Pale Horse, Robert L. Ross [beach read book .TXT] 📗

anyone, man, woman or beast that opposed him. Any man that worked for him knew the legend of his brother and knew he'd followed in the very sadistic footsteps of him, knowing that he was a cruel boss to work for. The only reason anyone chose to work for him was that his reputation for always getting away with what he'd done, due to the extreme intelligence he displayed when planning a job, and the fact that when the payoffs for said jobs was at hand, he was more than generous with the individual cuts his men had coming to them, unlike most gang bosses who took the lions share for themselves. Shane Walters had always been a bad seed, but since the death of his brother, the anger and devil within had worsened, leaving him with a disposition of a man walking on the very edge everyday of his life. As mentioned, once he saw how easily the girls father had readily paid the ransom, he chose to keep them around for further blackmail, rather than kill them as was his way with women or relatives of those he had kidnapped in his past.
William, after losing more than his share at poker for the evening, slid his chair back, and while gathering what little he had left on the table announced, “I'm done for the evening, I'm stopping by Alisha's Place and taking that little blonde to my room, I'm sure to have better luck there!”“Not with that small hand your playing with!” said Chris, as the rest of the boys laughed and said their farewells as he was leaving. When William got to the whorehouse, he walked by Donovan, who was standing guard outside the door to the room where the girls were being held, and told him that Shane said “It was alright for him to take the blonde with him for the evening.” Donovan stepped aside and told him as he entered the room, “You know what will happen to you if you let her get away right?” “Don't you worry none about me,” he said, as he dragged Temperance out the back door and through the back way to his hotel room.
Upon entering his room, he untied her hands, removed her gag and threw her on the bed as he began undressing and being verbally assaulted by the angry woman that was to be the evening entertainment for the moralistically depraved bandit. “You keep running that mouth of yours and I'll put that gag right back in it,” he said as he approached her. “Do you know who my brother is?”, Temperance exclaimed as he began to force her clothes off of her. “I couldn't care less Darling,'” he responded, while fighting her as she resisted and began kicking at the outlaw. “I promise you he's on his way here at this very moment, and when he gets here, he'll skin the very flesh right off your sorry bones if you touch me again!” “What?” he asked, doubting the warning that she spoke of. “You think so, do you?”, he replied, as he pushed her dress up and proceeded to climb on top of her. “And just what makes you think he knows where to find us, blondie?” Temperance began fighting with everything she had, but to no avail as he overpowered her and began to have his way with her. “You ignorant fool”, she shouted. Through the tears that began to run down her face, she sobbed aloud as she continued. “My brother is a Comanche warrior, professional tracker and bounty hunter, you lowlife piece of mule dung, and I promise you when he does find us, he'll take his sweet time paying you and the other bottom feeders back for everything you've done to me and Winter Crow, who, by the way, is also his sister!” William hesitated at the thought of what she was saying, not realizing who her family was, and what consequences that may be in store for him and the other bandits he ran around with. Dealing with lawmen was one thing, and not that big of a deal, they usually gave up when in pursuit of someone who crossed state lines, but bounty hunters knew no boundaries and had a hunger for the outlaws of which they preyed upon and made their livings by. Upon his hesitation, Temperance continued, seeing the doubt that had arisen in the eyes of the outlaw. “Pale Horse will find you, and my boyfriend, Colt Mathews is sure to be with him, he's also a bounty hunter, you've heard of him haven't you?” “You should, he's the one that killed your bosses brother!” William was one of Snake Head Walters henchmen when 'Lightning Colt Mathews had killed him, and only escaped the same fate because he happened to be out of town when Mathews had caught up with him and ended his life. The name Colt Mathews gave him plenty of concern, knowing of the bounty hunters reputation of always getting his man, and never once bringing them to justice alive, but rather dead and slumped lifelessly over the horse that followed him, but the name Pale Horse sent cold shivers down his spine, for the tales and ruthless reputation of the half breed bounty hunter was known by every outlaw far and wide as being the cruelest, and most sadistic man to ever wield the infamous bowie knife and Colt .45s of which he used to perfection. Until this moment, he knew nothing of this, and now could feel the devil himself stalking him, knowing there was only one way for this to end.
William immediately stopped what he was doing and suddenly started dressing to head back to the saloon and inform his boss of everything she had told him, and for some reason had kept to herself throughout the whole ordeal. After replacing the ropes that had previously bound her hands, he once more placed the gag in her mouth and just as quick as he could, dragged her back to the brothel from which he had taken her.
