slapped Austin on the back again. “I’m happier than a single piglet at dinnertime to have you here in Florence.”
Austin marched toward the door. “There must be some mistake!” He had to straighten out his future before he dealt with Jennie. As he passed her, he raised a finger. “I’m—”
“I know,” Jennie interrupted and handed him his hat. “You’re not finished talking to me yet.” Her smile left no doubt she knew she’d won yet another round.
Austin fought the urge to grab her and rattle the grin off her face. He stormed out of Clifton House and was halfway to town before he realized he had no idea where the sheriff’s office was located. When he turned around, he noticed Spider Morris strolling along behind him. Though the man was not tall, his legs were long, probably the origin of his nickname.
Waiting for the sheriff to catch up, Austin yelled, “Do you think we can wire headquarters and get this straightened out? There has to be some mistake. I’m due back in Texas in a week. I can’t waste my time in a little town like this.”
Morris shook his head. “I already checked. They posted you here.”
“But why me?” Austin couldn’t see the logic. “I’ve been on the trail for ten years. They’ve got men to handle trouble with train robbers, and this town’s already got you for a sheriff.”
The old man moved even with Austin and shifted his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other before speaking. “Maybe they figure the storm that’s headed our way needs two men. It’s nothing to do with that train robbery you were involved in yesterday. However, that is how the trouble all started six years ago.”
“If it’s been six years, the trail’s a little cold by now.” Austin matched Morris’s steps.
“Oh, we caught those bandits. Sent six men to the federal prison for robbing a train. It was one well-planned robbery out of many they’d pulled, and one hell of a night till we caught them. Before dawn the day after the robbery, several men and one woman were dead. The leader of the gang swore he’d come back and burn the town down.”
“Every man I’ve ever helped convict made such a promise,” Austin added.
“Yeah, but this one is named Buck Lawton, and I got word three days ago that he and his men broke out of jail. He’s got some country to cross, but my guess is after he’s rounded up his old gang, he’ll be paying us a visit.”
“You really think he’s heading this way?” Austin asked.
“I’d stake my badge on it.” Morris slowed his pace. “But I’m not willing to risk everyone in this town, so for the first time I wired for help. By the time Lawton rounds up his gang, he’ll have twenty or more men, so I asked for several federal lawmen. The home office said all I’d need was you.”
Spider smiled as he studied Austin. “I figure you must be one hell of a lawman.”
Austin laughed. “I don’t know whether to be flattered or question if they think they’ve found a way to retire me permanently. This isn’t my kind of assignment, sitting around waiting for trouble to show up.”
The sheriff grinned and winked at the same time, making his face resemble a raisin. “Maybe the federal office figures you could learn a few things from me while we’re waiting.”
“How so, old man?”
“I’ve been a lawman for near thirty years and never killed a man yet.”
Austin hardly saw that as a recommendation. He’d run into quite a number of men in the past few years he considered would do the world a favor by being six feet under. “What makes you so sure they’ll come? If this Buck Lawton is smart, he’ll be halfway to California by now.”
“He’s coming. Besides promising to kill the men who caught him, Lawton buried the loot from the last robbery somewhere around here.” Spider Morris shoved his hands in his pockets. “We got big trouble coming, son. I been watching the signs like a farmer watches the clouds, and the storm’s
Austin marched toward the door. “There must be some mistake!” He had to straighten out his future before he dealt with Jennie. As he passed her, he raised a finger. “I’m—”
“I know,” Jennie interrupted and handed him his hat. “You’re not finished talking to me yet.” Her smile left no doubt she knew she’d won yet another round.
Austin fought the urge to grab her and rattle the grin off her face. He stormed out of Clifton House and was halfway to town before he realized he had no idea where the sheriff’s office was located. When he turned around, he noticed Spider Morris strolling along behind him. Though the man was not tall, his legs were long, probably the origin of his nickname.
Waiting for the sheriff to catch up, Austin yelled, “Do you think we can wire headquarters and get this straightened out? There has to be some mistake. I’m due back in Texas in a week. I can’t waste my time in a little town like this.”
Morris shook his head. “I already checked. They posted you here.”
“But why me?” Austin couldn’t see the logic. “I’ve been on the trail for ten years. They’ve got men to handle trouble with train robbers, and this town’s already got you for a sheriff.”
The old man moved even with Austin and shifted his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other before speaking. “Maybe they figure the storm that’s headed our way needs two men. It’s nothing to do with that train robbery you were involved in yesterday. However, that is how the trouble all started six years ago.”
“If it’s been six years, the trail’s a little cold by now.” Austin matched Morris’s steps.
“Oh, we caught those bandits. Sent six men to the federal prison for robbing a train. It was one well-planned robbery out of many they’d pulled, and one hell of a night till we caught them. Before dawn the day after the robbery, several men and one woman were dead. The leader of the gang swore he’d come back and burn the town down.”
“Every man I’ve ever helped convict made such a promise,” Austin added.
“Yeah, but this one is named Buck Lawton, and I got word three days ago that he and his men broke out of jail. He’s got some country to cross, but my guess is after he’s rounded up his old gang, he’ll be paying us a visit.”
“You really think he’s heading this way?” Austin asked.
“I’d stake my badge on it.” Morris slowed his pace. “But I’m not willing to risk everyone in this town, so for the first time I wired for help. By the time Lawton rounds up his gang, he’ll have twenty or more men, so I asked for several federal lawmen. The home office said all I’d need was you.”
Spider smiled as he studied Austin. “I figure you must be one hell of a lawman.”
Austin laughed. “I don’t know whether to be flattered or question if they think they’ve found a way to retire me permanently. This isn’t my kind of assignment, sitting around waiting for trouble to show up.”
The sheriff grinned and winked at the same time, making his face resemble a raisin. “Maybe the federal office figures you could learn a few things from me while we’re waiting.”
“How so, old man?”
“I’ve been a lawman for near thirty years and never killed a man yet.”
Austin hardly saw that as a recommendation. He’d run into quite a number of men in the past few years he considered would do the world a favor by being six feet under. “What makes you so sure they’ll come? If this Buck Lawton is smart, he’ll be halfway to California by now.”
“He’s coming. Besides promising to kill the men who caught him, Lawton buried the loot from the last robbery somewhere around here.” Spider Morris shoved his hands in his pockets. “We got big trouble coming, son. I been watching the signs like a farmer watches the clouds, and the storm’s
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