Read Online The Red River Ring by Randy D. Smith - Free Book Online Page B

shoot anyone riding south of the Red. We lit out after him and he ambushed us at Solo Mesa. Shot ole Autry clean through the heart at five hundred yards,” Blake said.
    â€œPoor Autry,” Bent said calmly.
    â€œYeah, shit! Poor Autry. I never saw such shooting.”
    â€œMcMurphy was a sniper for Johnston and Hood during the course of the war. He was the only cavalryman I know of that carried a scoped infantry rifle. Shit, I could have told you that,” Bent said before downing a third whisky.
    â€œYou weren’t around though, were you?” Nab Colredge said from the doorway.
    â€œI thought the agreement was that I ran the outriders and you ran the accounts,” Bent said.
    â€œLike I said, you weren’t here and I thought McMurphy was in a bad need of killing.”
    â€œHe is,” Bent said as he poured another. “He could muck up the whole works. I had everything and everybody in my pocket. I figured with one good raid, we could wipe out most of their outfit and take over the Palo Duro. He could change everything. He’s trail wise and smart. I didn’t want him around and I never expected him to come around.”
    â€œWhat happened? I thought we had a line on that,” Colredge asked.
    â€œWe do. The deal is worked out. Evidently Pommel’s arrival was not in the plans.”
    â€œWe can’t change our plans now just because of one man,” Colredge said.
    Black Tom poured another whisky and opened his coat showing the custom horn-grip butts of his twin Colts in their shoulder holsters. “No, just the opposite. We need to hit them as soon as possible before the old man figures out what’s going on.”
    â€œWhat about the kid? I don’t like trusting him. He’s a loose cannon.”
    â€œI’ve got the kid right where I want him. He’ll keep quiet. When he finds out our whole plan it’ll be too late.” Black Tom’s straightened his tall frame and carried the bottle and glass to a table. With his thick black beard, unruly hair, heavy eyebrows and dark eyes, he looked like a Cossack in a western suit. He found a place for his knee high, fancy stitched boots and removed his coat and hat before sitting. As was his custom, he planned to remain at the table until the bottle was empty. “You men need to head for the ranch. Red, I want you to bring in the riders as soon as possible. In two days we’ll ride for the ranch. They’re going to gather the herd. I want to hit the cattle and the main ranch at the same time. We’ll burn the buildings to the ground and take their north herd in one sweep. When they come north after the herd, we’ll wipe out what’s left of them. I figure that in a week, it will all be over with the McMurphys.”
    The riders left the saloon, leaving Blake, Colredge and Bent. Colredge ordered a beer and Blake brought another bottle to the table. They sat across the table from Bent as if he was a Black Jack dealer.
    â€œI wish you had been able to take out the old man. If I know him, he’ll be outriding, playing the lone hand, and hitting us from long range. With his experience in the war he could be a handful. We may have to move at night to avoid detection. Unless you think we can take him out.”
    Blake shook his head. “I don’t have any idea where he’d be. Our only answer would be to try to draw him into the open.”
    â€œThere’s a way to do that if we can’t get him before the raids. Reese McMurphy has a wife and two daughters. If we took them we might get Pommel to do something stupid,” Bent said.
    â€œI don’t like using women that way,” Colredge said. “It don’t wash well with a lot of people.”
    â€œI don’t give a damn how it washes. When this is over I don’t want a McMurphy left standing, male or female,” Bent said coldly. The liquor was having its usual effect.
    â€œI don’t