The Border Empire by Ralph Compton Read Free Book Online Page A

of a stable where they might put up their horses. Leaving the packsaddle in the rented room, they then led their horses to a dilapidated livery barn a hundred yards down the rutted street. This was a poor section of town, and they saw nobody. Wes had tipped the cumbersome sombrero down over his eyes to lessen the possibility of his being recognized as an American.
    â€œI reckon there’s no point in goin’ back to that room,” Wes said. “Let’s take a look at the town and maybe get some grub.”
    Empty trotted along behind them, suspicious of this strange place. Once they reached the narrow streets lined with cafes and cantinas, Wes began to breathe a little easier, for he and Maria were dressed in the same simple fashion as were the Mexicans. Patient mules drew two-wheeled carts along cobblestone streets. Within the carts were pigs and various fowl, while young boys herded small bunches of sheep and goats. Except for an occasional beggar, all the men seemed bound for some destination. Two women stood outside what was obviously a bordello. But one thing bothered Wes. He and Maria were armed, and the belted Colts immediately set them apart. While the Mexicans avoided them, three men on the other side of the narrow street did not. Two were Anglo, while one was a half-breed, and all were dressed like the border outlaws who had gunned down Nathan Stone back in El Paso. Each wore a tied-down revolver, and they did nothing to conceal their obvious interest in the pair of Mejicanos who were similarly armed. The ‘breed said something, and his companions laughed.
    â€œDon’t look now,” said Wes, “but we’ve been discovered. We might have gotten by in Mexican clothes, but our guns are givin’ us away.”
    â€œWhat must we do?” Maria asked.
    â€œInto that cantina,” said Wes. “Maybe we can work our way out the back door.”
    But even as they entered the cantina, Wes turned his head just enough to see the trio crossing the street. The cantina was virtually deserted except for the little man behind the bar. Pointing to a keg on tap, Wes held up two fingers, and almost immediately before him were two glasses of vile-looking brew. There was the sound of boots on the wooden floor, as the three men entered the cantina. With his left hand, Wes took a gold coin from his pocket and dropped it on the bar.
    â€œ Madre de Dios ,” said the Mexican bartender.
    He held up both hands as though to push Wes away, his eyes on the gold coin that lay on the bar. It glinted in the faint light from a window, and Wes learned to his horror that it wasn’t a coin, but a coin-sized gold medallion. There was the unmistakable likeness of a dragon on the face of it. There was a sharp intake of breath as the significance of it struck Maria. She dropped behind a table as a slug ripped into the bar where she had been standing. Wes hit the floor, rolling to his left, his Colt blazing. Slugs crashed into the bar as the trio began gunning for Wes, but his first shot was true. One of the outlaws was hit in the chest, and when Maria fired from beneath the table, her shot killed another of the trio. Wes cut down on the ‘breed, and when the slug tore into his upper torso, he dropped his weapon and bolted out the door.
    â€œCome on,” Wes gritted.
    He caught Maria’s hand and they ran down a narrow corridor to the living quarters behind the cantina. There had to be a back door! When they found it—despite their need for haste—Wes eased the door open and peered out. He was looking into a narrow alley, at the backs of other cantinas and shops. There were piles of refuse, empty bottles, and a few discarded tables and chairs with missing legs. From the corner of his eye, Wes caught some movement, but it was Empty, coming on the run.
    â€œWhatever passes for the law in this town will be here muy pronto ,” Wes said. “Let’s get out while we can.”
    They