armed men on their tail. It certainly wouldn’t work if one of the horses were carrying two people.

The most sensible dodge would be to stay there that night and then, if the owner of the stable wouldn’t part with Jackson’s horse, try to get hold of some little pony the next day – assuming, of course, that Emily Covenay was actually able to ride. Otherwise, he supposed it might mean running across rough ground with a buggy or something of the kind.

‘Can your sister ride?’ he asked Jemima.

‘Why don’t you ask her? She’s not a fool.’ replied Jemima tartly.

‘Sure I can ride,’ affirmed Emily, catching the drift of their conversation. ‘I can ride ’most as good as ’Mima. Ain’t that right?’

‘It is, darling. You’re a most remarkable rider.’

‘So, young Emily,’ said O’Shea, ‘if I could get hold of a pony or something, you reckon as you could ride for a couple of days?’

‘Pony? I won’t need no pony, will I, Jemima? I can ride big horses.’

‘Well then,’ said O’Shea, ‘that might make things a little easier. I dare say as somebody in this town’ll be induced to sell us a horse.’

One of the hotels was still open for business

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