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

Colt, “She'll be fine.” As Kelly reached over to pour himself another shot, Temperance interrupted his intention by covering his glass with her hand and told him he had drank enough and tossed him two bits for a soda.
“Shane Walters has a 3 or 4 hour start on us, but he's headed to Wolf Canyon, just as we expected,” Pale Horse said to Colt. “Yeah, I heard,” his partner replied. “Trying to catch up to him, especially in this weather would be near impossible,” Pale Horse added, “So, I say we put a cork on that bottle, and Kelly and I will head over to the Trading Post I saw across the street and get him a mount, while you and the girls go to the General Store for whatever supplies we're lacking, and as soon as we collect what's owed, let's get back on the trail and put this job behind us.” Colt nodded his head in agreement as he raised his glass to toast another outlaw in the books, and the rest raised their glass to the same.
With the bounty in hand and the needed supplies aboard, the bounty hunters and their crew were back on the trail and headed for Denver. The tracks they would've been following were all but gone due to the rain, but that wasnt important now. Shane Walters was returning to the one place he felt safe, with no idea that Pale Horse and his partner had been there before, and were on their way there again.
Silence prevailed as they made their way through the drizzle and mud, each of them thinking of the events that had recently taken place as they continued on their path. Pale Horse was worried about his sister, Winter Crow, realizing that what she had done to William was her first, and very much unlike the timid girl that she was. He knew she only did so because of the hurt and extreme anger she carried inside of her. He wondered how it would affect the rest of her life, and if she held him responsible for leaving her alone on the ranch as he and the others went hunting the day she and Temperance were kidnapped. He couldn't help but think to himself that none of this would've ever happened to her had he not brought her from the reservation to see Temperance.
Young Kelly was no doubt thinking about the new life that lie before him. Temperance had told him all about Ben, the Double R Ranch and how much she knew he would love living there, if he chose to do so. He had thoughts about striking out on his own before he and his family had begun their journey to California, but decided he would see what the new adventure would bring after they had arrived there. The fact that his whole family was gone now, and he didn't have the money or know how to sustain himself, he had decided he would give the ranch life a try. What did he have to lose?, besides, what else was he going to do. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how lucky he was that the friends he now rode with had come along when they did.
Colt, as he rode beside his trusted partner, couldn't help but think about how much it scared him when his darling Temperance had been taken away from him, realizing now how much more she meant to him. Now that he had her back, he decided things would be different between them after they resumed their lives in Rifle Stock.
Temperance was still traumatized over the things the outlaws had done to her, but she was strong and she knew it, and it would be but a matter of time before she could put it all behind her and continue on being the lady she had been before. She also realized during her ordeal, that not only was she worried she would never see her father again, but she began to see that the feelings she had for Colt Mathews were a lot stronger than she thought they were before, and she had every intention of making a life with him once she returned home.
Winter Crow was ashamed, and blamed herself for the things the outlaws had done to her, even though, deep in her heart she knew it wasn't her fault. She worried about the way her family would feel about her once they found out, whether or not she would be ostracized from the village, and how her brother felt about it as well. Like Temperance, she was a strong willed woman, and knew in time, that she would eventually be able to put the events behind her . She was proud of herself though, for scalping the outlaw for what he had done to her. She knew her brother wouldn't stop until he had killed him, and that realization set well within her.
Pale Horse had given up the ruthless profession of bounty hunting a couple of years ago, he didn't really need it, he hunted and trapped and traded his goods to sustain himself, but this time he was helping a friend in need. The fact that his sister's were involved drove him to the point of hatred and left a scar within him that would never heal. He had every intention of returning to the mountains when this was over. As far as Colt, this is what he loved doing, and would probably continue until one of his prey had gotten the drop on him and ended it all.
The dreariness of the trail was wearing thin on the women, and it was easy to see by those that cared for them. Colt spoke up to address the point when he noticed that both of them had begun to slow their pace, seemingly giving up on the task at hand. “Temp, Winter Crow, Are ya'll alright?” he asked. Temperance looked over at him and said “Yes hon, I'm just tired of this damp, dreary weather, and I'm ready to get back to the Double R, hug my daddy, take a long hot bath and sleep in my own bed again.” Winter Crow, looking over at Temperance and Colt, just smiled and shook her head as to agree. Colt, sensing thier despair added,“The trail is a long and hard one, that's a fact, but it'll all be over soon, I promise.”
