The Floating Outfit 54 by J.T. Edson

Author:J.T. Edson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: piccadilly publishing, pulp westerns, jt edson, ole devil hardin, dusty fog, ebook westerns, westerns ebook, texas westerns, floating outfit westerns
Publisher: Piccadilly

Holding his big white stallion to a steady walk, the Kid rode into Jack City early on the next morning. After enjoying Granny’s turkey, he spent the night at the Wallace place and left before daylight. He wanted to collect Granny’s parcel so as not to delay his return to the Rio Hondo unduly. Most likely there would be other work awaiting him and even if not he knew his friends aimed to spend Saturday night in Diggers Wells, so wished to accompany them.

Only a few people were about as the Kid rode into town. Along by the Wells Fargo office men worked at unloading the stage-coach and changing its team. The sheriff ambled down towards his office ready to start another day’s work. As the Kid approached, Schweitzer appeared through the alley by the store and turned along its front without even glancing in the dark Texan’s direction.

The shattered window of the store had been covered with planks of wood to prevent anybody entering during the night, but it seemed that the precaution failed. Halting, Schweitzer stared at the edge of the window and then stepped forward to draw away the planks. Nails rose from the inner sides of the planks, showing that they had been secured to the wall, but they no longer held in place. With the planks pulled aside, Schweitzer gave a startled yell and stepped back hurriedly. Then he turned and dashed along the street towards the sheriff’s office.

‘Murder!’ he screeched. ‘Murder! Help, sheriff!’

Showing surprising speed for a man who would never see fifty again, Blevins loped along to meet the running man. Other people appeared at doors, the men by the stage halted their work and every eye held on the fat shape of the storekeeper as he and the sheriff came to a stop facing each other. Sending his horse forward at a better pace, the Kid approached and could hear Schweitzer’s words.

‘I—It’s Eli Benjiman, sheriff. He’s lying by the counter with his throat cut from—’

Without waiting to hear more, the sheriff pushed by Schweitzer and ran in the direction of the store. Relief flickered on Blevins’s seamed old face as he saw the Kid and he growled a request for the other to come along. Should there have been murder done, Blevins might require the services of a man famous for his skill at reading sign. In his day Blevins bore such a reputation, but age took the keen edge from his eyes and he knew the Kid could handle such a chore better than himself.

On reaching the store, the Kid dropped from his saddle and sent the stallion walking off along the street to halt before the next building. Tied or loose, the horse could be relied upon to stay put until needed, but leaving it outside the store presented difficulties. At best Thunder only barely tolerated strangers and the Kid did not intend chancing leaving his horse to be in the center of a milling, excited crowd.

When sure there would

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