Читать книгу Settling The Score - George McLane Wood - Страница 50

Chapter Thirteen

Ed stood. He wiped the sweat from his face and brow with a red kerchief. “He ain’t gonna get buried, is he?”

“Nope,” said Jeff, and looking up, he pointed. “Those buzzards circling up in the sky, doing their lazy eights, they need some nourishment too, don’t they?” And they went on their way, leaving Lester Willis spread-eagle on his back in the middle of the hard dirt road. He was looking up at the buzzards.

Lester’s horse was no good to ride without his hind shoe. “On second thought, he’ll do,” Jeff decided. “I can walk him to Murphy’s place. He’s limping, but not too much. He won’t have to carry a man’s weight. He can pack our gear and that’ll help.”

A real easy walking horse is hard to beat, some are like a rocking chair, and that was the kind of horse Ed was riding. Jeff was tempted to mount it behind Ed and doze, but he didn’t. He knew he couldn’t depend on Ed to pay good enough attention. Don’t get smug, old son, and get caught off guard like Lester did. Murphy don’t know he’s dead yet. They’ll think he’s just taking his time with his lame critter. Then again, they might be hurrying to help Lester right now.

Jeff looked toward the west, pulling down his hat brim low, but he didn’t see ’em coming. He couldn’t help but wonder what else Jorn had in store for him. “Be careful, old son. He’s a snake, you know that,” he muttered loud enough for Ed to hear him and know Jeff was talking about Murphy.

“We’ll circle round, and come in behind that barn, and spend time in his loft till after dark, until he’s sleeping. Then we’ll tell him we’ve arrived, won’t we, Winnie?”

“Ed, let’s stop and rest the horses. No use to rush now. We’re doing fine. We have plenty of time until dark.”