Rio Loco by Robert J. Conley Read Free Book Online Page B

shotgun pointed at the door. I heaved a heavy sigh and shut the door behint me. Dingle latched it back.
    â€œWe heard shooting,” Sly said.
    â€œI just kilt a couple a’ cowhands what was taking potshots at me,” I said.
    â€œThey’re all over town, Barjack,” said Happy.
    â€œThat there’s just what I come back to talk with you about,” I said. I went back behint my desk and set down. The first thing I done was to open up my desk drawer and get out my bottle and some glasses. I poured some drinks around. Sly turned it down.
    â€œWhat are we going to do?” said Polly.
    â€œIf you get a shot at one, kill him,” I said.
    â€œWithout he’s doing nothing wrong?” said Happy.
    â€œThey’re all in town to get Owl Shit outta jail,” I said. “That there is wrong enough, ain’t it?”
    â€œWell, I guess.”
    â€œAll I done just now was to come walking outta the Hooch House,” I said, “and two of them went to shooting at me. I was just lucky, is all. We ain’t going to wait for them to shoot first no more. When you see them, kill them.”
    â€œYes, sir,” said Happy.
    Sly was standing at the winder kinda looking out sideways. “It looks like they’re all going into the Hooch House,” he said.
    â€œGood,” I said. “Maybe I’ll get most a’ their money before we have to kill them dead.”
    Churkee stepped over to my desk then, and he said, “So, does that mean that we just sit in here and wait till we get a shot at each one of them?”
    â€œThat’s about the only thing that I can see that we can do,” I said. “Does any one a’ you have any other idee? I’d be glad to hear it if you do.”
    No one said anything, so I just tuck me a drink, was all. Sly was still a-watching out the winder. “Where’s Butcher?” I said.
    â€œHe’s on the roof,” Happy said.
    â€œGood. That’s just where he’d ought to be. Anyone seen Chugwater?”
    â€œI saw him go into the Hooch House with his boys,” Sly said.
    Of a sudden, I begun to worry about my Bonnie. Would Chugwater mess with her? I wondered. I didn’t think so, but then you never knowwhat a bastard will do whenever he gets desperate. I thunk about taking all my posse over to the Hooch House, but then, who would watch the jail? I didn’t have enough men to split them up neither. Not against that bunch of Chugwater’s. I drank my whiskey on down fast and poured me another glass full. I thunk to my own self, If that Chugwater bothers my Bonnie, there’ll be hell to pay. I won’t kill him. Not right off. I’ll tie his ass up and strip his skin off. Real slow. I’ll skin him alive and tack his hide up right in front of him, him there all raw and bleeding. He had ought to know it too, and if he knows it, he’ll leave her alone and just only pay for his damn drinks over there, is all.
    â€œDingle,” I said.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œHas any a’ them seen you with us? Besides them two I just kilt, I mean.”
    â€œI don’t think so.”
    â€œThen you’d oughta be safe out there. I want you to go back over to the Hooch House and set in a corner and keep your eyes and ears open. If anything happens that hadn’t ought to, come back over here and tell me.”
    â€œI’ll do it,” he said, and he headed for the door.
    â€œWait a minute,” I said. I got up and tuck a Webley Bulldog pocket pistol outta my gun rack and I dropped it into his coat pocket. “Go out the back door,” I said.
    â€œOkay.” He turned and went out through the back room. He was a-carrying his notepad with him.
    Polly said, “Barjack, will he be all right?”
    â€œI think so,” I said. “They don’t know that he’s with us. He’s just only a scribbler, is all. They won’t mess with