Silver Creek - G.L. Snodgrass Page 0,56
reply when Rebecca stepped forward. “These men tried to kill the sheriff. They should be put in prison for the rest of their lives.”
A warm feeling of pride washed through Luke. She didn’t hate him and God she was beautiful when she got like this. A lioness ready to take on the world.
He noticed Sarah glare up at Rebecca with a hatefulness that surprised him.
“They can wait until the judge shows up,” Luke said to the council. “It ain’t no bother guarding them.”
Felton sputtered, “You don’t understand …”
“Oh, I understand perfectly,” Luke said as he looked out over the crowd that had gathered. Obviously, this had to be the best show within five hundred miles. He could see it in their eyes, wondering who would prevail. A touch of violence, justice, and maybe some Felton humiliation mixed in. They were loving the way Felton was being taken down a peg. What is more, both Joshua and Sarah Felton could see it just as well as he could.
“I ain’t releasing them,” Luke said with a steady stare. “That’s up to the judge.”
“You can’t keep them here for two days,” Felton gasped.
“Watch me,” Luke said then spit into the ground next to the closest cowboy. Then, he subtly shifted the rifle on his lap. The slightest move and he could take out anyone stupid enough to try and clear leather.
The crowd mumbled under their breath as both of the Feltons stared at him. Luke was tempted to draw this out, he was enjoying the agony the Feltons were experiencing. But his stomach rumbled, he was hungry and didn’t want to spend the night out here keeping an eye on these men.
“Of course,” he said with a shrug. “If’n they was to admit to their guilt and pay the fine. I guess there wouldn’t be no need to wait until we could hold a trial.”
“Guilty?” one of the prisoners barked. “you attacked us?”
Luke shrugged his shoulders. “I guess you can sit there until the judge sorts it all out. I don’t think it’s going to rain so you should be fine.”
The three prisoners looked up at Felton, silently asking for help.
“How much?” Felton snapped. “The fines?”
Luke looked at the city council. Each man shrugged his shoulders in turn.
Staring back at Felton he smiled and said, “I guess a year's salary. Two fifty each.”
A gasp erupted throughout the crowd. Only Felton held still, his eyes boring into Luke as he ground his teeth. Finally, he nodded at the banker, Tuthill. “Take it from my account.” Then turned and marched off. Sarah and the strange cowboy on his heels.
As they walked away, Luke noticed Felton say something to the gunman then lead him off to the hotel. Interesting, he thought. It appeared as if Joshua had come over to seeing things Sarah’s way.
Sighing to himself, Luke noticed Bill Carver off to the side, shaking his head with admiration. The man hadn’t left. Like he’d said, he wanted to stick around and see the fireworks.
Luke glanced around him. More than a few in the crowd were smiling and slapping each other on the back. It was obvious they understood who had won.
It was time to end this. He’d made his point. The next time, things wouldn’t go so easily.
Felton had believed he was free and clear. If his men won, then there would be nobody to force his brother to remain in jail. If they lost. They could slink away until he could come up with another plan. But now he had learned, failure would result in public humiliation. Luke was sure that there was no higher cost in Joshua Felton’s books.
“Jake,” Luke said to his brother, “Cut ‘em loose.”
His brother frowned at him for a moment as if asking if he was sure he wanted to let them go.
Luke shot him a look that let him know this was not the time to argue.
As Jake cut the ropes, the larger cowboy began rubbing his wrists then asked, “What about our guns?”
Laughing, Luke shook his head. “Those were confiscated as a result of a crime. Assaulting a peace offer. You can file a petition with the judge. Or you can buy some new ones. They should cost you about thirty dollars each.”
The three cowboys grumbled as they looked like they were going to argue but Luke subtly moved the rifle to cover them. “You boys head on home. I’d stay out of Silver Creek for a month or so.”
“You can’t tell us what to do,” the