Bounty Hunter

EPILOGUE

Three weeks later, on a cool morning with streamers of fog hanging around the mountain peaks in the distance, Luke saddled the fine horse Smoke had insisted was his and led the animal out of the barn, leading a packhorse behind him. He had thought he might be able to slip away from the ranch without anybody noticing until he was gone, but he supposed that was too much to hope for.

Smoke stood waiting for him. “You don’t have to go, you know.”

“Yeah, I do.” Luke checked the cinches one more time. “I’ve been talking to Monte Carson, and he tells me that Badger McCoy was spotted up in Laramie a few days ago.”

Monte Carson was the local sheriff in Big Rock, and he had a whole desk drawer full of wanted posters he had let Luke look through.

“Badger McCoy,” Smoke repeated.

“Train robber. The reward’s only eight hundred dollars, but I have a hunch I can get more out of the railroad if I’m able to recover some of the loot McCoy’s stolen, too.”

“So you’re bound and determined to go on risking your life hunting down fugitives?”

“It’s what I do,” Luke said. If anybody could understand that, it was Smoke.

After a moment, Smoke nodded. “Sally won’t be happy you didn’t tell her good-bye.”

Luke shook his head. “Not good at that.”

“I know. I’ll try to explain it to her. And I’ll tell her you promised to come back. You will, won’t you? I want you to meet Preacher and Matt.”

“I’d like that.” Luke put out his hand. “Next time.”

“Next time,” Smoke agreed as he shook hands.

Luke swung up into the saddle, but before he could ride away, Smoke went on, “There’s one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Forget about calling yourself Luke Smith. You’ve got a name. You should use it.”

Luke frowned. “You really want people to know me as Luke Jensen? A bounty hunter?”

“You’re a good man and you’re my brother.” Smoke looked up at Luke. “That’s all I care about. Jensen’s a proud name, and I think you should wear it.”

Luke thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “All right. If that’s what you want, I can do that.”

“Good. So long, Luke.”

Lifting a hand in farewell, Luke turned his horses and rode out of the ranch yard.

“Don’t forget!” Smoke called after him. “You always have a home here if you want it!”

Luke waved, but didn’t look back as he rode north. Home, he thought. He hadn’t had one of those for a long, long time. The idea would take some getting used to.

But it was a pretty thing to think about. It surely was.