Sonora Slaughter (An Apache Western #6) by William M James

Author:William M James
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: elmore leonard, western fiction, louis lamour, western ebook, apache indians, piccadilly publishing westerns, william johnstone, ralph compton
Publisher: Piccadilly

Chapter Six

SIX RIDERS GALLOPED their horses out of the narrow mouth of the hidden canyon. It was early evening and the broiling heat of the day had become a memory. The crimson light of the sinking sun cast long shadows and, behind the riders, a group of bandits welcomed the coolness as they dug a mass grave for the day’s dead. They did not carry out this chore willingly: had been kicked, shaken, and shouted out of their drunken stupors by a glowering Manuel, selected at random by the scar-faced man who had himself been rudely awakened by Calvera.

The other men roused into head-aching, foul-tasting consciousness were Antonio, a youngster named Eduardo, a tall and emaciated man of middle years called Benito, and Cuchillo Oro.

The remainder of the bandits were allowed to sleep on, providing they could do so against the constant barrage of ill-tempered noise from the awakened men. And most could, for the amount of liquor all had drunk had induced a state closer to unconsciousness than natural sleep. To those who were awake, everything was a source of irritation. And only the scowling Calvera had the power to order relief. Thus had he demanded that the dead be buried to remove one of the strong odors filling the canyon. And added that the day-old, spoiled chili be interred with the bodies: pot and all.

The men chosen to ride with him could only curse at each other and at their horses as they saddled their mounts. And Cuchillo was the target of the most barbs—for his act of killing Horseman, who had always attended to the animals.

Rosita Carlos was dragged from the adobe building without pity for her suffering of the morning. Like the other women, it was exhaustion that had attacked her after the door had been slammed. But, before she and her companions in misery slumped to the stinking floor, clothing had been shared and she had been able to conceal her punished nakedness.

The intrusion of Manuel and Eduardo to bring her outside had roused most of the other prisoners. And they sagged against the windows to look on with hopeless eyes as she was put astride a horse. Her ankles were lashed to the stirrups and her wrists were bound to the saddle horn. Although her chin sagged to her breasts, she was able to keep her back erect.

“What will become of us, Red Shirt?” one of the women wailed when Rosita and her five-man escort were ready to leave.

Calvera, grimacing at the pains lancing through his head, had curled back his lips to show a snarl. “My men will have their way with you until I return, Hags! Should I return rich with the pesos of Don Carlos, you will be freed. Should Don Carlos refuse to pay for what we so kindly bring him ...” He unbooted his rifle and thrust it out, pushing the muzzle under Rosita’s jaw to force up her head... then you will all be as dead as this hag.

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