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

suspected, where upon he dismounted also. The girls, sensing something was wrong, said nothing and waited until one of the men spoke up. It was Colt, who told them “Step down from your mounts and give them a rest, and check Kelly's bandage and fix it if need be, Pale Horse and I will be right back. As the two men walked back to where he had seen what he thought was a dress, the girls did as they were asked.
Pale Horse picked up the garment, and though there wasn't any blood on it, it had been ripped from the neck all the way down. They both had been looking intensely in the tall grass around them for awhile when their darkest fears became a reality. There, lying nude, with her eyes open staring blindly at them, was the very girl they were looking for. It was apparent she had been beaten and no doubt raped before one of the men cut her throat and left her in the grass. Both of the bounty hunters had done extremely vicious and cold blooded things in their lives, but nothing could prepare them for what they were seeing at this moment. To kill a man was one thing, it was their living, and never once bothered either of them in the least, but this was an unspeakable horror that would haunt them throughout their entire lives, and although they didnt know it at the moment, the sands of time would most certainly prove it to be so. Without a word between them, they both walked back to their horses, where Pale Horse removed one of the extra blankets he had in his saddlebags, and walked back into the grass to recover her body. While Colt broke the sad news to Kelly and the girls, Pale Horse wrapped her up in the blanket, and carried her lifeless body back to his horse. There were no words to comfort Kelly, though both of the girls tried through the tears they failed to hide while doing so.
The darkened clouds that had hovered above and just ahead of them, begin to release the rain that had been threatening for the last several hours as they arrived in Three Corners. Colt, pulling left on Biscuits reins, lead the riders to the town's Doctors office, while Pale Horse continued towards the undertaker's. As the Doc was tending to Kelly's wound, Colt rode to the Sheriff's office. Before walking in the door, He slapped his hat against his chaps to shake off the excess rain and walked into the office and introduced himself to the sheriff. As he was filling him in on the recent events, the sheriff graciously offered him a drink of the whiskey he kept in his desk drawer. After accepting the rotgut swill, he pulled out the posters and asked him if he had seen either of the men pictured. “No Sir,” he said, I've been in Colorado Springs on business, just returned last night.” “My Deputy will be in here tomorrow though, I gave him the day off, seeing that he's been here holdin' down the fort, so to speak.” “Alright Sheriff, I do appreciate your time,” Colt said as he tipped his weather soaked hat on his way out the door.
Pale Horse made the arrangements for the child to be buried with dignity in the local cemetery, paid for the services to be rendered, and then headed for the Doctor's office, where he had previously told Colt and the girls he would meet them after leaving the undertaker. He met Colt as he was riding to do just that. While they were dismounting and tying off their horses, Colt, while lighting his cigar, asked his friend the question that had been on his mind for the last hour or so. “What do you think we ought to do with that boy?” he asked. Standing outside under the cloth awning that offered little protection from the storm that was coming, patiently waiting for the rest of their group, Pale Horse replied, “I've been thinking of that myself. I figure we can take him out to Bens place to stay in that big house he's got, I'm sure he could use an extra hand, and Ben would be very good to him.” “That's a wonderful idea,” said Colt as he shook his head in agreement. As the two stood just out of the rain, both thinking of the journey traveled so far, the solitude was soon broken, “It's been a helluva ride,” Colt said as he blew the wispy rings of Cuban smoke into the air. “Yes it has,” replied Pale Horse, knowing the worst of it was still to come.
While waiting on the young Kelly and the girls, a bar room brawl and showdown to follow spilled into the streets. As some of the patrons of the bar followed in pursuit, caring not that it was raining, but hoping to get a glance of the grim reaper sure to collect, Pale Horse and Colt brushed it off as nothing, and continued with their conversation. Kelly walked out of the doctors office, arm bandaged and in a sling, and thanked the two men for paying for the doctors services. “Of course young man,” Pale Horse said, as he reached over and mussed the boys damp locks and smiled. “What's going on over there?” asked Temperance as she walked towards the fracas, curiosity getting the best of her. “Drunken fools and contemptuous banter,” said Pale Horse as he and the others followed her.
