Waco 7_Hound Dog Man_A Waco Western by J. T. Edson

Author:J. T. Edson [Edson, J. T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Piccadilly Publishing
Published: 2018-03-01T08:00:00+00:00

Nine – The Wisdom of Not Carrying Identification

While riding his blue roan stallion along the trail towards the Witch Creek relay station, Flax Fannon met with a slight disappointment. He had hoped to find the place devoid of customers so that he could waste no time in contacting old George Caffery and having a message sent to Waco. Instead he saw that the place appeared to be doing a fair bit of business. Three horses were tied to the two-story main building’s hitching rack. Down before the barn stood a comfortable-looking buckboard with a canopy over it, tarp-wrapped baggage in the back and a pair of spirited horses harnessed to it.

Riding upon such a dangerous mission made a man develop caution and Flax wondered who Caffery’s customers might be. Of course, in addition to supplying fresh teams for Wells Fargo stagecoaches, the relay station offered food, drinks and accommodation for any travelers who might wish to stay there. Possibly the owners of the buckboard and horses would prove to be harmless and not connected in any way with Flax’s affairs, but he did not aim to take a chance until he knew that for sure. Wyoming had a large outlaw population and many apparently innocent people possessed connections with the criminal element. Let one word or even a strong hint, of Flax’s true status leak out and he stood a better than even chance of winding up dead.

As he approached the barn, Flax studied the buckboard’s team. A man could sometimes learn plenty merely by looking at the brand a horse carried. In this instance he picked up little that helped. The horses bore the brand of a ranch which specialized in raising and selling harness and saddle animals throughout Kansas and Nebraska and even did business in Wyoming.

Hoping to find Caffery inside, Flax rode his horse through the open doors of the barn. Again he met with disappointment, for the station agent was not present. Not knowing how long he might stay, Flax decided to rest his horse. He led the roan into a stall and set about caring for it. While his business might be urgent, he did not aim to neglect the horse. The time might come when he needed his mount’s speed and endurance to save his life or accomplish some task, so he did not intend to neglect its welfare. Stripping off the low-horned, double-girthed saddle which marked him as a Texan, Flax draped it over the inverted V-shaped wooden ‘burro’ by the doors, then he fed and watered the roan. Deciding to leave the bedroll strapped to the cantle and rifle in its boot until he knew whether he would be stopping or not, Flax finished caring for the horse and then walked from the barn. While approaching the station, he looked the three riding horses over. They all used north-country saddles, looked in good condition and fast, but their brands told him nothing significant.

On entering the large combined bar and dining room of the main building, Flax found it to be devoid of customers.

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