Read Online The Rattlesnake Season by Larry D. Sweazy - Free Book Online
Authors: Larry D. Sweazy
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move, not taking responsibility for Charlie until he had to, not ordering one of his Rangers to help Charlie mount the sad-looking mare the sheriff had provided. There’d be plenty of helping Charlie Langdon up and down off the horse on the trail—if the horse made it to Tyler alive. It was the most haggard, swaybacked creature Josiah had ever seen.
Charlie settled in on the saddle as best he could, and cast a sidelong glance back to Josiah. “Surprised to see you here, Wolfe.”
“Bet you are.”
“Heard Burly met his maker at the hand of a Mexican. Why doesn’t it surprise me one bit that you’d have a Mexican watching your back?”
Josiah glared at Charlie. His stomach was rustling about like there was a swarm of bees let loose inside him. He wasn’t scared—maybe nervous, maybe anticipating whatever it was that was coming next, because it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
It was, he knew instinctively, going to be a long ride north, and he couldn’t let Charlie see one buzzing bee of discomfort in his stomach or he’d be a dead man . . . sooner rather than later.
“Shut up,” Captain Fikes said, as he mounted Fat Susie in one swift blur of movement. The captain’s spryness never ceased to amaze Josiah, as did his directness.
Not one minute into the ride, and Josiah had already broken one of the captain’s rules. He wasn’t quite sure what had caused it . . . other than that Charlie always threw him off center when he was in his company. Always.
“Both of you just shut up,” the captain continued to rant. “Don’t make me regret my decision bringing you down here, Wolfe.”
“Yes, sir. It was the right decision, sir.”
Sheriff Patterson walked up to the captain and offered him the key to the metal bracelets that bound Charlie Langdon’s wrists. Fikes snatched the key from the man’s hand and stuffed it in his vest pocket.
“Stop in the office the next time you ride into town, Fikes. I want to know you’re here.”
The captain squinted his eyes, rolled his tongue in his mouth, and spit again. This time he hit his target dead-on. The sheriff’s boot dripped with spit. At some point the captain had stuffed a fresh plug of tobacco in his cheek, and he’d been working up a mouthful of stringy brown juice to release at just the right moment.
Scrap had to restrain himself from laughing out loud.
Without saying another word, Captain Fikes let out a yell that sounded like a whoop, then waited for Sam Willis and Vi McClure to get the escort party moving.
Sheriff Patterson started cursing the captain and the Rangers as they began to move forward. Fikes ignored the sheriff, stared straight ahead like the man had never existed.
Out of the corner of his eye, Josiah was certain he saw a quick smile pass across Captain Hiram Fikes’s weathered face as they rode out of shouting distance, but he couldn’t be quite sure. The captain always celebrated his victories in subtle ways.
Now that they were on the way, Fikes was focused on his prisoner, and there was no mistaking the tension that came from escorting a man as dangerous and loathsome as Charlie Langdon. The tussle with the sheriff was the last thing the captain would be worried about.
Though Josiah was sure that Juan Carlos’s well-being wasn’t too far out of Fikes’s mind.
CHAPTER 7
San Antonio disappeared quickly behind Josiah and the other Rangers. It did not take the horses long to find a comfortable rhythm. Even the supply ponies and the heavy breather that Charlie was riding offered no restraint or stubbornness as they eased up a slight ridge on the trail.
Josiah stared at the back of Charlie Langdon’s head for the longest time, trying to force himself not to remember all of the times he had ridden with the man in the past. Obviously, the bees were still buzzing in his stomach, and the last thing he wanted to do was show Charlie, or the captain, any fear . . . so he began whistling.
Lily played the piano, and the only songs
Charlie settled in on the saddle as best he could, and cast a sidelong glance back to Josiah. “Surprised to see you here, Wolfe.”
“Bet you are.”
“Heard Burly met his maker at the hand of a Mexican. Why doesn’t it surprise me one bit that you’d have a Mexican watching your back?”
Josiah glared at Charlie. His stomach was rustling about like there was a swarm of bees let loose inside him. He wasn’t scared—maybe nervous, maybe anticipating whatever it was that was coming next, because it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
It was, he knew instinctively, going to be a long ride north, and he couldn’t let Charlie see one buzzing bee of discomfort in his stomach or he’d be a dead man . . . sooner rather than later.
“Shut up,” Captain Fikes said, as he mounted Fat Susie in one swift blur of movement. The captain’s spryness never ceased to amaze Josiah, as did his directness.
Not one minute into the ride, and Josiah had already broken one of the captain’s rules. He wasn’t quite sure what had caused it . . . other than that Charlie always threw him off center when he was in his company. Always.
“Both of you just shut up,” the captain continued to rant. “Don’t make me regret my decision bringing you down here, Wolfe.”
“Yes, sir. It was the right decision, sir.”
Sheriff Patterson walked up to the captain and offered him the key to the metal bracelets that bound Charlie Langdon’s wrists. Fikes snatched the key from the man’s hand and stuffed it in his vest pocket.
“Stop in the office the next time you ride into town, Fikes. I want to know you’re here.”
The captain squinted his eyes, rolled his tongue in his mouth, and spit again. This time he hit his target dead-on. The sheriff’s boot dripped with spit. At some point the captain had stuffed a fresh plug of tobacco in his cheek, and he’d been working up a mouthful of stringy brown juice to release at just the right moment.
Scrap had to restrain himself from laughing out loud.
Without saying another word, Captain Fikes let out a yell that sounded like a whoop, then waited for Sam Willis and Vi McClure to get the escort party moving.
Sheriff Patterson started cursing the captain and the Rangers as they began to move forward. Fikes ignored the sheriff, stared straight ahead like the man had never existed.
Out of the corner of his eye, Josiah was certain he saw a quick smile pass across Captain Hiram Fikes’s weathered face as they rode out of shouting distance, but he couldn’t be quite sure. The captain always celebrated his victories in subtle ways.
Now that they were on the way, Fikes was focused on his prisoner, and there was no mistaking the tension that came from escorting a man as dangerous and loathsome as Charlie Langdon. The tussle with the sheriff was the last thing the captain would be worried about.
Though Josiah was sure that Juan Carlos’s well-being wasn’t too far out of Fikes’s mind.
CHAPTER 7
San Antonio disappeared quickly behind Josiah and the other Rangers. It did not take the horses long to find a comfortable rhythm. Even the supply ponies and the heavy breather that Charlie was riding offered no restraint or stubbornness as they eased up a slight ridge on the trail.
Josiah stared at the back of Charlie Langdon’s head for the longest time, trying to force himself not to remember all of the times he had ridden with the man in the past. Obviously, the bees were still buzzing in his stomach, and the last thing he wanted to do was show Charlie, or the captain, any fear . . . so he began whistling.
Lily played the piano, and the only songs
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