Bobbi Smith by Halfbreed Warrior Read Free Book Online Page A

him.
    Fred knew he wasn’t the only one in the bunkhouse who felt that way. Maybe when he got back to the ranch that night, he’d see what he could do to make Morgan’s life miserable. The sooner the breed moved on, the better.
    “So what’s life like on the Lazy S?” Hawk asked Wade as they rode back toward the house.
    Wade had taken him out to show him more of the ranch.
    “Most of the time it’s quiet,” Wade answered. “There are only three rules here at the Lazy S—no drinking, no gambling, and no fighting, and the men don’t seem to have any trouble with that. The boys might get a little rowdy every now and then, but once payday comes and they get to go into town for a few nights, they get it out of their systems.”
    “What about the rustling? Jack mentioned you’ve had some trouble the last few months.” Hawk glanced toward Wade and noticed how grim he looked.
    “It’s been bad lately. Whoever’s behind it has been hitting us hard. But it’s not just us—they hit the Walker ranch just south of here, too.”
    “Any idea who it might be?”
    “No. I wish I did. Keep an eye out and let me know if you see anything suspicious.”
    “I will.”
    Though Rob had warned Fred not to cause trouble, Fred wasn’t about to ignore the fact that the half-breed was living in the bunkhouse with them. Fred was determined to drive Morgan away, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do.
    That evening he went looking for what he needed. He found it easily, then kept watch, waiting for the half-breed to ride in. When he finally saw Morgan and Wade return, he went into the bunkhouse to set his plan in motion.
    Fred had told several of his friends his plan, so they settled in at the table or lounged in their bunks, waiting to see what was going to happen. Since it was almost dinnertime, they figured they wouldn’t have to wait long for Morgan to show up.
    Hawk and Wade returned to the bunkhouse eager for dinner. They’d put in a long day and were looking forward to taking it easy for a while.
    “Cook will be bringing dinner out soon,” Wade told Hawk as they walked inside. Seeing that some of the men were already there, he greeted them, “How’d you boys do today?”
    “Just fine, Wade,” Fred answered with a lazy grin.
    Rob followed Hawk and Wade into the bunkhouse just in time to hear Fred’s answer. Fred’s seemingly easygoing mood surprised him, considering how angry he’d been about Morgan earlier that day. He wondered if Fred was up to something. He certainly wouldn’t put it past him.
    Hawk went to his bunk to sit down and wait for the cook to bring in dinner. He noticed that some of his things had been moved from where he’d left them on the bed that morning and wondered who’d gone through his belongings. He had started to take inventory to make sure nothing was missing when he noticed something had been stowed under the blanket on his bunk.
    Hawk was expecting trouble. But he wasn’t expecting what he found when he pulled the blanket off the bed.
    There, in the middle of his bunk, was a live rattlesnake, coiled and ready to strike.
    Hawk reacted instantly. He jumped out of harm’s way just as the rattler lashed out.
    The snake missed and re-coiled on the bed, ready to strike again at him.
    Hawk wasted no time. He drew his knife and threw it. His aim was perfect. The rattler was killed instantly, the knife pinning it to the mattress.
    At first Fred and the other hands had laughed as they looked on. Fred had hoped the snake would take care of things for them. Now he looked shocked by how quickly Hawk had reacted.
    “Who’s responsible for this?” Wade demanded.
    When the men saw their foreman’s fury, the mood in the bunkhouse turned sober.
    “We don’t know,” most of them mumbled.
    “There’s just no telling what kind of vermin you’re going to find in this bunkhouse anymore, is there, boys?” Fred drawled sarcastically.
    “Fred . . .” Wade turned on the known