Bandit's Embrace (The Durango Family) Read Online Free Page B

its fine head up against the tie-down that ran from its velvet muzzle between its front legs, hooking to the saddle girth. He grabbed the bridle, noted the long-shanked bit. This was a fiery horse, the rigging told him that. “You like to run, boy? Old Bandit’s gonna give you the run of your life!”
    But before he swung up into the saddle, he freed the other horses, waved his hat and shouted to run them off. The powerful stallion reared and pawed the air, flinging its head against the tie-down. Bandit hesitated, uncertain which trail to take. “You got any choice, Hoss? It sure don’t make me no never mind!”
    Then the trio ran out into the street behind him, shouting and cursing. “There he goes! Get him!”
    “Damn him! He’s got the Kid’s stallion!”
    “Stop him! He’s taking the horse!”
    Where to go? Bandit sucked in his breath, ran his tongue over his dry lips as he used his spurs. The outlaws might be from the Territory, too, probably knew every inch of it, so it would be easy for them to track him if he headed north. Along the Rio Grande it was isolated, lonely. Only an occasional war party of Kickapoo, Lipan, or Mescalero Apache rode those arid stretches. He reined the magnificent horse around, headed south. Maybe after a few hours, the Oklahoma Kid’s partners would tire of the chase and give up.
     
     
    It was dawn before he finally reined in, dismounted, and walked the lathered stud to cool him out. For the first time, he noticed the pinto’s eyes were as blue as his own. Bandit grinned crookedly. “Well, old Hoss, maybe we belong together!” He felt in his vest for the reassurance of his lucky pieces. Yeah, maybe the Kid’s partners had quit following him and he’d ridden far enough.
    Was there any hardtack in those saddlebags? As he fumbled through them, he noted the mark on the stallion’s hip. There was something vaguely familiar about that eagle brand. Oh, yeah. For the very first time, he considered the eagle on his lucky piece. He’d never thought about it, but it stood to reason the small coin was Mexican, since the eagle was that country’s emblem. His mind searched for something else, found it.
    He turned the thought over in his mind as he reached for some hardtack to munch. His fingers closed on something metal, cold. What in blue blazes? . . .
    Bandit felt the hair raise on the back of his neck. He would have to ride a lot farther than he’d planned and that trio wouldn’t give up easily. Worse than that, he was going to have the army looking for him and they’d shoot first, ask questions later.
    “Ol’ blue-eyed hoss, I’m in big trouble!” Bandit looked from the pinto to what he held in his hands. Now he knew those outlaws would chase him ’til they ran him to ground, like coon dogs on a hot trail. He’d have to try to lose himself down in the vast wilderness below the Rio Grande.
    The first pink light of day gleamed on metal. Sí , they’d trail him into hell without a backward look. He ran his fingers over the telltale letters etched on the canvas sacks inside the leather saddlebag. God damn! He’d stolen more than the Kid’s horse!
    Double eagles. The twenty-dollar gold pieces felt cold against his fingers as he silently counted them. Three cutthroats on his trail and next the U.S. Army! With a sinking heart, Bandit mounted up and headed south as fast as the fine-blooded stallion could gallop. Now just what was he gonna do? He sure couldn’t expect protection from the law. Not with his saddlebags full of stolen Fort Concho payroll!

Chapter Two
    It was almost dusk when the stage pulled into the sleepy little relay village to stop for the night.
    Amethyst sighed and leaned on her hand, looking out at the tumble of adobe buildings around the courtyard. The place even smelled dusty in the late April warmth. After several days of travel, this was her last night of freedom before she was locked away in the convent of the Cloistered Sisters, probably forever. Just