Buck and the Widow Rancher (2006) by Carlton Youngblood Read Free Book Online

behind.’ The two men at the table exchanged glances and then turned their chairs to face the bar.
    ‘Now I’m pretty much a stranger in these parts, but I did recognize the Rocking C brand on one cow in the bunch that was corralled by the spring.’
    ‘So what?’ one of the two men at the table asked with a sneer. ‘The Rocking C is a big spread. Their stock is probably all over the place.’
    ‘Yep, I reckon,’ Buck agreed, taking another sip of beer. ‘The only problem is that the calf that was suckling this cow was wearing a different brand … a fresh brand.’
    ‘Hey, there was some talk the other day about rustlers hitting the Randle ranch,’ the shopkeeper down the bar said. ‘Their foreman, Hank, was in town and mentioned it.’
    ‘Well,’ Buck nodded, ‘I’d say this may just be the work ofthe bad guys. I left my crew there and came on into town to see what I could find. Guess I’ll drop on out to Mrs Randle’s place tomorrow and let her know what we found.’ He had turned so he could see the two cowboys as well as the bartender. ‘What I’m really wondering, Henry, is who belongs to that bay outside, the one with three white stockings ? That looks a lot like the horse we saw leaving the little spring as we rode in.’
    ‘Hey, now, wait just a minute. That bay out at the rail is mine, stranger. And I don’t take to anyone calling me a rustler.’ The man with the red kerchief tied loosely around his neck was now standing.
    ‘Oh, I didn’t call anyone anything,’ Buck said, still standing relaxed but letting one hand drop to the butt of his Colt. With his thumb he flicked off the thong that held the gun in its holster. ‘However, the gent that was seen riding that bay away from the fire was wearing leather chaps and a darkcolored neck scarf.’
    Red kerchief let his body hunch a little, moving his right hand to rest on the butt of the gun that had been shoved behind his belt. From where Buck was standing, it looked like a Remington, probably either a .44 or maybe even a .40 caliber six-shooter.
    ‘Stranger. I think you’d better make your words clear and if you’re naming me a rustler, well, that’ll be the biggest mistake of your short life.’
    ‘Oh, gosh.’ Buck’s smile grew colder causing Henry to move slowly down the bar a ways. ‘I wouldn’t want to point any finger at an innocent man. I’m sure your momma didn’t raise any cattle-thief, that is if you had a momma. But I’ll tell you what. Let’s take a look at your gear. Most cow-thieves I heard about all carry some kind of iron for reworking brands.’
    Thinking about it, red kerchief slowly relaxed and smiled. Glancing down at his partner, he looked back at Buck. ‘I’lltell you, stranger, what I’m gonna do. First we’ll look at my saddle-bags and then I’m gonna shoot you. You’re packing iron. It’ll be a fair gunfight. My partner here will make sure of that, won’t you, Lew?’
    ‘Sure. Sure I will.’ Pushing back his chair he stood beside red kerchief.
    Nodding, Buck motioned toward the door. ‘Then let us all retire to the hitch rail. Henry, would you mind bringing along that Greener you got somewhere behind the bar? I want to make sure old Lew here is as fair as he wants to be.’
    No longer smiling, and careful not to let Buck get behind them, the two men moved to the doors and pushed through. Stepping off the boardwalk, red kerchief went around his horse and stopped.
    ‘What do you have to say now, mister?’ Buck demanded. He had followed the two men off the walk and stood to one side facing them. As red kerchief drew the running iron from his saddle-bag, his face turned white.
    Turning to look at Buck, standing ready, he knew he’d been taken in.
    ‘Damn you!’ he cursed and, throwing the iron away, reached for his revolver.

CHAPTER 6
    Buck’s draw was smooth and slightly behind the other’s and his was the second shot heard by those still on the boardwalk . Red kerchief’s first shot,