Read Online Across the Rio Colorado by Ralph Compton - Free Book Online

on all of them?”
    â€œYou know damned well I have,” Hedgepith said shortly. “I got papers on everybody in McQuade’s train, includin’ McQuade. I got papers on everybody in this camp, except for your whores and old Ampersand. If, by some miracle, this works out, you’ll control near two million acres.”
    â€œIt’s goin’ to work,” said Hook savagely. “I’ve fought too hard, come too far to see it fail. I’ll kill any man—or any number of men—gettin’ in my way.”
    McQuade was pleased to see that all the families, more than eighty, had arranged themselves into groups of five
or more, and were sharing their cooking. The others—in a total of seventeen wagons—were single men, some of whom were accompanied by women of questionable reputation. The Burkes were part of this group, and they all kept to themselves, becoming part of the train only when the wagons were on the trail. McQuade began to wonder if the Reverend Flanagan hadn’t taken a permanent position on the first watch, to allow Mary some privacy. For the third night in a row, McQuade found Mary alone on the wagon box.
    â€œI’m glad your daddy’s comfortable on the first watch,” he said, taking his place next to the girl.
    â€œSo am I,” said Mary. “I think he’s more concerned with the single men who brought women than he is with me. I’m afraid he’s about to try and show them the error of their ways, and that might mean trouble for you.”
    â€œI don’t see how it could,” McQuade said. “Most of our folks have come together in a way that can’t be anything but helpful. I can’t see anything worse than this bunch of young hell-raisers fighting among themselves, and with Hook supplying plenty of whiskey, there’s not much we can do. As for their women, I’ve known plenty of men who have kept one, although they’re usually squaws.”
    â€œHave you ever … kept a woman?”
    â€œNo,” said McQuade. “I’ve had some experiences, but no woman’s ever been interested in me for more than a few hours. Usually until my money ran out.”
    â€œI didn’t know you had money,” she said.
    â€œI don’t,” said McQuade. “I blew it all in St. Louis, when I went back for grub. Do you want me to get lost?”
    â€œNo,” she said. “You’ve been here beside me for three nights, and I’d miss you if you went away. Besides, you were nice to my father when he didn’t deserve it.”
    â€œThis is our fourth night together,” said McQuade. “Maybe we should celebrate. Do you want me to bring you some hot coffee?”

    â€œNo,” she said, “I’m sick of coffee. Can’t you think of something better?”
    â€œAs a matter of fact, I can,” he said. Drawing her to him, he kissed her on the lips, long and hard.
    â€œIf that was coffee,” she gasped, “I’d have a second cup.”
    â€œAnything to please a lady,” he said, repeating his performance.
    Suddenly the silence was shattered by the scream of a woman, followed by a man’s cursing. The woman screamed again, and there was a shot. McQuade leaped from the wagon box, his revolver in his hand. There was a full moon, and stumbling around in the wagon circle was a stark naked woman. A man lay on the ground before one of the wagons, while another stood over him with a pistol.
    â€œDrop the gun,” McQuade shouted, “or I’ll kill you where you stand.”
    The pistol clattered against a wagon wheel and fell to the ground. McQuade recognized the man as Trent Putnam, who had a woman with him. She cowered fearfully against one of the wagons. Hardy Kilgore came running with a lighted lantern, and while McQuade held his pistol on Putnam, Kilgore brought the lantern close enough for them to identify Luke, the youngest of the Burkes.