Silver Creek - G.L. Snodgrass Page 0,55

hitching rail, their hands, and feet tied up and secured to the rail. They weren’t going anywhere, not without help.

Luke stood there for a moment and watched as people walking by gave the men derisive looks of contempt. In fact, it looked as if the town’s people were making it a point to visit the jail area just so they could look down their noses at the cowboys.

Each of the cowboys hung their heads in shame. Losing a fight was one thing. But three losing to one man was embarrassing. And then to be displayed like this. There couldn’t be a worse punishment.

“How long you going to keep us here,” one of them growled. “It ain’t right.”

Luke scoffed, “I ain’t decided. Maybe when the buzzards have done picked you clean. Maybe then I’ll untie the ropes from your bones.”

The man glared back up at him. Luke had to admire his guts, but not his intelligence. “How much did Felton pay you for this?”

Each of the men stared down, unwilling to admit anything.

“Let me guess. Thirty dollars.”

The smaller one glanced at his partner with large eyes. Luke knew that he’d hit the mark perfectly.

“I got to ask?” he continued. “Was it worth it?”

Again, the three of them ignored him. He smiled to himself as he pulled a chair out of the jail and set it just to the side of the door. Sitting down, he asked Jake to bring him a rifle.

Luke tipped the chair back against the adobe wall and stared up the street as he rested the rifle across his lap. It wouldn’t be long. Not if he knew Felton.

Rebecca stepped out, looked at the men then raised her eyebrow at him, silently asking him what next. Jake leaned up against the door frame and seemed to be wondering the same thing.

He shrugged as he nodded to the north. Joshua Felton was storming up the street like a bull buffalo charging a competitor trying to steal one of his harem.

“Parker,” the rancher yelled when he came within range. “What are these men doing here like this.”

“Your brother’s hogging the cell. You Circle B people do like to cause problems.” Luke said without getting up out of his chair. “This is the next best thing. If this keeps up, I’m going to have the town build some more cells.”

The man’s face turned beet red as he fought to keep himself under control. Luke wondered what upset him more. The fact that they had failed in taking him out. Or that the failure was so public in nature. And then, to top it off, the thought of his men, Circle B men, being displayed like this must be eating at his craw.

He continued to stare at the sheriff, then down at his men. A small speck of spittle appeared at the corner of the man’s lips. If he weren’t careful, the man was going to blow a cork.

Felton seemed to come to some kind of decision before he quickly turned and marched off.

“I wouldn’t worry boys,” Luke said to the men tied to the rail. “He’ll be back.”

And within minutes their boss appeared again, this time trailed by a good portion of the city council. Tuthill, Seaver, and Jamison. Not Strumph, Luke thought, interesting. Felton had only gotten halfway back when Sarah Felton stepped out of the restaurant and joined her brother. A tall, well-dressed man walked at her side. When they drew close enough, Luke stared into the man’s eyes. Cold as a fish, he thought. This was the man Becky had told him about and she was right. A hired gun if ever there was one.

“Tell him,” Felton said to the council.

Seaver stepped forward, his face had lost half its color as he looked down, unable to meet Luke’s eyes. Even Jamison, whose beaten miner, had started this whole fiasco, looked as if he was having second thoughts.

“You can’t keep them here like this,” the merchant said.

“You want I should hang them?” Luke asked.

All three council members cringed as they glanced over at Felton, obviously worried while also ashamed. They didn’t like carrying water for Felton. He must have really threatened them. He and his ranch were critical to the economic survival of the town. Either that, or he’d threatened open warfare.

Obviously, Felton’s biggest worry was his men being displayed for everyone to see. They were a constant reminder that he had failed.

“No, of course not,” Tuthill said. “We don’t want you to hang them. How ridiculous.”

Luke started to