Iron Eyes Must Die Read Online Free Page A

trouble! Now answer me and tell
me why you’re here!’
    The sound of a
train ’s
whistle and bell rang out across the vast flat plain. Adams glanced
to both sides of him and chuckled.
    ‘ That’s why!’ he said.
    ‘ The
train?’ Frank Mason said aloud. He gripped Dawson’s shoulder.
‘These boys are train robbers, Hoot!’
    Snake Adams drew his gun and
fired through his coat. The smell of smoldering fabric filled the nostrils of
the men who surrounded him. A trail of smoke followed the deadly
bullet as it hit Dawson dead centre. It punched its way right
through his frame. The saloon-owner staggered backwards and fell at
the feet of his friends.
    A startled gasp came from every one of
them.
    The six men to either side of Snake Adams
turned the barrels of their rifles on the stunned crowd.
    ‘ Should we kill them all, Snake?’ Buck Harris asked eagerly,
his index finger stroking the rifle trigger. ‘We got time to kill
them all!’
    The crowd backed away a few strides.
    Snake Adams pulled his gun out from his coat
and hauled its hammer back again. He considered the option for a
few endless seconds and the people before him shed their weaponry
in terror. He looked straight at the large-girthed Mason and waved
the barrel of the Colt.
    ‘ You
get these folks to obey orders and you might be alive in an hour’s
time. Pick this carcass up and take him someplace,’ Adams ordered.
‘If you don’t, we’ll kill you all right now!’
    Frank Mason herded the rest of the townsmen
around the blood-soaked body. Four of them reached down and lifted
what was left of Hoot Dawson up.
    ‘ Take
him to behind the outhouses!’ Mason said as the entire crowd moved
as one.
    ‘ Cover
the body with sand and rocks so nobody curious sets eyes on it!’
Adams insisted.
    Mason nodded fearfully.
    ‘ Sure
enough,’ he gasped.
    Snake Adams released the hammer and holstered
his gun. There was a look of satisfaction etched into his features
as he turned and stared off into the distance. He pulled off his
gloves and rammed them into the pockets of his trail coat before
removing it and tossing it over his saddle.
    ‘ Time!’ he said, snapping his fingers at Ben Lynch. He
pulled out a small well-worn book of timetables from his inside
vest pocket. He flicked through its pages until he found the one he
was looking for.
    Lynch lowered his rifle and reached into his
vest pocket. He produced a golden half-hunter and opened its
lid.
    ‘ It’s
nearly seven, Snake!’ he said.
    Adams nodded, staring at the book.
    ‘ The
west-bound will be here in roughly thirty minutes according to
this.’
    Buck Harris shook his head.
    ‘ I
could kill them all in a lot less than thirty minutes, Snake!’ he
boasted. ‘You should have let me kill them!’
    Adams tossed the book aside and gave the
deadly killer beside him a hard stare.
    ‘ That
ain’t the plan, Buck!’ he rapped.
    Harris did not reply.
    Adams snapped his fingers again at Mayne and
Brewster.
    ‘ Ferdy? You and One Ear go and make sure them folks don’t do
nothing heroic! Hog tie the whole bunch of them. I don’t want them
messin’ up this job.’
    ‘ I
don’t get it, Snake.’ Harris shrugged. ‘Ain’t we here to kill all
these critters?’
    ‘ Just
do as I tell you, Buck!’ Adams said sternly. He waved a hand at
Mayne and Brewster. ‘There’ll be plenty of killing
later.’
    The two riders touched the brims of their
hats and walked off after the terrified crowd. A trail of blood
marked the exact route.
    A train whistle echoed across the plains.
    Adams raised his hand and shielded his eyes
from the blinding early morning sun. He looked along the tracks
which seemed to go on into infinity towards the distant
mountains.
    ‘ There!’ he said pointing.
    The others all nodded as they too saw the
distant plume of black smoke trailing into the sky.
    ‘ Get
the horses out of sight!’ Adams commanded. ‘We don’t want to
advertise our being here, do we?’

Chapter Three
    Rio Concho