The Stranger from Abilene

Chapter 36

“Damn it, what was all the hollering about?” Kelly said.

“I’m pinned under my horse.”

“I can see that.”

“Why did you shoot at me?”

“To shut you up. Your girlish screams were annoying the hell out of me.”

“Well, you could have killed me.”

“Sure I could, but I didn’t. Just wanted you to be quiet, was all. Did you really think I’d holler back when I wasn’t sure how many bushwhackers were up on the ridge?”

Kelly had been right not to give his position away, and Clayton felt like a fool. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t think about that.”

Kelly smiled and nodded. “Maybe you’re just not a deep-thinking man, Cage. Pity, that.”

The words stung and anger flashed in Clayton. “Instead of lecturing, can you get this damned hoss off me?”

“I think so.” Kelly grinned. “I’ll study on it for a spell and let you know.”

“Go to hell,” Clayton said.

Kelly used his own mount and a rope to pull Clayton’s horse off his leg. It was an efficient way to move the buckskin, but hardly gentle.

“That hurt like hell,” Clayton said after he was freed.

“No bones broken, but your wound has opened up again. Looks like you’re a bleeder, Cage.”

Clayton ignored that and said, “What happened in the arroyo?”

After he took the makings from Clayton’s pocket, Kelly started to build a smoke.

“There were two of them,” he said, looking down at tobacco and papers. “I’ve seen them hanging around town for the past month, a couple of young, drifting farm boys down on their luck.”

“You killed them both?”

“Yeah. They didn’t give me any choice. Those boys were sodbusters, not gunfighters, but they were mangrown enough to carry Winchesters and they used them pretty well.”

“Well enough to kill my horse,” Clayton said.

“Better the horse than you, I guess.”

“Yes. Thank you for that.”

“Don’t mention it,” Kelly said. He smiled at Clayton. “You may not know the man you’re hunting, but he sure as hell has you pegged.”

“The bullet was meant for me?”

Kelly lit his cigarette and shook out the match. “Now, what do you think? I’m a much loved and respected peace officer, so it wasn’t me them rubes was paid to kill.”

Clayton nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Their rifles were aimed at me.”

“Well, if it was Terry who hired them two, he fears you and he’s willing to pay somebody else to do his killing.”

Kelly placed his hand on Clayton’s shoulder. “He’s a dangerous man, Cage. From now on step light and”—he smiled—“stay out of dark alleys.”

The marshal rose to his feet. “We’ll strip the saddle and bridle off your hoss and I’ll send Moses Anderson out for them. You’ll have to pay him, of course.”

“Are we going to bury the men you killed?”

“With what? Our bare hands? Moses will plant ’em, if he can find them.”

Clayton picked up his rifle as Kelly swung into the saddle.

“Climb up behind me,” the marshal said. “And try not to attract the attention of any more bushwhackers, huh?”