The Last Buckaroo Read Online Free PDF Page A

he said and stood from
the iron bunk that was bolted to the floor.  “ I
just feel so bad about Hank. ”
    “ They ’ re
burying him today … down by the river … near the trestle. ”
    “ Who
is? ”
    “ Ralph
Longley from the hotel is getting it done. ”
    “ Good. 
I was so worried they would just dump the old boy somewhere and let the
buzzards have him.  Tell Ralph thanks.  I ’ ll
settle with him once I get out. ”
    “ I ’ ll
tell him, ” Katie said.  “ Do
you plan to hire an attorney, Yance? ”
    “ I
don ’ t
know any. ”
    “ Bryce
Herford is probably the best in town.  Would you like me to talk to him? ”
    “ If
you want.  I just hate I ’ m stuck in here for
something I didn ’ t do. ”
    “ I
know, ” she said, looked about
the place for other prisoners, and saw none in the three remaining cells.
    “ I
want to thank you for being my friend, Katie.  I hate to be the one hiding
behind a woman ’ s skirt, but I don ’ t
know what I ’ d do without you right now. 
Frankly, after what you told me last night, I ’ m
a little scared. ”
    “ And
you have a right to be, ” she said and started to reach through
the bars to comfort him, but pulled back when she remembered what Ames had
said.  “ Just
be brave, okay? ”
    “ What
choice do I have? ” he said with a nervous chuckle.
    “ That ’ s
the spirit, ” she said cheerfully, even though
she didn ’ t
feel it.  “ I ’ ll
go over to Mister Herford ’ s office now, then. 
Maybe I can see him before I need to be at work. ”
    “ Thanks,
Katie. ”
    “ You
bet.  I ’ ll
come again tomorrow morning … let you know
what he had to say. ”
    “ Thanks. ”  
He smiled.  This time it seemed genuine.
     
    When
Katie finally got to the tavern to open for the day, there was a crowd milling
about at the door.  “ Hold on! ”   She ran up and stuck
the key in the lock.
    “ You ’ re
late, Katie, ” someone said.
    “ What ’ s
ten minutes?  You guys must have one powerful thirst. ”   She looked about at the
large group and tried to remember when so many showed up right at noon.  “ What ’ s
the celebration? ”
    “ Well,
it ’ s
not every day the most despised man in the county dies.  We thought we ’ d
give old Clyde a proper send off, ” one of them said.  “ Too
bad Yancey Burke is in jail — we ’ d
buy him a few beers for what he done. ”
    “ I ’ m
afraid you ’ re mistaken, Tom …  
Yancey didn ’ t kill Clyde Banyon, if that ’ s
what you ’ re
trying to say, ” Katie
said as she led the way in.  “ But I ’ d
be obliged if you guys will help me find out who did. ”   She began filling mugs
and sliding them down the bar.
    “ Just
how are we supposed to do that, Katie? ”
    “ Ask
around.  Somebody must have seen or heard something.  For every helpful bit of
information I get, there ’ s a beer in it for the
man that brings it. ”
    “ Hey! 
You heard her! ” someone
yelled and they all cheered.
    An
abundance of customers, some she couldn ’ t
recall seeing before, continued to come throughout the day and Katie made the
same announcement several more times.
    Finally
at supper hour the place thinned out somewhat and she had a chance to catch up
on washing the glasses and mugs that ’ d
piled up throughout the afternoon.  But then an hour later they all flowed
right back in again, and stayed until closing time.  She found it hard to have
to ask so many paying customers to leave, but she had to: it was the law.  “ Lets
go, people.  We don ’ t want a visit from Sheriff
Ames, do we? ”   Sadly
then they all filed out  —  the
celebration, it seemed, was over.  But it wasn ’ t.
    Katie
was mopping the floor when she heard loud noises coming from outside.  She didn ’ t
want to unlock the front door for fear a mob would flow through it.  Instead
she ran to the back with her keys, went outside and locked up behind.  She then
slipped between the buildings