While the insults between the whiskey bent gladiators were flying, Temperance, in extreme panic, turned to Colt and excitedly pointed to the cowboy who was standing at the far end of the street, “There's the long haired sons-a-bitch we told you about ! Colt, looking in the direction she was pointing, realized the vermin was the very same face he had seen many times as he stared with contempt at the posters he carried with him. Winter Crow, visually upset and frantic, grabbed her brother by the arm as to push him forward into the fray to take the revenge she so desired upon the culprit who had abused and slapped her around on several occasions. Kelly stared down the street, remembering the evil look on the outlaws face as he shot him, leaving him for dead. Pale Horse turned to Colt calmly and said, “You got the last one, this one's mine!” Walking with haste towards the man who was facing the wanted fugitive, Pale Horse pulled $100 from his jacket and offered it to him in exchange for taking his place in the showdown. The man accepted the money offered and said as he walked away, “Be my guest.” William, looking confused at the Indian that stepped into the street to face him, hollered out “What's this all about?” Winter Crow stepped into the street next to her brother and glared at the culprit as to say, “I am what this is all about!”. Temperance, seeing her sister's defiance, stepped purposely into the street and stood next to her.
Pale Horse glanced briefly at the girls standing beside him, and though he was proud of them for the stance they were taking, he insisted they return to the covered walkway with Colt and the others. Temperance, before doing as her brother wished, shouted her words of malicious profanity as she reminded the outlaw of the conversation they had the last time he had seen her. As she stepped under the porch cover and out of the rain, she turned once more and added, “I told you they were coming, and I warned you of the price you would pay!” Pale Horse started walking towards the outlaw, “Where's Shane Walters?” he hollered. “He's gone!”, he answered back, the nervousness reverberating in his voice. “I'll ask you once more, Where's Shane Walters?” Pale Horse was drawing ever closer, and with his fate hanging by a thread, the outlaw answered back, “He's on his way to Wolf Canyon.” With their suspicions confirmed, he continued toward the condemned man without another word. As he approached the outlaw with his arms at his sides, with no intentions of drawing his weapons unless William went for his. The crowd was deathly silent as they watched in awe at the calm recklessness of the bounty hunter as he continued his deadly path. The determined steps through thickening mud and the patter of the summer rain were the only sound being heard until William nervously began pleading for mercy, knowing well the legend of the infamous Pale Horse. He began begging for the hangman's rope, rather than dying by the diabolical hands of the infamous bounty hunter. The words fell on deaf ears as the bounty hunter drew within feet of the vermin.
Little did Pale Horse know, though Colt tried in vain to stop her, Winter Crow, hugging closely to the interior of the buildings along Main Street, was quietly shadowing her brother, eager to witness the certain demise of the outlaw who had defiled her. While William still petitioned for a reprieve, Pale Horse reached up and placed his right hand behind the mans head, and pulling his head closer to him, whispered so only he could hear, “This is for my sisters.., See you in Hell!”
With eyes of malevolence and purgatory's stare, Pale Horse thrust slowly and deep the Shadow of Death into his victim. Cold and emotionless sank the blade of ruin as the cowboy's eyes widened and the blood flowed soothing and warm in his hand. The crowd gasped with pity at the cruelty and horror they had just seen, unaware of the crimes of the dying man now bleeding in the muddy street for all to see. Winter Crow, now standing aside Pale Horse, looked in her brothers eyes of ice, now seeping with death. As she reached for the blood soaked steel in his hand, she turned menacingly towards the dying man, and bending down over him, slowly peeled his scalp from him as he lie in the muck, screaming in agony with his last and dying breath. Tucking the grisly trophy in the leather sash about her waist, she returned the knife to her brother as the two of them turned and walked satisfied towards the saloon. Colt Mathews, as if on cue, walked with purpose into the middle of the mired street, and grabbing the dead outlaw by the collar, dragged the limp body thru filth and mud to the sheriffs office and threw it carelessly upon the front steps. Reaching into his vest, he pulled out the wanted poster assigned, and shoved it carelessly in the outlaws mouth.
Walking into the Sheriff's office, Colt told the lawman that William Russell, wanted for extortion, kidnapping and murder, was lying on the steps outside, and that he was there to collect the bounty for bringing him in. The Sheriff, walking over to the window, saw the deceased outlaw, and turning to the bounty hunter said, “Give me an hour to see the president of the bank, and I'll have the reward for you. Colt, standing, and tipping his hat, said “I'll be at the saloon, if that suits you.” The Sheriff agreed, shook his hand, and Colt headed for the saloon.
“The reward will be here within an hour or so.” Colt said as he sat down to the table of his friends. Pale Horse nodded his head, and handed over the bottle of Jack's he had been working on since he and the others had arrived at the bar. “Winter Crow, are you alright?” Colt asked as he reached across the table to refill her glass, and did the same for Temperance. Winter Crow shook her head “yes”, and proceeded to drink the whiskey poured. Temperance looked over to her dear Colt, and with her look of reassurance, told