Read Online Lawman from Nogales (9781101544747) by Ralph W. Cotton - Free Book Online Page B

nodded. He picked up his coffee cup, but instead of sitting, he stood up and sipped his coffee while he picked up her blanket, shook it out and draped it over his shoulder. Then he picked her saddle up from the ground and walked it over to the roan.
    With the knife in her hand slicing the elk meat, Erin turned enough to watch Sam set his coffee down and saddle the roan for her.
    â€œI’m able to saddle my own horse,” she called out.
    â€œI know that,” Sam said, his back turned to her.
    She watched him roll her blanket and place it behind her saddle. She looked down at the knife in her hand, turning it back and forth, examining it for a moment. Then her eyes went to Sam’s black-point dun, and to the wooden gun case beneath his bedroll.
    â€œWhat’s in the case?” she asked.
    â€œA gift from a friend,” Sam said. Then, realizing that she already knew it was a gun, he added, “It’s a Swiss rifle, a gift from a former marine sharpshooter—a Cuban named Dee Sandoval.”
    â€œOh, it’s what they call a long-shooter?” she asked.
    â€œYes, it is,” Sam replied.
    â€œYou—you’ll be using it on the Gun Killers?” she asked hesitantly.
    â€œI’ll have to see how things go,” Sam replied, not wanting to put her off, but not really wanting to discuss the matter.
    Seeing his reluctance, Erin changed the subject. “Will you be teaching me to shoot Bram’s gun today?” she called out.
    â€œAs soon as we get across the flats and back into the hills,” Sam said without looking around at her. “There’s an old mission ruins higher up. We’ll take a good rest there and get you shooting in no time. How does that sound to you?”
    Erin smiled to herself and went back to slicing the jerked meat.
    â€œThat sounds just fine to me,” she said. “I see you’re not carrying the Starr in your belt.”
    â€œNo, I put it away in my saddlebags,” Sam said. “When you almost fainted on me in Wild Roses, I took it back. I didn’t want you to drop it on your foot.”
    â€œYes, I understand,” Erin said.
    â€œDo you want it back now?” Sam asked.
    â€œNo, not right now,” Erin replied quietly, still slicing the meat. “But once we’re across the flatlands . . . when the time comes.” She looked back around at him with a smile.
    â€œYes, when the time comes,” Sam said, almost to himself.

PART 2

Chapter 9

    Sonora Charlie Ring and Clyde Jilson had ridden a few feet behind Hector Pasada all the way back to Wild Roses. Knowing that Clyde Jilson was behind him made Hector’s skin crawl. He couldn’t wait to get away from these two madmen. Theirs was not the action of normal men, of that much he was certain.
    He thought of what had happened last night while he dried his trousers by the fire. The thought of it caused his anger to rise again. It took everything inside him to keep from turning in his saddle and emptying the shotgun into Clyde Jilson’s face. But he managed to ride on in silence. Soon this would be over. He’d have done the job Defoe sent him to do, he told himself, nudging his horse on toward Wild Roses.
    By the time the three rode onto the main street of Wild Roses, a thin line of sunlight wreathed the jagged horizon in the east. Three-Hand Defoe stood on the low boardwalk out in front of the Perros Malos Cantina. A cigar hung from the forked fingers of his real right hand; a cup of coffee steamed in his left. Beside him three doves lounged with steaming coffee of their own.
    â€œHopper,” Defoe said to the dove nearest him, “go tell old Margo we’ve got three more coming for chuck.”
    As the three rode up and stopped in front of him, Defoe had handed his cup of coffee to Sidel Tereze and stood with his right hand inside his coat on the butt of his pistol. Even to people who knew him, it was hard to tell if the arm at