The sun that had seemed to this point to elude them, once again reappeared just an hour or so before it once more began to set, but the temporary break in the depressing weather seemed to lift their disheartened spirits, and the lighthearted conversation among friends soon took over. Pointing to a nice nestle of trees, and a small creek that ran just yards from it, Pale Horse turned to the rest of the riders and announced, “Lets stop there and set up camp for the night, it looks like as good a place as any” As each of them happily agreed, they spurred their mounts and headed for their nirvana for the evening.
The riders were setting up camp, something unfamiliar to the young Kelly. “How can I help Pale Horse?” he asked as he stood back and watched his new friends go about their chores as if everyone's duties had been assigned. “Help Colt gather firewood and kindling,” he said as he glanced up from hollowing a spot for their fire. “Yes Sir,” he said as he began scouring about, eager to pull his weight and impress those that had so kindly took him in.
It wasn't long before the welcomed warmth of the roaring fire and the smell of frying beans, pork bacon and sourdough biscuits had filled the evening air and those around the campfire began to relax from the hard and dreary day of riding. “We should arrive in Denver within a few hours after we break camp tomorrow,” Colt said, knowing the women and Kelly would be delighted at the news. “I cant wait,” replied Temperance as she stood next to the fire, warming her hands outstretched before the flame. “Me either,” said her sister as she stood and walked towards her to do the same. “How much further to the ranch after Denver?” asked Kelly, the eagerness to begin his new life apparent in his voice. Thinking they were closer than they were, the disappointment on his young face was easy to see when Temperance turned to answer him. “It will be another 2 days ride after we leave Denver,” she replied. Kelly nodded his head and said nothing, though disappointment had surely gotten the best of him. The cloud laden skies had all but cleared and the stars were once again shining brightly as the campers, now full of the evening meal and weary, lie back in their bedrolls and stared quietly into the summer night, listening to a hoot owl in the near distance singing his nocturnal song before eventually drifting off to sleep.
The flattened terrain had slowly changed over the last couple of hours, beginning to rise in elevation as the beautiful City of Denver got closer and closer. The trail of which they traveled was now dry and the sun with its rays now forgotten, was shining warm upon them as each of the determined riders pushed their horses for a quicker pace, sensing the town was just ahead.
The hustle and bustle of civilization were a welcomed sight as the travelers eagerly entered the town. “Colt, if you'll escort our young companion to Sheriff Thornton's office, and inform him that we are here, and would like him to watch over him and the girls while we ride out to Wolf Canyon, I'll see to it that the hotel has a room for each of them while you do so.” Colt nodded his head in approval and then stated, “When these arrangements are taken care of, I'll meet you at the Whiskey River.” “Sounds good to me,” he replied as they separated and he headed for the hotel. Kelly and the ladies were having lunch at the cafe when Colt walked thru the batwings of the saloon to join his friend and discuss the events soon to follow. Pale Horse was at the bar, with a couple of shots already on the bar waiting for him as he walked up. “The girls and Kelly are having lunch, and then they're going up to their rooms to stay until we return, I made sure the latter part was crystal clear to all of them before I left the cafe.” “Good,” he said back as he and Colt raised their glasses and toasted the battle they were soon to be fighting.
Two inebriated fools walked sideways up to the bar and positioned themselves just to the right of Colt and his partner, and rudely ordered their beers from the barkeep. “Hey Geronimo, looks like you could use a hair-cut, you look like my woman back at home!” Pale Horse leaned back to see where the insult was coming from, and as he did, Colt reached over and took his friend by the arm and pulled him back up to the bar. Pale Horse nonchalantly accepted his friend's gesture and ordered another round. Colt looked over at the fool standing next to him and shook his head sarcastically as to say to the boisterous and ignorant buffoons, “Shut up and mind your business,” and left it at that. Just when they thought the fella had gotten the hint, the idiot once more opened his foul mouth, and said loudly to the man he was drinking with, “You know, with that long hair of his, he kinda reminds me of the ass end of your horse, Tom.” Knowing Pale Horse was just seconds away from addressing the man in his