Shane Walters knew that Ben had hired Colt to kill his brother, and that was the very reason he kidnapped Temperance in the first place, but what he didn't know, was that Temperance and “that squaw” were the sisters of the infamous Pale Horse. When he kidnapped Winter Crow along with Ben's daughter, it was simply because she happened to be riding with his prey at the time, and he figured she would just be more carnal entertainment for him and the boys that rode with him.
William, with the dreary shadows of the fear manifested, burst into the saloon and quickly made his way to the table where Shane and the rest of his men were still playing poker. Leaning forward, placing both of his hands on the table and looking his boss in the eye, he asked him if he knew about the bounty hunters that were in sure pursuit of them. “Of course I do, you drunken fool,” he answered back. “You didn't think the girl was taken just for the money, did you?” “Her father was the one that hired that Mathews fella to kill my brother, that was the reason for taking her in the beginning!” “You do know of his reputation, don't you?”, asked William, as he stood and downed one of the drinks that was on the table. “You're not telling me you're scared of this Mathews, are you Will”?, Shane asked as he continued with his game. “Lightning Mathews has never failed to bring in anyone that he was after, and now, he's not only after us, but that blonde back at your sister's place is practically his wife, and she just assured me that he is on his way!” “That's fine and dandy with me” said Walters, “That means I don't have to hunt him down and kill him for what he did to Snake, I'll kill him when he does catch up with us, hell, I hope he does, that will save me the trip.” “I'm beginning to doubt your fortitude Will,” said Chris, which brought on sarcastic laughter and jeers from the other men at the table. “You're not scared, are ya?”
William reached for the near empty bottle of whiskey that had been filling the glasses on the table, and after drinking the rest of it's contents, he announced to Shane and the rest of his partners, “How many of you have heard of Pale Horse?” The laughter and ribbing came to an immediate halt at the mention of the bounty hunters name and those at the table fell silent. Wayne broke the uncomfortable silence when he volunteered, “Yeah, I've heard of him, as we all have, I'm sure, that injun's killed more people than the pox.” Shane looked up from his hand of cards, with the worry well hidden, but not far from his eyes and asked him, “What's that have to do with anything?” William, now aware that his boss was clueless to the fact answered, “Because that little squaw and blondie are his damn sisters, and you can bet he's wearing' out horses and leather headed this way, that's why!”, William looked around the table at his fellow desperadoes and asked, “And what do ya' think that half-breed's gonna do to the men that's passed his sisters around no different than this bottle of rotgut between 'em?”
The whore that was making her way around the saloon sat another bottle on their table, and as her reward for this unsolicited service, she poured herself a glass full before noticing the mood that was prevalent among the men and just as quickly excused herself without a word. As the other men remained silent, no doubt contemplating the situation that was now upon them, Shane's mind began to race trying to come up with the solution for the heavy shadow that now seemed to loom large above them. William didn't need time to think, he had made the decision for himself within mere moments of finding out the dreaded news. He was packing the things he had acquired with his share of the ransom, and was putting Shane Walters, the rest of the gang, and the entire State of Oklahoma behind him as fast as his horse would carry him. “I don't know about ya'll”, he said, “But I'm outta here, and I mean now, and if the rest of you don't wanna fall under that knife of his, or stand face to face with either of them, I'd suggest you do the same!” Before another shot was poured, or word was said, the batwings of the saloon swung with finality as he hurriedly made his escape from the impending death that was sure to follow.
At the telegraph office, Shannon Farris, the receiving clerk, was getting a wire as his understudy strolled casually in the door to report for duty. “Afternoon'” said Heath, as he took off his English style derby and hung it on the hat rack. Heath Foxx was a bright young man and a personable fellow who constantly took grief over the profession his mother had chosen. She was the local “madam” at the one and only brothel in town. Though she made a comfortable living and supported her son well, he never seemed to get over the stares and taunting by his friends for his mothers choice in life. His father had left when he was only 6 years old, leaving her to do whatever she could to look after her son, and the two daughters she had at home.
Shannon, without turning his head, held up his finger to signal for silence so he could finish writing out the telegram coming in from Sheriff Bill Thornton out of Denver. Heath grabbed the broom and began sweeping the never ending dust that seemed to constantly gather on the