The Last Buckaroo Read Online Free PDF Page B

years it looks as though the people have
wised up to your way of serving up the law, and they ’ re
not going to tolerate it any longer! ”
    “ Well,
if they want me out, they know what they can do about it, ” Preston Ames said.  “ Until
that happens, I guess you ’ ll be dealing with me,
Bryce. ”
    “ Let
me tell you who you ’ ll be dealing with,
Sheriff.  If Yancey Burke isn ’ t back in
Blazedale by noon tomorrow, I ’ m calling the
U.S. Marshals office in Billings and asking for a full investigation.  And
while I ’ m
at it I ’ ll
ask them to look into a few other cases you and Judge Samuels have railroaded
through that court of his. ”
    “ Is
that a threat, Bryce? ”   Ames twisted his face into an ugly snarl
and leaped to his feet.  He grabbed Herford by the lapels and with lightning
speed shoved him against the wall.  “ Where ’ s
that pistol you ’ re in a habit of
carrying? ”   His
hands were all over the elderly man.  “ Aha! ”  
He came out with a revolver from under the coat.
    Katie
screamed and began backing away.
    “ As
an officer of the court, I ’ m allowed to
carry a gun anywhere I want! ” Herford insisted.
    “ Not
in my county!  Striker! ” Preston shouted.
    Deputy
Striker came on a run from the jail area, looking as though he ’ d
been awakened from a nap.  “ Yes, sir …”
    “ Lock
this bastard up! ”
    “ You ’ re
making a big mistake, Preston! ” Bryce shouted
as Striker dragged him into the jail area and shoved him into a cell.
    “ Yeah,
well, take it up with whoever you want, ” Sheriff Ames said and
focused his attention on Katie, who was frozen in place near the open doorway.  “ Anything
else I can do for you, Misses Peck? ”
    Katie,
frightened for her safety, backed the remainder of the way through the doorway,
then set out on a run, where to, she didn ’ t
know.  When she finally came to her senses she was in the tavern with the door
locked behind her.  Glancing at the clock on the wall she saw it was just after
ten, two hours before it was time to open.  “ Oh,
God! ” she buried her face in
her hands.   “ What
now? ”
    Going
behind the bar, she looked around for something to do that may ease her mind,
maybe something to clean.  Nothing.  Everything appeared spotless.  Then while
eyeing the rubble of the catch all lower shelf, she remembered under there
somewhere was a sawed off shotgun.  It came with the place when Helmer bought
it.  She didn ’ t think he even knew it was there. 
Actually she hadn ’ t found it herself for
a good year after the purchase.
    Digging
where she thought it should be, before a lot of other stuff had found a home
there, she finally came up with it, covered in dust.  Grabbing a rag from
nearby, she wiped it clean before opening it to find it was loaded in both
barrels with twelve gage shells marked 00 Buck.  Having no idea what that meant
she closed the gun and tried to decide on a place to put it, so it would be
handy if needed in a hurry.  On the other hand, maybe she should just put it
back where it was and forget it was even there.  No doubt she was now
frightened out of her wits of Preston Ames.  After what she ’ d
seen today there was no telling how far that man would go if crossed.  And she
planned to do plenty of that if his intention was to railroad Yancey Burke all
the way to the gallows.
    A
knock came at the door and Katie found herself whirling in circles with the
short shotgun in her hands, searching for a place it put it.  Finally she held
it behind her and went to see who was there.  Careful not to make a noise, she
put her eye to a fine shrinkage crack in the heavy door that had opened between
two of the planks over the years.  She hoped now it wouldn ’ t
be the white hair of Preston Ames she saw at that level, standing on her
tiptoes.
    Thank
God it wasn ’ t!  It was the bald head of Ralph
Longley on the other side of it, and she quickly threw the lock.  “