Read Online The Battle At Three-Cross by William Colt MacDonald - Free Book Online Page B

know what I meant, so I asked him what in hell was his idea riding to Tipata to check up on Lance’s alibi after I’d passed my word the alibi was good. I reckon he hadn’t figured on me knowing that, and he gotsort of flustered. I poured it on him pretty strong, and he was glad to get out of here, I reckon.”
    â€œAt that, I figure he’d be a mean man to tangle with,” Lance commented.
    â€œYou’re probably right.” Lockwood nodded. “Well, I’m going to get some chow. My stomach is commencing to think my throat’s cut. What you going to do, Lance?”
    â€œI’m aiming to drop in on the hotel sometime this afternoon and get further acquainted with Professor Jones. I’ve got to see about getting a room there myself anyway.”
    Oscar asked, mouthing a lemon drop, as he dropped into the chair vacated by Lockwood, “You figuring to see if you can pump him about those Loafer-for-William plants?”
    â€œMebbe.” Lance smiled. “I’d just like to get better acquainted with him.”
    He and the sheriff passed through the doorway and started along Main Street. Lance mentioned that he had seen Herrick leave the bank with the bank’s owner, Gillett Addison. Lockwood frowned and said, “I doubt if it means anything. Gill Addison has always been on the up-and-up so far as I know. Incidentally, if you’re going to see the professor you’ll probably meet his niece. She’s a right likely looking filly, if I ever saw one. Her father owned a ranch down in Sonora. He was murdered about a year back. Nobody ever did know who done it. Some Yaquente Indians found the body and brought it into Pozo Verde——”
    â€œThey’re sure the Yaquentes didn’t kill him, eh?”
    â€œI don’t know how sure they are. Being in Sonora, the whole business was up to the Mexican authorities,you know. What they ever did, if anything, I haven’t heard. It was out of my jurisdiction, of course——Say, speaking of Yaquentes—there’s a couple of ’em now across the street.”
    Lance’s gaze followed the sheriff’s pointing finger and saw the two Indians. They were well setup men, clothed in loose, flopping cotton garments, with huge straw sombreros on their heads. One was in his bare feet; his companion wore crude leather sandals. They looked much like the peons to be found throughout Mexico, though there was an air of independence about the two men that almost smacked of belligerence.
    â€œRight peaceful-looking hombres,” Lockwood muttered grimly, “but they’re sure hell on wheels when it comes to fighting. You give them two a six-shooter and a carbine and a bandoleer of ca’tridges and you’d be surprised how it ’d transform ’em. I know; I fought ’em some about fifteen years back. The Mex Government has got ’em held down to some extent at present, but no man can say they were entirely conquered.”
    â€œWhat do you suppose those two are doing in Pozo Verde?”
    â€œThey cross the line and come to town every once in a while,” Lockwood replied. “A small bunch of ’em get a few pesos and come up here for a buying spree every so often. We never have no trouble with ’em. They never do any drinking here—mostly they’re satisfied to buy some beads or knives or bolts of colored cotton——”
    â€œHere’s three more of ’em,” Lance interrupted, “coming along the street on this side.”
    The sheriff didn’t seem greatly concerned. Thethree Yaquentes, dresed approximately the same as the first two Lance had seen, passed them swiftly and turned in at Parker’s General Store.
    Lance laughed. “I hope somebody in that store can speak Yaquente.”
    â€œHe can’t,” Lockwood said dryly. “Nobody speaks Yaquente but a Yaquente. But they get along all right. Some of those