Boston Jack was silent for a moment, then his lips opened and a string
of curses poured forth.
"The dirty double crosser! He'd double cross his own mother! Damn him,
tryin' to hog it all! I'd cook his goose, only yuh're his men an'----"
He stopped suddenly.
"Naw, we ain't his men. This here is Jack-twin Allen, the Wyoming
sheriff," Jim said, beckoning Jack forward.
Boston Jack stared with fevered eyes, then he nodded.
"Yeh, yuh sure is him. An' I knows yuh ain't working for no skunk like
Spur. Come closer, an' I'll tell yuh somethin' that will cut that
double crosser's horns," Boston muttered.
Jack Allen knelt beside the dying outlaw, who whispered to him. His
voice grew fainter and fainter, and Jack Allen stooped lower and lower,
until his ear was close to the dying man's lips. Then Boston sighed and
straightened out. Jack Allen arose to his feet and looked down on the
dead man.
"Did he finish?" Jim asked.
"He told me enough to hang Spur a dozen times," Jack answered, "an' I
reckon there'll be others who'll be willin' to save their necks by
corroborating what he said. Usually, crooks will talk to save their own
necks, so guard these wounded men carefully," Jack said.
Bill McAllister and three men were left as guards, and the rest started
on the return trip to the Double R Ranch. It was not until they had
reached Boston's ranch that Jack Allen told them of what the outlaw had
confessed. When he had finished, they were all silent for a time, for
it was a terrible tale of murder and treachery.
"But even if yuh hang Spur--that won't save Dot her ranch if she signs
them papers this afternoon," Slivers cried suddenly.
"Sign this afternoon?" Jack Allen exclaimed sharply.
"Yep, Bill McAllister tol' me she was goin' to town to-day to see the
bank man," Slivers said.
"But she's not to sign until to-morrow--that was the plan Boston and
Spur agreed on," Jack countered.
"Hell," Jim Allen cried, "the kid's plumb correct. I'm bettin' that
Spur is figgerin' on doin' just what we made Boston believe he done an'
he fixed the signin' a day ahead."
"Then let's get goin'--an' the first man there tell Dot she's got
thousands of cows in that valley all wearin' the Double R brand, an'
there ain't no use of her sellin' the outfit!" Jack yelled as he ran
toward his horse.
Flat-foot, Snoots, and Slivers were off first. They were followed by
Jack Allen on his big black, Toothpick on the dun and Jim Allen last on
Honeyboy, followed by Princess. For the first two miles, the three
leaders made a terrific pace and drew rapidly ahead. Then, step by
step, they fell back. The big black passed them easily, one by one;
then the dun sent her nose ahead. For several miles, Jack and Toothpick
led Jim Allen, but at last the two grays rapidly drew abreast and then
ahead. They were running like machines.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account