The Maverick Queen by Zane Grey

Author:Zane Grey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, western
Publisher: Reading Essentials
Published: 1950-03-15T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER IX

Lincoln was left alone until noon, when the waiter brought his lunch from the hotel. It was a lavish spread for a cowboy, and included wine. Noticing the wine, Haught, who had just entered, remarked dryly, “You’re putting on a lot of style, young feller. The daintiest of grub and wine on the side!—Of course, you’re not payin’ for this?”

“No, I’m not. I suppose, of course, it must be Kit Bandon.”

“Yes, she told me she’d take care of your meals,” replied Haught.

“Well, if you hang around you can share some of this wine with me.”

“I sure will hang around all right,” said the sheriff amiably, seating himself comfortably on the bed.

“Sheriff, how long are you going to keep me in the calaboose?”

“I thought you wanted me to keep you locked up for a while?”

While Lincoln busily applied himself to the food Haught studied him shrewdly.

“Yes, I did say that,” replied Lincoln. “But I’m O.K. now and the little embarrassment that I expected to meet is passed. Frankly, I’d like to get out.” This was not strictly truthful, for he was very well pleased where he was. However, he really wanted to find out why he was being detained.

“Well, son, I spread it around about thet it was a matter of law—but it isn’t thet.”

“All right. I’m glad of that. But I want to know what’s behind it.”

“This is strictly confidential, Bradway. The Bandon woman is behind it. She wants you kept here for a while.”

“That was plain to see. But why? Are there any pards of Miller’s around town that she’s afraid I’d clash with?”

“No. Thet hombre was a lone wolf. She swore out a warrant, and I didn’t have no choice in the matter at all.”

“Thunderation then!” exclaimed Lincoln. “Why does she want to keep me locked up? Is she afraid I’ll interfere with some shady deal of hers?”

“It’s beyond me. I figured hard on it. Either there’s someone here that she don’t want you to meet or she wants to keep you away from her niece or she just wants to keep you for herself.”

“Have you seen her with anyone?”

“Cattleman I don’t know,” replied Haught. “He’s from Utah. Didn’t strike me as bein’ a Mormon. I made friendly advances to him which he certainly didn’t meet. I know thet she is sellin’ a big bunch of mavericks and some other stuff which is bein’ driven to Rock Springs. The stock arrived yesterday and I went down and had a look at it.”

“How many head?” asked Lincoln.

“Not a big herd. Something short of three hundred. But there was a remarkable lot of yearlings in the bunch.”

They exchanged penetrating glances, each attempting to read the other’s hidden thoughts. The prisoner had divined that the sheriff was very curious, but that he really knew very little about Kit Bandon. He had been markedly friendly to Lincoln and it did not seem that he could be unduly influenced in her favor.

“Sheriff, let me rest your mind on one thing. I am not in love with Kit Bandon nor mixed up with her in any way.

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