Ralph Compton The Convict Trail Read Online Free Page A

to her mother, “I’m worried, ma’am. She’s still way too hot, burnin’ up something fierce.”
    â€œPour the cold water over her,” Lorraine said. “We must keep trying.”
    Thunder banged, closer now, and skeletal fingers of lightning scrawled across the dark sky. Sam looked up for a brief moment but said nothing. His face was like stone.
    Lorraine took her eyes off her child for a moment. “Marshal,” she said, “I heard what my husband said to you—about killing you, I mean. Be on your guard.”
    Kane smiled. “Lady, I’ve heard that a passel of times.”
    The woman shook her head. “Don’t take Barnabas lightly. He’s killed men before; more men than you could ever imagine.”
    Lightning flared on the woman’s face and Kane saw that her eyes were wide—and very frightened.

Chapter 3
    The storm struck with tremendous power, earsplitting thunder, sheeting rain and venomous lightning. Suddenly it seemed to Kane that the whole world was on fire, that when the new day came aborning, it would see only a wilderness of smoke and ashes.
    He kneeled opposite Sam and the woman, rain running in torrents off his hat brim and the shoulders of his slicker. Nellie looked pale blue in the flame-streaked darkness, her head supported in Sam’s right hand. The girl’s hair was plastered across her face and every now and then she moaned softly.
    Sam splashed a pot of water across the child’s chest, then another. “If the fever don’t break soon—” The rest of what he said was drowned in a clap of thunder, but his meaning was clear.
    Over by the dead fire, Barnabas Hook was screaming for his wife, mouthing curses and threats. Searing white lightning flashes shimmered around him and the racketing rain pounded him mercilessly.
    Sam laid his hairy cheek against Nellie’s forehead and held it there. Finally he lifted his eyes to Kane, then to the woman. “She’s gettin’ cooler. I think maybe she is.”
    Hope flared in Lorraine’s eyes. “The fever is breaking!”
    â€œWait!” the old man yelled over the thunder. “I said maybe she is. I don’t know fer sure.”
    The strain of being outdoors in the middle of a dangerous storm and the sight of the child’s pale-lipped face was getting to Kane. “Then don’t speak again, old man, until you know fer damned sure!”
    â€œDoin’ my best, Marshal Kane,” Sam said. It was a small rebuke, but it stung.
    Kane swallowed his irritation. “I know you are, Sam. It’s just that . . . well . . . I know you are.”
    â€œI reckon maybe it’s the cold rain that’s a-coolin’ her,” Sam said. “Comin’ down hard enough, a reg’lar duck drencher, you might say.”
    Kane put the back of his hand in the middle of Nellie’s chest. “I think you’re right, Sam. She don’t feel as hot.” He looked at Lorraine. “What do you think, missus?”
    Lightning raked the sky with skeletal fingers of silver flame, and thunder bellowed as the woman cupped her daughter’s forehead in her hand. After a few moments she said, “Yes, she’s cooling down.” Then, with a note of desperation she added, “I jes’ know she is.”
    Only then did Kane notice that the woman’s dress was soaked. He unbuttoned his slicker and spread it over her shoulders. “It won’t make you dry, ma’am, but it will he’p you from getting any wetter.” He smiled. “About now you look wet enough to bog a snipe.”
    Lorraine threw Kane a grateful smile, then glanced toward her wagon where Hook was screaming her name into the night, cursing her for leaving him to die in the storm.
    â€œLogan, we can attend to the young ’un,” Sam said. “Maybe you should see to that bellyachin’ man. I already got half a mind to walk over thataway