Pale Horse by Robert L. Ross (top 20 books to read .txt) 📖

bounty hunters were anxious to be with their loved ones. “We'll pay you a visit at your office this evening for further details, if that's alright with you sir,” said Colt to the lawman. “Absolutely,” said the Sheriff as he graciously tipped his hat to the men and made his way back to his office. Pale Horse and Colt, extremely anxious to see the girls, quickly continued their walk to the livestock car.
“This is great,” said Colt as he walked beside his friend, with his hand on his shoulder, both being very relieved that the girls were alive and safe. “Yes it is, great indeed,” he replied back to him. Biscuit and Spirit were soon lead from the rail-car, both neighing and boisterously trotting forward upon recognizing their masters. The two men patted their horses on the necks and proceeded to tell them the good news. Pale Horse looked over at Colt with the smile he now couldn't seem to lose, and said to him, “Let's ride”.
While the two men were tying their horses up at the railing in front of the Klupenger Hotel, Winter Crow and Temperance, both hearing the train as it had pulled in, quickly finished their lunches and went running out the doors of the hotel, headed for the railway station. After nearly running right by the two men there that had come to their rescue, Winter Crow was the first to spot her big brother as she immediately ran to him, and Temperance, upon seeing this, ran into the arms of her dear Colt. “We're so glad to see you,” they both seemed to say, as they hugged and kissed and the true realization that it was actually over began to set within their minds and hearts.
As the two girls cried and held them close, Colt and Pale Horse looked at each other with a sense of relief, both knowing and feeling what the other was experiencing at that moment. Each of them, reaching around the girls in their arms, shook hands with their partners for the journey that had brought them this far, and for the result that came along with it. Temperance kissed Colt once more, and then turned to her brother, and kissed and thanked him too. Winter Crow, though she had never met Colt Mathews, had heard the countless stories recently told between two sisters, and knowing that he had come to her rescue along with her brother, kissed him on the cheek, hugged him sincerely and thanked him as well.
“Lets go to your rooms and get you packed and headed for home,” said Pale Horse to the two of them as they walked through the lobby headed for the girls room. Temperance July and Winter Crow both stopped dead in their tracks as Colt and their brother continued forward until realizing they weren't beside them any longer. Turning around, they looked at the girls with confusion as to why they had stopped. “What is it, Honey?” Colt said to Temperance. What seemed to be in unison and well rehearsed, though it hadn't been, both of the girls asked of them, “Aren't you going to find the sons-a-bitches that did this to us?” They looked at the two of them for a second, then walked towards them and took them once more in their arms as Pale Horse spoke up and said to both of them, “Of course we are, but we need to put the two of you on the train home before we can continue tracking them.” As if the two ladies had already discussed it between themselves and their minds had been made up, Temperance looked straight at Colt with eyes soaked in the flames of vengeance and calmly announced, “Colt David Mathews, The devil himself and neither one of you are going to stop us from either going with you, or going after them ourselves!” Colt knew by the cold look in her eyes, the way she addressed him by his full name, and the unwavering sternness prominent in her voice, that no matter what he or Pale Horse had to say, Temperance July Merriweather was going after the outlaws that had kidnapped them and held them hostage. Pale Horse could see the determination on both of their faces as Temperance was taking her stance, and knew that Winter Crow was also beyond any reasoning he could give either of them for returning home and letting him and Colt handle it. Pale Horse looked at both of the girls and told them, “I'm not going to tell you what you can or can't do, but you should know that Colt and I have a much better chance of catching up with them if the two of you would just get on the train and go home!” Temperance looked over at Winter Crow, then back at her brother with her hands perched in defiance on her hips and said, “Let's Ride.” Realizing that any further conversation on the matter was an exercise in sheer futility, Pale Horse glared at the both of them and said, “Then get your things ready, and be ready to go when Colt and I get back from the Sheriff's office, we'll be traveling light, so keep that in mind as you're packing.” Pale Horse looked over at his friend as they were headed out of the hotel for the sheriff's office, and shaking his head in frustration said, “This should be quite interesting.” Colt knew exactly how he meant it when he said it, and nodding his head in agreement, reached into his vest and produced the silver flask of liquid salvation, took a large swig from it and handed it to his friend as they made their way down the street.
