Louis LAmour - Borden Chantry: Talon and Chantry Series, Book 4

Contents

T HE V OICE OF D EATH

T HEY ALL HEARD the shot.

It was some distance off, but it had a clear, distinct report that cut across their conversation, stilling their tongues, leaving them staring.

Shots were not uncommon at night, occasionally in the daytime, but rarely in the late afternoon before the drinkers got well started.

Yet there was something about that shot that hit them all, and for a moment they just stared, frightened and wondering.

Borden Chantry got up and went outside. He knew it as well as if hed seen it happen.

Somebody else was dead.

To Tom and Jose

Chapter 1

D AWN CAME LIKE a ghost to the silent street, a gray, dusty street lined with boardwalks, hitching rails and several short lengths of water trough. False-fronted buildings alternated with others of brick or stone, some with windows showing goods for sale, some blank and empty.

A door slammed, a well pump came to life, complaining in rusty accents, then a rooster crowedanswered by another from across the town.

Into the end of the street rode a lone cowboy on a crow-bait horse. He saw the sign of the Bon-Ton Restaurant, and turned toward it, then his horse shied and he saw the body of a man lying beside the walk.

He glanced at it, dismounted, then tied his horse at the rail. He tried the restaurant door and had started to turn away when the sound of footsteps drew him back. The door opened and a pleasant voice said, Come in. Theres coffee, breakfast ready in a few minutes.

I aint in no hurry. The cowboy straddled a chair, accepting the coffee. Dead man out in the street.

Again? Third this week. You just wait until Saturday. Saturday nights when they let the wolves howl. You stick around.

I seen it here and yonder. Aint figurin on it. Im ridin over to Carson an the steam cars. He jerked his head toward the street. You seen him?

Nodont aim to. I seen a dead man. I seen two dozen of them, time to time. Aint nothin about bein dead pleases me. Some drunken fight, no doubt. Happens all the time.

A woman came along the street, her heels clicking on the boardwalk. She passed the dead man, glanced back, then turned her head away and walked on to the post office.

A man crossing the street turned aside and bending over the dead man took the head by the hair and turned the face around. Him? Probly had it comin, he said, and walked on.

Down the street another door slammed and somebody sang, off-key, of the streets of Laredo. Another pump started to squeak.

Finally the woman emerged from the post office, glanced at the body, then went to the door of the marshals office and rapped vigorously.

Borden? Borden? Are you in there?

A tall, young man came to the door, slipping a suspender over his shoulder. Whats the matter, Prissy? You outa stamps?

Theres a dead man lying in the street, Borden Chantry, and its a disgrace. Itwhy, you should be ashamed! And you call yourself a marshal!

Wasnt even here last night, maam. I was clean over on the Picketwire. Probly just some drunken shootin.

No matter what it was, Borden Chantry, you get that body out of the street! Whats this town coming to, anyway? Dead bodies lying around, shootings and stabbings every night. You call yourself a marshal!

No, maam, I dont. The city council does. I only figured to be a rancher until that norther came along. Why, I was fixin to be a rich man come spring!

You an how many others? You get that body up, Borden, or Ill have the committee on you.

Borden Chantry chuckled. Now, now, Prissy, you wouldnt do that, would you? Why, those old biddies

Hush your mouth, Borden! If they heard you speak of them like that, why! She turned around and went back to the post office.

A tall, handsome man with sandy hair stopped on the walk across the street. Whats the matter, Bord? You in trouble?

Seems like. Theres a body in the street an our postmistress is reading the riot act over it. Youd think shed never seen a dead manat her age.

Less you say about age to her, the better off youll be, Bord. He glanced at the body. Who is it? Some drunk?

Probly. I never did see so many men couldnt handle liquor. They get to drinkin that block an tackle whiskey and right away theres trouble.

Block an tackle whiskey?

Sure, Chantry chuckled at the old joke. One drink an youll walk a block an tackle anything!

Had breakfast. Bord? You get him off to the barn an come on in. Ill stake you to some ham and eggs.

All right, Lang. You just hold your horses. Ill get Big Injun. Hell tote him off for me.

Langdon Adams crossed the walk and entered the Bon-Ton, seating himself at a table near the window. It was a small town but a good town, and he was at home here. It was one place he really wanted to stay, for despite the occasional brawls between cowmen and miners, it was a pleasant enough town.

He watched the old Indian back a buckboard up to the hitching rail and then saw Borden Chantry and the Indian load the dead man into the back. The Indian drove off and Borden dusted his hands off and came inside.

A fat, buxom woman came in from the kitchen. Here! You boys start on this. Eds fixin some more ham an eggs. Why, we had a cowboy in here this morning that et enough for three! I never did see such a man!

Borden Chantry walked through to the kitchen and poured water from a bucket into a wash-pan and rinsed his hands.

Who was he? Ed turned from the fire, spatula in hand. Know him?

Never saw him before, Ed. Nice-lookin feller, though. He surely doesnt look the part.

Borden Chantry walked between the tables to the one near the window.

Langdon Adams looked up, smiling. Well, how does it feel to be the marshal of a cowtown?

Dont care much for it, Lang. Id rather be ranching, but I will say the city fathers were mighty nice to offer me the job. I was really wiped out.

You and how many others? I never did see so many big men become small overnight. I was lucky. I hadnt many cattle and they were down yonder in the breaks and out of the wind. I dont think I lost over three or four head.

Neither did Blossom. That widow-woman makes about as few mistakes as anybody I know. She trimmed her herds down, sold off all her scrub stuff, only kept good, sturdy stock that could last through, and they did.

Shes a fine woman.

Borden glanced at his friend. You really shinin up to her? Cant says I blame you. Shes a mighty pretty woman, and shes got the best ranch left around here. And if you buy the old Williams place

I havent bought it yet. Im not even sure if I want it.

What? If you had that ranch, right next to hers, and then you two got married, youd have about thirty sections of the best grazing in the state all to yourselves.

Ed brought the ham and eggs himself, then refilled their cups. He sat down, straddling a chair. You catch that horse thief, Borden?

Uh-huh. He made him a good run, but I got him. He stole those two mares of Hyatts. He couldnt have done worse. Why, there isnt two horses in the state look like them, or have their quality. Worst of it was, everbody in this part of the country knows those mares. Hyatt Johnsons talked them up so much, and showed them aroundA man would have to be a damn fool or a stranger to steal them.

Well, which was he?

A stranger. He surely doesnt talk like any damn fool, Chantry commented. I come up on this camp just shy of daybreak and waited until he rolled out of bed and went into the brush. Then I just stepped up and taken his gun belt and rifle and set there a-waitin when he come back. He was mighty upset.