Read Online Midnight Rider (Ralph Cotton Western Series) by Ralph Cotton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ralph Cotton
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directed the Giant’s large hand against it.
“Of course it’s not, Rock,” the Giant said. “No offense. I just ain’t myself right this minute. Hell, you saved my life. I’ll call you Mr. Rochenbach if you want. Man, if you hadn’t been there—” He lowered his big head as his voice cracked with emotion.
Rochenbach and Casings gave each other a bemused look.
“It’s
all right
, Giant,” Rock said. “You need to put it out of your mind. It’s over.”
The Giant looked at his drying trousers, then at Rochenbach and Casings.
“I’d just as soon Grolin not hear about any of this,” he said, shaking his swollen head slowly, the wet cloth pressed against it.
“I’ve faced a wild bear, once wrestled a Louisianaalligator, killed men of every size, shape and color,” he said. “I fear nothing—not the devil in hell. But a damn snake gets near me, I fall plumb apart. That’s all there is to it.”
“All right, we understand,” said Spiller, sounding a little tired of hearing it. He stepped in and put a cup of steaming coffee in the Giant’s free hand. “You need to buck up and get control of yourself. Like Rock here said,
it’s over.
”
The Stillwater Giant lifted his eyes around to Spiller and gave him a hard stare.
“Obliged for the coffee, Dent,” he said, his deep, intimidating voice starting to return. “But don’t start crowding me over this. I’ve also taken a hell of a lick to the head. You ought to know how that feels after what happened to you.” He nodded toward the welt on Spiller’s head.
“Forget it,” Spiller said. He backed off, not wanting hear any more remarks about low-hanging tree limbs.
Rochenbach walked over to his dun and led it back with him, his Spencer rifle in hand.
“What do you say, big fellow?” he asked the Giant. “You feel up to riding yet?”
“I can ride,” the Giant said. Then his deep, powerful voice turned childlike. “But can I—can I ride alongside you?” he asked hesitantly.
Casings and Rockenbach shot each other a curious look.
“Sure,” said Rochenbach, “you’re welcome to ride right beside me.”
The men looked at each other guardedly as theStillwater Giant stood up and stepped around the fire in his long johns and put on his trousers. As he dressed, his eyes kept looking warily all around on the ground.
“I’ve never seen a man fall apart so fast in my life,” Spiller whispered to Bonham and Batts.
“It’s plumb wrenching to watch,” Batts whispered in reply, turning sadly away and looking out across the rock land.
But Spiller and Bonham continued staring at the Giant as he walked over to his horse, Rochenbach leading his dun alongside him.
Jesus.…
Casings looked the two gunmen up and down with disdain.
“Think we can get going now?” he said wryly. “Or do you two need to be walked to your horses?”
“Hell no!” Spiller said. He and Bonham bristled at Casings’ words. They both appeared to snap out of their transfixed state. “Come on, Lon, let’s get the hell out of here.”
Back in their saddles, they rode on at a strong, steady pace for the rest of the day until they’d made their way upward from the east to the foothills town of Central City. There, the six horsemen left the trail and rode along an abandoned miner’s path into a string of gulches until the rocky land swallowed them.
When they were out of sight on a hillside below the booming mining town, they made camp around a small fire. They ate jerked elk and beans from air-tights they’d brought along in their saddlebags.
As they finished their dinner, the Stillwater Giant looked back and forth from one face to the next.
“I want all of you to know that what happened to me back there today, it
never happened
,” he said in his deep, strong voice. The threat was there and clearly understood. Yet he continued, saying, “If I hear anybody saying anything about it, I’ll yank his tongue from his mouth and make a coin purse out of
“Of course it’s not, Rock,” the Giant said. “No offense. I just ain’t myself right this minute. Hell, you saved my life. I’ll call you Mr. Rochenbach if you want. Man, if you hadn’t been there—” He lowered his big head as his voice cracked with emotion.
Rochenbach and Casings gave each other a bemused look.
“It’s
all right
, Giant,” Rock said. “You need to put it out of your mind. It’s over.”
The Giant looked at his drying trousers, then at Rochenbach and Casings.
“I’d just as soon Grolin not hear about any of this,” he said, shaking his swollen head slowly, the wet cloth pressed against it.
“I’ve faced a wild bear, once wrestled a Louisianaalligator, killed men of every size, shape and color,” he said. “I fear nothing—not the devil in hell. But a damn snake gets near me, I fall plumb apart. That’s all there is to it.”
“All right, we understand,” said Spiller, sounding a little tired of hearing it. He stepped in and put a cup of steaming coffee in the Giant’s free hand. “You need to buck up and get control of yourself. Like Rock here said,
it’s over.
”
The Stillwater Giant lifted his eyes around to Spiller and gave him a hard stare.
“Obliged for the coffee, Dent,” he said, his deep, intimidating voice starting to return. “But don’t start crowding me over this. I’ve also taken a hell of a lick to the head. You ought to know how that feels after what happened to you.” He nodded toward the welt on Spiller’s head.
“Forget it,” Spiller said. He backed off, not wanting hear any more remarks about low-hanging tree limbs.
Rochenbach walked over to his dun and led it back with him, his Spencer rifle in hand.
“What do you say, big fellow?” he asked the Giant. “You feel up to riding yet?”
“I can ride,” the Giant said. Then his deep, powerful voice turned childlike. “But can I—can I ride alongside you?” he asked hesitantly.
Casings and Rockenbach shot each other a curious look.
“Sure,” said Rochenbach, “you’re welcome to ride right beside me.”
The men looked at each other guardedly as theStillwater Giant stood up and stepped around the fire in his long johns and put on his trousers. As he dressed, his eyes kept looking warily all around on the ground.
“I’ve never seen a man fall apart so fast in my life,” Spiller whispered to Bonham and Batts.
“It’s plumb wrenching to watch,” Batts whispered in reply, turning sadly away and looking out across the rock land.
But Spiller and Bonham continued staring at the Giant as he walked over to his horse, Rochenbach leading his dun alongside him.
Jesus.…
Casings looked the two gunmen up and down with disdain.
“Think we can get going now?” he said wryly. “Or do you two need to be walked to your horses?”
“Hell no!” Spiller said. He and Bonham bristled at Casings’ words. They both appeared to snap out of their transfixed state. “Come on, Lon, let’s get the hell out of here.”
Back in their saddles, they rode on at a strong, steady pace for the rest of the day until they’d made their way upward from the east to the foothills town of Central City. There, the six horsemen left the trail and rode along an abandoned miner’s path into a string of gulches until the rocky land swallowed them.
When they were out of sight on a hillside below the booming mining town, they made camp around a small fire. They ate jerked elk and beans from air-tights they’d brought along in their saddlebags.
As they finished their dinner, the Stillwater Giant looked back and forth from one face to the next.
“I want all of you to know that what happened to me back there today, it
never happened
,” he said in his deep, strong voice. The threat was there and clearly understood. Yet he continued, saying, “If I hear anybody saying anything about it, I’ll yank his tongue from his mouth and make a coin purse out of
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