rounde d up Jack Rollick an' two of his boys. Rollick confessed that he helped you tote tha t body over to the Slash Bar, Luby, to dump it on Horn. Besides that, when I jugge d Horn, I searched him, and found what he had plumb forgot-Rollick's tallybook showin' h e rustled cows he'd sold through you and to you, even tellin' about the percentag e he took off whenever you tipped him to good steals."
"It's all a pack of lies," Luby said, but his protest lacked emphasis.
"A search warrant got us into your house while you was down here," Wells went o n remorselessly, "and we scared up that fake deed. Rice, here, he showed me how tha t seal was removed from one paper and used on the other. He also showe d how the will you had was actually an old letter to you from Slater, but changed s o to make it a will. You can tell by the creases where words were changed and adde d on."
Rowdy Horn looked up and saw jenny Welman standing on the edge of the crowd, he r lips parted. She stared at Luby, horrified, then at Rowdy. Abruptly, she turned an d fled.
Horn had no wish to hear more. He was cleared now. Rice caught his eye.
"Boss," he said, "I did what I thought was right. You were gone, so I acted on m y own."
"Fine," Rowdy said, "I'm glad you did." His eyes were straying, searching for th e face he wanted. "You've got your job with me a long as you want it."
Vaho Rainey walked out from the stables, leading her palo mino. Rowdy walked pas t Rice and stopped her. For an instant, their eyes held.
"Honey," he said then, "how many sheep would I have to swap Cleetus for you?"
She laughed. "He'd probably give you sheep to be rid of me. He loves me, I know , but now that I'm a young lady, I think I worry him."
"Maybe you wouldn't want to marry a cowman, even one with a ranch," he suggested.
"Why, Rowdy!" She laughed suddenly, her eyes dancing. "We've been engaged, or practicall y engaged, ever since we got Silverside!"
"What?" He stared at her. "What do you mean?"
She blushed, but her eyes were happy. "Why, I told Cochino that it was the custo m of your people for the bride to bring a pony to her husband, and only the fines t pony would do. That was what he was saying by the stables this morning. He said al l he wanted in return for the horse, which he had actually given me to give you, anyway , was for you to take good care of your squaw!"
He chuckled. "Why, I reckon that's a good deal," he said whimsically. "The cheapes t durned horse I ever got!"
"It's all a pack of lies," Luby said, but his protest lacked emphasis.
"A search warrant got us into your house while you was down here," Wells went o n remorselessly, "and we scared up that fake deed. Rice, here, he showed me how tha t seal was removed from one paper and used on the other. He also showe d how the will you had was actually an old letter to you from Slater, but changed s o to make it a will. You can tell by the creases where words were changed and adde d on."
Rowdy Horn looked up and saw jenny Welman standing on the edge of the crowd, he r lips parted. She stared at Luby, horrified, then at Rowdy. Abruptly, she turned an d fled.
Horn had no wish to hear more. He was cleared now. Rice caught his eye.
"Boss," he said, "I did what I thought was right. You were gone, so I acted on m y own."
"Fine," Rowdy said, "I'm glad you did." His eyes were straying, searching for th e face he wanted. "You've got your job with me a long as you want it."
Vaho Rainey walked out from the stables, leading her palo mino. Rowdy walked pas t Rice and stopped her. For an instant, their eyes held.
"Honey," he said then, "how many sheep would I have to swap Cleetus for you?"
She laughed. "He'd probably give you sheep to be rid of me. He loves me, I know , but now that I'm a young lady, I think I worry him."
"Maybe you wouldn't want to marry a cowman, even one with a ranch," he suggested.
"Why, Rowdy!" She laughed suddenly, her eyes dancing. "We've been engaged, or practicall y engaged, ever since we got Silverside!"
"What?" He stared at her. "What do you mean?"
She blushed, but her eyes were happy. "Why, I told Cochino that it was the custo m of your people for the bride to bring a pony to her husband, and only the fines t pony would do. That was what he was saying by the stables this morning. He said al l he wanted in return for the horse, which he had actually given me to give you, anyway , was for you to take good care of your squaw!"
He chuckled. "Why, I reckon that's a good deal," he said whimsically. "The cheapes t durned horse I ever got!"
Similar Books
Space Station Crisis: Star Challengers Book 2
Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, June Scobee Rodgers
