Sudden--At Bay (A Sudden Western #2) Read Online Free PDF

himself to
make doubly sure of the verdict.
    ‘ Sheriff, outline the
circumstances of the case for the jury,’ the judge bid Parris.
Nothing loth, Parris strutted into the space in front of the two
Cotton brothers.
    ‘ This one—–’ he jerked his thumb
at Billy,‘ —-rode into town this mornin’ about ten. He stood
outside the saloon an’ yelled that he was comin’ in to kill young
Buck Cotton, there. Didn’t say why. Buck remained in the saloon.
Refused to brawl in the streets. Sent a man to get me. I was in my
office, an’ got over to the Oasis just as fast as I could. Got
there in time to see that one—-’ he jerked his head again towards
Billy, ‘—-threatenin’ Buck Cotton with a pistol. Buck warn’t even
armed…’
    ‘ That’s a lie!’ burst out Billy.
‘He was heeled.’
    ‘ Have you a witness to this fact?’
interposed Kilpatrick.
    ‘ Shore I have! Green there seen
it, didn’t you, Jim?’
    Green nodded. ‘Cotton was wearin’ a
gun,’ he said flatly.
    Kilpatrick regarded him sourly, then turned to face
Buck Cotton.
    ‘ Bucky, were you
armed?’
    Young Cotton uncoiled his length lazily, and got to
his feet, an arrogant smirk on his face.
    ‘ Nope, I wasn’t, Uncle Martin. I
mean Judge.’
    There was a murmur of amusement,
quickly stilled by Kilpatrick’s gavel. The old man turned in his
chair to face the jury.
    ‘ The jury will take due note that
the accusation of the prisoner is substantiated only by a convicted
criminal, a proven troublemaker, while it is denied by the brother
of our leading family.’
    He smiled at Sim Cotton, who nodded
portentously.
    ‘ The jury will know whom to
believe, I am sure,’ he added. The twelve men nodded, almost in
unison.
    ‘ Carry on, Harry,’ the judge told
the sheriff.
    Parris again resumed his actorish stance.
    ‘ When Buck, there, didn’t choose
to brawl with this young feller, he got real mad. Had blood in his
eye for shore. Claimed he was goin’ to shoot Buck down where he
stood—-an’ he still hadn’t give no reason for his quarrel. That was
when I stepped in an’ got the drop on him.’
    He looked around proudly, as if expecting
applause.
    ‘ Do you deny any of this, Hornby?’
Kilpatrick’s face was wooden.
    ‘ The fac’s are in there
someplace,’ retorted Billy. ‘But yu’d have to be smarter than yu
look to find ’em.’
    ‘ Be assured we shall,’ was the icy
jibe. ‘Continue, Sheriff.’
    ‘ At this point,’ continued Parris,
‘just as I’m about to march Hornby off to the hoosegow, this other
jasper, Green, puts in his oar. He takes two shots at me, one o’
which goes wild, an’ the other hittin’ me in the arm.’ He rolled
back his shirt sleeve to reveal the grimy, bloodstained bandage on
his forearm. ‘A lucky shot I reckon, but it knocked me off my
balance an’ made me drop my gun. Whereupon this feller Green pulls
Hornby aside, an’ is all set to run for it when Chris Helm, who’s
in town an’ has heard the shootin’, arrives at the door behind the
two prisoners. He sees what’s up in a flash, an’ buffaloes the both
o’ them. We drug ’em over to the jail, an’ that was
that.’
    ‘ You say that the prisoner here
intended to kill Buck Cotton’? asked Kilpatrick.
    ‘ He was shoutin’ it all over town,
Martin,’ replied the sheriff. ‘I can produce a dozen
witnesses—–’
    ‘ No need, no need,’ Kilpatrick
waved an airy hand. ‘Nobody doubts your veracity, Harry.’ He turned
to the jury again. ‘Did any of you men see or hear Hornby
threatening to kill Buck Cotton?’ Several of the jurymen nodded.
One of them stood up, a roughly dressed man with a broken nose. ‘I
shore as hell did, Judge,’ he called. Kilpatrick nodded, as if
these words were all the proof that was needed.
    ‘ It would seem to be an open and
shut case. The accused was heard to threaten the life of an unarmed
man. He threatened him with a gun, and was heard to say that he
would kill him. Only the timely