The Lawless by William W. Johnstone Read Free Book Online

head.
    â€œI killed all three of them?”
    â€œYes, you did. Are you an outlaw? Wait there a minute.” She stood.
    â€œI’m not going anywhere, lady.”
    Kate brought the canteen from her saddle and held it to the wounded man’s mouth. After he drank, then drank again, she said, “Who are those three men? I hope they’re not policemen.”
    â€œPolicemen? Lady, this isn’t the big city.”
    â€œWho are they? Come now, answer me.”
    Blood stained the man’s lips and his breathing was labored. “If I answer you will you leave me alone?”
    She brushed a fly away from his face. “We’ll see.”
    â€œThose three called themselves the White Oak gang. There was four of them at one time, but I hung one of them. Will Stevens was his name. The two lying over there are Sid Collins and Danny Sadler. I’d say Danny was the worst of the bunch, made a hobby out of rape, if you’ll forgive the word. The one that done for me in the end was Will’s huggin’ cousin, Joe McDermott. Joe was a bad one, but true blue in the way he stuck by his kinfolk.
    â€œThere, I’ve told you. Go away and let me make my peace with the Man Upstairs. Him and me haven’t exactly been on speaking terms. And don’t blubber. I can’t abide blubbering women.”
    â€œYou need have no fear of that . . . Mister?”
    â€œMy name’s Frank Cobb.” He saw the question in Kate’s eyes and said, “Oh God, you ain’t ever going away, are you?”
    Kate made no answer.
    He sighed. “Joe and them have been dogging my back trail for the past six weeks. I was sheriff of a small town on the Brazos by the name of Last Chance when I hung Will Stevens for murder and attempted bank robbery. Well, Joe made it known that the White Oak Gang was coming into town to kill me and then burn Last Chance to cinders. When the word got around, the nice townsfolk got together and run me out, said they didn’t want to take a chance on Joe McDermott. Well, Joe caught up with me here and you know the rest. Now you’re a right pretty lady, but leave me the hell alone.”
    â€œThink you can ride?”
    â€œLady, I’m all shot to pieces. Hell no, I can’t ride. All I can do is die with as little fuss and bother to folks as possible.” Cobb grimaced as another wave of pain hit him. “Hell, I’m surprised I ain’t dead already. You’ve done near talked me to death.”
    Kate rose to her feet. “You lay still and drink plenty of water. I’ll send my son and hired man with our wagon to pick you up. Later, they’ll come back and bury your hurting dead.”
    â€œGood. I’ll be dead as a doornail by the time they get here,” Cobb said.
    Determined, she looked squarely at him. “No, you won’t die, Mr. Cobb. You won’t die because I do not wish you to die. And when I don’t wish a thing, it does not happen.”

C HAPTER T WELVE
    Kate Kerrigan removed the ball from Frank Cobb’s thigh and patched up his other wounds as best she could. “Now it’s in God’s hands.”
    The three dead men were buried in the bluff above the cabin and the little cemetery grew. Moses made wooden crosses with their names on them and Kate said the words. The Kerrigan family allowed that outlaws though they were, the men were laid to rest in a decent Christian manner as befitted white men.
    The cabin was small and cramped, but a bed was made up for Cobb in what Kate optimistically called the parlor, a space to the right of the door that was furnished with a chair, table, and usually a bunch of wildflowers in a canning jar vase.
    To everyone’s surprise, he was sitting up in bed after a week and could step outside for fresh air and sunlight after three.
    Kate admired the man’s grit and one morning as they sat outside she told him so. “You’re a strong-willed man, Mr. Cobb. And