Novel 1966 - Kid Rodelo (v5.0) Read Online Free
hidden?”
“You think I’m crazy? Nobody knows.”
Badger considered that. If nobody knew, it was unlikely that either the Yaquis or the warden would guess their direction for despite their need to get away they would be riding east rather than south…at least until they found the gold.
But if anybody knew, and if the warden was tipped off, he could be in the vicinity of the gold, watching for them. In that case they might as well throw in their hand.
“If you’re lyin’,” Badger said, “it’ll be your neck as well as mine. If one person other than you knows where that gold is, or even knows about where it is, then you can lay a bet somebody else knows, and we’ll be walkin’ into a trap.”
“Nobody knows,” Harbin said shortly.
Only somebody did know, Harbin was thinking. That girl knew…he had talked big, talked when he should have been listening.
Hell, what did that matter? She was probably long gone out of the country.
Chapter 3
----
W HEN THE SUN was still half an hour above the horizon, Dan Rodelo took the trail. He had always enjoyed walking, something rare among riding men, and he enjoyed it now. After a year in prison it was a grand feeling to be out on the open road, swinging along at a good gait. Above all, it gave him time to think, and to plan.
It was not yet dark when he heard the rattle of a light wagon behind him, and turned to see a fourhorse team approaching, drawing a light wagon with a saddle horse tied behind. In the wagon were two men and a woman.
When they came abreast of him, they drew up. “You goin’ some place, mister?”
“Gold City.”
“If you’re huntin’ gold it’s no place to go. The only gold they ever found there was in the name.”
“I might be lucky.”
“Get in. We’re goin’ thataway.” The big man spoke to the team, slapped them lightly with the reins, and the wagon rolled off with Rodelo in the back, sitting near a girl, and a damned attractive one, he decided.
“That’s a ghost town now, mister. You realize that?”
“It’s not quite a ghost town. Old Sam Burrows is still around. He runs the store and saloon. I left my horse with him some time back.”
“Seems a far-off place to leave a horse,” the big man commented.
“Does, doesn’t it?”
Dan Rodelo looked at the girl, who regarded him coolly, showing no interest. The two men exchanged comments from time to time, and Rodelo gathered their names were Clint and Jake.
The night was still, and when the horses slowed to walk up a long hill, there was no sound to be heard but that of their own passage. Dan Rodelo stretched out his legs. It felt good to be riding. He eased his holster into a handy position and caught the girl’s glance as she noticed it.
They were wondering about him, as he was about them. Two men and a girl going to Gold City…for what?
Gold City was not only a ghost town, but it was the end of the trail. Beyond lay the desert…a desert that was empty all the way to the border, and far beyond. Dan Rodelo was not really a suspicious man, but at the moment he was wondering if somebody else had the same idea he had. It would be wise to be careful, very careful.
Gold City was not much more than a ramshackle store and saloon, three steps up from the walk to the porch under the overhang. Across the street stood an adobe, crumbling to ruin, and there was a scattering of other abandoned buildings along this street and back from it on both sides. There was no tree in sight, nothing but creosote brush, brittle bush, and a scattering of prickly pear and ocotillo.
Sam, smoking his pipe on the porch, watched the wagon approach. The dog lying at his feet growled, then subsided. Sam wore a belt gun, which he could use, and there was a shotgun just inside the door.
As the wagon rolled to a halt his wary old eyes slid over the occupants, then held on Rodelo.
“Hiya, Sam!”
“Bless my soul, if it ain’t Rodelo. I’d no idea your time was up.”
Dan dropped to the
“You think I’m crazy? Nobody knows.”
Badger considered that. If nobody knew, it was unlikely that either the Yaquis or the warden would guess their direction for despite their need to get away they would be riding east rather than south…at least until they found the gold.
But if anybody knew, and if the warden was tipped off, he could be in the vicinity of the gold, watching for them. In that case they might as well throw in their hand.
“If you’re lyin’,” Badger said, “it’ll be your neck as well as mine. If one person other than you knows where that gold is, or even knows about where it is, then you can lay a bet somebody else knows, and we’ll be walkin’ into a trap.”
“Nobody knows,” Harbin said shortly.
Only somebody did know, Harbin was thinking. That girl knew…he had talked big, talked when he should have been listening.
Hell, what did that matter? She was probably long gone out of the country.
Chapter 3
----
W HEN THE SUN was still half an hour above the horizon, Dan Rodelo took the trail. He had always enjoyed walking, something rare among riding men, and he enjoyed it now. After a year in prison it was a grand feeling to be out on the open road, swinging along at a good gait. Above all, it gave him time to think, and to plan.
It was not yet dark when he heard the rattle of a light wagon behind him, and turned to see a fourhorse team approaching, drawing a light wagon with a saddle horse tied behind. In the wagon were two men and a woman.
When they came abreast of him, they drew up. “You goin’ some place, mister?”
“Gold City.”
“If you’re huntin’ gold it’s no place to go. The only gold they ever found there was in the name.”
“I might be lucky.”
“Get in. We’re goin’ thataway.” The big man spoke to the team, slapped them lightly with the reins, and the wagon rolled off with Rodelo in the back, sitting near a girl, and a damned attractive one, he decided.
“That’s a ghost town now, mister. You realize that?”
“It’s not quite a ghost town. Old Sam Burrows is still around. He runs the store and saloon. I left my horse with him some time back.”
“Seems a far-off place to leave a horse,” the big man commented.
“Does, doesn’t it?”
Dan Rodelo looked at the girl, who regarded him coolly, showing no interest. The two men exchanged comments from time to time, and Rodelo gathered their names were Clint and Jake.
The night was still, and when the horses slowed to walk up a long hill, there was no sound to be heard but that of their own passage. Dan Rodelo stretched out his legs. It felt good to be riding. He eased his holster into a handy position and caught the girl’s glance as she noticed it.
They were wondering about him, as he was about them. Two men and a girl going to Gold City…for what?
Gold City was not only a ghost town, but it was the end of the trail. Beyond lay the desert…a desert that was empty all the way to the border, and far beyond. Dan Rodelo was not really a suspicious man, but at the moment he was wondering if somebody else had the same idea he had. It would be wise to be careful, very careful.
Gold City was not much more than a ramshackle store and saloon, three steps up from the walk to the porch under the overhang. Across the street stood an adobe, crumbling to ruin, and there was a scattering of other abandoned buildings along this street and back from it on both sides. There was no tree in sight, nothing but creosote brush, brittle bush, and a scattering of prickly pear and ocotillo.
Sam, smoking his pipe on the porch, watched the wagon approach. The dog lying at his feet growled, then subsided. Sam wore a belt gun, which he could use, and there was a shotgun just inside the door.
As the wagon rolled to a halt his wary old eyes slid over the occupants, then held on Rodelo.
“Hiya, Sam!”
“Bless my soul, if it ain’t Rodelo. I’d no idea your time was up.”
Dan dropped to the
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