Dead Man Riding by Gillian Linscott Read Free Book Online Page B

invading my land, trying to burn down my stables with my horses inside, and where are the police? Nowhere.’
    He paused for breath and Alan slipped in, ‘But why are people accusing you of murder?’
    â€˜Let me tell it my way. After the Mafeking nonsense, I’d had enough. I decided it was time to tell the people round here what was really going on. They’re mostly farmers, you see, just like the Boers. I thought they’d understand if I explained it to them.’
    From behind me Meredith sighed under his breath, ‘Another optimist.’
    â€˜So I hired a hall and put up posters. We drew a big crowd, nobody can deny that.’
    Alan asked, ‘Who’s we?’
    â€˜Robin and I. Dulcie wanted to come but we made her stay at home. Just as well. No place for women, as it turned out. They howled me down. Howled me down and dragged me off the platform. Probably would have torn me limb from limb if Robin hadn’t pulled me out and driven back here like a bat out of hell. So we got home, put arnica on our bruises and I thought that was that. At least I’d tried to keep faith with my Boer friends.’
    I asked, ‘So did somebody get killed?’
    â€˜No, that wasn’t until the next night. We were back home here, just Robin and Dulcie and me. It was about ten o’clock and I’d gone out for a last look at the horses, as I always do. Most of them were out in the fields but we had Sid in his box that night and a couple of mares and foals in the main stables. Anyway, as soon as I got outside the door I smelt burning and there was the new hay barn alight and people capering round it cheering and shouting like savages. I went back inside to fetch Robin and my shotgun. When we got outside again some of them were coming this way shouting they were going to set light to the stables. Well, what would you have done? I ask you all, what would you have done?’
    He waited as if he really wanted an answer. There were tears running down his cheeks. He’d started crying unashamedly when he talked about the mares and foals.
    â€˜Can you imagine the sheer wickedness? Wanting to set light to stables with horses inside, and him the son of a horseman.’
    â€˜Who?’
    â€˜The one I’m supposed to have killed. Mawbray’s son. Mawbray the magistrate’s son. I heard his voice giving orders to them. I shouted to them to stop but they kept coming so I fired both barrels. Robin fired too. They shouted a bit. I reloaded and fired again, then they were all running and squealing like a rabbit with a weasel’s teeth in its gizzard.’
    â€˜Except Mawbray’s son?’ Alan asked.
    â€˜As far as I knew at the time, he scuttled off with the rest of them.’
    â€˜But if you’re supposed to have killed him…?’
    â€˜Perhaps he died in a ditch somewhere. Perhaps Old Nick took him straight down to hell to save the trouble and expense of a funeral. All I know is, I shot at where his voice was in the dark and nobody’s seen hide nor hair of him since. And if that’s murder then you’re all under a murderer’s roof and you’d better make the best of it or go elsewhere.’
    Silence, except for a lot of deep breaths round the room. Then Alan said, surprisingly mildly in the circumstances, ‘I wish I’d known.’
    â€˜Would’ve cost a fortune to put all that in a telegram. So if you’d known you wouldn’t have come?’
    â€˜No, I’m not saying I shouldn’t have come, but I shouldn’t have brought my friends.’
    The Old Man seemed to relax a little. ‘Understandable, my boy. We’ll feed and water them and get them bedded down for the night, then Robin’ll get out the wagonette in the morning and take them back to the station.’
    â€˜Yes, I think that’s best.’
    â€˜But you’ll stay, my boy?’ It was almost a plea.
    Alan only hesitated for a