Death In Helltown by John Legg Read Free Book Online

Bloodworth said. “I was tryin’ to help.”
    “Well, you almost made a mess,” the man snapped, his voice nasally. “I been doin’ this every mornin’ for a long time, sonny.”
    “Well, don’t let me stand in your way, friend,” Bloodworth said with more than a touch of amusement.
    The old man scurried toward the cells in back, carrying his tray of breakfasts for the prisoners. Minutes later, he came out and with a glare at Bloodworth, left. Redmon was right behind him.
    “Well, now, let’s see, what were you due? I got it around here somewhere.”
    “Marshal, I’ve had just about enough of your bullshit. It’s no surprise that you don’t like me, nor have any respect the way I’ve paid my way through life these many years, but I’ll be damned if I’ll stand here and let you make me feel like some steppin’ boy.”
    “I ain’t …”
    “Like hell you ain’t. Now you owe me a hundred and fifty dollars. I want it and I want it now. I do not need you to pretend to have to look for it or remember where it is or any other of your horseshit. Now hand it over and I’ll be out of your way.”
    “You’ll be leavin’ town,” Redmon said, trying to make it sound like an order.
    “Ain’t likely any time soon.”
    “Then you’ll have to check your pistols while you’re in town.”
    “I will not.”
    “You’ll be fined for it every day,” Redmon said rather smugly. “Probably a hundred and fifty bucks over the next week or so.”
    Bloodworth nodded. “Tell you what, Marshal, let’s you and me go on over to the judge and see what he thinks about it. He might listen to you. At first. But once he hears how poorly you do your job at times, he might consider different.”
    Redmon glared.
    Bloodworth sighed. “Look, Marshal, I been tryin’ not to be a thorn in your side, and I don’t plan for you to be one in mine. Now I ain’t caused any trouble ’cept for that fracas a few days ago. And what I did then was to kill a couple of outlaws and let you drive off a couple others. I’m on the trail with the stage more often than not. And I don’t plan to stir up any more trouble unless it’s forced on me. So you got no call to give me grief.”
    Redmon glared up at him a little longer, then nodded. “Reckon you’re right. I would be obliged though if you was to keep out of trouble.”
    “I have every intention of doing so.”
    Redmon handed Bloodworth a small stack of paper money. Without counting it, Bloodworth shoved it into a shirt pocket.
    “When’s your next run?” Redmon asked as Bloodworth turned for the door.
    “Day after tomorrow.” He stepped into the street and shut the door behind him.
     
     

Chapter Seven
     
     
    After another night in the company of Sally, Bloodworth climbed aboard the Carleton Stage Company wagon next to Gil Adcock. “Looks like we might be in for some weather,” he noted.
    Adcock glanced at the leaden-gray sky.
    “Damned if it don’t look like rain.” He shook his head. “Ain’t much worse this time of year than a frog strangler on the flats. ’Cept, of course, those wind twisters. Damn if they ain’t a sight to scare a man enough to soil his britches.”
    “Seen one from far off once. A ways far off, and that was more than close enough.”
    “I reckon it was.”
    “And there’s always Injuns this time of year, but there ain’t as many as there used to be,” Adcock said as he got the stage moving. “And the ones you do see is pretty poor off. If they hadn’t been so devilish along ago, I’d almost feel sorry for ’em.”
    “What do you do during the winter what with the weather bein’ so bad.”
    “Hit and miss I guess you could say. As long as there ain’t much snow, we’ll get through. ’Course, it’s colder’n a witch’s tit, ’specially settin’ up here. Good thing the company provides some nice, thick buff’lo robes. If not, we’d be froze to death time we got to the first stop at Wilson’s place.”
    “I might have to