‘Thanks for the help,’ Larry said, adding his signature with the pen King gave him. He glanced up as the girl suddenly gave a tremendous yawn.
‘Sorry,’ she murmured ruefully.
‘If there’s any apologizing to be done, it should be by me,’ Larry smiled faintly. ‘I’ve kept you all up to this ungodly hour with my talking and questions for the judge. I suggest we all hit the hay immediately, and try to snatch some sleep for what’s left of the night.’
‘Right,’ King agreed. ‘Some of the boys are still on the watch, so we can sleep in comfort. I hope.’
Larry helped King to his feet, and Val showed the judge the way to the room she’d prepared for him.
King’s hope was fulfilled. Nothing happened in the night, and immediately after breakfast the following morning Larry rode into town. He was accompanied by Judge Gascoigne and Val and her father — who insisted he was well enough to travel — with the girl herself driving the buckboard.
Once the town was reached, Larry lost no time in explaining the circumstances, and then, with his two deputies and a posse of perhaps two dozen men, they all rode out to the Double-L, Larry in the lead.
Rather to his surprise, he found Dr Barnes just upon the point of leaving in his own buckboard. The men of the ranch — the few of them there were about — just stood around, eyeing Larry and his followers narrowly but not daring to attempt anything.
‘Been fixing up Galt?’ Larry asked the practitioner. ‘Looks like you’ve been working through the night … ’
‘You’re wrong on both counts, son.’ Doc Barnes smiled grimly. ‘I’ve spent the night here, true — but I was simply sleeping. I was called out so late, I was too dad-blamed tired to face riding back into town after I’d seen Galt.’
‘How is Galt?’ Larry asked, tight-lipped.
‘Take a look for yourself,’ the medico said surprisingly. He stood up in the buckboard and pulled aside a large sheet covering the back seat.
Larry gave a start as he looked at the oddly contorted features of Galt.
‘He’s dead! So you couldn’t save him, after all.’
‘Wasn’t a question of that, son. Galt was stone dead when I got here last night.’
Val had drawn up her own buckboard alongside. She and her passengers had heard the exchange, along with the two leading deputies. They listened intently as Doc Barnes continued his explanation.
‘It wasn’t the rattler venom that killed Galt, though that certainly contributed. The man actually died of acute heart failure! He was vastly overweight of course, and hardly a fit man … ’
‘We had a hell of a scrap just before the snake bit him,’ Larry said thoughtfully. ‘Might that have done it, Doc?’
‘It certainly would have put strain on his heart,’ the medico conceded. ‘But I reckon it was probably sheer fright that did it, as much as anything.’ He shrugged. ‘The shock killed him … ’
Val climbed down from the buck-board and came to Larry’s side. ‘What now, Larry? You aren’t going to ride to the gold mine, are you?’ She looked about her, frowning. ‘This place seems practically deserted — but some of his men might be holed up at the mine. If so, there’ll be danger for you … ’
Larry shook his head. ‘I don’t need to risk that particular confrontation now. Galt and all my enemies are dead. The way is now open for me to take over the Double-L, and the mine can wait a day or two. I’ll report everything to the federal authorities in Prescott tomorrow, and let them deal with it. They’ll send out a force to clear out the mine for me. Meanwhile … ’
He broke off as Judge Gascoigne suddenly got to his feet in the buck-board, and clapped his hands to attract attention. All eyes swung towards him.
‘Listen, folks. We need a new mayor to complete the regeneration in Buzzard’s Bend. I’m proposing Richard King for the job.’ Then he added drily: ‘In spite of — or maybe because of — his somewhat unusual legal methods!’
‘Sure thing,’ agreed several of the posse together.
‘Couldn’t do better,’ said Doc Barnes. ‘Mebbe it’ll keep him out of trouble, so I can get some sleep at nights!’
King smiled, and waved his good hand in acknowledgement of the general approbation for the suggestion. Then, out of the side of his mouth, as the judge sat back down beside him, he said:
‘Say, Judge, what did you mean by that last remark?’
Gascoigne smiled gravely. ‘You know perfectly well. Did you really think I was unaware of your stratagem with the late sheriffs two missing witnesses?’
King looked worried. ‘You ain’t planning to charge me with anything, are you Judge?’
Gascoigne gave a deep chuckle. ‘Why should I? Dame Justice wears a blindfold, doesn’t she? What’s good enough for her is good enough for me … Wait!’ he touched King on the sleeve of his good arm. ‘I’ve been watching your daughter and young Ashfield. I fancy they may have an announcement of their own.’
King swung round to look at his daughter. She and Larry were close together, whispering, her arm resting gently on his shoulder. Larry grinned broadly, and looked up at the two men in the buckboard.
‘Week from today it is,’ he cried. ‘Then the Double-L will get its rightful boss and I’ll have the wife I’ve been waiting for.’
Snake Vengeance Page 14