Crow Bait

Twenty-six

Lancaster invited Ledge to the K.O. Saloon for a drink, but Ledge declined.

“I stay out of the saloons in town,” he said.

“Why’s that?” Lancaster asked.

“I get into too much trouble when I go to saloons,” Ledge said. “That’s why I make my own squeezin’s. I can get drunk at home without gettin’ into any trouble.”

“Makes sense.”

“So come back and share a jug.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Isn’t so long ago I was a drunk, Ledge,” Lancaster said. “I can’t risk it again.”

“I understand,” Ledge said. “I can make a pot of coffee, and then we can talk about what we’re gonna do next.”

“What we’re gonna do?”

“Yeah,” Ledge said, “to track those bastards who bushwhacked you.”

They were walking back to Ledge’s place.

“Ledge, I don’t expect you to pick up and leave your home to help me track them down.”

“You gonna track three men alone?”

“I’m gonna track ’em one at a time.”

“Well,” Ledge said, “what the hell, let’s have some coffee and talk about it. Maybe I can say somethin’ that’ll help.”

“What kind of horse?” Ledge asked.

“Crow Bait.”

“That’s his name or what he is?”

“It’s what he looked like when we found each other on the desert,” Lancaster said, “but he walked me out of there. He saved my life.”

“So you’re gonna stay with him to track these bastards?”

“Ledge, it’s amazing the stamina this horse had,” Lancaster said. “With some feed in him and a few pounds on him, there’s no telling how long he can go.”

“You can get a better horse, ya know,” Ledge said.

“That would cost money, and I’m kind of short right now,” Lancaster said.

“Well, I can’t help ya there,” Ledge said. “I ain’t got much money myself.”

“That’s okay,” Lancaster said. “My friend over at Wells Fargo staked me enough to get outfitted. And Mal helped a lot.”

“Then you’re ready to go.”

“Yeah, and don’t take offense, but I’d just as soon do this alone,” Lancaster said. “I’m kind of used to working that way.”

“Hell, I ain’t takin’ offense,” Ledge said. “This is your business. Believe me, I know how it feels. It took me eight months to track the two who shot me in the back, but I got ’em, and I felt great about it. Folks say revenge ain’t worth it, but I’m here to tell you, it is.”

“Well, I’m intent on mine, and nobody’s gonna talk me out of it,” Lancaster said.

“Well, now that you have a couple of places to check out, when will you be leavin’?”

“Soon,” Lancaster said. “I probably need a couple more days myself, and Crow Bait can use the extra feed time. But I’m not gonna wait much longer than that. I don’t want those jaspers getting too big a head start on me. I’ve already got a lot of time to make up.”

“Slow and steady, Lancaster,” Ledge said. “I’m here ta tell ya that slow and steady will do it.”

“Well, I think I got the right horse for that,” Lancaster said.

He did, as long as Crow Bait didn’t suddenly revert to that condition. The animal did still look awful!

Lancaster finished his coffee with Ledge and thanked the man for backing his play. When he left Ledge’s place he walked over to the livery and found Mal still awake and working.

“How’d it go?” he asked.

“Got what I needed,” Lancaster said, “without firing a shot.”

“That’s good.”

“Ledge was a big help. Thanks for that.”

“He gonna track ’em with you?”

“He would, but I asked him not to.”

“You wanna do this alone, huh?”

“That’s right.”

“Can’t blame you.”

“You ever heard of a place called Peach City?”

“No,” Mal said, “but I heard of Peach Springs.”

“Where’s that?”

“It’s a small town in Arizona, east of Henderson.”

“That’s gotta be it, then,” Lancaster said. “Henderson and Peach Springs.”

“And you’re still takin’ Crow Bait?”

“Unless you tell me he can’t make it.”

“Ain’t gonna tell ya that,” Mal said. “He looks awful, but he seems to be okay.”

“So he’ll make it?”

“He should make it,” Mal said, “if that’s good enough for you.”

“It’s good enough for me.”