Sudden 3 by Frederick H. Christian

Author:Frederick H. Christian [Christian, Frederick H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: adventure, action, texas, cowboys, old west, gunfighters, outlaws, westerns, western fiction, frederick h christian, sudden, jim green
Publisher: Piccadilly Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

The party pushed on through the night, and sunrise found them in a jumble of hills, surrounded on all sides by a desolate vista of cactus-dotted hogbacks, burning rocks and parched earth. Of this emptiness there seemed no end, but after another hour’s riding the land leveled, and ahead of them appeared the shimmer, as if of water lying thin upon the ground, which indicated the proximity of the desert.

“That’s it,” Sudden announced, pointing ahead. “From here on it, it’s nothin’ but hot.”

The news was received in silence, each one’s mind occupied with thoughts of the ordeal lying ahead. The sun climbed higher now above the blue darkness of the Dragoons, and its heat grew steadily stronger.

Presently Rusty pulled his horse alongside Sudden’s and bent an inquiring gaze upon the tall Texan.

“Yu aimin’ to cross the whole stretch, Jim?” he asked. “She looks some wide.”

“Looks fool yu a mite,” Sudden replied, “although at some points it’s sixty, seventy miles across. This stretch o’ desert ain’t shaped reg’lar, however. She’s kind o’ U-shaped, an’ I’m headin’ for the bottom of the U, which ain’t more’n thirty miles across. After that there’s some more country like this—” he made a gesture with his free hand. “Gullies an’ hogbacks, good country to hide out in if we got to. But I’m hopin’ it ain’t goin’ to be necessary. If them ’paches figger we took the easy road for Tucson, we might be able to get across afore they can catch up with us. Once we get in the vicinity o’ Fort Cochise, they won’t be too eager to start no shootin’ match, in case the so’jer boys come out to see what’s goin’ on.”

“Good thinkin’,” the younger man said. “I’m on’y a mite worried about Quincy – he shore ain’t goin’ to be mad keen about ridin’ into Fort Cochise.”

“I guess not,” was the reply. “He ain’t fool enough to think he’s got much choice, however, an’ that oughta clinch it.”

They rode in silence for a while, then Rusty spoke again. “I got to thinkin’ about what might happen to Bar – Miss Davis if anythin’ went wrong with yore plan, Jim,” he said hesitantly. “It could shore go hard with her.”

“Shucks, I’m set on avoidin’ trouble,” Sudden told him. “I ain’t about to set Quincy an’ Shiloh on the warpath on account o’ no thin’. I don’t want the reward money – that ain’t my reason for mixin’ in this shindig.”

“Why don’t yu jest tell them that?” burst out the boy in astonishment, then, seeing the bleak look on his companion’s face, he nodded. “O’ course, they wouldn’t believe it, yu bein’ Sudden.”

“That’s right,” the Texan said, and his voice was harsh. Rusty looked up quickly at the tone in Sudden’s voice, and then spoke softly.

“I never believed all I heard about Sudden,” he said. “Yu don’t look the owlhoot breed, Jim.”

Sudden smiled, the warmth lighting up his entire face and making him look strangely boyish for a moment.

“Which I’m thankin’ yu, Rusty,” he said.

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