Lawless Trail by Ralph Cotton Page A

will follow your tracks and figure we’re here in about four hours,” Claypool warned. “From everything I’ve heard, Burrack is good at spotting a false trail when he sees one.”
    â€œDamn it,” Wes swore quietly. “It looks like we’ll be leaving earlier than I planned.”
    The three men looked at one another as they followed Wes down the hallway, into the room where Ty rested leaning back against a pillow. He gave a weak smile as the men walked in and stood near his cot. Rosetta gave them a look from where she stood holding a bowl of warm beef broth she’d heated in a glass beaker over a single flame. Dr. Bernard sat on the side of the cot. He turned toward Wes with a stethoscope in his ears and pulled the end of it away from Ty’s chest.
    â€œYou feel like riding out tonight, brother Ty?” Wes asked, without giving the doctor so much as a glance.
    â€œReady as I’ll ever be,” Ty replied. As he spoke he tried to edge up onto the side of his cot.
    â€œHold it,” said the doctor, standing, jerking the stethoscope from his ears and letting the instrument hang from his neck. “We agreed to first thing come morning.”
    â€œHow’s he doing, Doc?” Wes asked.
    â€œHe’s doing well, but he still needs more rest—at least until morning. The broth is helping replenish his blood. But he’s not able to ride yet.”
    Wes reached around and took the bowl of broth from Rosetta and handed it down to Ty.
    â€œHere, drink this,” he said firmly. To the doctor he said, “It can’t be helped, Doc. We’ve got a new problem. There’s an Arizona Ranger on our trail. We’ve got to go.”
    The doctor shook his head slowly.
    â€œDon’t worry. We’re leaving you and the girl behind. You’ve done what we needed you to do.” As he spoke he held out a leather pouch full of gold coins to him. “We’re paying you for your service.”
    â€œHuh-uh,” the doctor said, refusing to the take the pouch. “Not until my patient is healed.”
    â€œHe’s riding, Doc,” Wes said firmly. “There’s no time to argue it.”
    â€œThen I’m going with you,” the doctor declared in a tight, determined voice. “I won’t have a patient die for lack of proper medical treatment.”
    â€œWait,” said Wes. He grabbed the doctor’s arm, seeing him turn to gather supplies for the trail. “It can get rough, Doc. Maybe you best consider this.”
    â€œI thought we didn’t have time to argue,” the doctor said. He looked at Wes’ hand on his arm in a way that prompted the outlaw to turn him loose.
    â€œI’ll be damned,” said Rubens. “We kidnapped him. Now we can’t get rid of him?”
    â€œSo it appears,” Wes said. He looked at Rosetta and held the leather pouch out to her. “Part of this is for your help with Ty. The rest is to keep your mouth shut for a while until we’ve had time to clear out of here.”
    â€œI go too,” she said as she grabbed the pouch and made it disappear beneath her peasant’s blouse.
    â€œYou too?” Wes said, surprised.
    â€œ
Sí
, me too,” the young woman said. “I will take care of your brother. I do a good job, no?”
    â€œYou’ve done a fine job, Rosetta, but now . . . ,” Wes said, his words trailing. He stared at her, thinking of all the reasons she shouldn’t ride with them. He saw the anticipation in her eyes as he searched for the words. Finally he settled on saying, “Why do you want to ride with us?”
    Rosetta looked back and forth at the eyes on her. She lowered her head and looked at the floor.
    â€œI don’t know,” she said quietly. “To not be
here
?” Her answer was a question, yet Wes understood.
    â€œThat’s a hell of a reason for going somewhere,” said Claypool, who