Sitting at the desk of Sheriff Holcomb, the two bounty hunters were told of the hellacious close-quarters gunfight that had taken place at the Silver Dollar Saloon, identifying the wanted men that were present by the descriptions given by the sheriff in Denver, and by the reward posters that hung on Sheriff Holcomb's wall for each of them. The Sheriff tore the corresponding posters down and gave them to the bounty hunters, assuring them that these definitely were the outlaws that had somehow escaped the hail of bullets and murdered a couple of innocent bystanders as they were leaving. “We got one of 'em locked up back there in our jail,” said the sheriff to the surprised pair of bounty hunters. “Goes by the name of Rooster, says there on his wanted poster his name is Steven Cogburn” “Would you mind if I had a little talk with him sheriff?” asked Pale Horse, who's ways of persuasion were legendary. “You can talk at him all you want, but I wouldn't expect no answers from him, being that my Deputy broke his mouthy jaw for spitting' his split pea soup back in his face after being gracious enough to have brought' it down here to feed him.” “Hell, that idiot will be swinging' from a rope and walking' through the gates of Hell's fire long 'fore that jaw of his has done any healin'”the sheriff exclaimed as he laughed and took a swig off his whiskey. Colt and Pale Horse, after hearing the story, congratulated the sheriff for his bravery and thanked him sincerely for all the help he had given them. Colt looked over at the sheriff and asked, “Which way were the one's that got away headed as they fled town?” The sheriff, without hesitation replied “Due West” Colt looked over to his partner and said, “You realize where they're going, don't you, They're headed back into Wolf Canyon, totally unaware that we know the location, this couldn't be more perfect!”“If we get on the train and head straight there, we can be there before they are, and be waiting on them as they show up.” As he was saying this, he knew it all sounded just too easy, and the chance that the outlaws that had escaped would stop and hole-up in any of the small towns that dotted the map on the way to Denver was far greater, and that taking the train might bypass one or more of them. Although they both were sure that the outlaws final destination would eventually be the bluffs outside of Denver, but as to when each of them would end up there was another matter. It was quite clear, this was better done from horseback if they wanted to cover the territory between here and the hideout to make sure not one of the bandits escaped the justice they had in store for them. Before Pale Horse could point out the now obvious revelation to his friend, Colt looked over at him and said, “Horseback.” He realized that his partner had thought it over a bit more, and came up with the same conclusion that he had, it just took him a minute or so longer. Colt, while raising the glass of rotgut received upon their arrival, said aloud to the lawman before drinking it, “I'd like to raise this glass to you Sheriff Holcomb, to your friend Nathan, and to your Deputy Mack who was injured fighting our cause, Thank you Sir, and the both of them for us, if you would.” As the lawman and bounty hunters drank to the toast made, Colt stood to his feet and reached forward to shake the sheriff's hand. Pale Horse, ready to get on the trail of the men now running, stood also, and again thanked the sheriff for everything he had done. As the two made their way for the front door, it suddenly opened and Cynthia Kay, the woman who had graciously cared for both of the girls and had also put them up in her hotel, said to both of them as they were leaving, “I would like to speak to both of you for a moment before you leave, if it's convenient for you.” Colt, always gracious and accommodating to women folk, looked a little confused, but in turn, offered the lady the chair he had been sitting in and sat down next to her to hear what she had to say. Before she spoke any further, Sheriff Holcomb introduced her, and told them that she was the woman he had spoken of earlier that was so kind to their women in need. Colt, while thanking her for all that she had done for them, reached into his wallet to pay her for the clothes, room and board, and any other expense she had incurred while watching over them. “Oh. No Sir, That's not why I'm here at all,” she said as she held her hand up in refusal of the money offered. “It was my pleasure to help them, surely,” she continued as she motioned for David to pour her a drink from the bottle sitting on the desk in front of them. “What I came here to tell you, is of a very personal nature, and quite frankly, none of my business, but being that I've lived with the scars of the very same myself, I felt in my heart that it is important that the two of you know, seeing that your kin to those precious girls,” They both knew she must have something personal and important to tell them, and neither said a word as the woman was downing the glass of whiskey given to her by the sheriff, waiting for her to continue in her own time. “Well, this is a hard thing to tell someone,” she said as she stared down at the floor, definitely troubled by the words she had difficulty in forming and letting go of. Sheriff David gave her another glass of rotgut courage and encouraged her to say what it was she had on her heart and mind.