Free Ralph Compton Death Along the Cimarron by RALPH COMPTON

lewd appreciation. “I’ve always said partnerships should be one big happy family.”
    â€œWhy does he keep saying you’re partners, David?” Ellen asked, avoiding Earl’s eyes, ignoring his overtures.
    â€œEllen, it’s a long story,” Dave replied promptly. “I’ll tell you everything about it as soon as—”
    â€œCome on now, Davey,” Earl cut in. “We can’t be having secrets in this happy family of ours, now, can we?” He gave Waddell a wink, then said to Ellen, “You see, Davey and me has had ourselves an arrangement for some time now. I bring up border cattle—what you might say is beef of questionable origins. I give Davey here part of the herd just to let me hide them out here awhile in the upper grasslands. Then I crossbrand them, take them back down, and push them to the makeup herds heading for Abilene or Dodge City. We all make a little—Davey, the rest of the boys, and me—and nobody gets hurt.” He grinned and crossed his wrists on his saddle horn.
    â€œCattle thieves? Rustlers?” Ellen looked back and forth between her husband and Earl Muir in disbelief. Then she said to Dave Waddell, “You’ve been involved with a cattle-rustling operation? All those cattle that have shown up here, and you told me they were strays that wandered onto the grazing range ... all the while they were stolen?”
    Before Dave could answer, Earl stifled a laugh and said, “Oops, I sure hope I haven’t spilled the beans on you, Davey. That was not my intention.”
    â€œEllen,” Dave said, fighting to keep control of his voice and to keep his wits about him, “you’ll have to let me explain everything to you.... And I will, I swear I will, only not right now, not right here. This isn’t the time or place!”
    Ellen Waddell saw beads of perspiration form on her husband’s forehead.
    â€œYeah, you best go along with your husband, Missus Ellen,” Earl said, including himself in their conversation. “There ain’t time for explaining things now. We’ve got to get our horses changed and get moving.”
    â€œGet moving?” Ellen stepped hurriedly down from her saddle and stood by her husband’s side. “Earl, tell them to leave,” she whispered dose to his ear.
    â€œYep, you heard me right,” said Earl. “We’ve got to cut out of here fast. You heard the shooting last night—you said so yourself. We killed everybody in that town and left it burnt to a cinder. I reckon we’ll soon have somebody dogging our trail. I don’t want them coming out here sniffing around, maybe getting you to tell them where we might be headed. I like you, partner, but I’ve got to tell you: I’d kill a man before I’d leave him to jackpot me to the law.” Earl gave Dave a hard stare.
    â€œEarl, we can’t go with you,” said Dave, with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. “We’re heading north, going to take a few days of holiday in Denver.”
    â€œWell, that’s just fine. We’ll head right along with you,” said Earl. “Never let it be said that I’d spoil a holiday for anybody.”
    â€œOur plans are already made, Earl,” said Dave, slipping an arm around his wife’s waist as if to protect her. “We prefer traveling just the two of us. You don’t have to worry about either of us telling the law about you. I stand to lose as much as you do if I did something like that. I don’t want to get arrested for harboring stolen cattle.”
    â€œI beg to differ with you, Davey,” said Earl, “but you don’t stand to lose as much as I do.” Pointing a gloved finger at him, Earl stepped his horse closer as he continued. “They’ll drop the charges on you just to get to me.” He turned his horse sideways to them and leaned slightly down. “I can’t