Silver Creek - G.L. Snodgrass Page 0,14
and Cooper were in their saddles.”
Luke sighed as he laid the star back on the desk before standing up. “If you hear anything. I’d be obliged if you shared it with me. Especially where I can find this Travers fellow.”
Reed nodded. “I understand you got to do what you got to do. But if you cross the line, I’ll have to bring you in.”
Luke smiled for the first time in hours. “Where is this line exactly? Seems to me it shifts a lot in these parts.”
Sheriff Reed smiled back. “That it does. But when you cross it. I’ll be there.”
“Good enough,” Luke said as he turned for the door. He couldn’t blame the man for warning him.
“And Parker,” the sheriff said. “It aint’ Cooper or Mark Felton you need to be worrying about. It’s the older brother, Joshua I’d be concerned with. Don’t let the fancy clothes fool you. The man is tougher than a miner’s mule and quicker than an angry snake. And he knows how to use his hands. Saw him beat a man half to death and not even break a sweat.”
“Why didn’t you arrest him?”
Reed laughed. “The man deserved it. Made a play for Felton’s sister.”
“Does that warrant a beating in these parts? You lot are rather touchy if you ask me.”
The sheriff's smile turned into a quick frown. “Happened about four years ago, She wasn’t more than fourteen at the time. I figured I couldn’t blame Felton.”
“All right,” Luke said. “The man is good with his fists. Thanks for the tip. But does that mean you think Felton was behind all of this?”
“I don’t know what I believe. And can prove even less. But …”
Luke nodded. “My Brother-in-law, Zion Campbell, used to say, a string of coincidences make up a trail that can be followed to a firm fact.”
“Maybe, but we don’t hang men around here without proof. At least not usually.”
Smiling, Luke nodded. “So, you're telling me, don’t bring them in for hanging? I should take care of it out on the range? Might be difficult. Ain’t many trees in these parts.”
“No! that ain’t what I’m saying,” the sheriff said as his face turned red. “I’m telling you. Don’t do something unless you got the proof. I liked Tom Johnson. And that Rebecca is sweeter than a spring foal. What happened to her is not right. You get the proof and I’ll take them. Regardless of who they are.”
Luke nodded that he understood but he didn’t agree to the conditions. No. When he found the killer. He’d deal with them himself.
As he stepped off the boardwalk, he looked up the street and shook his head. He could see what the sheriff was dealing with. Men in rough clothes. A few loitering, looking for trouble if he was any judge. Others in a hurry, not really caring who was in their way.
While he stood there, the doors of the Red House burst open as two men tumbled out into the street wrestling and punching at each other like crazed wolverines.
A small crowd of cowboys formed to watch, some yelling encouragement. Others’ grumbling, obviously wanting to jump in and help.
Both of the men rolled over each other until the larger one gained a purchase and held the man down as his fist plowed into his opponent. Only when one was out cold, did two men pull the top man off and away. Then the entire group turned and walked back into the saloon, clapping each other on the back. Leaving the fallen man in the dirt.
Luke shook his head as he crossed the street to the fallen cowboy. The man couldn’t be twenty with a battered face turning black and blue.
The man squinted up through swelling eyes. “Did I get him?” he croaked.
“Next time,” Luke said as he held out a hand to help the man up.
The cowboy tried to focus on the hand before him and had to swipe at it twice before he could take the grip and pull himself up to his feet. Once standing, he wobbled over to the trough and plunged his head in to try to clear the cobwebs.
“God, the man punches like a mule.”
Luke smiled. “Never get in a fight with a mule. They’re too stupid to know when to quit.”
“Hey, it weren’t my idea,” he said before he held out his hand to shake. “Name’s Bill Carver. Thanks for the help.”
Luke shook the man’s hand and made a quick assessment. Cowboy, young, probably in over his head. “Luke