The Ghost of Iron Eyes (An Iron Eyes Western Book 8) Read Online Free PDF Page A

to be able to make a difference. Right?’
    Reluctantly, Newton
nodded.
    ‘ Damn
right!’
    ‘ Better go out there and break the news to the men, Theo,’
Cotter said firmly. ‘I’ll expect the troop ready to leave Apache
Wells for Waco in one hour’s time.’
    The Texas Ranger saluted and
left the office. As the door closed, Caufield Cotter felt another
chill ripple up his backbone.
    This time he knew it was
fear.
    ~*~
    The five horsemen had made good
progress. Two days and nights had seen them leave the relative
prosperity of Waco far behind. Then they had led their four heavily
laden packhorses across one of the most fertile cattle grazing
ranges in Texas until a wall of sand-rock ridges loomed up before
them.
    A line of towns fringed the
range at the foot of the jagged ridge. They survived by living off
the wealth of the cattle ranchers who spent their vast fortunes on
everything they required, from places to bank their money to places
where they could buy provisions and supplies. The small towns could
provide everything the cattlemen needed. At a price.
    Usually after sundown the
towns ’
lights appeared like a jeweled necklace strung at the base of the
ridge as riders approached from the range. Yet only the moonlight
gave any clue to the nature of the buildings.
    The experienced Lane Carter had
ridden this trail so many times that he believed he could do it
blindfolded. His knowledge of the terrain had proved invaluable as
he reined in and stared towards the small town of
Porter ’s
Bluff.
    Yet there was no light ahead of
the five
riders. Not one of the towns had any illumination.
    ‘ What’s wrong, Lane?’ Col Drake asked, easing his own mount
alongside the marshal’s tall stallion.
    ‘ Can
you see any lights, Col?’ Marshal Carter asked as his gloved hands
kept the head of his powerful horse raised. ‘Any at
all?’
    Drake screwed up his
eyes.
    ‘ Hope.
There ain’t no light anywhere.’
    ‘ That’s bad!’ Clark rubbed his chin with his right hand,
then instinctively returned it to the pearl-handled grip of his
holstered gun. His fingers curled around the weapon. ‘I ain’t never
ridden this way before without there being any sign of life. The
saloons alone can be heard from one town to the next ifn the wind
is blowing off the cliffs.’
    Pete Hail moved his own
gelding next to his two companions.
    ‘ So
what? Maybe they all got themselves some shut-eye.’
    Carter turned and looked at
the younger man.
    ‘ It’s
only an hour since sundown. There are at least a half-dozen towns
between here and Diamond City. When it gets dark, folks light
candles and oil-lamps. If there ain’t no light it means …
’
    ‘ There
ain’t no folks.’ Drake finished the sentence.
    ‘ No
living ones, anyways.’ Lane Clark sighed.
    Drake stood in his stirrups
and studied the line of poles which stretched off in three
directions. The wires seemed intact to the deputy.
    ‘ Did
you get a message from here, Lane?’ he asked.
    ‘ Yep.
This and all the rest of them,’ Clark confirmed. ‘But then the
wires stopped coming.’
    ‘ Them
outlaws couldn’t have killed everyone,’ Drake said, easing his rump
back on to his saddle. ‘Maybe they high-tailed it out after Jardine
and his vermin showed up.’
    ‘ You
seen any folks on the way here from Waco, Col?’
    ‘ Nope.’ Drake shrugged.
    ‘ Exactly.’ The marshal gathered his reins
together.
    Tom Rigby spat a lump of goo
before using his index finger to hook the well-chewed tobacco from
around his gums. He flicked the spittle-filled lump at the
ground.
    ‘ I
reckon there could be folks there, Lane. Mighty scared folks not
wanting them outlaws to return. What you think?’
    ‘ Tom’s
right, Lane.’ Bobby Smith smiled. ‘They might be hiding in case the
outlaws come back again.’
    The marshal
nodded.
    ‘ You
could be right. C’mon. We’re goin’ in!’

Chapter Five
    Even the darkness of night
offered Iron Eyes no sanctuary as his ravaged body