Cougar's Prey (9781101544846) Read Online Free PDF

and force himself back into the reality of the moment.
    Shouts could be heard outside, “Murderer! Murderer! Hang him! Hang him!” But no one acknowledged the mob, least of all Josiah. He had never been so uncomfortable in his life as the shouts became louder and the crowd swelled out into the street.
    â€œI apologize that there are no curtains on the window. All privacy is lost to us these days,” Steele said.
    â€œIf I may beg your pardon, sir,” Major Jones said, scooting forward in his chair, preparing to stand.
    Steele cut him off before he could say another word. “No, sir, you may not. I intend to hear this man out. The world outside of this room would string him up without one iota of a chance to explain himself. I have seen it done. We all have. The newspapers have already convicted him and are out for blood. Now, sit there, Major Jones, and give this man his due. He rode with you in the Lost Valley fight, did he not?”
    â€œYes, he did,” Jones said coldly.
    â€œAnd did he not conduct himself with bravery and valor when you commanded your troops into that valley and were trapped by the Kiowa?”
    Josiah remained quiet, but the conversation had garnered McNelly’s attention. He leaned down and watched Jones very closely, restraining himself. Lost Valley was Jones’s first Indian encounter as the commander of the Frontier Battalion, and it had gone poorly, left a Ranger dead, mutilated, and several others wounded—even though Jones boasted that it was a victory.
    In many ways it was a public relations victory for the new Rangers, and they had needed that very much, at the time. Josiah had escaped with a knife wound, and the pain refused to go away, even now, months later. Jones escaped with his reputation intact, and the Kiowa, most notably Lone Wolf, left on the run. The Austin Statesman had been kind in its depiction of the encounter, painting all of the Rangers as heroes. Now a fall from grace was much more interesting.
    â€œOf course,” Jones said to Steele. “We are not here to rehash my decisions that occurred in the past. We are here to discuss why Ranger Wolfe killed Captain Peter Feders.”
    â€œVery well,” Steele said. “Ranger Wolfe, please tell us what happened after you suffered the loss of your family.”
    Jones crossed his arms heavily, rolled his eyes, and slammed his shoulders against the back of the chair.
    â€œI was left to raise my son, alone, after I buried Lily,” Josiah said. “After a couple of years of struggling, with the help of a midwife and wet nurse, I got word from Captain Fikes that he’d captured Charlie Langdon in San Antonio, and he offered me the chance to come down and escort Charlie to trial. And, if I was so inclined, the Frontier Battalion was forming, and the captain wanted me to ride with him again. He wanted me to be a fully employed Texas Ranger. He was offering me a new life, for which I will always be grateful.”
    â€œAnd you said yes, of course,” Steele said.
    â€œIt was either that or die a very young man. I had lost my way, and Fikes knew it. He was more than a captain. He was a friend. When he was killed, it was my honor to escort his body home to Austin.”
    McNelly finally interjected. “This is when Feders took over as captain?”
    â€œNot officially, at that point,” Josiah answered, turning his attention to the captain. “But, yes, he was in charge. We made plans with Major Jones to capture Langdon, who had escaped after the captain was killed. He had gone back to Seerville and was holding my son hostage. Pete rode in at the end, and Ranger Elliot took the shot that put an end to the situation. Langdon eventually faced trial and was hanged, and I thought the bitterness of the past was behind me. I moved away from the farm, hoping city life in Austin wouldn’t be so isolated for my boy when I was away.”
    â€œAnd you claim