Waco's Badge by J. T. Edson Read Free Book Online Page B

coming slowly around the bend of the trail from which the driver and Benjamin Eckland had received their first sight of the woman!
    Although he did not answer what he considered to have been a most tactless question from Senator Paul Michael Twelfinch II, Tract was well versed in the ways of the West and he started to draw conclusions based upon what he could see.
    From the shape of each rider’s low crowned and wide brimmed J.B. Stetson hat and other signs, thedriver assumed they were Texans. They wore the attire of working cowhands and showed signs of hard travelling. However, despite the fact that the man leading the paint was seated on the horse used to aid the deception by the woman, he did not believe they intended any mischief. On the other hand, while they exchanged glances and brief comments at the sight ahead of them, they did not increase the pace at which they were moving.
    Sitting the poor quality horse with easy grace, the taller of the pair being in his late ’teens, was also the younger. Wide shouldered and lean of waist, he was blond haired, clean shaven and handsome. Tightly rolled and knotted about his throat, a scarlet bandana trailed its long ends down the front of his dark blue shirt and brown and white calfskin vest. Turned back into two inches wide cuffs, the legs of his faded Levi’s trousers hung outside high heeled and sharp toed riding boots with Kelly Petmaker spurs on their heels. Around his waist was an exceptionally well designed brown buscadero gunbelt carrying a brace of staghorn handled Colt Artillery Peacemakers in holsters capable of allowing them to be drawn with great speed provided the wearer possessed the requisite skill to utilize the quality.
    Tract assessed that the blond had the necessary ability!
    As well as lacking some two inches of his companion’s height, at around six foot, the second rider was also more slender in build. Like Franks, his featuressuggested a studious mien. However, while they were pallid, this was because his skin resisted tanning rather than because he led a sedentary and indoor life. His hair was black and a neatly trimmed moustache graced his top lip. With one exception, he was dressed in the same manner as the blond. Instead of wearing a vest, he had on a brown jacket. Its right side was stitched back to offer unimpeded access to the solitary ivory butted Colt Civilian Model Peacemaker in the holster of a black gunbelt of an equally competent manufacture.
    In the summation of the driver, here again was a capable gun handler!
    Having completed his study of the newcomers and drawn his conclusions about them, Tract gave his attention to the horses. The paint led by the blond and the equally large black stallion his companion was sitting were magnificent animals. Despite showing indications of having been ridden hard for some time, neither could be controlled by a man unskilled in matters equestrian. Although the former was favoring its right fore leg in a way which suggested why the youngster was using the much poorer specimen, Tract decided it had only thrown a shoe and was not suffering from an injury. Both saddles were low of horn and—as Texans said, instead of “cinch” had—double girths, after the fashion evolved in the Lone Star State. Each had a coiled lariat fastened to the horn, a tarpaulin wrapped bedroll strapped to the cantle and a Winchester rifle, butt pointing to the rear for easy withdrawal ondismounting, attached to the left side. On the opposite side to his lariat, the slimmer rider carried a black leather bag of the kind in which doctors kept the tools of their profession when travelling.
    â€œHowdy, you-all,” greeted the blond, bringing the horses to a halt. He pronounced the words, “Heidi, yawl” in a fashion which announced he had been born and raised in Texas. He continued, “Looks like you’ve had more than a mite of trouble, gents.”
    â€œThere’s some as might just