The Last Buckaroo Read Online Free PDF

as she ’ d
done the night before and arrived at the main street.  What she heard and saw
near took her breath away.  Automobiles, wagons and saddle horses were roaming
the street up and back past the s heriff ’ s
office and the passengers of them were all shouting in cadence, “ FREE
YANCEY BURKE … FREE YANCEY BURKE … FREE YANCEY BURKE …”   There were at least a
hundred of them, with more coming from up the street, horns honking and
headlights flashing.
    It
all ended a short time later, however, when the sheriff and three of his
deputies filed out to the platform in front with shotguns and began firing just
over the heads of those nearest.  This scattered the group and before long all
was disappointingly quiet again.  Sadly Katie went back to her mopping.  But it
wasn ’ t
over just yet.
    Katie
was on her walk home when she heard them coming, engines roaring and dust
flying all the way down the main street, she saw from the alley.  Again she ran
to see what was to take place.  She got there in time to catch some of it. 
People hanging out of automobile windows and standing on running boards were
hurtling rocks and bricks and, most frightening of all, Molotov cocktails at
the sheriff ’ s office  —  which
also included the jail.  Window glass shattered and before long it appeared the
building was ablaze.
    “ Oh
my God! ” she screamed and ran
toward it.
    Before
she arrived, however, the sheriff and deputies were back out with the shotguns,
once again scattering the mob.  Soon thereafter the fire was also extinguished
from within.
    The
interior of the building was still plenty smoky when from it two deputies
emerged with Yancey Burke, by his arms, between them.  He was quickly loaded
into the Ford and out of town they went at a high rate of speed.
    Once
they were gone Preston Ames stepped out onto the platform, looked up and down
the now quiet street.  He then settled his eyes on Katie.  She was on the
sidewalk across the street, her lantern held away from the lacy blue dress she
wore, glaring back at him.
    “ If
I was a bettin ’ man, Misses Peck, ” he said with volume, “ my
money would go down on the side you had something to do with what happened here
tonight. ”
    “ And
if I was a bettin ’ woman, I ’ d
take that bet, Sheriff, ” Katie replied, turned and walked away.  “ You ’ d
lose, Sheriff! ”

 
     
     
     
    CHAPTER
SEVEN
    Katie
showed up at the sheriff ’ s office the following
morning with a lawyer by her side.  She figured Preston Ames would not disclose
where he ’ d
taken Yancey Burke, so she sought the advice of Bryce Herford, Yancey ’ s
newly hired attorney.
    Workers
were sweeping up glass, preparing to install new plate windows, when they
arrived.  “ Sheriff, ” Katie acknowledged,
seeing him behind his desk, looking as though a goodly amount of his snowy hair
had been singed black in the fire of last night.
    “ What
can I do for you, Katie?  You do know Yancey is no longer here? ”
    “ She
does, ” Herford jumped in,
angry the sheriff hadn ’ t acknowledged him the
second he came through the door.  But then their standing feud was old news in
town.  “ So
where is he, Preston? ”
    “ I
don ’ t
have to tell you that, Bryce. ”
    “ I ’ m
here to inform you  —  you
do!  I ’ m
his lawyer and I demand access to my client.  It ’ s
the law, Preston! ”   The sandy haired attorney, of some age,
stood to his full height of six feet and gripped the lapels of his charcoal
grey suit coat.
    “ Not
when the prisoner ’ s safety is an issue. 
He ’ d
be barbeque now if it wasn ’ t for our quick
action.  Yancey is where those thugs can ’ t
get at him.  And that ’ s where he ’ s
staying until the trial starts in two weeks. ”
    “ Those
thugs as you call them are citizens of this county, Preston.  And as I
understand it they were not here to harm Mister Burke, but more so to protect
the man from you!  After all these